Differences Between Sexual and Nonsexual Homicides of Women in the United States: Findings From the National Violent Death Reporting System

Sexual homicide (SH) is the most severe outcome of sexual violence and disproportionately affects women. While SH is rare (<1% in the U.S.) and gravely understudied, it is among the most violent, feared, and well publicized forms of murder. Thus, examining predictors is pertinent to identifying targets for prevention and response efforts. Secondary analysis of 2015–2018 National Violent Death Reporting System data on 6461 female homicide victims age 20–64 was conducted to determine if SH represents a unique killing characterized by specific offender, victim, and incident profiles. Law enforcement and coroner/medical examiner narratives were reviewed to identify cases with sexual elements ( N=324). Logistic regression estimated odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Findings highlight important differences between SH and non-SH. SH victims were more likely to be single (AOR=1.7, p=.006), have a substance abuse problem (AOR=1.4, p=.04), or engaged in prostitution (AOR=10.4, p<.001). SH suspects were more likely to be male (AOR=2.5, p=.04), use an illicit substance in the preceding hours (AOR=1.6, p=.03), or had recent contact with police (AOR=1.6, p=.01). SH was more likely to occur in a hotel/motel (AOR=3.0, p=.002), by asphyxiation (AOR =13.38, p<.001), be perpetrated against an acquaintance (AOR=1.64, p=.007), or be precipitated by another serious crime (AOR=2.1, p<.001). Findings advance our understanding of SH victim, suspect, and incident profiles, which can help to better inform police/investigative practices and crime prevention strategies/interventions as well as to improve how SH cases are managed in correctional programs for offenders who have the opportunity for release back into society.

Connection and Caring Through a Therapeutic Juvenile Corrections Model: Staff and Youth Resident Perceptions of Structural and Interpersonal Dimensions

This mixed-method exploratory inductive study examined incarcerated youths’ and staff members’ perceptions of a new community-focused therapeutic model in a large youth prison. Via 18 focus groups ( N = 141) and facility-wide surveys ( N = 248), both youth and staff shared perceptions of specific structural components of the model designed to change their relationship to one another, such as consistent staffing, higher staff-resident ratios, and program features designed to enhance rapport. Both groups also provided rich descriptions of the altered interpersonal dynamics related to connection and caring, two of the five C’s of Positive Youth Development (PYD), that were facilitated through those structural changes. Findings suggest the model’s intentional redefinition of resident-staff relationships directly contributed to meaningful resident and staff experiences. Perceptions of those relationships—rarely explored in the extant literature—were examined and illustrated through focus group data. This study illuminates the subjective experiences of both groups as they put the model into practice and reveals key insights about therapeutic correctional programs based on PYD in secure facilities that have important implications for juvenile correctional theory, research, practice, and policy.

REHABILITATION OF CHILDREN WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN UKRAINE AT THE PRESENT STAGE

The article considers the rehabilitation problem of children with hearing loss who have cochlear implants. The main aspects of detecting hearing loss of different degrees, providing early help, and a modern method of hearing aid — cochlear implantation are described. The leading indicators of hearing development of a child after cochlear implantation and the importance of an integrated approach in rehabilitation are revealed. It is noted that a child with a cochlear implant can communicate with others, hear them and understand. However, this method is critical to use in the first three years of a child’s life to develop speech and hearing centres of the brain. In this case, with the help of a cochlear implant, the child will learn to perceive the language of others, use language for communication and develop along with peers, and accordingly socialize.The article emphasizes the importance and necessity of training specialists to rehabilitate such children, the introduction into the educational process of correctional programs for the development of auditory perception after cochlear implantation, development of guidelines for professionals and parents, educational and rehabilitation literature.

