Comparison of MMPI psychopathic deviate scores of battered and nonbattered women

Despite the voluminous research using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, little research has been done evaluating the MMPI for assessing personality profiles and psychopathology in victims of domestic violence. The current study focused on the Psychopathic Deviate scale (scale 4), and the Harris and Lingoes subscales measuring specific aspects of this concept. The objective was to evaluate whether a clinical population of battered women differed from a nonbattered group drawn from a similar clinical setting. The battered group scored higher on the full scale (p .001), the Authority Problems scale (p .001), the Social Alienation scale, (p .01), and the Social Imperturbability scale (p .05). There was no difference on Self-Alienation. The score on Family Discord (Pd1) was the most elevated for the battered group, falling just below moderately elevated. Within the battered group, the score on Family Discord (M =69.11) was significantly more highly elevated than the score on Self-Alienation (M =60.4) (the next most highly elevated score). These findings suggest that there is an association between elevated scale 4 scores and victimization by domestic violence. However, it is essential that clinicians carefully evaluate such scores in the context of each individual situation before attributing causation.     

Correlates of depressive symptoms among battered women

It is important to examine the concomitants of depressive symptoms reported by battered women because of the high frequency and potentially vulnerability-enhancing effects of these symptoms within battering relationships. In the present study, 10 environmental and behavioral skills correlates of depressive symptoms were examined in 136 battered women. The results of the Simultaneous Multiple Regression suggested that 46% of the variance in depression scores could be accounted for by scores on measures of these 10 variables. Four variables were found to be uniquely and significantly associated with depressive symptoms: self-reinforcement, realistic assessment, number of losses, and a history of depression. These results suggest that battered women who realistically assess their battering relationship and who report poor self-reinforcement skills, losses, and histories of depression may be at particular risk for depression.     

Enzymatic detection of γ-hydroxybutyrate using aldo-keto reductase 7A2

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a prescribed medication as well as a drug of abuse. Its detection in various matrices for in-field forensic scientists remains a challenge. We have developed an assay that uses aldo-keto reductase 7A2 (AKR7A2) for the specific determination of GHB in various drinks. AKR7A2 was purified using Ni-affinity chromatography. The Michaelis-Menten constant for the GHB oxidation reaction was 10 mM, and the minimum detection limit was 4 mM. Ethanol was not a substrate for AKR7A2. In a coupled reaction with NADP(+), phenazine methosulfate (PMS), and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, various beverages (orange juice, milk, soda, and numerous alcoholic drinks) containing GHB turned from blue to light yellow. In a second coupled reaction where diaphorase replaced PMS, the presence of GHB also caused the expected change of color in various beers.     

The impact of abuse allegations in perceiving parricide in the courtroom

One hundred and seventy five undergraduates (105 females) read a fictional criminal trial summary of a parricide case in which the juvenile defendant alleged sexual abuse or physical abuse or did not allege abuse. An allegation of either type of abuse led to a greater likelihood of a manslaughter conviction than a murder conviction and greater pro-child ratings (e.g., sympathy toward the defendant) compared to no abuse allegations. Specific evaluations of the defendant mediated the verdict results. In addition, there was no support for the claim that perceptions are more heinous for sexual abuse than physical abuse allegations and only limited support that perceptions for this type of case result in women being more pro-child defendant than men. The discussion focuses on how abuse allegations impact jurors' decision-making processes in parricide cases.     

Some Issues in Aboriginal Justice Research:

The over-representation of Aboriginal people in the Canadian criminal justice system is the context within which the particular case of Aboriginal women is explored. This paper provides an explanation for the incidence and types of crime of Aboriginal women in order to identify the need to better understand the theoretical and methodological issues in the relationship of Aboriginal people to the broader society, in general, and to the criminal justice system is particular.     

The impact of questioning style on the content of investigative interviews with suspected child sexual abuse victims

Abstract

This study explored the influence of question type and interviewer style on the quantity and quality of responses offered by children in interviews for suspected sexual abuse. The analysis covered 36 investigative interviews conducted by polia officers under the Memorandum of Good Practice with children aged 4–7, 8–11 and 12–14 years. The dependent measures were the temporel length of children's answers and the number of criteria derived from Criteria Based Cornent Analysis (CBCA) they contained. Only 2% of all questions were open-ended, but just 3% were judged leading. Open questions were most effective with 12–14 year olds but not with younger children who provided nose information in response to specific yet not leading or closed questions. Longer answers containing move CBCA criteria were associated with interviews containing many affirmative utterances and verbal affirmations and a brief rapport. The implications of these findings for interview theory and practice are briefly discussed.     

我国刑法中应当设立“暴行罪”——以虐待儿童的刑法规制为中心

在我国许多虐待儿童的行为,由于没有造成轻伤以上的后果无法以故意伤害罪评价,由于加害被害双方不是家庭成员不能定为虐待罪,也无法以其他罪名有效规制,至多由公安机关处以15日的行政拘留,这样未充分体现对暴力行为的打击以及对人身的特别保护.为了惩罚和预防虐待儿童一类的暴行,为了严厉打击暴力犯罪,全面严密保护公民的人身权利,我们应借鉴日本、英美刑法的立法理念及法律规定,将暴行罪引入我国刑法,将以殴打或其他暴行侵犯他人身体的行为纳入刑法的评价视野,从而更有效地保护包括儿童在内的公民的人身安全.     

诚实信用与权利滥用——我国台湾地区“最高法院”九一年台上字第七五四号判决评析

诚实信用和权利滥用是民事法律的基本原则,一般具有指导及终极裁量的功能。我国台湾地区“最高法院”九一年台上字第七五四号判决确立了诚实信用原则和权利滥用原则在法律适用上的规范功能,对于原则具体裁决功能的发挥起到开创作用。探讨诚实信用原则和权利滥用原则的内容和相互关系,对于法律解释与实践发展具有重要意义。     

When Loving Means Hurting: An Exploration of Attachment and Intimate Abuse In a Community Sample

Intimate relationship abuse can be understood by considering two critical tenets of attachment. First, attachment fulfills a basic need for survival. Thus, the tenacity of the attachment bond is independent of relationship quality. Second, individuals whose attachment needs have been frustrated may strike out violently to regain proximity to the perceived loss of an intimate partner. We examined how individual differences in attachment were associated with women's and men's relationship abuse. A telephone survey assessed levels of psychological and physical abuse in 1249 Vancouver residents. Of these, 128 completed an attachment interview exploring their interpersonal relationships. Hierarchical regressions revealed that attachment variables contributed significant variance to prediction of both receipt and perpetration of psychological and physical abuse, with preoccupied attachment acting as an independent predictor. There was no evidence that gender moderated these associations. The findings suggest that attachment preoccupation in either partner may increase likelihood of abuse in couples.