scholarly journals Factors behind support for harsher punishments for common and uncommon offenders

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-63
Author(s):  
Marek Palasinski ◽  
Neil Shortland
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
The Public ◽  
Drug Traffickers ◽  
First Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore individual factors predicting support for harsher punishments for relatively common and uncommon serious offenders. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, 120 UK participants (60 males and 60 females; mean age =37.31 SD=16.74) completed a survey exploring the extent to which they supported harsher punishments (SHP) for first time and repeat fraud, sexual and violent offenders. In Study 2, 131 participants (70 Britons and 61 Singaporeans; 69 females and 62 males; mean age=31.57; SD=10.87) completed a similar survey exploring their support for life sentence without the possibility of parole (SLSWP) for rather uncommon repeat offenders (i.e. drug traffickers, human traffickers, serious sexual offenders). Findings Study 1 found that right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) was an SHP predictor for first time and repeat fraud, violent and sex offenders. Study 2 found that national identity (i.e. how British or Singaporean participants felt) played a similar role to Study 1’s RWA in being a positive SLSWP predictor for repeat human traffickers and drug traffickers of both sexes, as well as male sex offenders. In contrast to the hypothesis, however, participants’ locations did not appear to play a statistically significant role. Research limitations/implications This survey-based research reveals a nuanced and quite consistent picture that could benefit from the inclusion of socio-economic factors and other cross-cultural comparisons. Practical implications The key message from this study is to inform the public on the role that right-wing authoritarianism and national identity play in their SHP and SLSWP. Social implications It is vital to increase the legislators’ and the public awareness of the role that national identity and RWA seem to play. Originality/value The paper offers insight into factors behind people’s punitive attitudes towards specific crimes regardless of geo-cultural location.

The 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner elections

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the 2016 elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and to compare them with those that took place in 2012. It seeks to evaluate the background of the candidates who stood for office in 2016, the policies that they put forward, the results of the contests and the implications of the 2016 experience for future PCC elections. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based around several key themes – the profile of candidates who stood for election, preparations conducted prior to the contests taking place, the election campaign and issues raised during the contests, the results and the profile of elected candidates. The paper is based upon documentary research, making particular use of primary source material. Findings The research establishes that affiliation to a political party became the main route for successful candidates in 2016 and that local issues related to low-level criminality will dominate the future policing agenda. It establishes that although turnout was higher than in 2012, it remains low and that further consideration needs to be devoted to initiatives to address this for future PCC election contests. Research limitations/implications The research focusses on the 2016 elections and identifies a number of key issues that emerged during the campaign affecting the conduct of the contests which have a bearing on future PCC elections. It treats these elections as a bespoke topic and does not seek to place them within the broader context of the development of the office of PCC. Practical implications The research suggests that in order to boost voter participation in future PCC election contests, PCCs need to consider further means to advertise the importance of the role they perform and that the government should play a larger financial role in funding publicity for these elections and consider changing the method of election. Social implications The rationale for introducing PCCs was to empower the public in each police force area. However, issues that include the enhanced importance of political affiliation as a criteria for election in 2016 and the social unrepresentative nature of those who stood for election and those who secured election to this office in these contests coupled with shortcomings related to public awareness of both the role of PCCs and the timing of election contests threaten to undermine this objective. Originality/value The extensive use of primary source material ensures that the subject matter is original and its interpretation is informed by an academic perspective.

scholarly journals Early contractor involvement approaches in public project procurement

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulos Abebe Wondimu ◽  
Ali Hosseini ◽  
Jadar Lohne ◽  
Ola Laedre
Keyword(s):  
Success Factors ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Public Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Treat All ◽  
First Time ◽  
Project Procurement ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose Early contractor involvement (ECI) faces many barriers when it is implemented in public procurement, given that it is different from traditional business practices. Primarily, public owners face a major challenge, as they should treat all bidders equally. The purpose of this paper is to explore suitable ECI approaches that public owners could use. Design/methodology/approach In addition to a literature and document study, 14 semi-structured in-depth interviews with key personnel from 11 cases selected from Norwegian public bridge projects were carried out. Findings In all, 23 unique approaches of ECI were identified during this research (16 from literature and 7 new from case projects). The findings provide a new direction to ECI through introducing new approaches of ECI from the case projects. Originality/value This paper for the first time presents several alternatives of ECI approaches for public owners with the intention of illustrating ECI is actually possible in the public project procurement. Furthermore, it presents for the first time success factors of ECI with the intention of increasing the understanding of ECI concept from a public procurement perspective.

What are the characteristics of first time older sexual offenders?