Creativity, Readiness for Changes and Tolerance for Ambiguity

Under the conditions of precarious situation, caused by the global pandemic and unprecedented restrictions, aimed at countering it, productivity of specialists in various fields of work is reducing significantly. This is particularly true of activities, conducted through direct communication between concerned parties. In order to counter instability, workers have to develop creativity, readiness for changes and tolerance for ambiguity. The goal of research is to establish correlations between the type of professional activity and creativity, readiness for changes and tolerance for ambiguity. The respondents of the study were 260 people of working age –the staff of event, tourism, restaurant business, trade, IT spheres. The research procedure included organizational, target-oriented, empirical, final stages. Time limits of the study – April – July 2020. For psychodiagnostics the article uses the Torrance test of creative thinking, diagnostics of personal creativity by Tunik, the methodology “personal readiness for changes”, the scale of individual’s tolerance for ambiguity by McLain. The study found clear correlations between the indicators of creativity, readiness for changes and tolerance for ambiguity. The original model of a creative specialist (endowed with originality, adaptability, optimism and common sense) in the conditions of changes and uncertainty was formed in the research. The results of psychodiagnostics showed the highest indicators of creativity among IT workers, readiness for changes–among the staff of IT and event spheres, tolerance for ambiguity–among retail workers. In the conditions of pandemic destruction, the workers of the tourism industry were the least creative, while the workers of the event sphere turned out to be unprepared for changes and the workers of the event and tourism industries –intolerant for ambiguity. The results of the study can be used to develop correctional programs to increase the staff’s creativity, readiness for changes, tolerance for ambiguity. It is the development and implementation of effective psycho-correctional programs for the use of real communication and digital tools that are the prospect of further scientific research on the ways to solve the problem.

SPEECH DISORDERS OF GENETIC ORIGIN IN TEACHING PRACTICE

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in children with various speech disorders. Also, identifying the factors causing these disorders early and providing proper support is increasingly important. If the steps to correct such speech disorders are not taken quickly, secondary issues, such as communication, socialization, and educational problems, are observed. Training and corrective measures should be carried out while considering both the individual’s psychological and physiological characteristics. Identifying the cause and symptoms of a speech disorder plays an important role when developing a plan for a child’s education, upbringing, and development. These measures are crucial to providing the most suitable help to children with such disorders. The signs identified during diagnosis and those revealing the causes of the speech disorders are vital for outlining a pathogenetic description of the disorder and prescribing a set of corrective measures. Speech disorders indicate the intactness of a large part of the central nervous system, including motor and sensory areas. Moreover, they have diagnostic applications in cases of organic brain damage, malfunctions in the development of the nervous system, and mental retardation of various origins. The pedagogical process must include a full examination, as well as the proper combined support by speech disorder specialists. It is possible to carry out differential diagnoses of speech function disorders using the results of genetic studies and prepare correctional programs tailored to the identified disorders.

A Content Analysis of Prison Websites: Exploring Approaches to Rehabilitation in Latin America

Across much of Latin America, prison systems are characterized as having significantly high incarceration and overcrowding rates. In recent years, some of these systems have sought to address such problems by implementing rehabilitation and early release programs. However, the extent to which rehabilitation has been embraced and the nature of said efforts is not known. Using content analysis methods, this exploratory study examines the existence of language supporting rehabilitative practices and goals on official prison system websites across the region. While our findings suggest that prison systems have largely embraced rehabilitative goals, there is limited evidence to indicate that evidence-based practices are emphasized when it comes to assessment and correctional programs. As countries embrace rehabilitative efforts, it is important that they use empirically supported practices, as a perceived failure of the rehabilitative approach could shift the pendulum away from treatment and toward punishment. Implications for future research are discussed.

The Effects of Emotional Literacy Programs on Inmates’ Empathy, Mindfulness, and Self-Regulation: A Random-Effect Meta-Analysis

Applying a random-effect meta-analysis, the current study examines previous empirical findings about three main purposes of Emotional Literacy (EL) correctional programs: improving empathy, mindfulness, and self-regulation among inmate populations. A total of 22 programs in 15 studies in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the US are analyzed. Results suggest that EL programs significantly improve levels of empathy, mindfulness, and self-regulation, although a possibility of publication bias is observed. Based on these findings, this study concludes that EL programs retain a potential as an effective rehabilitation strategy and should be sought and implemented in U.S. correctional settings.