Psychometric properties of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 among a Portuguese sample of incarcerated juvenile offenders

The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11) among a forensic sample of incarcerated male juvenile offenders (N?=?221). Principal Component Analysis with Promax rotation revealed the expected 6-factor structure, but Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the 6-factor first-order and the 3-factor second-order factorial structures did not present sufficiently good fits. Despite that, the Portuguese adaptation of the BIS-11 demonstrated generally acceptable psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, mean inter-item correlation, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and concurrent validity that justifies its use among the youth forensic population. Statistically significant associations were found with age of crime onset, conduct disorder, crime seriousness, alcohol use and drug use.     

Australia and the Threat of Terrorism in the Decade after 9/11

In February 2010, the Australian government released its second Counter-Terrorism White Paper, claiming that terrorism continues to pose a serious security challenge to Australia. The article critically re-examines the terrorist threat to Australia and explores the threat posed by the traditional Al-Qaeda leadership, by regional organisations like Jemaah Islamiyah and by so-called ‘home-grown’ terrorists. Arguing that it is imperative to differentiate clearly between the threat to Australia and Australian interests abroad, the article identifies the sources of threat in the Australian context. It concludes that neither Al-Qaeda nor Jemaah Islamiyah nor home-grown terrorism poses any significant objective threat to Australia. At the same time it is acknowledged that the subjective perception of the terrorist necessitates the government to develop an effective counter-terrorism strategy. However, given that the terrorism threat is objectively low, policy measures addressing the threat ought to be carefully designed to meet the requirements of proportionality and (potential) effectiveness.     

Going Public as Political Strategy: The Bush Administration,an Echoing Press,and Passage of the Patriot Act

Research suggests that political elites excel at controlling political and media information environments, particularly in times of national crisis, such as the events and aftermath of September 11. This study examines the creation and passage of the Patriot Act, which was proposed by the Bush administration following the terrorist attacks and quickly passed with strong support by the U.S. Congress. We argue that (a) the public communications of the Bush administration, particularly those by George W. Bush and John Ashcroft, and (b) news coverage about the legislation were instrumental in this outcome. Public communications by Bush and Ashcroft and news coverage about the Act were content analyzed to identify the timing of the messages and the themes and perspectives emphasized, and congressional debates and activities were examined for insight into their relation with administration and press discourse. Findings suggest that Bush and Ashcroft's communications, in combination with a press that largely echoed the administration's messages, created an environment in which Congress faced significant pressure to pass the legislation with remarkable speed.     

Saving virgins,saving the USA: heteronormative masculinities and the securitisation of trafficking discourse in mainstream narrative film

Sex trafficking has become a high-profile, celebrity endorsed issue, attracting much international attention. Accompanying this has been a proliferation of films, including full-length feature films, which address the topic and have done much to influence public perception of the issue. This paper analyses two of these films which were made for the mainstream US market: Trade and Taken. Both films present a conservative and heteronormative perspective revolving around middle-aged North American law enforcement officers rescuing innocent young girls. Hence, these films participate in the general securitisation of trafficking discourse in which the US has been a leader. In spite of their ostensible concern about the exploitation of women, these films present trafficking mostly as an occasion for the redemption and rehabilitation of the beleaguered white American male, appropriating the problem of trafficking in the service of a US-led neo-imperialism bolstered by masculinism and xenophobia, and implicitly problematising women's independence and justifying the control of their movements and sexuality.     

New geographies and temporalities of power: exploring the new fault-lines of Southeast Asia

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War, the international arena has witnessed two concurrent worldwide trends. One is the gradual prevalence of universalism under the banner of human civilization; the other is the gradual revival of nationalism globally under exactly the same heading. Both trends are evident in China, a country which in the twenty-first century is perceived universally as a rising nation. However, does Chinese nationalism necessarily pose a threat to the world? By examining two debates on the Chinese intellectual response towards Sino-American and Sino-Japanese relations in the early twenty-first century, this paper investigates the status of Chinese nationalism. It questions whether it is a fixed set of ideas embraced by a solid entity, or whether it possesses multiple layers with dual elements contributing to both security and insecurity internationally. The paper argues that three separate nationalist processes are occurring concurrently but independently of each other: the construction of civic nationalist values; the development of an international relations strategy assigning responsible power to China; and the detection of alleged anti-Chinese conspiracies. The effect of the first two would be to encourage regional peace, and they could offset fervent nationalist expression. A somewhat counter-intuitive result of Chinese nationalism might be that it also becomes a stabilizing force within and outside China's borders.     

School Mental Health's Response to Terrorism and Disaster

Abstract

The events of September 11,2001, have underscored the mental health needs of youth and families, and amplified the advantages of proactively bringing a range of mental health services to them, where they are, in natural settings such as schools. Further, there is increasing momentum for the enhancement of coordinated and comprehensive school-based approaches that seek to effectively respond to significant crises such as terrorist attacks and disaster. This article explores key themes related to school mental health's response to terrorism and disaster. Following review of background literature on child and adult reactions to trauma, we discuss the development of crisis response teams, and present a range of strategies for schools to respond to crises and disaster. The experiences of one elementary school in responding to the events of September 11 are presented, followed by review of critical challenges facing schools and school mental health programs in improving their ability to respond to significant crises.     

