ijcs
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Abstract: The social and communication impairments among those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may result in some unknowingly harassing someone while pursuing a romantic interest. Weiner’s (1974) Attribution Theory suggests that when people attribute negative behaviors to a condition, they perceive less controllability, and evoke fewer negative emotions and punishments. The authors applied Attribution Theory using a sample of 545 undergraduates who received one of three vignettes depicting a male harassing a female romantic interest (no mention of ASD, mention of ASD, mention of ASD and difficulty with social relationships and communication). Those who received the vignettes that mentioned the perpetrator had ASD perceived the behavior as less controllable and fewer supported punishment. The results demonstrate support for disclosing one’s ASD diagnosis and communicating any social or communication difficulties to others in the event there are miscommunications that could lead to punitive consequences. Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attribution Theory, Harassment, Stalking. |
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Abstract: Previous research has shown that the law enforcement occupation is a dangerous profession that has the highest violent victimization rate in the United States (Fridell, Faggiani, Taylor, Brito, & Kubu, 2009). This descriptive study aims to add to the growing body of literature on victimization of police officers by answering the central research question: What are the characteristics of victimization incidents of on-duty law enforcement officers? Specific demographics of interest include; sex of the officer, method of harm used against the officer, incident location, and responding call type. A content analysis was performed on news articles reporting incidents of on-duty law enforcement fatalities and injuries (n=50), in which characters gathered from the articles were recoded to numbers for quantitative analysis. Analysis of data suggests that male officers are more likely to be victimized while on-duty. Gunfire is the method of harm most likely used to victimize officers. A roadway is the location where an incident of victimization will most likely occur, during other types of calls beyond warrant services, traffic stops, domestic disturbances, and suspicious persons. This research can lead to future more detailed research and causal analysis. Keywords: Law enforcement, officer, fatality, injury, incident location. |
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Abstract: This paper is an analysis of real versus simulated, or “mock,” juries. It is specifically focused on similarities and differences between the two forms of group-based deliberation with respect to the content and organization of deliberative talk. Via analysis of transcript from six deliberations—two real and four mock—the value of mock juries as an investigative tool is assessed based not on the relationship between “input” variables, such as the nature of the case, the sociodemographic or sociometric nature of the jurors themselves, or wording of the juries’ decision rules, and the “output” variable of the jury’s decision, but rather based on the internal nature of jurors’ discourse. This is a radically different focus from traditional studies comprising mock juries, one enabled by use of real deliberations for comparative evaluation. Keywords: Juries, deliberation, ethnomethodology, discourse. |
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Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and study the common mental health problems presented by detainees in police custody as well their demographic characteristics. This would help to create awareness and sensitise health care practitioners working in custody, as well as custody staff towards early recognition and detection of cases, which should facilitate the health promotion and psycho social education of detainees and reduce the overall clinical risk in custody. Design/Methodology: The 'anonymised custody records' of a random sample of two hundred and fifty eight detainees in police custody as well as the Forensic Medical practitioners contemporaneous notes including 'direct clinical interviews 'were examined. Data was collected from the Risk assessment record completed by the custody officers and record of medical assessment by forensic Medical Examiners using a 'Standard Questionnaire format ‘. Data then was analysed. Findings: Detainees admitted into custody experienced a wide range of mental health problems.The most common mental health problems seen in detainees during the period of study were, substance misuse, depression, self-harm, anxiety disorder, epilepsy and schizophrenia in that order. Other conditions were identified such as Learning disabilities. The sex distribution was Male (83%) and Female (17%). In terms of age distribution most of the detainees were in the age range 20-41 (67.5%) for both sexes. The female detainees tend to be older compared to males.Heroin use was the most prevalent drug of abuse in custody. Some of the most common medications prescribed for detainees are Methadone, Mirtazapine, Citalopram, Diazepam, Sorbutex, sodium valproate and Thiamine. Originality/Value: The findings from this study would help to further identify and bring awareness to the common mental health problems encountered in detainees in police custody. It would help to reduce clinical risks and facilitate a safer detention in custody. It would also help to address the issue of the limited availability of data regarding the mental health of detainees. Keywords: Detainees, police, custody, mental health, risk, forensic medical examiner, drugs and alcohol. |
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Abstract: The article presents a new approach to the possibilities of using the method of analysis of patterns of territorial differences formation in crime rates in regions of the same country in order to expand the understanding of crime causative complex as a whole. The author proves that the effectiveness of territorial approach to crime causes understanding will reach its greatest extent when it is a criminological analysis of territorial-spacial systems functioning, a revelation of their destabilizing factors, sources of disorganization and social tension. But this requires a preliminary solution to the problem of identifying the patterns of territorial socio-economic systems functioning, that the author proposes to do on the basis of the "New Economic Geography" modern achievements. For such an approach, the name "spatial analysis of causative crime complex" is claimed. This analysis, carried with reference to some regions of Central Federal District of Russia, demonstrated the received results importance for a better mechanism of theoretical understanding of crime existence in society. In particular, the conclusion was made that the main reason of crime rates increasing within the territorial socio-economic system (specifically, the Russian Federation region) is the imbalance between theoretically estimated potential of socio-economic development of a definite region at a certain stage of society development and actual vector and dynamics of such development in reality. Keywords: Causes of crime, territorial differences in crime rates, spatial analysis. |