Revisiting the Use of Propensity Score Matching to Understand the Relationship between Gang Membership and Violent Victimization: A Cautionary Note

Previous research has consistently reported that gang members are more likely to experience violent victimization compared to non‐gang members. Recently, however, a study challenged this conventional wisdom using the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) data. Employing propensity score matching (PSM), this study reported no significant differences in violent victimization between gang and non‐gang members. Upon closer examination of the GREAT data and the PSM process used in this study, we note several theoretical, methodological, and statistical concerns. We reanalyze the GREAT data using both negative binomial regression and PSM. We find that self‐reported gang members were significantly more likely to report subsequent violent victimization compared to non‐gang members. Although contrary to this previous study, our findings are consistent with the bulk of previous empirical research and widely held beliefs about the relationship between gang membership and violent victimization.     

高职院校《思想道德修养与法律基础》课教学方法改革初探

高职院校《思想道德修养与法律基础》课教学方法改革要重视针对性和实效性,采用讨论式、案例分析式、活动式、心理咨询式等多种方法来增强教学的吸引力和感染力,要结合学校和学生的实际,处理好内容与形式、教与学、教师主导与学生主体的关系等问题。     

Trends in Converted Firearms in England & Wales as Identified by the National Firearms Forensic Intelligence Database (NFFID) Between September 2003 and September 2008

Abstract: The National Firearms Forensic Intelligence Database (NFFID © Crown Copyright 2003‐2008) was developed by The Forensic Science Service (FSS) as an investigative tool for collating and comparing information from items submitted to the FSS to provide intelligence reports for the police and relevant government agencies. The purpose of these intelligence reports was to highlight current firearm and ammunition trends and their distribution within the country. This study reviews all the trends that have been highlighted by NFFID between September 2003 and September 2008. A total of 8887 guns of all types have been submitted to the FSS over the last 5 years, where an average of 21% of annual submissions are converted weapons. The makes, models, and modes of conversion of these weapons are described in detail. The number of trends identified by NFFID shows that this has been a valuable tool in the analysis of firearms‐related crime.     

A comprehensive method for the assessment of industrial injury events

Because work‐related injuries are infrequent and often poorly documented, injury event operationalizations beyond recorded rates would be beneficial. This study describes a method that uses self‐reported and recorded events.

Researchers interviewed workers and obtained recorded events from personnel files to develop the near miss and unreported injury events measures. The self‐reported event measures, with other safety variables and demographics, were then administered to two groups of plant workers (N = 115 and N = 120). Results indicated that self‐reported events differed from recorded events and are related to other work injury variables (e.g., work hazards, overtime). An expanded safety protocol such as this one may provide additional tools to investigate the injury event process.     

人为老化文件的鉴别

本文阐明了文件人为老化的机理,总结了文件人为老化的手段及其相应特点,提出了人为老化文件的鉴别方法。     

Improving the evaluation of anticrime programs: There’s work to be done

The summary version of the National Research Council’s report, Improving the Evaluation of Anticrime Programs, published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology, was accompanied by eight commentaries from distinguished criminology researchers. This paper responds to those thoughtful and provocative commentaries by further discussing the two broad questions that they raised: What anticrime programs should be evaluated and what methods should be used to evaluate them. The main themes of this response are that (a) evaluation is needed for the programs, practices, and policies in actual use, not only those developed by criminologists; (b) programs developed and tested by criminologists are more likely to be used if they build on existing programs and give as much attention to “implementability” as to theory; and (c) evaluation of practices, policies, and area-wide programs will be limited unless credible applications of observational and quasi-experimental methods can be developed.

Impacts of Aggregation on Relative Performances of Nonsurvey Updating Techniques And Intertemporal Stability of Input–Output Coefficients

In many instances, and for variety of reasons, input–output researchers are compelled to both employ mechanical techniques to update older survey-based tables as well as using more aggregated ones. This combination, however, gives rise to several concerns. The present paper is an attempt to investigate two such questions. First, the effects of aggregation on the accuracy ranking of selected updating methods, and second, the effects of aggregation on intertemporal stability of the input–output coefficients. To probe these issues, three updating methods were selected. These methods are NAÏVE or constant coefficient hypothesis, RAS or biproportional method, and LaGrangian optimization technique. Two survey-based tables from the former Soviet Union along with the selected updating techniques are used to generate updated target year’s direct and inverse transaction matrices at four aggregation levels. Comparison of the resultant estimates at these four levels of aggregation with their counterparts in the actual benchmark table reveals that a higher level of aggregation neither affects the rankings of the updating methods nor does it universally and unequivocally leads to a higher degree of intertemporal stability of input–output coefficients.     

论侦查阶段的案件事实及其查明方法

在侦查阶段,刑事案件只是有客观的犯罪事实的嫌疑,查明案件事实,以明确犯罪嫌疑的有无,是侦查机关的重要职责。查明案件事实是侦查人员在法律框架内通过证据证明并用语言陈述表达的刑事案件的客观真实情况,它具有一定的法律性,但是最根本的特征是客观性、可靠性、确定性。查明案件事实的方法主要有:发现和收集与案件有关的证据材料;分析案情,在思维上建构案件事实;查证核实,重新评价建构的案件事实;完善证据材料,确认案件事实。     

搞好目标管理提高干警培训质量

在干警培训中对干训班的管理影响着培训的质量.在对干训班的管理中运用"目标管理"这种现代化的管理方法,对全方位提高干警素质,保证培训质量,有较明显的成效.     

生物检材中海洛因代谢物分析现状

海洛因在体内极易代谢,其主要的代谢产物为单乙酰吗啡、吗啡等。目前,检测海洛因代谢物的常用生物检材有尿液、血液、毛发等;常用分析方法有薄层色谱法、气相色谱法、高效液相色谱法、气相色谱-质谱联用法、液相色谱-质谱联用法、免疫分析法、毛细管电泳法等。本文参考近年来的文献对生物检材中海洛因代谢物的分析方法作一综述,为法医毒物分析等相关领域的研究提供参考。