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PubMed2006

The dark figure of infanticide in England and Wales: complexities of diagnosis.

Infants aged younger than 12 months have the highest homicide victimization rate of any single age group in England and Wales. In addition, there are good grounds for believing that the official homicide statistics for this particular age group are an underestimate and subject to distortion. At the same time there is evidence mounting in the United Kingdom that some parents have been incorrectly convicted of infanticide. This article first explores all recorded cases of infanticide in England and Wales for the period 1995-2002 (298 cases in total). Characteristics of the offenders, victims, offense, and court outcomes are examined. The second part of the article takes a critical gaze at the complexities involved in distinguishing infanticide from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and other sudden unexplained deaths in infancy (SUDI). The article ends by considering in what ways infant deaths might be more effectively investigated.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

A calibrated paper clip is a reliable measure of two-point discrimination.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to compare two different instruments for assessing digital nerve function; a secondary aim was to determine interobserver agreement among emergency physicians by using static two-point testing of digital nerve function. METHODS: This was a prospective, blinded, observational study of static two-point discrimination involving healthy volunteers aged 18-59 years. The authors compared two instruments (paper clip set or Disk-Criminator) to assess two-point discrimination of the index and long fingers of the dominant hand. For each subject, the initial investigator and initial testing instrument were randomized. Two-point testing was conducted at 4, 5, and 6 mm by using six randomly selected stimuli (1 or 2 points) for each distal phalanx tested. The study was designed to detect a 25% difference in mean two-point distance with a power of 80%. RESULTS: Seventy-five subjects were entered into the study, of which two were excluded. Interinstrument agreement for a given investigator ranged from 77% to 84% for absolute agreement and 98% to 100% within 2 mm. Weighted kappa values for interobserver differences of 2 mm or less was 0.79 to 1.00. There was no statistically significant difference between instruments. CONCLUSIONS: Using a clinically relevant threshold of 2 mm, the authors found that a properly calibrated set of paper clips performed as well as the Disk-Criminator.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

"Statistical evidence" for the investigation of international crimes.

Statistics are widely applied throughout scientific research disciplines but 'statistical evidence' sounds surely an unhappy term rather avoided. In International Criminal Law the term seems to stress the value that statistical methods have for the analysis of large-scale victimisation and describes rather the tools used to support the evidence. However, statistics is required for valid, reliable and objective results that would otherwise be left in the dusty political sphere of the warring parties and their actors. But what are the concepts to do so? Today's presentation shows two widely known cases from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) where statisticians analysed the Crime Scenes in Srebrenica and Kosovo. The cases introduce two different analytical approaches. Firstly, in Srebrenica the analysts focussed on civilians that were killed during the take over of the enclave. Thus the findings are descriptive, summarizing observations and presenting results based on simple statistical tools. Secondly, in Kosovo the researchers asked what caused the killings and refugee migration during the NATO air campaign in springtime 1999. Here, in a complex environment statistical methods are exercised to determine causal relations. Hypotheses are tested to be consistent with huge data sets collected from a broad field of sources, to finally end up with Statistical Evidence.

Crime↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Law enforcement and drug trafficking money: recent developments in Australian law and procedure.

The generation and movement of money is an essential element of illicit drug trafficking. Indeed, the interest of those who are often the most influential in this criminal activity is money. Society is increasingly regulated, and this regulation and the enormous sums of money illegal drug activities generate provide an opportunity to identify and follow monies forming part of the illegal drug trade. This will require the development of new investigative resources and laws. Such activities must be integrated and directed where most effective. As money and the accumulation of money, resources and assets underpin the groups of criminals who are engaged in the illegal drug trade, the most effective action against them will be achieved by destroying the financial basis of their activities.

Australia↗
PubMed2001

[Role of forensic medicine and forensic psychiatry in solving the problem of organized crime].

Term--organized crime is not satisfactorily defined todate neither in forensic sciences, nor in lexical formulations. It is necessary to come to grips with the criminalistic and social pathological meaning of three terms--individual crime, grouped and organized crime as well as participation of forensic sciences including forensic medicine on solving problems of organized crime. Forensic medicine and forensic psychology can help to solve this acute problem of present development of social life. It can help in criminalistic expertize and insider activity in profiliation of perpetrators and victims. Mainly it will be about searching and improving of methodical approaches in solving of incriminated cases and its analysis for investigative organs and courts. Important asset in this problem must be also preventive portion in preclusion of criminality.

Crime↗
PubMed1989

[Body-packing: detection of incorporated drug packets using ultrasound technics].

According to the Federal Criminal Office the number of undetected cases of intracorporal drug smuggling is startlingly high. To enable the investigating authorities to carry out searches of suspicious persons in the airport, a safe, comparatively cheap and simple procedure is required. Using nine volunteers the detection of swallowed packets is demonstrated by means of ultrasound techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of this method, as well as the value of the radiological pictorial methods (conventional X-rax check, digital radiography, 2-spectrum-radiography and X-ray computer tomography) which we have already tested, are presented.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

An analysis of the self-control and criminal versatility of gang and dating violence offenders.

