Nonlethal strangulation of intimate partners has substantial direct health effects and is associated with an increased risk of later lethal violence by a partner or ex-intimate partner but can be difficult to prosecute under felony assault statutes. After review of state laws regarding assault, the authors identified 10 states with specific…

This article describes the state of knowledge about extended assessments/forensic evaluations in situations of possible sexual abuse. It provides a critical review of the modest body of relevant research, describes two models for extended assessments, and presents descriptive survey findings of 62 professionals conducting extended assessments,…

Purpose: This paper highlights the forensic implications of language impairment in 2 key (and overlapping) groups of young people: identified victims of maltreatment (abuse and/or neglect) and young offenders. Method: Two lines of research pertaining to oral language competence and young people's interface with the law are considered: 1 regarding…

This paper focuses on issues related to the misuse and abuse of the technologies, or "cybermisconduct" directed toward students and teachers such as online harassment, cyberbullying and internet defamation. Since some forms of cyberbullying may be criminal acts under the Criminal Code, Canadian courts are voicing serious concerns about…

Minimal information is available regarding the frequency with which practitioners conduct evaluations of capacity to waive Miranda rights or what approaches they use in doing so. Grisso's Instruments for Assessing Understanding and Appreciation of Miranda Rights are the only published instruments designed specifically to assist practitioners in…

Forensic versus traditional accounting and auditing are compared and contrasted. Evidence gathering is detailed. Forensic science and fraud symptoms are explained. Criminalists, expert testimony and corporate governance are presented.

Elizabeth Scott and Laurence Steinberg explore the dramatic changes in the law's conception of young offenders between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. At the dawn of the juvenile court era, they note, most youths were tried and punished as if they were adults. Early juvenile court reformers argued strongly…

Discriminating accurate from mistaken eyewitness identifications is a major issue facing criminal justice systems. This study examined whether eyewitness confidence assists such decisions under a variety of conditions using a confidence-accuracy (CA) calibration approach. Participants (N = 1,200) viewed a simulated crime and attempted 2 separate…

This publication contains the proceedings of a Wingspread conference held in Racine, Wisconsin in March 1977, dealing with the topic of criminal sentencing alternatives. The conference grew out of a controversy within the Wisconsin Council on Criminal Justice over "determinant" versus "indeterminant" sentencing. Under a…

Three models which reflect the differences in criminal justice -- the nature and relationships of roles, rules, and institutions -- are reviewed, and a fourth is suggested. (Author/KM)

In a study of adolescent offenders in New York State, most reported that they curtail criminal activities at age 16, because they fear being jailed if apprehended as adults. In fact, the belief that juveniles under 16 cannot be severely punished in New York State is not entirely accurate. (Author/GC)

Forensic linguistics (FL) provides consultation to lawyers through the analysis of language evidence during the pre-trial investigation. Evidence commonly analyzed by linguists in criminal cases includes transcripts of police interviews and language crimes (such as bribery) and anonymous or questioned texts. Forensic linguistic testimony is rarely…

This study finds no meaningful relationship between arrest rates and crime rates. It is concluded that earlier findings of a deterrence effect of law enforcement are unsupported. (Author/RLV)

An examination of government reports on penal facilities in the United States, published since 1880, reveals that the rate of incarceration in federal, state, local, and juvenile correctional institutions has increased. Changes in offense distribution are increases in the proportion of persons reported to be incarcerated for robbery and drug…

A totally secure computer system does not exist. Unauthorized people with the necessary knowledge, equipment, and incentive can tamper with a school's computer system. Software, organizations, books, and precautions to help protect systems are discussed. (DCS)