Behavioral Sciences & the Law最新文献

The legitimacy of the Hong Kong police has somewhat plummeted amid the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and the Pro-Democracy Movement in 2019. This study aims to explore the dynamics among Hong Kongers' perception of security, confidence in the police, and their subjective well-being using the Wave 7 (2017–2022) of the World Values Survey (WVS-7). Analysing the Hong Kong data that sampled 2075 participants (18 years and above; 952 males and 1123 females, Mage = 47.2 years), feelings of security and neighbourhood deviant behaviours (i.e., perceived security), and life satisfaction and happiness (i.e., subjective well-being) are used to explore their effects on the participants' confidence in the police. The findings indicate that the participants' feelings of security are positively correlated with their well-being and confidence in the police, respectively. Despite its nonsignificant moderation effect, this study found a significant mediation effect of the participants' confidence in the police in the relationship between their perception of security and well-being. Significant sociodemographic differences (i.e., gender, age, social class) in the participants' life satisfaction and happiness are also observed. These findings have important practical implications in areas such as public education and policy development/refinement, with the aim to foster Hong Kongers' confidence in the police and well-being.

There is an overrepresentation of Indigenous people (both as accused and victims of crime) and those with developmental delays in the Canadian Criminal Justice System. The current research examined the influence of defendant and victim race (involving Indigenous people), as well as defendant developmental and chronological age, on mock-jurors’ perceptions and decisions in sexual assault cases. Experiment 1 examined the influence of defendant and victim race (Indigenous or White), and defendant chronological age (16- or 36-year). Experiment 2 examined defendant race (Indigenous or White), defendant developmental age (14- or 24-year), and defendant chronological age (14- or 24-year). In both experiments, mock-jurors rendered more guilty verdicts when the defendant was White, compared to Indigenous. Mock-jurors also were more lenient to the chronologically younger defendant in Experiment 1 and the developmentally younger defendant in Experiment 2. Finally, mock-jurors’ acceptance of rape myths was assessed; higher endorsement was associated with lower guilt ratings.

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.

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.