Recent developments in medicine and law

This article focuses on certain noteworthy legislation and cases affecting medicine and law during the period September 1, 2001, to August 31, 2002. It does not attempt to discuss every case or piece of legislation, but instead seeks to summarize some of the more significant developments in this area of law.     

Animal cruelty motivations: assessing demographic and situational influences

Few studies have examined childhood and adolescent animal cruelty motives. Using a sample of 261 inmates surveyed at both medium and maximum security prisons ina southern state, the present study examined the impact of demographic attributes and situational factors relating specifically to a range of animal cruelty motivations. Almost half of the inmates who engaged in animal abuse reported committing some of the acts out of anger, whereas more than a third did so for fun. Regression analyses revealed that the most statistically salient variable in 7 of the 10 motivational models was whether animal cruelty was committed alone. Respondents who reported hurting or killing animals alone were more likely to commit the acts out of anger but less likely to have committed them to impress others, for sex, or to imitate others.     

EFFICIENCY VERSUS SOCIAL LEARNING: A RECONSIDERATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

In a complex society committed to democratic norms a social learning perspective on the implementation process is more useful and appropriate than an efficiency, productivity perspective. The norms and assumptions underlying the efficiency emphasis to the implementation process are not applicable; nor do they exist in reality. An alternative set of assumptions based on a social learning approach to implementation is offered.