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 647-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Chua ◽  
Gary Cheung ◽  
Susan Hatters Friedman ◽  
Sigourney Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Assessments ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Common ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACTBackground:Our objective was to examine and describe the common socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of first time older sex offenders.Methods:Research papers published in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE were searched systematically. Following removal of duplicates and irrelevant papers, a total of 423 papers were reviewed to determine whether the selection criteria were met. A total of seven publications were included and evaluated by two researchers.Results:Of the seven publications, there were two retrospective research studies and five case reports. There was a higher proportion of neurocognitive disorder in this offender group and the victims were usually vulnerable individuals. Yet, cognitive assessments were rarely done or reported. Two subtypes of older sex offenders were identified: (i) offenders who had offended in the past but were not previously detected; (ii) first-time offenders with a high proportion of neurocognitive disorder.Conclusion:There is a paucity of research in first time sex offending by older people. This review has highlighted a need for better designed studies to explore the characteristics of older sex offenders. Better collaboration between forensic and old-age psychiatric services is required for improved assessment and management of older sex offenders.

Fear and loathing in the community: sexual offenders and desistance in a climate of risk and ‘extreme othering’

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacky Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
The Public ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Master Status ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Government ◽  
Mainstream Society

This chapter focuses attention on sex offenders who, perhaps more than any other 'type' of offender, have been systematically vilified, demonised, and ostracised from mainstream society. The author argues that, for once, the public, the media, the government, and – worryingly – large numbers of professionals seem to be in agreement that such 'othering' is entirely right and proper in what are seen to be the larger interests of public protection. The author explores the implications of this deeply entrenched culture for ‘would-be desisters’ and suggests ways forward that offer individuals opportunities to uncouple from the ‘master status’ of sex offender and to build positive social networks.

Measuring climate change on Twitter using Google’s algorithm: perception and events

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Abdeen Hamed ◽  
Alexa A. Ayer ◽  
Eric M. Clark ◽  
Erin A. Irons ◽  
Grant T. Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Ranking Algorithm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Worldwide Population ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Earth Day

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis of whether more complex and emergent hashtags can be sufficient pointers to climate change events. Human-induced climate change is one of this century’s greatest unbalancing forces to have affected our planet. Capturing the public awareness of climate change on Twitter has proven to be significant. In a previous research, it was demonstrated by the authors that public awareness is prominently expressed in the form of hashtags that uses more than one bigram (i.e. a climate change term). The research finding showed that this awareness is expressed by more complex terms (e.g. “climate change”). It was learned that the awareness was dominantly expressed using the hashtag: #ClimateChange. Design/methodology/approach – The methods demonstrated here use objective computational approaches [i.e. Google’s ranking algorithm and Information Retrieval measures (e.g. TFIDF)] to detect and rank the emerging events. Findings – The results shows a clear significant evidence for the events signaled using emergent hashtags and how globally influential they are. The research detected the Earth Day, 2015, which was signaled using the hashtag #EarthDay. Clearly, this is a day that is globally observed by the worldwide population. Originality/value – It was proven that these computational methods eliminate the subjectivity errors associated with humans and provide inexpensive solution for event detection on Twitter. Indeed, the approach used here can also be applicable to other types of event detections, beyond climate change, and surely applicable to other social media platforms that support the use of hashtags (e.g. Facebook). The paper explains, in great detail, the methods and all the numerous events detected.

Communication of commitment towards sustainable development of certified Portuguese organisations

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 458-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipe Carvalho ◽  
Pedro Domingues ◽  
Paulo Sampaio
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Theoretical Assumptions ◽  
First Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, it aims at the identification and assessment of the commitments towards sustainable development (SD) communicated to all interested parties (stakeholders) by top management; and second, mapping the profile of the organisations which prominently communicate those commitments. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology was supported on the content analysis of the organisations’ statements (disclosed on the institutional website) that sustain the strategy and policies (organisational culture). A total of 540 certified Portuguese organisations in Quality, Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (QEOHS) comprised the sample. Findings According to this research, it is possible to identify three main commitments towards SD addressing customers (consumers), human resources (employees) and continuous improvement. Furthermore, results suggest that commitments towards customers and human resources fit properly into the theoretical assumptions of the stakeholder theory and, in turn, the commitment towards continuous improvement fits accurately into the assumptions of the “normative isomorphism” of the institutional theory. Moreover, the results pointed out the characteristics of Portuguese organisations (QEOHS) that prominently communicate commitments towards SD: large business volume, located in Lisbon or Setubal, fall within the public business sector, are members of the BCSD Portugal and publish annual reports on the institutional website. Research limitations/implications Solely organisations operating in Portugal and simultaneously encompassing three certified management subsystems (against the clauses of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards) were considered throughout this study. So it is not possible to ascertain at which extent the conclusions are valid. However, although the statistical generalisation of the results may be precluded, there is not any peculiar reason preventing the analytical generalisation, namely, in organisations operating in countries with similar macro-characteristics of Portugal. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge this is the first time that such a comprehensive, detailed and thorough analysis of the communicated commitments towards SD is carried out regardless the activity sector. The conclusions from this paper are useful both for practitioners and scholars. On one hand companies have now information on the more often communicated statements, while on the other hand academics and scholars will benefit from this research and hopefully be able to replicate it in other contexts.

