The Impact of Rape Myth Education on Jury Decision-Making: A Systematic Review.

A systematic review of research exploring the impact of providing rape myth countering information to mock-jurors was conducted. The primary aim of the review was to inform the development of an educational intervention for jurors to reduce potential bias in their decision-making based on belief in prevalent rape myths. In total, the following 12 databases were searched: British Education Index, CINAHL, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Educational Administration Abstracts, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Social Care Online. The databases were filtered to return peer-reviewed publications, written in English, and published between 1980 and 2023. The search returned 6,119 potential articles. After duplicates were removed, the 3,202 remaining publications were screened. Only studies that presented rape myth countering information to participants within a mock-juror paradigm were included. Studies that did not compare an information condition to a no-information control condition were excluded, as were those which concerned male rape myths, given the focus on female rape myth beliefs in this review. Eight studies were reviewed and were critically appraised according to validity criteria utilized by Dinos et al. Some evidence emerged to suggest that the provision of judicial directions, expert witness testimony, and complainant statements regarding rape myths can impact upon jury decision-making although the findings were mixed overall. Study limitations regarding internal and external validity were frequently present. Recommendations regarding future research questions and methods are advanced, including those that can inform the development of an effective intervention for jurors.

Forty Years of Rape Myth Acceptance Interventions: A Systematic Review of What Works in Naturalistic Institutional Settings and How this can be Applied to Educational Guidance for Jurors.

A systematic review of research assessing rape myth acceptance (RMA) interventions within institutional settings was conducted. The aim of this review was to inform the development of an educational intervention for jurors in rape trials that addresses rape myths, given previous evidence that RMA can affect decision-making and verdicts (Dinos et al., 2015; Gravelin et al., 2019; Leverick, 2020). 12 databases were searched, filtered to return peer-reviewed journals, published from 1980 to 2020, written in English. After removing duplicates from the 5,093 search results returned, 2,676 studies were screened for inclusion. Research studies were included in the review if they assessed the impact of a naturalistic intervention on RMA within an institutional setting. Studies that did not compare an experimental condition to a control condition or did not randomly allocate participants to conditions were excluded. Studies were also excluded if they used a non-validated, or adapted, RMA measure. 20 Research studies were included within the review and were critically appraised according to an author-created critical appraisal tool. It was concluded that RMA interventions can have a short-term impact upon individuals' RMA. Intervention types that were effective in reducing RMA included those that presented RM information; those that contained an empathy component; and bystander programmes. With regards to duration and format, short interventions led to reductions in RMA, and most successful interventions were presented via videos. Implications for policy and practice, and recommendations for future research, are discussed.

Factor Structure and Factorial Invariance of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire among Children of Prisoners and their Parents.

Parental imprisonment has been linked to a variety of adverse psychological outcomes for children and adolescents. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been widely used to assess behavioural and emotional difficulties among 7-17 year olds in the general population and more recently has been utilised among samples of children of prisoners. Previous research has variously tested traditional one-, three- and five- factor solutions to the SDQ, and more recently one bifactor solution has been examined. Based on a sample of children of prisoners (N = 724) and their non-imprisoned parent or caregiver (N = 658), the aim of the present study was to simultaneously compare nine alternative factor structures, including previously tested models and alternative bifactor solutions. Tests of factorial invariance and composite reliability were also performed. The five-factor model was found to provide the best fit for the data. Tests of factorial invariance revealed that the five-factor model provided an equally acceptable, but not identical fit, among boys and girls. Composite reliability scores were low for the Conduct Problems and Peer Problems subscales. The utility of the SDQ in measuring psychological functioning in response to parental imprisonment is discussed.

Early-onset schizophrenia: Symptoms and social class of origin.

BACKGROUND: The genesis of schizophrenia is multifactorial, including biological and environmental risk factors. We tested for an interactive effect between early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and social class of origins (socioeconomic status (SES)). Data were further analyzed for a possible connection to type of schizophrenic symptoms. Sampling/Methods: Data for the study are taken from the medical records of 642 patients from a large state hospital in the northeastern United States. Clinical assessments were divided into positive and negative symptomatology through application of the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Detailed information about age of onset and SES of origin was obtained through Social Service Assessment interviews. RESULTS: We uncovered a significant impact of EOS among the poor that elevates risk for negative symptomatology. CONCLUSION: Poor SES alone does not increase the likelihood of EOS, but it magnifies the deleterious effect of EOS on negative symptoms. Future research on these variables may inform the relative contribution of each.

National Human Research Ethics: A Preliminary Comparative Case Study of Germany, Great Britain, Romania, and Sweden.

