Revisiting the use of pornography by sexual offenders: Implications for theory and practice

Abstract

Summary: This article examines the extant research on the use of pornography by sexual offenders and some of the debates engendered by such use. The analyses should assist in clarifying a number of issues of concern for all who work in the field of sexual offending.     

The emotional intelligence of adult sex offenders: ability based EI assessment

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that sex offenders are deficient in several areas of emotional functioning such as empathy, emotional perception, emotional management and interpersonal functioning. It is unclear, however, whether sex offenders display a general deficit in emotional functioning or whether their emotional deficits are specific to the circumstances in which offences occur. The present study aimed to provide a broad assessment of the emotional functioning of sex offenders by assessing their emotional intelligence (EI) using an abilities-based emotional intelligence test. Nineteen sex offenders, 18 non-sex offending prisoners and 19 controls were administered the Perception, Assimilation and Management branch subtests from the Mayer Salovey Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). The results indicated that the sex offenders were not significantly different than the control group, as assessed by these three branches of the MSCEIT. The results lend support to the suggestion that the emotional deficits displayed by sex offenders may be offence-specific. Implications for the use of the MSCEIT in sex offending populations and the role of EI in relapse prevention programmes are discussed.     

Qiagen's Investigator™ Quantiplex Kit as a Predictor of STR Amplification Success from Low‐Yield DNA Samples,

Qiagen's Investigator? Quantiplex kit, a total human DNA quantitation kit, has a 200‐base pair internal control, fast cycling time, and scorpion molecules containing a covalently linked primer, probe, fluorophore, and quencher. The Investigator? Quantiplex kit was evaluated to investigate a value under which complete short tandem repeat (STR) failure was consistently obtained. Buccal swabs were extracted using the Qiagen QIAamp^® DNA Blood Mini Kit, quantified with the Investigator? Quantiplex kit using a tested half‐volume reaction, amplified with the ABI AmpFlSTR^® Identifiler kit, separated on the 3100Avant Genetic Analyzer, and data analyzed with GeneMapper^® ID v.3.2. While undetected samples were unlikely to produce sufficient data for statistical calculations or CODIS upload (2.00 alleles and 0.82 complete loci on average), data may be useful for exclusionary purposes. Thus, the Investigator? Quantiplex kit may be useful for predicting STR success. These findings are comparable with previously reported data from the Quantifiler? Human kit.     

A 27‐Locus STR Assay to Meet All United States and European Law Enforcement Agency Standards,

Different national and international agencies have selected specific STR sets for forensic database use. To enhance database comparison across national and international borders, a 27‐locus multiplex system was developed comprising all 15 STR loci of the European standard set, the current 13 STR loci of the CODIS core, the proposed 22 STR loci of the expanded CODIS core, 4 additional commonly used STR loci, and the amelogenin locus. Development required iterative primer design to resolve primer‐related artifacts, amplicon sizing, and locus‐to‐locus balance issues. The 19.5‐min assay incorporated newly developed six‐dye chemistry analyzed using a novel microfluidic electrophoresis instrument capable of simultaneous detection and discrimination of 8 or more fluorescent dyes. The 27‐locus multiplex offers the potential for a new international STR standard permitting laboratories in any jurisdiction to use a single reaction to determine profiles for loci they typically generate plus an expanded common STR profiling set of global interest.     

“No Remorse,No Repent”: Linking Lack of Remorse to Criminal Offending in a Sample of Serious Adolescent Offenders

Linking emotions to offender decision-making has only recently become of theoretical interest to criminologists, but empirical work in this area has not kept pace nor has such research examined the role of emotions to offending in offender-based samples. Recently, Warr outlined regret as one such emotion that may be useful in thinking about offending. Specifically, he argued that regret may be related to discontinuity in offending, or conversely that a lack of remorse may be related to continuity in offending. This paper uses data from a sample of serious adolescent offenders followed for seven years to investigate this hypothesis. Results provide support for Warr’s hypothesis that remorse-resistant adolescents incur a higher number of re-arrests, while remorse-prone adolescents incur fewer re-arrests, even after controlling for other relevant risk factors.     

