Behavioral Sciences & the Law最新文献

This qualitative study examines criminal defendants who waived legal representation to self-represent in court. Through interviews with 16 participants and courtroom observations, findings reveal intersecting factors driving this decision: mental health challenges, desire for autonomy, attorney mistrust, dissatisfaction with past legal experiences, and underestimation of legal complexities. The research highlights defendants' vulnerability when exercising this right and connects negative prior legal encounters with self-representation choices. These insights into Israeli pro se defense suggest policy reforms balancing autonomy with support mechanisms. By prioritizing defendants' narratives, this research illuminates self-representation's social and psychological dimensions, advancing discourse on this understudied phenomenon.

Prior theoretical and empirical research examining the influence of sex on sentencing has been primarily concerned with the sex of the offender, as opposed to the victim. The present study drew on a convenience sample of males (n = 1190) in state and federal correctional facilities across the country, examining minimum sentences in relation to crime type. The analysis focused on individuals convicted of contact or enticement sexual offenses against minors (n = 380), finding that adult male offenders were sentenced to longer sentences when involved with male versus female victims. When victims were aged 14-17, male victims yielded a median minimum sentence of 30 years, twice that for female victims (15 years). For younger age groups, the difference narrowed. These findings suggest that prejudicial sentencing is not limited to race/ethnicity but also includes sexual orientation. Future research should continue to examine victim sex in sex offense punishment. Policy implications are discussed.

Sexual homicides are complex crimes that have been the focus of numerous classification systems aimed at aiding investigations, understanding offender behavior, and informing treatment plans. Over the past 25 years, a variety of typologies have been developed to categorize these offenses. This scoping review examines these typologies, exploring their evolution and the key offender, victim, and crime characteristics used to define them. The review identifies 19 empirical typologies from Canada, France, the UK, South Africa, and other regions, most of which are based on police and offender data. Typologies typically include categories such as "sadistic" and "anger-driven" homicides, though the number of types varies across studies. Moreover, the review highlights gaps in current research, such as limited sample sizes and the need for more diverse cultural perspectives. Recommendations are made for developing a more comprehensive and validated typology that incorporates broader data sources and modern methodologies, such as machine learning techniques, to enhance profiling, investigation, and prevention efforts.

Our research examines the Moral Situational Action Model of Extremist Violence (MSA-EV) in differentiating radicalized women who are likely to proceed to acts of lethal violence from those who are not using an additional risk, protective, and promotive paradigm that has not been applied to this data previously Using the same unique dataset of 300 female terrorists, we found that risk factors were more common than promotive and protective factors but that all three elements were identified across all three domains of the MSA-EV. The propensity domain included 14 risk factors, seven protective factors, and five promotive factors; the mobilization domain 25 risk factors, one protective factor, and three promotive factors; and the action-capacity-building domain nine risk factors, three protective factors, and three promotive factors. As suggested by Wikström, these three categories of predictive variables were not cumulative in nature. Rather, they captured distinctive types of information that could be used differentially to inform investigations, interventions, and issues of primary prevention. These findings offer support to Farrington's (2016) description of the RPP paradigm as one that allowed researchers to "[l]ink explanation and prevention, link fundamental and applied research, and link scholars, policymakers, and practitioners."

Trauma bonding-a phenomenon wherein victims become attached to their abusers-remains critical in forensic criminology, particularly within the sex trafficking context. Despite extensive trauma bonding research, few validated measures exist and studies addressing its manifestation in different cultures is limited. This study addressed these gaps by comparing findings from validation studies of the Trauma Bonding Scale for Adults (TBSA) among young adults aged 18-29 in the U.S. (N = 619) and Kenya (N = 538). Participants completed an anonymous Qualtrics XM survey containing demographic items, the TBSA, and a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) measure. Findings revealed that PTSD correlated with and predicted trauma bonding in both U.S. and Kenyan samples despite differences in PTSD and trauma bonding symptoms between samples. Implications for forensic assessment, classification, and intervention are discussed, highlighting the need for valid trauma bonding assessment across settings to identify and address culturally diverse victims' needs.