Although international research is increasing in volume and importance, there remains a dearth of knowledge on similarities and differences in "national human research ethics" (NHREs), that is, national ethical guidelines (NEGs), Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and research stakeholder' ethical attitudes and behaviors (EABs). We begin to address this situation by reporting upon our experiences in conducting a multinational study into the mental health of children who had a parent/carer in prison. The study was conducted in 4 countries: Germany, Great Britain, Romania, and Sweden. Data on NHREs were gathered via a questionnaire survey, two ethics-related seminars, and ongoing contact between members of the research consortium. There was correspondence but even more so divergence between countries in the availability of NEGs and IRBs and in researcher' EABs. Differences in NHREs have implications particularly in terms of harmonization but also for ethical philosophy and practice and for research integrity.

Stressful Life Events, Social Class and Symptoms of Schizophrenia.

We test to see if severe stressful life events precede onset of specific symptoms of schizophrenia. Our analyses extend to possible variations in the effect by socioeconomic status (SES) of origin. The medical records of 431 schizophrenic patients were categorized into negative and positive subtypes by application of SANS, SAPS and PANSS scales. SES was bifurcated into low-SES and high-SES groups. Stressful life events were classified into four domains. The study variables were tested by the use of chi-square analysis. Our results show that there is an elevated rate of positive symptoms among low-SES patients who underwent a stressful life event before symptom onset. Significance is confirmed with an χ(2) value of 5.418, p=.020. The finding does not hold true for high-SES patients and is not related to type of stressful life event. Thus, we conclude that environmental stressors frequently precede onset of positive symptoms of schizophrenia. This is only true for patients of low SES of origin. We hypothesize that low-SES patients have a heightened reactivity to stressors, a reactivity that is incubated by the human toll of impoverishment.

Neglect and hereditary risk: Their relative contribution to schizophrenia with negative symptomatology.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that genetic and environmental stressors contribute to the genesis of schizophrenia. However, the relevant impact of each factor remains unclear. We tested for an interactive effect between childhood neglect and family history of serious mental illness. Data were further analyzed for a possible connection to type of schizophrenic symptoms. SAMPLING/METHODS: Data for the study are taken from the medical records of 641 patients with schizophrenia from a large state hospital in the northeastern United States. Clinical assessments were divided into positive and negative symptomatology through application of the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Detailed information about childhood neglect and family history of serious mental illness was obtained through Social Service Assessment interviews at intake and during hospital stay. RESULTS: Among clients with no family history of mental illness, childhood neglect does not meaningfully affect the risk of negative versus positive schizophrenia. For clients with such history, on the other hand, neglect significantly raises the risk of schizophrenia with negative symptomatology. CONCLUSION: Our central finding is that risk for negative symptoms of schizophrenia are elevated by childhood neglect combined with a history of serious mental illness within the family. This is the only report to combine schizophrenic symptoms, familial risk and childhood neglect to date. Implications for primary prevention and treatment are discussed.

A sex-specified effect of obstetrical complications in symptoms of schizophrenia.

Research on obstetrical complications (OCs) reports a connection with the development of more severe (negative) schizophrenic symptoms. To date, no study has tested to see if this association varies by sex. A large sample (n=786) of patients from a state hospital population in the United States was screened for study variables. Statistical tests employed were crosstabular analysis and analysis of variance. The central finding is a significant connection between OCs and negative symptoms for females but not for males. The authors speculate that there may be differences in the ways by which male and female fetuses respond to OCs or a distinction between the sexes in genetic predisposition toward severe schizophrenia.

Stressful life events, social class and symptoms of schizophrenia.

We test to see if severe stressful life events precede onset of specific symptoms of schizophrenia. Our analyses extend to possible variations in the effect by socioeconomic status (SES) of origin. The medical records of 431 schizophrenic patients were categorized into negative and positive subtypes by application of SANS, SAPS and PANS scales. SES was bifurcated into low SES and high SES groups. Stressful life events were classified into four domains. The study variables were tested by the use of chi-square analysis. Our results show that there is an elevated rate of positive symptoms among low SES patients who underwent a stressful life event before symptom onset. Significance is confirmed with a X2 value of 5.418, p=.020. The finding does not hold true for high SES patients and is not related to type of stressful life event. Thus, we conclude that environmental stressors frequently precede onset of positive symptoms of schizophrenia. This is only true for patients of low SES of origin. We hypothesize that low SES patients have a heightened reactivity to stressors, a reactivity that is incubated by the human toll of impoverishment.

Childhood stressors and symptoms of schizophrenia.

There are many psychiatric disorders for which severe adverse events in childhood have been shown to be significant risk factors. This is particularly true for schizophrenia. The authors designed this study to determine whether specific childhood stressors might contribute to the specific symptoms of schizophrenia and not merely to increased risk for the psychosis. The authors divided childhood stressors into two domains: 1-"Childhood Neglect" in which the stressor is passively experienced as in the case of absent parenting and 2-"Childhood Abuse" in which the trauma is actively inflicted as in the case of physical maltreatment. Data for the study consist of the cumulative anonymous records of 134 schizophrenia patients carefully separated by positive or negative symptomatology. MANOVA testing yielded a statistically significant finding; childhood neglect is correlated with negative symptoms of schizophrenia and childhood abuse is associated with positive symptoms of the psychosis. The authors speculate that type of childhood stressor may incubate the specific symptoms of adult schizophrenia. They also call for more research on this topic since this is the first study of its kind.

