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Selected AbstractsThe Liverpool Violence Assessment: an investigator-based measure of serious violenceCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2003Rajan Nathan Background Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) identifies adults with persistent offending behaviour and social dysfunction. However, it lacks discrimination within high-risk and criminal populations and gives little indication of an individual's history of violence. Existing measures of violence have significant limitations. The Liverpool Violence Assessment (LiVA) is an investigator-based standardized interview for measuring patterns of violence. Method A total of 61 male prisoners who had been sentenced for serious violent offences were interviewed using the LiVA and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV antisocial personality disorder and alcohol and drug dependence. Official records of offending were examined. Results The inter-rater reliability for the LiVA was high. There were significant correlations between histories of violence assessed by the LiVA and official records, but the frequency of self-reported violence was much higher than in the official records. Antisocial personality disorder was associated with increased violence. However, analyses revealed marked variability of the levels of violence among those with antisocial personality disorder and contrasting patterns of association of violence with antisocial personality disorder depending on the context. Conclusion The LiVA is a reliable and valid measure of the patterns and characteristics of violence. The findings suggest that the causes of violence should be studied in their own right and not only as a feature of ASPD. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Assessing Women, Gender, and Empire in Britain's Nineteenth-Century Protestant Missionary MovementHISTORY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2009Elizabeth Prevost Although women constituted the majority of British missionary labor by the turn of the twentieth century, they were largely discounted from the official record of mission work , a silence that until recently has been preserved by women's history, mission history, and imperial history. Over the past two decades, new historical and interpretive frameworks have brought into clearer focus the role of women missionaries and the gendered fabric of the ,civilizing mission' in evangelistic, colonial, and feminist projects. Yet the privileging of race as an analytic category has produced a lopsided historiography, in which Christianity has been marginalized in studies of gender and empire, and in which gender has not been used to full effect in explicating the uneven contours of religion and colonialism. This essay explores how studies of women, gender, and the Protestant missionary movement over the ,long nineteenth century' have responded to and manifested some of the larger tensions of women's and gender history, feminist history, postcolonial studies, the new imperial history, and area studies, and suggests some avenues for addressing lingering questions of recovery and representation, center and periphery. [source] The validity of the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) in predicting criminal recidivismCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2007Carolin Kröner Introduction,The VRAG is an actuarial risk assessment instrument, developed in Canada as an aid to estimating the probability of reoffending by mentally ill offenders. Aim,To test the predictive validity of the VRAG with a German sample. Method,The predictive validity of the VRAG was tested on a sample of 136 people charged with a criminal offence and under evaluation for criminal responsibility in the forensic psychiatry department at the University of Munich in 1994,95. The predicted outcome was tested by means of ROC analysis for correlation with the observed rate of recidivism between discharge after the 1994,95 assessment and the census date of 31 March 2003. Recidivism rate was calculated from the official records of the National Conviction Registry. Results,Just over 38% of the sample had reoffended by 2003. Their mean time-at-risk was 58 months (SD 3.391; range 0,115 months). The VRAG yielded a high predictive accuracy in the ROC analysis with an AUC of 0.703. For a constant time-at-risk < = 7 years, the predicted probability and observed rates of recidivism correlated significantly with Pearson's r = 0.941. Conclusions,The validity of the VRAG was replicated with a German sample. The VRAG yielded good predictive accuracy, despite differences in sample and outcome variables compared with its original sample. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Precursors and correlates of criminal behaviour in womenCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2004Dr Julie Messer Background The precursors and correlates of criminal behaviour in women were examined in this longitudinal study of women in their late thirties. Methods The sample consisted of a high-risk group of women (n = 86) and a comparison group ( n = 97): the former had been raised in institutional care. Questionnaire measures of childhood behaviour problems and detailed interview data from two time points in adulthood were obtained, along with official records of offending. Results In terms of childhood precursors, antisocial behaviour, institutional rearing, hyperactivity and adolescent conduct disorder were found to be significantly related to offending. Later adolescent factors were also found to be important: mixing with deviant peers and leaving school without any qualifications or plans for work. Correlates of offending in adulthood included difficulties in mental health, drug use, marriage and parenting. Further analysis was undertaken to clarify the associations by using ex-care status and conduct disorder as covariates. Discussion Well-established predictors of offending in male samples seem quite as important for women and girls. The findings also suggested strong links between offending and problems in parenting. