A Developmental Approach for Measuring the Severity of Crimes

There is widespread agreement in criminology that some crimes are more severe than others, but precise definitions of crime severity and straightforward methods for measuring it have been elusive. Public perceptions of crime severity and economic estimates of crime costs to society or willingness to pay offer a variety of metrics for the public’s perceptions of severity, but they may not accurately describe severity as reflected in offender preferences. The behavior of offenders is critical for understanding developmental progressions in criminal careers, as one may assume that typically more severe offenses are not undertaken until less severe crimes have been committed. In the present paper we propose an alternative metric of crime severity, drawing on findings from developmental criminology that indicate that more severe crimes occur after less severe crimes in the criminal life course, and a method for estimating crime severity that uses the generalized Bradley–Terry model of multiple paired comparisons. We demonstrate this approach on two samples of youthful offenders: the National Youth Survey and the RAND Adolescent Outcomes Project. The results suggest that sample-specific estimates of crime severity can be derived, that these estimates provide insight into the developmental progression of crime, and that they correspond well to crime severity rankings produced by the public.

Sex of Spouse Abuse Offender and Directionality of Abuse as Predictors of Personal Distress,Interpersonal Functioning,and Perceptions of Family Climate

This study examines perceptions of personal distress, interpersonal functioning and family climate reported by men and women involved in unidirectional versus bidirectional spouse abuse. Participants were 7253 offenders treated by the USAF Family Advocacy Program from 1988 to 1996. Over a quarter of the sample is female and included among them were both unidirectional and bidirectional offenders. Grouping factors for the analysis are gender, directionality of aggression, history of abuse in childhood, history of recidivism, and severity of aggression. Females and offenders raised in abusive homes reported more negative perceptions across the measured spheres. Unidirectional abusers reported more personal distress, but bidirectional abuse had more conflicted family climates. Few differences were noted in offenders' perceptions based on the severity of their abuse or their history of repeat offenses. Tests for interactions yielded no reliable pattern indicating that grouping factors were related to outcomes in an additive fashion.     

领导干部践行“三严三实”标准的哲学思考

领导干部作风如何,直接关系党的形象和执政地位巩固。习近平提出的"三严三实"标准为加强党风政风作风建设指明了方向,是新时期领导干部从政做人、干事创业的根本遵循。     

Juror decision making for juveniles tried as adults: the effects of defendant age,crime type,and crime outcome

This study examined the influences of the crime type (person or property) and the crime outcome (mild or severe) on mock jurors’ verdict and sentencing decisions for adult defendants and juvenile defendants tried as adults. Jurors read a trial summary depicting a defendant charged with aggravated robbery or second-degree burglary. The crimes had either mild or severe damage inflicted on the person or property, and the defendant's age was presented as 14 or 24. Neither the defendant age nor the crime outcome affected jurors’ verdicts; however, jurors were more likely to convict a defendant charged with a crime against a person. Jurors recommended longer sentences for an adult defendant, a defendant charged with a crime against a person, and a defendant charged with a crime with a severe outcome. The discussion explored these outcomes and the role of bias in jurors’ perceptions of defendants.     

宽严相济刑事政策视野下老年人犯罪研究

我国已进入老龄社会,老年人犯罪问题不容忽视。国外大都有关于老年人犯罪从宽处理的特殊规定。对于老年人犯罪从宽处理我国具有悠长的历史,但现行刑事立法并没有相应体现。从刑事责任能力、刑事责任正当性根据、刑罚本质属性来看,都应该对老年人犯罪从宽处理。"从宽"应该体现在实体性保障与程序性保障上;另一方面对于主观恶性较深或人身危险性较大的老年犯罪人,应该"从严"。     

从宽严相济看逮捕条件的完善

最近最高人民检察院明确要求在适用逮捕措施时应贯彻宽严相济的刑事政策。但是,无论是从立法上来看,还是从司法实践来看,我国的逮捕条件离宽严相济的精神都相去甚远。为此,需改革我国的逮捕适用条件,以体现宽严相济的理念。     

检察机关贯彻宽严相济刑事司法政策的几点思考

宽严相济的刑事司法政策,对于检察机关正确履行检察工作具有直接的指导意义。当前要抓好执法观念等五个方面的转变才能把这项新的政策贯彻好,达到法律效果和社会效果的有机统一。     

"两极化"刑事政策下的刑罚制度改革设想

二战后,在两极化的现代刑事政策的推动下,西方各国相继进行了本国刑罚制度的两极化改革.当前我国由原来单一的重刑化刑事政策转变为宽严相济的刑事政策,刑罚制度改革也应与之相应:一方面,对于轻微犯罪,应轻缓其处罚力度,倡导人道主义的刑罚处遇方式;另一方面,对于严重犯罪,则要在严格限制适用范围的前提下,提高其刑罚的处罚力度.     

The Impact of Mercenaries and Private Military and Security Companies on Civil War Severity between 1946 and 2002

Research has long abandoned the view that only states wage war. On the contrary, civil war research has produced an impressive body of literature on violent non-state actors. Still, a particular group of actors—mercenaries—has been widely neglected so far, although they have participated in numerous conflicts in the second half of the twentieth century. Whether their presence aggravated or improved the situation is a matter of dispute. Some believe that the additional military capabilities provided by mercenaries help to end civil wars quickly without increased bloodshed, while others deem mercenaries greedy and bloodthirsty combatants who contribute to making civil wars more brutal, while a third opinion differentiates between different types of mercenaries. This article tests the impact of mercenaries on civil war severity. The evidence indicates that the presence of both mercenaries and private military and security contractors increases its severity.     

论宽严相济刑事政策下我国拘役刑的完善

拘役刑作为短期自由刑的一种,是刑罚种类由轻到重过渡的桥梁,然而在司法实践中,我国拘役刑的适用率普遍较低并且增速缓慢,有的学者甚至提出了废除拘役刑的主张.这种现状与当前我国宽严相济刑事政策的精神实质是极为不符的,也违背了当今世界刑罚轻刑化的发展趋势.因此,应当对我国的拘役刑进行完善,使其成为适应时代发展的刑罚种类.