Prediction of Jury Verdicts in Child Sexual Assault Trials

Child sexual abuse allegations are typically resolved by jury trial. The presence of a number of variables, known before a trial commences, may play a significant part in trial outcomes beyond jurors’ assessment of witness credibility. New Zealand Crown Prosecutors completed survey questionnaires for 137 trials related to charges of sexual offending against children. Nine trial variables were recorded along with other trial data. The hypothesis was confirmed that the presence of any three or more of the nine evidential variables was significantly predictive of conviction on at least one sexual offence per trial. The results were similar for the total sample and the two subgroups of historical cases and the child cases with complainants aged younger than 17 years at the time of trial. The three variables most strongly associated with conviction were similar fact evidence, evidence from a witness to the offending, and positive medical evidence or DNA evidence.     

Life Skills Training Outcomes and Potential Mechanisms in a Community Implementation: A Preliminary Investigation

Within the context of a science-based dissemination initiative, this study sought to evaluate whether a community implementation of Life Skills Training (LST) would yield outcomes similar to previous clinical trials, to examine potential mechanisms of LST's effectiveness, and to explore potential gender-by-intervention effects. Life Skills Training was implemented with a high degree of fidelity to 263 (54% Male; 84% Caucasian) early adolescents in two Upstate New York school districts during the 2002–2003 academic year. Performance on the Life Skills Training Questionnaire yielded outcomes that were highly similar to those reported by the program's development team. Significant reductions in alcohol tension-reduction expectancies were detected on the Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire—Adolescent Version, providing preliminary evidence that expectancies may mediate/moderate LST's influence. Exploratory gender analyses revealed that female participants exhibited greater improvements in terms of drug knowledge and anxiety reduction skills than male participants in one school district. Unexpected results, design limitations and implications for dissemination initiatives as a platform for research are discussed.     

Medical education about the care of addicted incarcerated persons: A national survey of residency programs

In June 1998, there were 1.8 million inmates in correctional facilities for adults; 1.2 million in state and federal prisons and 600,000 in municipal/county jails (668 persons per 100,000 U.S. population). Rates of TB, AIDS, mental illness, and substance abuse are 2–13 times higher in persons living in jails and prisons. This study was designed to assess the level of training offered to residents in seven medical specialties in the care of addicted incarcerated persons. The study design involved two stages. The first entailed a mailed survey to 1,831 residency directors in family medicine, internal medicine, osteopathic medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and emergency medicine. The second stage was a telephone interview, about substance use disorders, of faculty listed by the residency directors as teaching residents. The mailed survey was completed by 1,205 residency directors (66%). The 769 faculty from those identified programs, who participated in the telephone interview, reported that only 14% of their residency programs offered lectures or conferences on the care of incarcerated persons, yet 44% of the programs had residents caring for incarcerated persons with substance abuse problems, in a clinical setting. Only 22% offered clinical experiences for residents in a correctional facility.

We recognize that our survey of correctional health and substance abuse training is limited, but as such, a greater number of respondents to our survey do not teach residents addiction medicine topics pertaining to prevention, evaluation, intervention, and management of the addicted criminal offender/patient in a correctional setting or give adequate clinical exposure to this special population. The data suggests a need to develop and implement educational programs on medical care for this high‐risk and expanding population.     

“Virginia Woolf's The Waves: A Lyrical ‘Sense of Continuity’ in a Sea of Dissociation”

ABSTRACT

The Waves, written in 1931 by Virginia Woolf, is an astounding depiction of an internal landscape richly full of dissociative phenomena. Although applauded for its genius and considered by many to be her highest literary achievement, critics complained that the language of the characters seemed artificial and a departure from the usual interior monologue appearing in other works that utilized stream of consciousness writing at the time. Woolf believed this work to be misunderstood as she often felt herself. This paper illustrates how The Waves might metaphorically connote the internal experiences of dissociating. The narrative of the novel illuminates the mapping of Woolf's internal system as it changes across a life span. Woolf deftly submerged not only the facts of her personal life in The Waves but, more important, revealed through both her literary method and language the dissociative nature of her own mind. By extrapolating from Woolf's autobiographies, journals, and letters, the parallels between fact and fiction become apparent.     

Inhalant Use Among Child Welfare–Involved Adolescents

Illicit substance use, especially of inhalants, is a public health crisis during adolescence, particularly for maltreated youths. This study advances the literature by highlighting the prevalence of inhalant use among child welfare–involved adolescents. Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) II data set, case-status factors, problem behaviors, deviant peers, delinquency, depression, and school peer engagement were inspected using logistic regression. Females, delinquency, deviant peers, problematic behaviors, and depression are positively related to inhalant use, whereas youth school peer engagement mitigates inhalant use. Attention to peer relationships and psychosocial risk factors is necessary for adolescents.     

Specialized Care of Women and Newborns Affected by Opioids With a CORE Team of Nurses

Staff on a mother–baby unit of a large suburban Level II facility identified the need to provide specialized nursing care to women affected by opioids. The manager of the unit recognized inconsistencies in care and frustration expressed by women and staff. She recruited a CORE (Champion for our Opiate patients using Respectful and Relevant Engagement and Education) group of staff nurses to care for these women. CORE nurses received specialized education and resources and served as the primary nurses for women admitted to the unit with a positive urine drug screening result or a history of drug use during pregnancy. Having a CORE team has brought a consistent approach when providing care to families affected by opioids.     

Devaluation,Loss, and Rage: A Postscript to Urban African American Youth with Substance Abuse

This article explores and discusses the sociocultural dynamics underpinning urban African American youths' use and misuse of substances and its connection to the invisible wounds of race-related trauma. A racially-sensitive framework is discussed as an intervention approach designed to address the special needs of urban Africa American adolescents maligned by, and suffering from, the complex interplay of substance misuse and rage.     

Child abuse in Setswana folktales

This article examines the possible role played by African folk literature, taking Setswana folktales as a case in point, in justifying and perpetuating the abusive behaviour so often witnessed and decried in postmodern society. We found some evidence that certain folktales may depict real‐life child abuse by adults (male and female), and, indeed, serve to perpetuate pre‐modern societal beliefs. Ideally speaking, citizens should probably be educated about the possible negative impact of that part of folk literature that serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes of children as objects to be (ab)used. Since folk literature may be serving as a potentially significant guardian of these beliefs, a possible first step would be to identify folktales and other stories that may keep alive beliefs that reinforce obsolete views about children. This is a challenge to all folklorists.     

Relative Importance of Abstinence in Clients’ and Clinicians’ Perspectives of Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Abuse

This study collected data on drug and alcohol workers’ (n = 55) and clients’ (n = 139) perspectives on what constitutes a “recovery” from substance use disorder. Data were collected during 2010 from four residential faith-based treatment programs across the east coast of Australia. Self-report surveys specifically designed for this study were administered. Responses were compared using nonparametric test. Abstinence was seen as an important component of recovery but nonabstinent factors were also seen as having an important role. Staff placed more emphasis on clients taking responsibility for their problems and on the role of spiritual development. The importance of nonabstinence components was positively associated with a person's time in treatment and recovery. Implications, limitations, and future directions are noted.