Taking research to members of the public

In 2006, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (£30k), we built a themed exhibit with the Sensation Science Centre in Dundee. In the main part of the exhibit, which was kitted out as a ‘police station’, a visitor would see a video of a man pretending to commit a crime and construct a composite of his face using a simplified version of our EvoFIT facial-composite system. Visitors were asked, using written and spoken prompts, to select faces from an array of alternatives, with selected items being ‘bred’ together, to allow a composite to be ‘evolved’. The exhibit then presented a picture of the man’s face alongside the evolved composite, example composites created by previous visitors and an average (‘morphed’) composite from the last four visitors. The exhibit took about five minutes for a user to complete and was accompanied by a ‘Research Lab’, a station which explained more of the underlying science: themes around evolution, computer-based generation of faces, forensic use of composites, etc. We expected the exhibit to last five years but, partly due to the robustness of the hardware, it remains today and is still popular

Investigating Variation in the Prevalence of Weathering in Faunal Assemblages in the UK: A Multivariate Statistical Approach

This article presents an exploratory multivariate statistical approach to gaining a more comprehensive understanding of variation in subaerial bone weathering in a British context. Weathering is among the most common taphonomic modifications and provides a crucial line of evidence for reconstructing the taphonomic trajectories of faunal assemblages and archaeological deposits. It provides clear evidence for prolonged subaerial exposure either before deposition in a context or because of later disturbance. In combination with other taphonomic indices such as gnawing, trampling, abrasion and fracture patterns, weathering can be used to reconstruct depositional histories and to investigate the structured treatment of different body parts or taxa in deposition. However, a broad range of factors affect the prevalence and severity of weathering, and therefore patterns can rarely be interpreted at face value. Many variables such as predepositional microenvironment cannot be traced archaeologically. Other contributory factors pertaining to the structural properties of elements and taxa can be discerned and must be taken into account in interpreting weathering signatures. However, disagreement exists regarding which variables are most important in mediating weathering. In addition for zooarchaeologists to interpret modification patterns, it is necessary for elements and taxa that are most likely to be affected by weathering to be defined. This is the case as deposits that are dominated by those classes of remains are likely to exhibit greater modification than those that are not, even if depositional histories were similar. Through a combination of classification tree and ordinal regression analysis, this article identifies which archaeologically recoverable variables explain the greatest variance in weathering and which anatomical elements and taxa are most likely to be affected in archaeological deposits in the UK

Pilot study : Investigating the chemical composition of illegal drugs and the associated prevalence of the different drug types in the Bellville and Athlone police districts in the Western Cape, South Africa

Very little chemical information is known about substances being abused in South-Africa. This can be attributed to the fact that possession of drugs constitutes a criminal offence. Not much research is done, and with the exception of self-reported, rehabilitation institution data, from the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (SACENDU) and the South African Police drug related arrest data, no other data on drugs and drug use, is publically available. Drugs are being manufactured from legal and illegal chemicals in clandestine laboratories, not complying with any health, safety or quality standards causing a serious health risk in communities. The strategy for the fight against drug abuse in South Africa, the National Drug Master Plan 2013-2017 (NDMP), is compiled by the Central Drug Authority (CDA). Without proper research, data to base decisions and strategies on and proper measuring of achievements, the implementation of the plan suffers as a consequence. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) of the South African Police Service (SAPS), is responsible for the chemical testing of substances, suspected of being illegal drugs, for identification purposes. This supports the prosecuting of suspects during criminal procedures. With the active ingredient known, the use of street names e.g. Tik, Choef or Speed (all referring to methamphetamine) can be abandoned and confusion and misconceptions eliminated. This pilot study investigates the arrest data, in combination with the charge laid against the arrestee and the chemically identified active ingredient in each case. Arrest data revealed a 400% increase in drug related arrests over the last 10 years, while the NDMP requires a 10% decrease. It further highlights the fact that the measurement of success (number of arrests) in the SAPS, resulted in a focus on arresting persons in possession of drugs. The dealers and manufacturers were not adequately addressed and prevention, through chemical monitoring, suffered as a result. This study also clearly revealed that international trends are not a definite indication of the extent and type of drug abuse in South African Communities. The study further attempts to contribute, and to better describe the situation of drugs and drug abuse in communities. This in turn, will provide data to develop evidence based strategies, designed to meet the defined needs of communities, one of the aspects highlighted by the minister in the NDMP, namely an intervention based on reality and local statistics. It is therefore clear that a scientific understanding of the composition of abused substances can direct treatment, policy, prevention measures and provide intelligence to combat drug abuse and illegal drug manufacturing in South Africa