Environmental policy implications of investor-state arbitration under NAFTA Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement requires governments to treat foreign investors the same as domestic investors, to afford them international standards of due process of law, and to compensate investors for any actions that expropriate their investments or are “tantamount” to expropriation. It allows foreign investors to submit compensation claims to international arbitration. To the alarm of the environmental community, four of the early Chapter 11 claims involved challenges to government measures that were, or appeared to be, environmental protection measures. The first three of the four claimants ultimately received compensation; the fourth claim was denied as being outside the scope of Chapter 11. This paper takes an in-depth look at the circumstances of these four claims to determine whether the claimants had thwarted or avoided bona fide environmental protection measures and to try to assess whether these claims have “chilled” government imposition of new environmental measures. The facts of the cases and developments subsequently indicate that the government actions in the first three cases were not truly environmental protection measures, but were motivated by local political and economic considerations. The fourth claim, which involved a bona fide environmental protection, was rightly rejected. Meanwhile the number of “environmental” claims under Chapter 11 has dwindled. The paper concludes that environmentalists have little ground for alarm, and much reason to be encouraged, about how Chapter 11 has influenced environmental protection.

AGB-Kontrolle / Transparenzgebot / Begriff der "beiderseitigen Hauptleistungen" / Schriftformklauseln

Das Transparenzgebot des § 6 Abs 3 KSchG begnügt sich nicht mit formeller Textverst?ndlichkeit, sondern verlangt, dass Inhalt und Tragweite vorgefasster Vertragsklauseln für den Verbraucher durchschaubar sind. Vertragsbestimmungen müssen den Verbraucher im Rahmen des M?glichen und überschaubaren zuverl?ssigüber seine Rechte und Pflichten aus dem Vertrag informieren. Eine "gr?bliche Benachteiligung" iSv § 879 Abs 3 ABGB liegt vor, wenn die dem Vertragspartner zugedachte Rechtsposition in auffallendem, sachlich nicht zu rechtfertigendem Missverh?ltnis zur vergleichbaren Position des anderen steht. § 10 Abs 3 KSchG trifft nicht nur Klauseln, wonach mündliche Absprachen keine Gültigkeit haben, sondern insb auch solche, wonach ?nderungen und Erg?nzungen eines Vertrags nur durch eine schriftliche Best?tigung des Unternehmers wirksam sind. Zum Begriff der "beiderseitigen Hauptleistungen" iSv § 879 Abs 3 ABGB. Für die Kenntnisnahme der AGB durch den Verbraucher und die Zustimmung des Verbrauchers zu den AGB trifft den Unternehmer die Beweislast, sofern er sich auf die AGB beruft. Hat aber der Kunde bereits in den AGB best?tigt, dass er diese zur Kenntnis genommen und ihnen zugestimmt hat, wird ihm im Zuge der Rechtsverfolgung oder -verteidigung eine Beweislast auferlegt, die ihn von Gesetzes wegen nicht trifft, wenn er n?mlich nun seinerseits dartun muss, dass er ungeachtet der Best?tigung zB in Wahrheit gar keine M?glichkeit gehabt habe, die AGB zur Kenntnis zu nehmen.     

Kapitalmarktinformationshaftung der Aktiengesellschaft und Kapitalerhaltungsgrundsatz (1. Teil)

Die AG treffen im Kapitalmarktrecht Informationspflichten gegenüber ihrem Aktion?r. Die Bandbreite dieser Pflichten reicht von der Information des Anlegers als des künftigen Aktion?rs durch den Emissions- bzw B?rsezulassungsprospekt bei der Aktienemission bis zuden laufenden b?rserechtlichen Informationspflichten der AG (Ad-hoc-Publizit?t, Beteiligungspublizit?t, Regelpublizit?t). Allen diesen Informationspflichten ist gemeinsam, dass (ua) die AG als Emittentin für ihre Verletzung haftet. Aus der Haftung resultiert eine Schadenersatzleistung der AG an den Aktion?r. Leistungen der AG an ihren Aktion?r aber, die nicht in der Gewinnausschüttung oder der Verteilung des Liquidationserl?ses bestehen, sind nach § 52 AktG (Verbot der Einlagenrückgew?hr) unzul?ssig, soweit nicht eine im AktG selbst normierte Ausnahme vom Verbot des § 52 AktG greift (zB zul?ssiger Erwerb eigener Aktien, § 65 AktG). Der vorliegende Aufsatz widmet sich der seit mehr als 100 Jahren streitigen und jüngst durch eine Entscheidung des BGH wieder aktuell gewordenen Frage, wie dieser Konflikt zwischen der kapitalmarktrechtlichen Informationshaftung der AG und dem Verbot des § 52 AktG zu l?sen ist.