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] The Liverpool Violence Assessment: an investigator-based measure of serious violenceCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2003Rajan Nathan Background Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) identifies adults with persistent offending behaviour and social dysfunction. However, it lacks discrimination within high-risk and criminal populations and gives little indication of an individual's history of violence. Existing measures of violence have significant limitations. The Liverpool Violence Assessment (LiVA) is an investigator-based standardized interview for measuring patterns of violence. Method A total of 61 male prisoners who had been sentenced for serious violent offences were interviewed using the LiVA and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV antisocial personality disorder and alcohol and drug dependence. Official records of offending were examined. Results The inter-rater reliability for the LiVA was high. There were significant correlations between histories of violence assessed by the LiVA and official records, but the frequency of self-reported violence was much higher than in the official records. Antisocial personality disorder was associated with increased violence. However, analyses revealed marked variability of the levels of violence among those with antisocial personality disorder and contrasting patterns of association of violence with antisocial personality disorder depending on the context. Conclusion The LiVA is a reliable and valid measure of the patterns and characteristics of violence. The findings suggest that the causes of violence should be studied in their own right and not only as a feature of ASPD. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] ARREST TRAJECTORIES ACROSS A 17-YEAR SPAN FOR YOUNG MEN: RELATION TO DUAL TAXONOMIES AND SELF-REPORTED OFFENSE TRAJECTORIES,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 4 2007MARGIT WIESNER The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of different operationalizations of offending behavior on the identified trajectories of offending and to relate findings to hypothesized dual taxonomy models. Prior research with 203 young men from the Oregon Youth Study identified six offender pathways, based on self-report data (Wiesner and Capaldi, 2003). The current study used official records data (number of arrests) for the same sample. Semiparametric groupbased modeling indicated three distinctive arrest trajectories: high-level chronics, low-level chronics, and rare offenders. Both chronic arrest trajectory groups were characterized by relatively equal rates of early onset offenders, which indicates, therefore, some divergence from hypothesized dual taxonomies. Overall, this study demonstrated limited convergence of trajectory findings across official records versus selfreport measures of offending behavior. [source] EFFECTIVENESS OF DRUG TREATMENT COURTS: EVIDENCE FROM A RANDOMIZED TRIAL,CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 2 2003DENISE C. GOTTFREDSON Research Summary: Study randomly assigned 235 offenders to drug treatment court (DTC) or "treatment as usual." Analyses of official records collected over a two-year follow-up period show that DTC is reducing crime in a population of drug-addicted offenders. DTC subjects who participated in treatment were significantly less likely to recidivate than were both untreated drug court subjects and control subjects. Policy Implications: Continued enthusiasm for DTCs is warranted. Both sanctions and treatment are important elements of the DTC model. However, DTCs will not necessarily result in cost reductions because DTC and control cases are incarcerated for approximately equal numbers of days. Implementation fidelity is important, and DTCs can be strengthened if they engage a higher percentage of their clients in drug treatment. [source] THE TIMING OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS,CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 1 2001DENISE C. GOTTFREDSON Research Summary: This study examines self-reports from two samples to assess the timing of delinquency. Results imply that the after-school hours are a time of elevated delinquency, but that the peak is modest compared with that observed in official records. Additionally, children who are unsupervised during the after-school hours - the primary target population for after-school programs - are found to be more delinquent at all times, not only after-school. Policy Implications: This finding suggests that factors (including social competencies and social bonding) in addition to inadequate supervision produce delinquency during the after-school hours and that the effectiveness of after-school programs for reducing delinquency will depend upon their ability to address these other factors through appropriate and high quality services. [source] Morning cortisol Levels in preschool-aged foster children: Differential effects of maltreatment type,DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Jacqueline Bruce Abstract Maltreated foster children are subjected to a range of early adverse experiences, including neglect, abuse, and multiple caregiver disruptions. Research suggests that such disturbances alter the development and subsequent functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system. The current study was designed to investigate morning cortisol levels in 117 foster children and 60 low-income, nonmaltreated children. Maltreatment and foster care placement experiences were coded from official records. Analyses revealed that the foster children were significantly more likely than the nonmaltreated children to have low morning cortisol levels. Additionally, specific maltreatment experiences were significantly associated with the foster children's morning cortisol levels. Foster children with low morning cortisol levels experienced more severe physical neglect than the other foster children. In contrast, foster children with high morning cortisol levels experienced more severe emotional maltreatment. These results suggest that specific early adverse experiences have differential effects on the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 51: 14,23, 2009 [source] Victim-reported risk factors for continued abusive behavior: Assessing the dangerousness of arrested batterersJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Lauren Bennett Cattaneo Policy changes have dramatically increased the number of domestic violence cases entering criminal courts, creating a critical need for competent risk assessment. This study adds to the knowledge base about risk factors important to consider in such assessments, using a prospective design and follow-up through victim interview. Participants were 169 primarily African American women who appeared at a court intake center following the arrest of an abusive partner. We reached over half of these participants for follow-up 3 months later. Questionnaires administered at intake elicited information about demographics, substance abuse, the history of physical and psychological abuse in the relationship, the batterer's general violence, and the victim's own assessment of her level of endangerment. All variables were measured through victim