How versatile are gang and dating violence offenders? Current gang research highlights the versatility of gang members, yet the versatility of intimate violence offenders is often unexamined. Gottfredson and Hirschi, A General Theory of Crime (1990), support the idea of versatile rather than specialized offenders and suggests that low self-control is associated with a host of criminal and noncriminal risk-taking activities. Using data from a self-report sample of 1139 youths in grades 9 through 11, we investigated both the versatility of gang and dating violence offenders and theoretical variables associated with each. We find disproportionate offending by dating and gang violence offenders in a variety of crimes, as well as considerable overlap in the independent variables associated with both types of violence. Low levels of self-control and exposure to general and crime-specific criminal opportunities are significantly associated with engaging in dating and gang violence.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Post-conviction DNA testing: the UK's first 'exoneration' case?

The routine incorporation of forensic DNA profiling into the criminal justice systems of the United Kingdom has been widely promoted as a device for improving the quality of investigative and prosecutorial processes. From its first uses in the 1980s, in cases of serious crime, to the now daily collection, analysis and comparison of genetic samples in the National DNA Database, DNA profiling has become a standard instrument of policing and a powerful evidential resource for prosecutors. However, the use of post-conviction DNA testing has, until recently, been uncommon in the United Kingdom. This paper explores the first case, in England, of the contribution of DNA profiling to a successful appeal against conviction by an imprisoned offender. Analysis of the details of this case is used to emphasise the ways in which novel forms of scientific evidence remain subject to traditional and heterogeneous tests of relevance and credibility.

Blood Group Antigens↗
PubMed1999

Statistical analysis of the age-adjusted incidence rates of human neoplasias: changes in time and space from early 1960's to mid 1980's with special reference to the steroid criminal hypothesis of carcinogenesis.

Our earlier reports indicated that the changes of age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIRs) of any 2 tumors in time and space, as investigated by the sequential regression analysis, showed a good fitness to the equilibrium model under the control of the law of mass action. The purpose of this study is to investigate the problem of whether or not the changes of AAIRs of individual tumors in time and space show a similar fitness to the equilibrium model of the law of mass action. The cancer risk data set of: a) 20 neoplasias in scope; b) 6 cancer registration areas in space; and c) 5 sequential investigations from early 1960's to mid 1980's in time, were subjected to the sequential regression analysis - a modification of the least square method. Results obtained are as follows: a) out of 20 tumors tested, all tumors other than 5 tumor types showed a good fitness (P<0.05) to the equilibrium model of the law of mass action in their risk changes in space. The 5 tumor types that failed to fit to the equilibrium model were male gall-bladder cancer, male breast cancer, male thyroid cancer, female liver cancer and female laryngeal cancer. They were all classified as the members of low-risk gender in the cancer family with sex discrimination of cancer risk. b) All tumors other than male thyroid cancer of Birmingham-England showed a good fitness to the equilibrium model of the law of mass action in their risk changes in time. c) It is argued that the good fitness to the equilibrium model of the law of mass action and the poor fitness to the equilibrium model can be taken each as indication of the predominant expression of oncogene activation and the emergence of intervention of tumor suppressor gene inactivation to the full expression of oncogene activation in the mathematical structure of the cancer risk data set. The significance of the above findings as the supporting evidence of the steroid criminal hypothesis of carcinogenesis as well as the pertinence of the least square method to the mathematical analysis of cancer risk are discussed in the light of historical development of science from early 19th century to late 20th century.

Canada↗
PubMed1989

Radiologic contributions to the investigation and prosecution of cases of fatal infant abuse.

In 1984 we started a two-year program in Worcester (Mass.) and Boston to provide additional radiologic data for the medical investigation of suspected fatal infant abuse. During that period the investigation of 12 cases of unexplained infant death included the review of complete radiographic skeletal surveys by a pediatric radiologist. Autopsies were supplemented with resection, high-detail radiography, and histologic study of all non-cranial sites of suspected osseous injury. Thirty-four bony injuries were noted, including 12 acute and 16 healing fractures of the long-bone metaphyses and posterior-rib arcs in patterns indicative of infant abuse. The investigations determined that there were eight cases of abuse, two accidental deaths, and two natural deaths (sudden infant death syndrome). At this writing, the radiologic and osseous histologic studies appear to have influenced the determination of the manner of death in six of the eight cases of abuse and the criminal prosecution in four of the five convictions. These findings suggest that a thorough postmortem radiologic evaluation followed by selected histologic studies can have an impact on the investigation and prosecution of cases of fatal infant abuse.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1982

Beta-WAIS comparisons with low functioning minority group offenders: a cautionary note.

