Characteristics and offences of women with borderline personality disorder in forensic psychiatry: a multicentre study

Although female forensic patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are generally considered taxing in clinical practice, little is known about their specific characteristics or offences. In this study, 156 female forensic psychiatric patients diagnosed with BPD were compared to 113 diagnosed otherwise. Information on demographic and psychiatric characteristics, victimization, index offences, and incidents during treatment was gathered from patient files. Risk factors for recidivism were assessed using the PCL-R and historical items of the HCR-20, including items from the new Female Additional Manual (FAM). Compared to non-BPD women, BPD women were more likely to have been abused as children and to have a history of outpatient treatment. While less likely to be convicted for (attempted) homicide, a higher percentage of BPD women was convicted for arson. Comorbid substance abuse was more frequent in the BPD group and incidents towards others and themselves were more violent in nature. The PCL-R and the H-scale of the HCR-20/FAM indicated several risk factors especially important for BPD women, such as poor behavioural control, impulsivity, and irresponsibility. The results support the clinical impression that women diagnosed with BPD are a subgroup within the female forensic psychiatric population, with specific focus points for treatment and management.     

Authoritarian legality and informal practices: Judges, lawyers and the state in Russia and China

To participate in the global economy authoritarian states are pressed to offer international business a legal order that protects the interests of investors, customers, and sellers, but the creation of a modern legal order threatens to undermine the leaders’ control of public life. An increasingly common way to resolve this dilemma, I argue, is developing formal legal institutions that appear to meet world standards, while using informal practices to maintain control over the administration of justice when needed. In this paper I show how the governments of post-Soviet Russia (with its hybrid or competitive authoritarian regime) and the fully authoritarian People’s Republic of China as well, have used this approach in their relations with judges and defense lawyers in their respective countries. The analysis underscores the utility of investigating informal practices along with the reform of formal legal institutions, especially in the context of transition.     

Trends in the proportion of married women of reproductive age in Spain, 1887–1991

Using the Princeton nuptiality index I_m, we analyzed historical developments in the proportion of married women of reproductive age in Spain. We show the internal diversity in nuptiality patterns and offer an explanatory statistical model based on panel data analysis to identify the main variables influencing these changes over more than a century (1887–1991). We found that Spain has been the developed country with the greatest contrasts in its provincial nuptiality patterns (measured by I_m), although this diversity has lessened over the course of time. We also found that some socioeconomic variables (the gross domestic product per capita and the percentage of population living in cities) do not have a linear relationship with female nuptiality but rather have a U shape or an inverted U shape. This may partly account for some of the controversy that has raged on this topic over the past few decades on an international level.     

The Unintended consequences of sentencing reforms: Using social chain theory to examine racial disparities in Female imprisonment

The current study uses social chain theory to examine the potential unintended effects of sentencing reforms on racial disparities in female imprisonment. Our analysis measures changes in the relative odds of Black to White female imprisonment using the Relative Rate Index (RRI) through panel regression modeling on 40 states from 1983 to 2008. Our final models indicate that four types of sentencing reforms had unintended perverse effects on racial disparities in prison admissions while Truth in Sentencing laws increased racial disparities in time-served. Eighteen combinations of sentencing reforms also significantly impacted disparities. Theoretical and policy implications are also discussed.     

京沪青年女性在民国时期的自杀问题

本文将集中讨论两大问题:其一涉及到法国社会学大师埃米尔·迪尔凯姆的自杀学说。笔者认为,迪尔凯姆的自杀学说在论及性别问题时带有浓厚的男权主义偏见,他的分析偏移了他所大力提倡的社会事实研究法;其二民国时期京沪两地的青年女性自杀格局。根据笔者的分析,京沪女性的自杀问题在当时非常严重,两性自杀死亡率相近;两地不同年龄段的女性的自杀已遂和未遂事件中女青年所占的比例最高;诱因多是家庭矛盾或情感纠纷。本文意在厘清古典社会学自杀理论的局限,也在将中国近现代的自杀问题纳入到社会性别分析框架中探讨。     

对律师惩戒制度的思考——以行政处罚和纪律处分为视角

我国的律师惩戒制度由司法行政机关的行政处罚和律师协会的纪律处分两部分组成。在实践中,律师协会并不具有实质意义上的惩戒权,律师协会对律师的纪律处分也缺乏程序救济。通过借鉴国外律师惩戒制度的经验,赋予律师协会统一行使惩戒权并由司法行政机关进行监督,以完善我国的律师惩戒制度。     

Female sex offenders who abuse children whilst working in organisational contexts: offending,conviction and sentencing

To date, there has been very little research into the phenomenon of female-perpetrated institutional child sexual abuse (CSA). This study explored 71 cases of CSA perpetrated by women working with children, considered by UK police and courts between 2000 and 2016. Qualitative and quantitative content analysis was employed to examine court reports, professional regulatory body decisions, media reports and an online sentencing database in order to identify perpetrator and victim characteristics, the nature of the offending behaviour, modus operandi and criminal justice system responses. Findings indicate most women offended alone and had no previous criminal or employment records of concern. Victims were typically male and 15–16 years old. Most women received custodial sentences, typically of 2–3 years in length. Implications for policy and practice are also discussed.     

Female-perpetrated sexual abuse: a review of victim and professional perspectives

Abstract

Professional attitudes towards female-perpetrated sexual abuse (FPSA) reportedly reflect the gender-role expectations found in broader society, which cast males almost exclusively as sexual aggressors or willing sexual recipients, females as sexually non-coercive or victims and male-perpetrated sexual abuse as particularly significant or injurious. Such views, however, appear to stand in contrast to the perspectives of individuals who have experienced FPSA. This paper details a systematic review of peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative literature examining these different (professional and victim) perspectives. Although the methodological shortcomings of primary papers limit the conclusions that can be drawn, the findings suggest that victim and professional perspectives of FPSA remain discrepant; professionals generally considered FPSA as less serious, less harmful and less deserving of investigation than male-perpetrated abuse; while victims of FPSA felt their experiences influenced significantly their psychological wellbeing and abilities to form and maintain interpersonal relationships. These findings are discussed in relation to professional practice and suggestions for future research.     

侵财犯罪女性PHI（心理健康）问题研究

随着我国经济、社会的发展和转型,社会矛盾越发激烈和凸显,犯罪形势出现新情况新特点。近年来我国女性犯罪呈现严重发展态势,女性财产犯罪在女性犯罪中占较大比重,成为女性主要犯罪型态之一。本专题研究采用心理测量方法,从调查实证角度研究女性犯罪中的财产犯罪问题,对D市看守所在押女犯人进行PHI心理测查调查研究。统计结果显示被调查犯罪女性与正常成年女性对照,在多项因子上存在显著差异,与其他特殊群体对照,在多项问题倾向方面存在相似之处。以此为基础分析财产犯罪女性的人格特征,希望为相关部门做好女性犯人心理矫治工作提供参考依据,为预防和打击女性犯罪,提高社会文明程度探讨有效途径。