'One Stop Centres' and state accountability for sexual violence against women: comparing service integration models in Kenya and South Africa

There is increasing recognition that sexual violence victims have multiple and complex needs, requiring the joint intervention of multiple sectors to generate a more effective response. As such, multi-sector collaborations that integrate health, legal and psychosocial support services are acknowledged as a best practice intervention. Despite the dearth of evidence on how such integration approaches operate in resource-constrained settings, they continue to be established and scaled up in parts of Africa. Using a qualitative case-study approach, this thesis seeks to understand how integration approaches in Kenya and South Africa contribute to the fulfilment of the human rights obligations of states to prevent and effectively respond to sexual violence against women. I use interview data to compare Kenya’s Gender Based Violence Recovery Centres and South Africa’s Thuthuzela Care Centres across rural, peri-urban and urban contexts. The thesis moves away from current analysis approaches, which assess integration models based on separate, sector-specific outcome indicators, such as health or criminal justice system outcomes. I use a feminist human rights perspective, based on the state’s responsibility to exercise due diligence in prevention, protection, prosecution, punishment and provision of adequate redress. This perspective facilitates the centrality of victims’ needs and rights in assessing service integration models, while foregrounding the need for state accountability to establish sustainable and effective sexual violence interventions. I argue that multisector approaches that integrate sexual violence services are complex networks, which produce different service orientations, shaped by the interactions of collaborating partners, amidst fundamental systemic and structural flaws. In the governance of collaboration systems, different service orientations emerge as stakeholders within networks, wield their resources, mentalities, methods and institutions to produce certain outcomes as priority over others. Consequently, as competing sector-specific mandates and ideologies are prioritised, multi-sector approaches can eclipse and de-centre the needs and rights of sexual violence victims. To fulfil the state responsibility to exercise due diligence, there is a need to re-orientate integration models in a way that centres the needs and rights of victims rather than the competing institutional mandates of network players. This requires the implementation of a victim-centred integration approach that goes beyond creating safe havens or protected processes through specializations, to that of shifting deeply-rooted social and institutional norms, which are the root causes of violence against women

What makes a good investigative interviewer of children? A comparison of police officers\u27 and experts; perceptions

Purpose &ndash; The purpose of this paper is to examine police officers&rsquo; perceptions about their role in interviewing children, and to compare these perceptions with those of child eyewitness memory experts.Design/methodology/approach &ndash; A diverse sample of 23 police officers (from three states of Australia) individually participated in in-depth interviews where they were asked to define what makes a good interviewer in the area of child abuse investigation.Findings &ndash; Irrespective of the background of the officers, the important role of interviewers&rsquo; personal attributes was emphasised (e.g. having a relaxed, empathetic, warm nature). Such personal attributes were more prominent in the participants&rsquo; descriptions than knowledge of legislation and children&rsquo;sdevelopment, prior job experience, and interviewing techniques.Research limitations/implications &ndash; The paper shows that while child eyewitness memory experts acknowledge the importance of establishing a bond of mutual trust between the interviewer and the child, the importance of utilising an open-ended questioning style for enhancing rapport, andfor eliciting a detailed and accurate account of abuse cannot be overstated. The possible reasons for the police officers&rsquo; emphasis on personal qualities are discussed.Originality/value &ndash; This paper has revealed that limitations in the competency of police officers in interviewing children is not merely a problem of &ldquo;doing&rdquo; (i.e. learning to ask open-ended questions),but may also reflect ingrained attitudinal and organisational barriers.<br /