Investigated the utility of the Revised Beta as a screening device for low-functioning minority-group criminal offenders. Forty-seven black and Hispanic offenders who scored below 85 on the Beta were administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Mean scores for this sample were correlated only mildly. Furthermore, the means were not comparable; these offenders scored lower on the Beta than on the WAIS. This finding contradicts prior research and creates the need for caution in using the Beta as a screening device with this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Predicting WAIS-R scores from the Revised Beta for low functioning minority group offenders.

Investigated the use of the Revised Beta for predicting WAIS-R scores of low functioning minority group criminal offenders. Ninety black and Hispanic offenders who scored below 80 on the Beta were administered the WAIS-R. For the entire group, mean scores on the two measures were correlated only moderately and were not interchangeable. Offenders scored significantly lower on the Beta than on the WAIS-R. Subgroup analyses of blacks (N = 67) and Hispanics (N = 23) revealed that the Beta scores for the Hispanic offenders were not related significantly to either their WAIS-R Verbal or Full Scale scores.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

FDA audits of clinical studies: policy and procedure.

The Food and Drug Administration has been conducting audits of the work of clinical investigators since 1962, and has done so on a routine basis since 1977. Since 1977 the work of approximately 2,800 drug investigators has been subject to inspection; approximately 500 of these have been "for cause," including 49 performed outside of the United States. The routine audits are done on studies important to the FDA's approval of therapeutic claims, and are thus not targeted at the investigator, but at the validity of the study. Nevertheless, problems with consent were found in 54%; inadequate drug accountability in 25%; nonadherence to the protocol in 26%; inadequate and inaccurate study records in 21%; problems with institutional review board notification/approval in 13%; nonavailability of study records in 3%; and inappropriate delegation of authority in 4%. Ten percent of routine inspections revealed deficiencies of frequency and/or magnitude sufficient to warrant follow-up activity. We believe that this figure represents the only available assessment of the incidence of scientific misconduct. Of interest is a decrease to 6% in the past few years. "For cause" inspections may be either investigator-targeted or study-targeted. The former have resulted in regulatory action in 100 cases and successful criminal prosecution in 16. The latter have resulted in nonapproval or delay of approval of drugs for marketing. A subset of study-targeted inspections is the foreign inspections performed on studies important to U.S. approval of claims of efficacy of 24 drugs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship of depression with measures of social functioning in adult drug abusers.

The present study describes the relationship between depression and several measures of social functioning--including employment, criminal activity, incarceration, marital functioning, and alcohol and drug use--in a population of adult drug abusers. Our investigation extends past work in this area by specifically investigating the effects of depression (as opposed to simple substance use) on social and interpersonal functioning. Predictably, elevated levels of depression were associated with increased use of hard drugs and alcohol, greater levels of institutionalization, reduced attendance at work or school, and lower overall rates of marital satisfaction. Consistent with previous reports, level of marijuana use was not related to severity of depression. It appears that depressed substance abusers experience significantly more social, vocational, and interpersonal dysfunction than their nondepressed counterparts. It is proposed that the efficacy of existing treatment programs for adult drug abusers will be enhanced through the addition of strategies to assess and ameliorate depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The believability of hearsay testimony in a child sexual assault trial.

Two experiments investigated how mock jurors react to hearsay testimony in a case involving child sexual assault. Participants read fictional criminal trial summary involving the sexual assault of a 4-(Experiment 2 only), 6-, or 14-year old female. The summaries were presented in one of four conditions: (a) child condition--the alleged victim testified; (b) hearsay condition--the alleged victim did not testify, but an adult hearsay witness did testify; (c) multiple condition (Experiment 1 only)--both the alleged victim and the adult hearsay witness testified; and (d) no-witness condition--neither the alleged victim nor the hearsay witness testified. The hearsay testimony was believed to a considerable degree, and this testimony led to an increase in the perceived guilt of the defendant. Moreover, these results were comparable to those of conditions in which the alleged victim testified. The results are discussed in terms of the psychosocial factors affecting the perception of hearsay testimony in a child sexual assault trial.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

How can sociological theory help our understanding of addictions?

Those who work in the addiction field usually use the pharmacological or medical model, psychological theories of behavior, or operate within the confines of a criminal justice perspective. Contributions from the field of sociology are limited to use of the methods of sociological investigations, primarily population surveys, which, typically, are used to identify groups at-risk for specific types of drug use. Surveys have identified illicit drug use as, predominantly, a problem of young males, whereas prescription drug use is predominantly a problem of middle-aged and older women in industrialized countries. Experts in addiction have accused sociologists who study addiction of being "atheoretical." Paradoxically, in the sociology field, the most highly cited article is Merton's theory of addiction. This article will examine the contributions of sociological theory to our understanding of addiction, including social definitions of "the problem of addiction" and mechanisms to account for individual drug use within a social context that defines it as problematic.

Adaptation, Psychological↗