Biosignal measures of female sexual interest: their feasibility in a forensic context

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ciara Staunton ◽  
Sean Hammond ◽  
Derek Perkins ◽  
Sharon Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Arousal ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Female Sex Offenders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Sex

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the status of biosignal measures of female sexual arousal with a view to examining the feasibility of such procedures in a forensic context. Although adult women represent the minority of sexual offenders, female perpetrated sexual abuse has been gaining increasing attention in the forensic psychological literature as criminal justice is confronted with female offending populations to a greater extent than previously recognised. Design/methodology/approach – Psychological assessments of sex offenders have tended to be over-dependent on the use of self-report measures (i.e. an individual's appraisal and report of their emotional state of sexual arousal). There is a dearth of empirical knowledge concerning the psychophysiological assessment of female sexual interest in general and especially so for female sex offenders. Physiological measures are those that rely on directly observable physiological responses of the individual in order to identify patterns of sexual interest or arousal. Findings – Because deviant sexual interest (in children or the use of violence) as assessed by penile plethysmography, has been established as one of the strongest predictors of recidivism in male sex offenders (and as a viable alternative to self-report methodologies), an analogue measurement approach for female sex offenders is desirable. This paper considers: first, theoretical problems (e.g. what does female physiological arousal mean in terms of sexual arousal/desire?; second, technical measurement problems (e.g. reactivity of the measure in within subject designs); and third, procedural/ethical problems (e.g. invasiveness of the application). Originality/value – While a number of physiological assessment devices are considered in this paper, the paper discusses the labial photoplethysmograph as a promising method for female sexual offender populations.

Female Sex Offenders: Public Awareness and Attributions

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1044-1063
Author(s):  
Calli M. Cain ◽  
Amy L. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Female Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offending ◽  
The Public ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles

Traditional gender roles, sex scripts, and the way female sex offenders are portrayed in the media may lead to misconceptions about who can commit sexual offenses. Sexual crimes by women may go unnoticed or unreported if there is a general lack of awareness that females commit these crimes. Data from the 2012 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey were used to determine whether the public perceives women as capable sex offenders and the perceived causes of female sex offending. The traditional focus on male sex offenders by researchers, media, and politicians, in addition to gender stereotypes, introduces the possibility of group differences (e.g., between men and women) in perceptions of female sex offenders. Consequently, two secondary analyses were conducted that tested for group differences in both the public’s perception of whether females can commit sex offenses and the explanations selected for why females sexually offend. The findings suggest that the public does perceive women as capable sex offenders, although there were group differences in the causal attributions for female sex offending.

Israeli prime minister may be near the end of the road

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Prime Minister ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Political Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Road ◽  
Criminal Charges ◽  
First Time

Significance This is the first time a sitting premier has faced criminal charges. The decision has been looming for several months and comes as the country risks heading towards a third election in the space of a year, absent a last-minute deal to form a coalition. Impacts Netanyahu’s removal would not lead to immediate policy changes, which are more dependent on the eventual composition of the next coalition. If Netanyahu survives, the next election will be defined by polarising claims of a conspiracy against him. Right-wing political leaders’ relationship with the judiciary and police will further sour.

Israel may be heading for its third election in a year

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Prime Minister ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Not Given ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

Significance On October 23, President Reuven Rivlin passed on the task of forming the government to Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White alliance, after incumbent Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu failed. Neither the centre-left bloc nor the bloc of religious and right-wing parties (led by Netanyahu's Likud) has a majority without Yisrael Beiteinu, but so far Gantz and Netanyahu have failed to find an acceptable compromise despite pressure from Lieberman and Rivlin to form a unity administration. Meanwhile, Netanyahu himself faces an impending indictment on corruption charges. Impacts Consecutive rounds of elections will create a strain on the public finances. Netanyahu will refuse any power rotation deal where he is not given the premiership first. Another election, especially if coupled with an indictment, will accelerate a trend of public fatigue with Netanyahu.

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