THE SOCIAL AND COGNITIVE STRUCTURE OF LEGAL DECISION-MAKING

This conceptual article uses an interpretive approach to legal decision-making to explain the operation of crime stereotypes in the courts. A model is proposed to address the social psychological dynamics involved in assessing both conforming and exceptional cases. Evaluated against the backdrop of prevailing stereotypes, conforming cases may be disposed of routinely, while exceptional cases present cognitive dilemmas for court actors. In that stereotypes are internalized as enduring mental structures, the latters' dispositions require a more probing search for an explanation of the crime than is necessary with more typical offenses. Legal decisions in exceptional cases are influenced by the meaning court actors attribute to the offense within the context of the offender's alternative (i.e., noncriminal) social statuses. A series of interrelated propositions based on these arguments is formulated.     

Characteristics related to family involvement in youth residential mental health treatment

This study examined family involvement among youth in residential mental health treatment facilities in Florida. Data were obtained from the provider reports from January 2005 through December 2007. Treatment episodes were divided into 30-day periods with family involvement measured by the number of contacts by all family members, the mother, and the father. In addition, we examined contacts by all family members for in-person treatment, treatment-related phone contacts, treatment planning, campus visits, and therapeutic home passes. Families averaged 3.4 contacts per 30 days for the 1333 treatment episodes. Sixty-seven percent of the contacts included mothers, while 22% of the contacts involved fathers. A majority of contacts were for family therapy, either by phone (29% of contacts) or in person (43%). Nearly twenty percent of residential stays had no family contact. After the first 30 days of treatment, contacts did not vary significantly over the course of the treatment episode, although there was some evidence that youth with longer treatment episodes had fewer contacts throughout the residential stay. Total contacts were lower for girls than boys, for blacks than whites, and for older youth, and were higher when the youth lived in the same county as the residential treatment provider. Outreach programs could target specific demographic groups with low involvement, and the alternative methods for involvement that use internet conferencing tools should be explored for parents that live far from the treatment provider.     

Recent changes in the child welfare system: One state's experience

Nationwide over the past 5 years there has been a substantial reduction in the number of children involved with the child welfare system entering out-of-home care as well as a reduction in the lengths of stay among those who do enter the system. This article compares national data on children entering out-of-home care and the length of stay with data from Florida over a 7-year period (2005–2011). Findings are shared on the strategies and services that stakeholders in one state reported as contributing to preventing out-of-home placements and reducing lengths of stay in residential settings. Federal policies such as IV-E Waivers that support this reduction also are discussed. The article concludes with policy and research recommendations regarding how to sustain this reduction while ensuring that child safety and well-being are preserved.     

ESTIMATING BAYESIAN NETWORKS FOR HIGH‐DIMENSIONAL DATA WITH COMPLEX MEAN STRUCTURE AND RANDOM EFFECTS

The estimation of Bayesian networks given high‐dimensional data, in particular gene expression data, has been the focus of much recent research. Whilst there are several methods available for the estimation of such networks, these typically assume that the data consist of independent and identically distributed samples. It is often the case, however, that the available data have a more complex mean structure, plus additional components of variance, which must then be accounted for in the estimation of a Bayesian network. In this paper, score metrics that take account of such complexities are proposed for use in conjunction with score‐based methods for the estimation of Bayesian networks. We propose first, a fully Bayesian score metric, and second, a metric inspired by the notion of restricted maximum likelihood. We demonstrate the performance of these new metrics for the estimation of Bayesian networks using simulated data with known complex mean structures. We then present the analysis of expression levels of grape‐berry genes adjusting for exogenous variables believed to affect the expression levels of the genes. Demonstrable biological effects can be inferred from the estimated conditional independence relationships and correlations amongst the grape‐berry genes.     

Using a social marketing approach to advertise Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE) services to college students

The authors report on an advertising campaign to communicate the availability and desirability of using Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE) services. They used social marketing precepts to develop posters to educate college students about using SANE as a health service and as an arm of prosecution. After 2 advertising campaigns, they conducted an anonymous survey of 1,051 college students. The findings indicated that posters placed in residence halls and public bathrooms reached students, produced a statistically significant increase in students' understanding of SANE services, and were significantly associated with their hypothetical encouragement of others to use SANE. Gender mediated some results. Posters placed in private viewing spaces were found to be a viable way to communicate information about SANE. Funding to combat violence against women on campus should be aimed at increasing students' access to SANE and should include the costs of advertising the program.     

“There’s No Crying in Police Work:” Exploring Police Shootings with Feminist Methods

Police shootings are events that result in psychological trauma to all involved, including police officers. Little work explores how officers and their social and professional networks that are involved in deadly police shootings cope with this event. Utilizing one case study, we hear how an officer involved in a deadly shooting, and those close to him, understand this event. We argue that feminist epistemologies and methods allow a better understanding of these events, which is essential if officers and the broader community are to heal.     

Immigration reform and the browning of America: tensions,conflicts and community instability in metropolitan Los Angeles

"Tensions, conflicts, and community instability associated with heightened immigration--especially of nonwhite immigrant groups--threaten to balkanize America. This article highlights the root causes of the growing opposition to both immigrants and U.S. immigration policy--the nativist backlash, presents a typology of the community-level conflicts that have arisen as a consequence of heightened immigration--legal and illegal--to the United States over the last 30 years, and outlines the conditions under which diversity can be brought to the forefront as one of society's strengths.... The 1992 Los Angeles County Social Survey (LACSS)...provides insights into the nature and magnitude of intergroup stereotyping and prejudice in a community in which large numbers of immigrants have settled."     

A Case Series of 44 Completed Gambling-Related Suicides

This paper presents an analysis of 44 case records of suicide occurring between 1990 and 1997 in the State of Victoria, Australia, in which the State Coroner identified the presence of a putative gambling problem. Analysis of demographic data revealed that the majority of suicidal gamblers were male with a mean age of 40 years with 84% of the sample being either unemployed or from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The most common method of suicide was carbon monoxide poisoning. A quarter of the victims left a suicide note. Evidence was found indicating that almost a third (31.8%) of cases had previously attempted suicide and one in four had sought some form of mental health assistance for their gambling problem. A number of putative risk factors were identified including comorbid depression, large financial debts and relationship difficulties. The relationship between crime, suicide and gambling and gender differences among suicidal gamblers was also examined. The authors conclude that further research is required to substantiate these initial findings which are based on retrospective accounts and secondary sources of evidence.