Using State Child Labor Laws to Identify the Causal Effect of Youth Employment on Deviant Behavior and Academic Achievement

On the basis of prior research findings that employed youth, and especially intensively employed youth, have higher rates of delinquent behavior and lower academic achievement, scholars have called for limits on the maximum number of hours per week that teenagers are allowed to work. We use the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to assess the claim that employment and work hours are causally related to adolescent problem behavior. We utilize a change model with age-graded child labor laws governing the number of hours per week allowed during the school year as instrumental variables. We find that these work laws lead to additional number of hours worked by youth, which then lead to increased high school dropout but decreased delinquency. Although counterintuitive, this result is consistent with existing evidence about the effect of employment on crime for adults and the impact of dropout on youth crime.

The Impact of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapon Ban on Gun Violence Outcomes: An Assessment of Multiple Outcome Measures and Some Lessons for Policy Evaluation

The Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 bans a group of military-style semiautomatic firearms (i.e., assault weapons) and ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds. Ban advocates argue that these weapons are particularly dangerous because they facilitate the rapid firing of high numbers of shots. Though the banned guns and magazines were used in only a modest fraction of gun crimes before the law, it was hypothesized that a decrease in their use might reduce gunshot victimizations, particularly those involving multiple wounds and/or victims. In response to a Congressional mandate for an impact assessment of the law, this study utilized national and local data sources and a variety of analytical techniques to examine the ban's short-term impact on gun violence. The ban may have contributed to a reduction in gun homicides, but a statistical power analysis of our model indicated that any likely impact from the ban will be very difficult to detect statistically for several more years. We found no evidence of reductions in multiple-victim gun homicides or multiple-gunshot wound victimizations. The findings should be treated cautiously due to the methodological difficulties of making a short-term assessment of the ban and because the ban's long-term effects could differ from the short-term impacts revealed by this study.     

相对贫困是外来人口犯罪的一个重要因素

贫困是导致犯罪的重要原因。相对贫困导致外来人口犯罪的客观原因包括经济因素、控制机制因素、地缘因素、就业因素和社会消极因素;主现原因包括心理承受力和心态、受教育程度。外来人口犯罪的特点表现为作案手段简单,随意性和流动性大,以宗亲或同乡关系为纽带结伙作案。作案类型主要是盗窃、抢劫、诈骗和伤害。抑制外来人口犯罪应发展经济,有效地控制贫富差距,防止两级分化;坚持精神文明与物质文明一起抓,保持社会全面、协调地发展;教育农民;完善城市治安防范控制机制。     

赌博关联犯罪的认定与处理

近年来,我国赌博犯罪势头高涨,危害性日益增大。赌博犯罪往往诱发其他各类犯罪,产生赌博关联犯罪。由于赌博犯罪与相关关联犯罪错综交织、互相推动,因此对赌博关联犯罪的认定就显得更加困难和复杂。     

增强型计算机取证程序模式的构建

近年来,计算机犯罪呈持续增长势头,但由于缺乏证据证明,只有不到百分之二的此类案件的犯罪分子受到法律制裁,这说明证据获取的关键阶段——计算机取证工作存在漏洞。计算机取证程序是计算机取证的核心,忽略或"交换"任何一个步骤都会影响取证工作的完整性,导致错误结论的产生。同样,不合理或不充分的计算机取证活动将会造成无罪之人蒙冤、有罪之人逍遥法外等恶果。我们分析了现有几种计算机取证程序模式及其所存在的缺陷,并以集中型计算机取证程序模式为基础,提出了一种新型的计算机取证程序模式——增强型计算机侦查取证模式,以期对以计算机取证程序的规范化有所裨益。     

德国刑事政策的任务、原则及司法实践

德国是刑事政策理论的发祥地 ,也是刑事政策思想学说最为深刻、系统的国家。它将刑事政策的任务定位于 :基于不同时期的社会状况和犯罪态势指导包括刑法、刑事诉讼法和刑罚执行法律在内的刑事法律的制定、执行及变革 ,指出与犯罪作斗争的有效途径和方法。人道、法治和公正三大原则贯穿于刑事政策的始终 ,使得现代德国刑事政策的进程表现出整体上犯罪网趋宽、刑罚网疏缓 ,而对特定犯罪轻中有重、重势增强的特征     

论禁止双重危险原则中的同一性问题——以美国法律实践为视角

禁止双重危险原则是刑事诉讼中保障被告人合法权益的重要制度设计。美国法院在执行这一原则时先后使用了同一要素标准、同一行为标准及同一证据标准。之所以出现如此反复,是美国司法实践在犯罪事实及刑罚对象认识方面不断深化的结果。我国刑事司法应当借鉴关国在禁止双重危险原则之同一性问题上的司法经验,合理优化吸收犯与牵连犯理论,落实罪刑相适应原则。     

财产性利益盗窃的客观构造

利益盗窃与有体物盗窃共享“财产静态控制关系”的保护法益,其解释论不能突破“盗窃”的语义边界,这是形塑其客观构造的前提。套用占有理论的解释论忽视了利益变动与有体物转移的区别,具有片面性。立足利益盗窃与有体物盗窃的共性,结合财产性利益的特质,利益盗窃的客观构造应为“侵入权利人控制领域-打破权利人控制-取得财产性利益”。这一构造既契合盗窃罪财产静态控制关系的保护法益,也未突破“盗窃”的语义边界。由于利益变动的抽象性,须通过行为要素互补等精细化解释,确保利益盗窃客观构造的明确性。“侵入权利人控制领域”对利益盗窃的成立必不可少;“打破权利人控制”包括了转移、消灭、设定义务三种行为方式;“取得”的认定应注意素材的“同一性”与“同质性”之别,并强调终局性要求。     

诈骗犯罪中“冒用他人名义”行为的民法效力依据

南京李某“冒用他人名义”购买飞机延误险案的争论本质,是诈骗犯罪中“虚构事实”客观构成要件的“冒用他人名义”行为的界定问题。根据民法规则,“冒用他人名义”所表现的名义主体与实际行为主体的形式不符,并非当然地具有民事违法性,其民事法律效力应根据实质的二阶层路径进行评价。基于统一法秩序要求,刑法中的“冒用他人名义”认定应在民法二阶层评价基础上展开。具体而言,在主体资格特定的法律关系中“冒用他人名义”行为在具有民事违法性的基础上可能构成诈骗犯罪中的“虚构事实”;在主体资格开放性的法律关系中,单纯的“冒用他人名义”行为因不属于民事欺诈,而不能被认定为诈骗犯罪中的“虚构事实”。