Victim or profiteer? Gerhard Domagk (1895–1964) and his relation to National Socialism

As the discoverer of sulfonamides and Nobel Prize winner for medicine, Gerhard Domagk (1895–1964) is without doubt one of the most important pathologists of the 20th century. Domagk has repeatedly been sketched out as a Nazi victim – especially with reference to the fact that he had been briefly imprisoned and that the Nazi regime prevented him from accepting the Nobel Prize. In particular, the life memoirs of Domagk (1995), edited by Bayer, and a Domagk biography by Ekkehard Grundmann (2001) contributed to consolidating the dictum that Domagk was far from Nazi ideology. These depictions are juxtaposed with recent works that sketch Domagk as close to the regime and as a profiteer of the Nazi system.This paper aims to explore Domagk's actual relationship to National Socialism by comparing the discrepant interpretations with the historical facts. The analysis is based on primary sources from various archives and a critical re-analysis of the available secondary literature.The assertion that Domagk was critical of Nazi ideology cannot be objectified. Domagk adapted to the regime, allowed himself to be integrated, enjoyed privileges and thus indirectly contributed to making the regime presentable. In this respect he fulfils the classic characteristics of a political follower.     

The self-traumatized perpetrator as a “transient mental illness”

Conceived of during the Vietnam war, the hypothesis that the perpetrators of atrocities could subsequently develop psychiatric disorders identical to those of their victims led to the emergence of a specific category: the self-traumatized perpetrator. While the United States was discovering that its soldiers had been involved in appallingly barbaric acts, psychiatry through the DSM-III post-traumatic stress disorder provided a more conciliatory response to the behavior of those veterans by shifting the political issue into the sphere of clinical debate. The author examines the origin, development and the subsequent exhaustion of this category from a strictly anthropological point of view. In this study, the category of self-traumatized perpetrator has been constructed on the basis of psychological knowledge and of various influencing external factors. In this sense, it can be viewed as transient category as far as psychiatric nosology is concerned, and is closely dependent on the outcome of the political and social issues that favored its emergence, and destined to disappear with them. In adopting the term coined by Ian Hacking, the author shows that the disorder observed in the case of the self-traumatized perpetrator is above all a “transient mental illness”     

Homicidal poisoning in India: A short review

This review has analysed various studies and case reports on homicide by poison from different parts of India till date. This review shows that homicidal poisoning prevalence varies from 0.3% to 3.7% having varied prevalence from different regions with no homicidal cases too. The poisons used in homicide were mainly organophosphates, aluminium phosphide, paraquat, and arsenic. No age-group or gender was spared and the perpetrators were first degree relatives.     

Pourquoi l’évaluation structurée du risque de récidive violente et sexuelle est une pratique marginale en France ? Revue systématique de la littérature

IntroductionIn France, the recidivism of offenders (both sexual and non-sexual violence) is a national concern as evidenced by the media and the succession of laws relating to the prevention of recidivism. Risk assessment can be performed using unstructured professional judgment which is unreliable or by structured risk assessment which are more reliable. Abroad, this structured assessment is considerably developed. In France, it gives rise to two opposing positions: (i) encouragement by public authorities; and (ii) fear by a majority of professionals in the field.ObjectiveThis article offers a systematic literature review, meeting PRISMA criteria, on the perception and practice of standardized evaluation in France by the professionals concerned.MethodThe keywords “Risk assessment” AND “recurrence” AND “France” were searched in French and in English in the search engines Pubmed, PsycInfo, Cairn, and ScienceDirect.ResultsThe 23 articles obtained in the results highlighted: (a) fears and few advantages regarding the use of structured evaluation; (b) a possibility of a hybrid evaluation system in France; and (c) a report of some works already using scales of risk on French populations. This article focused mainly on the fears and perceived benefits of structured risk assessment. The reluctance has concerned both: (i) the French judicial system (fear of a new penology based only on the actuarial approach and its consequences); (ii) the professional valuers (fear of a confusion of professional's roles in health and justice fields); (iii) the persons assessed (fear of a risk of stigmatization of high-risk patients concerning violence); and (iv) the tools themselves (fear of a poor reliability of the risk assessment). Very few articles highlighted their advantages: reliability, simplicity of use, good inter-judge fidelity, guideline for care, and specially an ability to overcom the insufficient basis for the evaluation resulting from unstructured clinical judgment. Results also suggested the possibility of a hybrid evaluation system in France, which could rely on risk scales, without neglecting the interview and the qualitative collected information that have to respect precise steps and allow the management of offenders. Finally, this paper presented the few French studies using risk scales mainly focused both in sexual offenders’ risks and associated factors, and showing a better productivity of these scales than an unstructured professional judgment.Discussion and conclusionFears related to the structured risk assessments are important. However, these scales may also supply a better vision of offenders. They require skills of professionals from various fields and allow both a fairer assessment of the offender and a penal system more adjusted. This perceived reluctance seems to be due to a poor knowledge of structured assessment the risk scales and a lack of research studies using them in France, where it is necessary to have a broad reflection on their development in the future.     