report, combined with official records when relevant. Significant predictors of continued abusive behavior were the batterer's history of alcohol abuse, the severity of abuse in the relationship, the batterer's general violence, the level of psychological abuse in the relationship, and, notably, the victim's own assessment of the dangerousness of her case. Most variables were stronger in their sensitivity, or ability to correctly identify reabusers, than their specificity, or ability to correctly identify nonreabusers. Implications for practice and research are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 31: 349,369, 2003. [source] The relationship between history of violent and criminal behavior and recognition of facial expression of emotions in men with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorderAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2006Elisabeth M. Weiss Abstract Social psychological research underscores the relation between aggression and emotion. Specifically, regulating negative affect requires the ability to appraise restraint-producing cues, such as facial signs of anger, fear and other emotions. Individuals diagnosed with major mental disorders are more likely to have engaged in violent behavior than mentally healthy members of the same communities. We examined whether violent and criminal behavior in men with schizophrenia is related to emotion recognition abilities. Forty-one men with schizophrenia underwent a computerized emotion discrimination test presenting mild and extreme intensities of happy, sad, angry, fearful and neutral faces, balanced for gender and ethnicity. History of violence was assessed by the Life History of Aggression Scale and official records of arrests. Psychopathology was rated using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale. Criminal behavior was associated with poor emotion recognition, especially for fearful and angry facial expressions. History of aggression was also associated with more severe positive symptoms and less severe negative symptoms. These findings suggest that misinterpretation of social cues such as angry and fearful expression may lead to a failure in socialization and adaptive behavior in response to emotional situation, which may result in a higher number of criminal arrests. Aggr. Behav. 32:1,8, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Adolescent Behavioral, Affective, and Cognitive Engagement in School: Relationship to DropoutJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 9 2009Isabelle Archambault PhD ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: High school dropout represents an important public health issue. This study assessed the 3 distinct dimensions of student engagement in high school and examined the relationships between the nature and course of such experiences and later dropout. METHODS: We administered questionnaires to 13,330 students (44.7% boys) from 69 high schools in the province of Quebec (Canada). During 3 consecutive high school years, students reported their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement to school. Information on later dropout status was obtained through official records. RESULTS: Although many adolescents remained highly engaged in high school, one third reported changes, especially decreases in rule compliance, interest in school, and willingness to learn. Students reporting low engagement or important decrements in behavioral investment from the beginning of high school presented higher risks of later dropout. CONCLUSION: School-based interventions should address the multiple facets of high school experiences to help adolescents successfully complete their basic schooling. Creating a positive social-emotional learning environment promises better adolescent achievement and, in turn, will contribute to a healthier lifestyle. [source] Youth Transfer Decisions: Exploring County VariationsJUVENILE AND FAMILY COURT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003NANCY RODRIGUEZ PH.D. ABSTRACT In an effort to control violent and chronic juvenile offenders, many state legislatures have created statutes that give exclusive jurisdiction to adult criminal courts for certain violent offenses. Much research has been conducted on juvenile transfers, but relatively few studies rely on official and self-report data to evaluate this process. By using data from four counties within Washington State, this study examines how legal, extra-legal, and organizational variables impact waiver decisions. In cases where youths were selected for transfer proceedings, data from official records are used to compare transfers within and between counties. In addition, interview data with juvenile court personnel (e.g., juvenile court judges, probation officers, legal advisors) are used to assess the factors associated with transfer decisions. Policy implications are presented along with recommendations for future research. [source] Racial differences in the associations of neighborhood disadvantage, exposure to violence, and criminal recidivism among female juvenile offenders,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 4 2009Preeti Chauhan M.A. The current study examined the impact of exposure to violence and neighborhood disadvantage on criminal recidivism among Black (n,=,69) and White (n,=,53) female juvenile offenders. Participants were girls between the ages of 13 and 19 (M,=,16.8; SD,=,1.2) who were sentenced to secure custody. Using a multi-method research design, the study assessed neighborhood disadvantage through census level data, exposure to violence through self-report, and criminal recidivism through official records. Results indicated that Black girls were significantly more likely than White girls to live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, but both reported similar levels of parental physical abuse and witnessing neighborhood violence. In structural equation models, neighborhood disadvantage and witnessing neighborhood violence were indicative of future recidivism for the group as a whole. However, multiple group analyses indicated the existence of race specific pathways to recidivism. Witnessing neighborhood violence was associated with recidivism for Black girls while parental physical abuse was associated with recidivism for White girls. Results suggest that characteristics within the neighborhood play a considerable role in recidivism among female juvenile offenders generally and Black female juvenile offenders, specifically. Race specific risk models warrant further investigation, and may help lawmakers and clinicians in addressing racial disparities in the justice system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||