Obstetrical complications, social class and type of schizophrenia.

The emerging neurodevelopmental model posits that prenatal and perinatal factors can play an etiological role in schizophrenia. Consistently, the research on obstetrical complications (OCs) reports an association with the development of more severe schizophrenic symptoms. Low socioeconomic status (SES) has also been linked to both limited prenatal healthcare and to worse prognosis of schizophrenic symptoms. A large sample (n=437) of patients from a state hospital population in the U. S. was screened for study variables. A sequential analysis was conducted, first applying cross tabulations using the chi-square test, and then building separate logit models for poor and nonpoor patients. The cross tabulations indicated an association between OCs and negative symptoms for poor schizophrenic patients, but not for nonpoor patients. Multivariate logit models further supported this result. This is the first study to examine the interaction of OCs, schizophrenic symptomatology and SES of origin.

Attempted and completed incidents of stranger-perpetrated child sexual abuse and abduction.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence, typology and nature of attempted or completed incidents of stranger-perpetrated sexual abuse or abduction of children "away from home". METHODS: A questionnaire was completed by 2,420 children (83% response rate) aged 9-16 years in 26 elementary and high schools in North-West England. RESULTS: Of these children, 19.0% (n=461) reported that they had been the victims of any attempted or completed sexual abuse or abduction incident away from home at some point in their lives. Of these children, 161 (6.7% of the original sample) reported that the "last" incident had been perpetrated by a stranger. Based upon these last incidents, four main types of attempted or completed CSA or abduction incident were identified: indecent exposure (40.8% of victims), touching (25.8%), and abduction (23.1%), each occurring on their own; and incidents involving multiple types of act (10.2%). The majority of these abductions (91.1%) and touching incidents (50.9%) were attempted as opposed to completed. Rates of victimization were generally higher among girls than boys (10.4% vs. 4.2%, p<.001). A sizeable minority of victims had experienced sexual abuse or abduction previously (28.8%). The large majority of incidents were carried out by males (88.2%). Most incidents occurred when children were accompanied by their peers (67.9%). Many victims were frightened by their experience (46.9% very frightened) and the large majority made a disclosure (79.9%). Only a minority of incidents were reported to the police (33.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Incidents of attempted and completed stranger CSA and abduction are distinct from CSA and abduction by known persons, go against stereotypes, are complex, and give rise to a number of key issues that may have implications for prevention and intervention. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Professionals involved in child protection should undertake work to reduce the risk of existing victims of CSA or abduction becoming victims of stranger CSA or abduction, and the risk of attempted incidents becoming completed ones. They also need to encourage the disclosure and reporting of attempted and completed stranger CSA and abduction incidents.

Social class, family history and type of schizophrenia.

To date, there are numerous studies supporting a genetic model of schizophrenia. There is a paucity of studies, however, screening for a connection between family history of serious mental illness and deficit vs. nondeficit schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between family history, deficit vs. nondeficit schizophrenia and socioeconomic status (SES) of family of origin. Patients (N=437) from a United States psychiatric hospital were separated into deficit vs. nondeficit presentation and bifurcated into poor vs. nonpoor SES. Family history data were utilized to classify patients into subgroups characterized by serious mental illness within immediate family, within extended family, or no evidence of mental illness. Statistical testing was conducted using logistic regression analysis. SES of family of origin was significantly associated with schizophrenic subtype independently of family history, sex and race; specifically, poverty raised the risk of deficit schizophrenia. Family history of mental illness showed no net association, and no statistical interaction with poverty, in predicting risk of deficit schizophrenia.

Schizophrenic subtype, seasonality of birth and social class: a preliminary analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia includes the etiological impact of fetal brain stressors possibly connected with birth seasonality. Specification of social class of origin (SES) as a related risk factor remains unexamined as does type of schizophrenia as an outcome variable. The objective of this study was to test for an interconnection between SES, type of schizophrenia and seasonality of birth. METHODS: Patients (N=436) from a United States psychiatric hospital were separated into deficit/non-deficit presentation and bifurcated into poor/non-poor SES. Birth seasonality was assessed by months hypothetically connected with winter-related trimesters of gestation. RESULTS: Results showed that there is a significant difference (p=0.0411) in the monthly birth patterns of poor vs. non-poor patients and that the difference connects with the likelihood of deficit vs. non-deficit schizophrenia. Specifically, an elevated proportion of patients with deficit schizophrenia were born to impoverished women who likely conceived in January. Findings were confirmed by multiple levels of statistical assessment including log linear analysis. CONCLUSION: The resultant model suggests the environmental location (lower SES) and timing (winter conception) of adult schizophrenia with poor outcome (deficit).