As jurisdictions across the United States implement pretrial risk assessments to advance pretrial reform, there has been a limited research focus on factors affecting risk assessment-guided decision-making. To advance this work, this study examined: (1) differences in perceptions of risk and utility of risk assessment information by criminal-legal role; (2) whether static or variable risk assessment presentation affected pretrial release decisions, including the moderating role of offense violence; and (3) factors affecting risk assessment-guided decision-making more broadly. Vignettes were issued to 298 judges, pretrial officers, prosecutors, and defense attorneys across the United States with random assignment to a one-value probability (30%, 40%, or 50%) or a range of probabilities (30%-50%) risk estimate. Findings showed that risk assessment presentation did not affect decision-making, and decision-makers either subjectively interpreted the risk assessment value or created their own risk criteria. Results necessitate more training for pretrial decision-makers on interpreting risk assessment information.

The history of gender-affirming care (GAC) dates back millennia. Ancient records acknowledged gender variance and early attempts at medical/surgical treatment. The twentieth century saw significant advancements in GAC, particularly in the success of gender-affirming surgeries. The emergence of centers like the Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic in the 1970s marked a turning point in GAC's recognition and acceptance. However, their sudden closure after just a few years hampered progress in GAC for the next several decades. In 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services overturned its prohibition on Medicare coverage for gender-affirming surgery, leading to greater access. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) guidelines have played a significant role in shaping contemporary GAC. The Standards of Care 8 (2022) emphasises patient-centered care and guideline flexibility. While challenges have marked the historical trajectory of GAC, it has also witnessed significant evolution which we review in this article.

Identification of the dead is of utmost importance in mass disasters, war crimes, and forensic examinations. The biological profile, established by a forensic anthropologist is one the necessary steps involved in the identification of the dead. Several parameters can be estimated such as sex, age, stature, biogeographical affinity, and DNA profile of the unknown person. It is crucial to estimate these parameters of identification which may narrow down the investigation process. On the other hand, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the modern world is showing magical uses in different fields. This communication aims to highlight the uses of AI tools for predicting parameters such as sex, age, stature, biogeographical affinity, and DNA profile of unknown persons with more accuracy and in less time. A literature search was conducted using databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect for analyzing the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning algorithms for establishing the biological profile in disaster victim identification (DVI) and forensic casework. Moreover, this research foresees a paradigm shift in investigative techniques as technology advances, highlighting the convergence of AI and anthropological ideas for an improved understanding of the biological profiles of unknown deceased individuals.

Transgender experiences have been attested since the dawn of civilization. Long before gender was reinterpreted as socially constructed and non-binary by 20th-century Western scholarship, concepts such as not belonging to the gender assigned at birth, transitioning, and being "neither a man nor a woman" integrated the belief systems and practices of various societies worldwide. This review examines anthropological and historical records of trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming behavior spanning six continents and five millennia. Moreover, we investigate how trans experiences interact with local traditions, family structures, laws, religions, and other social institutions. Finally, we explore trans-inclusive historiographical trends and discuss the relevance of transgender history awareness for professional and academic endeavors beyond the social sciences.

Sexual recidivism rates based on arrests or convictions underestimate actual reoffending due to underreporting. A previous Monte Carlo simulation estimated actual recidivism rates under various reporting and conviction assumptions but did not account for desistance-the decreasing likelihood of reoffending over time. This study addresses that gap by incorporating a 12.3% annual desistance rate (from a well-known empirical study) and exploring its impact alongside varying charge rates (100%-5%). The results showed that reductions in charge rates lead to disproportionately large increases in recidivism. For instance, lowering the charge rate from 50% to 25% results in a much larger increase in actual recidivism than reducing it from 100% to 75%, despite both being 25% reductions. This indicates that as charge rates decrease, actual recidivism grows more sharply. A sensitivity analysis also examined desistance rates of 0%, 5%, 12.3%, and 20%. Higher desistance rates cause reoffending to occur earlier but have little impact on long-term totals. Over 25 years, reoffending rates remain similar across desistance rates, suggesting desistance affects the timing, but not the overall amount of reoffending.