Brief report: Physical health of adolescent perpetrators of sibling aggression

We describe adolescents' perpetration of sibling aggression and its link to physical health two years later. In-school surveys at Time 1 (N = 331) and Time 2 (two-years later, N = 283) were administered to adolescents (at Time 1, M_age = 15.71 years, SD = .63; 52% female) living in the United States querying about perpetration of aggression toward a sibling closest in age and perceived physical health. The majority of adolescents perpetrated aggression towards their sibling (74%). Adolescents who were part of brother–brother pairs reported the most aggression. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that perpetrating sibling aggression more often at Time 1 was predictive of lower physical health at Time 2 controlling for Time 1 physical health and demographic characteristics. Perpetration of aggression toward a sibling is common and has negative health consequences in late adolescence suggesting this issue should be targeted to improve adolescents' sibling dynamics and physical health.     

L’expérience des professionnels accompagnant les auteurs de violences sexuelles : revue de littérature

Working with sex offenders can be challenging for professionals. Psychotherapy and counseling involve human and emotional commitment that can be demanding. However, supporting sexual offenders seems to confront professionals to specific difficulties, the most obvious being the violent content of patients’ speech and the professional duty to balance justice and care. Beyond that, it appears essential to understand specifically what is at stake for professionals in this type of work, but for the well-being of caregivers and patients as well, and ultimately for the quality of the therapeutic alliance. The objectives of this article are to conduct a review of the international scientific literature of studies that have explored the experiences of professionals who work with sex offenders, and to draw practical perspectives as well as new lines of research. Quantitative studies have focused on specific traumatic effects of professional practice with sexual offenders: secondary traumatic stress, burnout, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue. Research has operationalized these different indicators but these concepts have relatively blurred boundaries. Thus, the results do not appear significant on a specific traumatic effect. However, these studies show/prove the existence of a number of symptoms among caregivers – hypervigilance, emotional fatigue, and feeling of depersonalization – highlighting the importance of exploring qualitatively the experience of professionals. Qualitative studies have provided a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the phenomenon. They confirm and clarify the negative emotional impact but also underline positive effects, especially a strong sense of social responsibility, in protecting the population from potential violence. Professionals also focus on professional training opportunities offered within this challenging domain. The most important objective would be to find a balance between positive and negative impacts, bringing out the importance of personal coping strategies and professional resources. These results emphasize the role of institutions in assisting professionals, especially in regards to organizing regular and adapted clinical supervision, in order to provide emotional support. This questions the possibility – and the limit? – about taking into account the personal repercussions of the practice in the professional context. It thus appears fundamental to consider and develop specific organizational support for professional practices with a strong emotional impact. Finally, this literature review raises the interest of developing French research on the experiences of professionals who work with sexual offenders, in order to enrich this international vision while exploring the French specificities of this practice.     