南通汉族人群17个Y-STR基因座的遗传多态性

目的分析南通汉族人群的基因表型,评测17个Y-STR基因座在南通人群中的应用价值。方法采集343名南通汉族男性无关个体的外周血样本,通过Chelex-100法提取基因组DNA,用Amp FlSTR Yfiler~(TM)试剂盒进行基因分型,并与12个汉族人群[安徽、江苏、江西、山东、上海、浙江(1)、兰州、南阳、泸州、牡丹江、山西和浙江(2)]以及9个少数民族人群(蒙古族、锡伯族、拉萨藏族、青海藏族、哈萨克族、维吾尔族、满族、台湾排湾族和土家族)进行比较。结果南通汉族群体在17个Y-STR基因座共检出327种单倍型,单倍型多样性(haplotype diversity,HD)值为0.999 7,与其他人群间的R_(st)值范围为-0.000 6~0.263 5。多维尺度图结果显示南通汉族人群与大多数汉族人群之间差异无统计学意义,但明显有别于其他少数民族人群。结论 17个Y-STR基因座在南通汉族人群中的群体多态性高,具有法医学应用价值。     

贵州汉族19个STR基因座多态性及法医学应用

目的调查19个常染色体STR基因座在贵州汉族人群中的等位基因分布,评估其在法医学中的应用价值。方法应用Goldeneye~(TM) DNA身份鉴定系统20A试剂盒,研究贵州520名汉族无关健康个体19个常染色体STR基因座多态性。用310型遗传分析仪进行毛细管电泳,Gene Mapper~ID v3.1进行基因分型。结果 19个常染色体STR基因座的杂合度为0.603 8~0.916 4,个体识别率为0.790 0~0.985 6,非父排除率为0.295 5~0.826 9,多态信息含量为0.553 5~0.908 9,累积个体识别率为1-1.230 0×10~(-22),累积非父排除率为0.999 999 99。贵州汉族和其他五个地域的汉族两两之间等位基因频率比较,仅贵州汉族与山东汉族、辽宁汉族、山西汉族之间存在基因频率差异具有统计学意义。结论 D19S433等19个常染色体STR基因座在贵州汉族人群中具有良好的遗传多态性,对群体遗传学和法医物证学研究有应用价值。     

海南汉族人群19个STR基因座遗传多态性及其应用

目的建立海南地区汉族人群19个常染色体STR基因座的遗传多态性数据资料,并探讨此19-STR基因座系统在亲子鉴定中的应用。方法对海南汉族462例无血缘关系个体,采用Goldeneye~(TM) 20A系统复合扩增并检测,得到19个STR基因座的遗传数据信息;在283例亲子鉴定案例中,评价19-STR基因座系统的应用。结果 19个STR基因座的基因频率分布均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡(P0.05),杂合度在0.603~0.914之间,累积个体识别率大于0.999 999 999 999 999,累积三联体非父排除率为0.999 999 994。283例亲子鉴定中,三联体170例,二联体113例;认定案例247例(87.3%),排除案例36例(12.7%);发生等位基因突变案例14例(4.9%),均为一步突变。结论 19个STR基因座中的14个基因座具有高度遗传多态性,19-STR基因座复合扩增分型系统具有较高的非父排除效能,可满足海南地区亲子鉴定的需要,同时应注意亲子鉴定中的基因突变现象。     

STR基因座单倍型的推断方法初探

本文参考Browning SR等提出的以SNP等位基因频率为基础,通过统计学模型推断SNP单倍型的方法,初步探讨亲权鉴定中STR基因座单倍型的推断方法。以两个处于连锁不平衡状态的X-STR基因座的女性分型结果为例进行说明。本方法为STR单倍型的推断提供了一个思路,有助于更科学准确地进行STR分型结果的解释。     

河南汉族群体20个常用STR基因座突变分析

目的观察20个常染色体STR基因座突变在河南汉族人群中的分布情况。方法从3011例确认亲子关系的亲子鉴定案例中筛查基因突变事件,确定突变来源,统计各STR基因座的突变率,分析突变规律并与部分不同地区的人群STR基因座突变情况进行比较分析。结果在20个STR基因座中观察到19个基因座的发生的76次突变事件,平均突变率为0.08%累计突变率达到1.662 9%;父、母源性突变的比率大致为8:1;河南汉族人群在Penta E和D12S391基因座突变率明显低于北方汉族人群(P0.05);在D6S1043、CSF1PO和D12S391基因座突变率明显低于广东人群(P0.05);在CSF1PO基因座突变率明显低于云南汉族人群(P0.05)。结论 STR基因座突变现象较为常见,不同基因座的突变率存在着明显的地区差异。