Lessons for teachers from Cleveland More questions than answers

SUMMARY. Schools and the role of teachers were rarely mentioned in the Cleveland Inquiry, However, they have a vitally important part to play in the identification of sexually abused children, in support for such children and in preventive strategies. In this article, the author argues not only for a recognition of this role by other professionals, but also by teachers themselves and the education system as a whole. To date, he argues, inadequate understanding of these issues has been compounded by a lack of resources for training and of involvement in the multi-disciplinary process     

Quality Assurance, Pre-Sentence Reports and the Probation Service

Correspondence to Dr Peter Raynor, Applied Social Studies, University of Wales, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP. Summary During the months immediately preceding the implementation ofthe 1991 Criminal Justice Act the Home Office commissioned astudy of quality assurance and quality control procedures usedby probation services in their work on social inquiry reportsand in their preparation for the change to pre-sentence reports.This paper summarizes the results of that study, which includeda survey of current practice in probation services and the developmentof a quality control instrument for assessing the quality ofpre-sentence reports. It is emphasized that the views expressedin this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily thoseof the Home Office.     

Indians, the State and Law: Public Works and the Struggle to Control Labor in Liberal Ecuador

Abstract This article explores the functioning of the state-system and the emergence of a particular state-idea in early twentieth century Ecuador by analysing relations between Indians and the state in labor recruitment for municipal public works construction in the Andean region of Alausí. The idea of the state as a dispenser of equal justice was successfully called on by indigenous peons in their resistance to forced labor recruitment by local officials of the state. The enhancement of this idea of the state simultaneously undermined the functioning of the state-system at the local level, and legitimized central state authority.     

The Psychiatric 'Caseness' of Clients Referred to an Urban Social Services Department

Correspondence should be sent to Dr. Peter Huxley, Mental Health Social Work Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Manchester University, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT. Summary Of 158 clients referred to two area offices and six generalpractice attached social workers, 141 weré interviewedusing standardized social and psychiatric research interviews.The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was completed by 138clients. Their social worker completed the Case Review Form.Scores of 5 or more on the PSE Index of Definition (for theclient) were used to indicate psychiatric caseness. Using IDscores of 5 or more, 53% of the sample were identified as ‘cases’.The GHQ (cut-off 4/5) identified 73% of the clients as cases;and the GHQ (cut-off 10/11) identified 51% cases. Morbidity was significantly greater in the general practicesetting. Social workers' judgement (about the presence or absenceof mental illness/emotional disorder) was not significantlybetter than chance in the identification of specific disorders,but was significant in relation to the whole sample. The results are discussed and further studies are being conductedusing more sophisticated judgements of ’caseness’,and extending the enquiry beyond an inner city population.     

Competence and Discipline in Professional Formation

Correspondence to Dr C Clark, Department of Social Work, The University of Edinburgh, Adam Ferguson Building, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LL. Summary This paper argues that ‘competence’ is inadequateas the founding principle of professional knowledge, and consequentlythe attempt to build professional training on it is misguided.Besides the unresolved conceptual issues, the competence approachis radically undermined by the absence of an adequate researchbase necessary to validate concepts of competence and measuresof individuals' competences. Drawing on the author's researchon how practitioners use knowledge and theory in practice, itis shown that the attempt to reduce good professional practiceto a codified set of competences is mistaken; it does not properlyrecognize the constant need for creative solutions to poorlyunderstood problems. The idea of professional discipline isexplored, which, it is argued, better describes the characterof the knowledge and skills which practitioners should aim tomaster.     

THE OPTIMAL MONETARY RESPONSE TO TECHNOLOGY SHOCKS

This paper develops a model in which both technology and monetary shocks are important sources of variation in aggregate output and employment. The model rationalizes a policy under which money responds actively to technology shocks. The welfare cost of adopting the constant money growth rule advocated by Milton Friedman rather than the optimal activist policy is small, however. (JEL E52, E32)     

ELECTORAL POLITICS, INTEREST GROUPS, AND THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT

This paper considers how government size responds to a change in the influence of interest groups. First, an election model is developed that has an equilibrium and in which interest groups have unequal influence. The authors then show that an increase in a group's influence per se does not cause government size to increase but does cause its size to increase when the government (1) cannot change tax shares or (2) provides a good benefiting one (untaxed) group, whose sole interest is in maximizing its consumption of the good. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the normative implications.     

MONETARY FACTORS IN SOUTH AFRICA'S POST-WAR DEVELOPMENT

During the period 1949–60 the Government encouraged development of the money market. This, coupled with increased gold production, encouraged a “liquidity boom.” The only serious monetary crisis during the period was political, and the fact that this coincided with a strong upward movement in gold production largely explains how the crisis was handled without a major monetary adjustment, such as devaluation. The marked increase in gold production prevented any serious balance of payments deficits during years of sharply increased business activity. There was also sufficient gold to support marked credit expansion by the growing banking system. Indeed, except for the political crisis period 1960-61, the chief concern of the Government since the early 1960's has been excess liquidity in the monetary system. Prior to 1960, the Government's attitude was that cyclical fluctuations (and their varying effects on liquidity) could be effectively handled by the usual monetary, fiscal and trade controls available up to that date. The Severe crisis of 1960-61 led to an investigation of the monetary system and the passage of new laws aiming at greater equity as between banking institutions, more effective allocation of resources, protection of bank customers, and more effective control of excess liquidity and inflation. In 1964, inflation accelerated. The banking amendments came into effect almost immediately thereafter. During the past 3 years, the Government has made strenuous efforts to curb inflation. These efforts stressed monetary, fiscal, and import controls. Consumer credit controls have been used more effectively since 1965, but evasion of these controls has continued to be somewhat of a problem [25]. Apparently there has been some reluctance to use an “incomes policy” [3, p. 91. A device not widely used until recently was the so-called “credit directive” which was in the form of a ceiling on private credit. Initially, it was not entirely effective, but towards the end of 1967 there was evidence that the authorities' efforts to curb infiation were having some success, as the rate of price increase in the first half of 1968 has been less than in 1967, which in turn was less than the increase in 1966. The real growth rate in 1967 was nearly 7 percent, which was higher than the average of the preceding several years, but was attributable in considerable part to increased agricultural production which benefited greatly from u n d y good weather conditions [15, March 1968, p. 61.] several of the years immediately preceding 1967 were poor ones from the point of view of agriculture [6, p. 131).