家庭暴力施暴者的心理学特征及罹患精神障碍的研究

目的 了解家庭暴力施暴者的心理学特征及其罹患精神障碍的状况.方法 对318例家庭暴力施暴者(施暴组)和310名所在地区、家庭结构和家庭身份与施暴组相匹配的无家庭暴力者(对照组),采用症状自评量表(SCL-90)、艾森克个性问卷(EPQ)、特质应对方式问卷(TCSQ)、社会支持评定量表(SSRS)、神经症筛选表,以及精神病筛选表进行评估.结果 (1)施暴组的SCL-90总分以及躯体化、强迫、人际敏感、抑郁、焦虑、敌对、恐惧、偏执、精神病和附加因子分均高于对照组(P＜0.05～P＜0.01);EPQ中的神经质评分(48.3±10.2)分高于对照组[(45.3±10.0)分,P＜0.01];TCSQ中的消极应对分(29.61±8.28)分高于对照组[(26.97±7.28)分,P＜0.01];SSRS中的社会支持总分(37.42±8.22)分、客观支持分(12.17±3.54)分、主观支持分(17.79±5.01)分以及对社会支持的利用度(7.42±2.04)分均低于对照组[分别为(40.79±6.56)分、(12.82±3.01)分、(20.15±4.04)分、(7.82±1.96)分;均P＜0.05～0.01].(2)精神疾病检出率:施暴组(6.9%,22例)的高于对照组(1.3%,4例;P＜0.01).(3)Logistic回归:敌对因子(P=0.011,OR=1.665)、消极应对方式(P=0.037,OR=1.027)和重性精神疾病(P=0.033,OR=9.597)是施暴的危险因子,主观支持是施暴的保护因子(P=0.000,OR=0.909).结论 家庭暴力施暴者存在较多的心理问题和较高的精神障碍检出率,他们也需要心理干预、医学干预和社会支持.     

The interplay between substance use and intimate partner violence perpetration: A meta-ethnography

BackgroundThe relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and substance use is not well understood. We conducted a meta-ethnography of qualitative studies to explore how substance use features in survivors’ and perpetrators’ accounts of IPV perpetration.MethodsQualitative studies from 1995 to 2016 were identified from PsycINFO, ASSIA and Web of Science, with an update in PsycINFO and ASSIA to December 2017. 7654 abstracts were screened for accounts of heterosexual IPV perpetration, then full-texts were screened for mentions of substance use. Key concepts from 26 qualitative studies (363 female survivors’ and 219 male perpetrators’ views) were synthesised to develop a grounded theory that put similarities and differences between studies into an interpretive order.ResultsSix themes emerged: five related to the complex interplay between substance use and IPV perpetration in the context of intoxication, withdrawal and addiction, impact on relationship and wider dynamics of power and control and psychological vulnerabilities; a final theme related to survivors’ agency and resistance to IPV perpetration. Survivors and perpetrators noted how both intoxication and withdrawal could pre-empt IPV perpetration. Survivors, however, were more likely to see intoxication and withdrawal as part of a pattern of abusive behaviour, whereas perpetrators tended to describe a causal relationship between intoxication and discrete incidents of IPV perpetration. Irritability and frustration during withdrawal from or craving alcohol, heroin and stimulants, and/or a failure or partner refusal to procure money for drugs increased the likelihood of violence. Survivors were more likely than perpetrators to identify abuse in relation to the impact of substance use on their relationship and dynamics of power and control.ConclusionThe interplay between substance use and IPV perpetration occurs at numerous contextual levels and is perceived differently by perpetrators and survivors. Behaviour change interventions must address the meanings behind divergent narratives about IPV perpetration and substance use.     

Overkilling: A specific type of homicide – Constructing the definition: Perpetrator,weapon and circumstances

Overkilling in the Forensic Medicine is known as a specific type of homicide where the number of inflicted injuries greatly surpasses the number of fatal ones. Conducted research aimed to create a unified definition of the phenomenon and its classification criteria by analysing a vast majority of variables concerning its various characteristics. From the population of homicide victims autopsied in the authors’ research facility a number of 167 cases were chosen consisting of both overkilling and other homicides. 70 cases were thoroughly analysed based on the completed court files, autopsy protocols and photographs. Second part of the research concerned the facts regarding the perpetrator, used weapon and the circumstances of the act. Conclusions of the conducted analysis allowed to add further characteristics to the overkilling definition: the perpetrators were almost exclusively men, around 35 of age, not related to the victim but might have been in a close relationship with them, often a conflicted one. They did not threaten the victim before the incident. Mostly perpetrators were not intoxicated, and they tried to cover up the homicide in various ways. Perpetrators of overkilling were in most cases mentally disturbed (and thus stated insane), had different levels of intelligence but also a low level of planning before the act – rarely taking actions as preparing the weapon in advance, choosing the scene or luring in the victim.