Psychopathy and Female Gender: Phenotypic Expression and Comorbidity; A Study Comparing a Sample of Women Hospitalized in Italy's Maximum Security Facility with Women Who were Criminally Sentenced and Imprisoned,

Various studies have shown that women with psychopathy tend to commit crimes that are less violent than those of psychopathic men. The present study was designed to address the influence of psychopathy on the crimes committed by female offenders. A national sample of female offenders found NGRI or of diminished responsibility and at risk for criminal recidivism (OPG patients) was compared with a sample of female offenders who were convicted and imprisoned. Results of this comparison between the two groups of female offenders indicate that psychopathy is a transversal psychopathological dimension which may or may not be associated with other mental disorders. In both samples, the most commonly reported offenses among women with high PCL‐R scores were minor offenses, not particularly violent, but they appear to be related to typical psychopathic features such as superficial charm, pathological lying, and manipulation.     

Forensic Application of Analytical Mechanics in Fatal Fall From a Height

Fatal fall from a height initiated with a swinging motion on the sagittal plane of the victim's body is examined. Method of analytical mechanics is adopted to establish the functional relations between the swinging angle of the body and the force needed to sustain the body until release, and the amount of the horizontal displacement that would occur after release. The analysis is applied to support an expert opinion presented in a criminal court in which two accused were convicted of murder for dropping a female victim from a bridge. The results indicate that it is unlikely for the body to locate as recorded by the police investigation report in the case. This study demonstrates that a straightforward mechanical analysis can be utilized to examine uncommon falling scenarios.     

Child Sexual Abuse Perpetrated by Women: Case Series and Review of the Literature

The literature on child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetrated by female sexual offenders (FSOs) is exiguous, and many studies have focused on judicial databases. The present retrospective study, instead, analyzed clinical and judicial data of a group of both victims and alleged FSOs, to additionally include women who have not been convicted by the criminal justice system, but who hold strong clinical suspicions of being perpetrators of CSA. The medical records and the Court files of 11 children and their eight suspected FSOs have been collected and critically reviewed in light of the literature to date. This approach allowed for a deeper understanding of the relationship between child and FSO. The authors hypothesize that the victims’ severe psychopathological outcomes were a result of a failure to develop appropriate attachments with their prospective caregivers, which could have been damaged by the pathological relationship with FSOs, who were the victims’ caregivers.     

Fluorescence of a Natural Fluorophore as a Key to Improve Fingerprint Contrast Image

The optical and morphological properties of resveratrol were investigated. This nontoxic fluorescent natural material, emitting in the visible blue light, was used as an optical marker, enabling the enhancement of the image contrast coming from relief pictures marked on challenging surfaces. By applying appropriated imaging softwares, this marker was verified to be very useful in the latent fingerprint recognition deposited on different wood surface types, mainly those with high level of roughness, where conventional forensic materials do not allow effective fingerprint image visualization.     

What do forensic analysts consider relevant to their decision making?

In response to research demonstrating that irrelevant contextual information can bias forensic science analyses, authorities have increasingly urged laboratories to limit analysts' access to irrelevant and potentially biasing information (Dror and Cole (2010) [3]; National Academy of Sciences (2009) [18]; President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (2016) [22]; UK Forensic Science Regulator (2015) [26]). However, a great challenge in implementing this reform is determining which information is task-relevant and which is task-irrelevant. In the current study, we surveyed 183 forensic analysts to examine what they consider relevant versus irrelevant in their forensic analyses. Results revealed that analysts generally do not regard information regarding the suspect or victim as essential to their analytic tasks. However, there was significant variability among analysts within and between disciplines. Findings suggest that forensic science disciplines need to agree on what they regard as task-relevant before context management procedures can be properly implemented. The lack of consensus about what is relevant information not only leaves room for biasing information, but also reveals foundational gaps in what analysts consider crucial in forensic decision making.     

实质的犯罪概念比较研究

在刑法学、犯罪学等刑事法学理论体系中,研究犯罪概念具有十分重要的意义。对犯罪概念可以划分为两种类型:一种是实质的犯罪概念,另一种是规范的犯罪概念。在此基础上,文章对英美法系、大陆法系实质的犯罪概念进行了比较研究,指出从历史发展的角度来看,实质意义上的犯罪概念先于规范的犯罪概念,实质的犯罪概念的界定与统治阶级的犯罪观是密切联系在一起的,即有什么样的犯罪观便有与其相应的实质的犯罪概念。     

检察机关提起民事诉讼若干问题研究

文章采用比较的方法 ,通过对国外有关检察机关参与民事诉讼立法规定的研究 ,从诉讼法理的角度 ,对检察机关提起民事诉讼的范围、方式 ;检察机关在民事诉讼中的法律地位 ,以及可否对检察机关进行反诉、调解等诸多问题进行了深入研讨     

从追求宏大理论到走进学校日常生活——对教育学科学化进程的一种系谱学描述

福柯的系谱学对权力／知识的分析对人-社会科学的研究范式与书写方式产生了深刻影响。教育学实践领域也受其冲击而发生了话语的转换。如果我们从系谱学的角度来反思教育学寻求学科化的历史进程，就会扩大对学科这一概念的理解：作为权力／知识实践方式的学科制度不仅是科学化的标志，也是控制现代生活的策略与技术。因此，对作为一门学科形式存在的教育学知识的寻求未必是适当的或必要的。目前，我们似乎更应该走进学校日常生活，由此迈向具体的教育实践。这或许是教育学走出迷茫之路的一条可能的途径。     

法经济学视角下的转轨期的中国立法

本文针对转轨期的中国立法,采用法经济学的成本效益的比较分析方法,探讨了计划经济向市场经济转型过程中的矛盾冲突,分析了传统管制向公共规制和立法博弈发展的理论和现实。     

从国家社科基金立项项目看法学研究状况——一种知识社会学的视角

通过对1993-2004年来国家社会科学基金立项的法学类项目类立项资助项目相关指标的分析,来展现我国目前法学学术生产格局的大致状况及其背后动因;并通过与经济学社科基金立项项目的比较以及对法学类社科基金立项项目在社科基金项目中所占比例等数据的分析,来呈视法学作为一门独立学科在整个人文社会科学界的地位变迁,以及这种变迁背后的权力———知识格局。