Using Criminal Punishment to Serve Both Victim and Social Needs

In recent decades, the criminal-justice pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme. Criminal law is often described as covering disputes between the offender and the state. Victims are not direct parties to criminal proceedings, they have no formal right to either initiate or terminate a criminal action, and they have no control over the punishment meted out to offenders. In this state-centric system, victim needs have been left unsatisfied, giving rise to a politically powerful victims\u27 rights movement that has had success in giving victims rights of access to prosecutors and rights to be heard in the courtroom. Here, O\u27Hara and Robbins propose changing the manner in which control rights over criminal sanctions are distributed

Review of \u3cem\u3eChildhood, Youth and Social Work in Transformation: Implications for Policy and Practice.\u3c/em\u3e Lynne M. Nebell, Jeffrey J. Shook, and Janet L. Finn. Reviewed by Ann Reyes Robbins.

Book review of Lynn M. Nybell, Jeffrey J. Shook, and Janet L. Finn (Eds.), Childhood, Youth and Social Work in Transformation: Implications for Policy and Practice. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009. $60.00 hardcover

Review of \u3cem\u3eResearch for Action: Cross-National Perspectives on Connecting Knowledge, Policy, and Practice for Children.\u3c/em\u3e Robert Chaskin and Jona M. Rosenfeld, Editors. Reviewed by Ann Reyes Robbins.

Book review of Robert Chaskin and Jona M. Rosenfeld (Eds.), Research for Action: Cross-National Perspectives on Connecting Knowledge, Policy, and Practice for Children. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. $42.95 hardcover

A Simple Method to Determine Consumer Preference

Statistically significant consumer preference determinations are possible by Extension personnel in the field using available clientele and without complicated statistical analysis. Clientele such as shoppers at farmers\u27 markets can provide ratings for sensory attributes such as look, feel, taste, or smell of a particular treatment. The statistical analysis used involves comparing the rank means of the raw rating data. This procedure factors out consumer variation. The example given uses SAS to complete the analysis

Troubled Children and Children in Trouble: Redefining the Role of the Juvenile Court in the Lives of Children

This Essay considers the emerging research in the area of dual-jurisdiction children, often referred to as crossover kids -those currently or previously involved in maltreatment proceedings who have also committed delinquent acts. Part I describes the development of the juvenile courts in the early twentieth century. Part II of this Essay questions the need to track children along one legal path or another and points to the pitfalls of providing services to some children through a criminal justice paradigm instead of treating all children through a social work paradigm. Finally, Part III advocates a redesign of the juvenile court- a return to its roots- to better enable a court to consider the needs of the whole child, in context with the needs of her/his family

Which is More Effective in Educating Teachers to Work with Children with Autism?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an online format of instruction versus a face-to-face format of instruction in order to determine which format of instruction is most effective in educating teachers to work with students with autism spectrum disorders. Given the current rise in students with autism being served in public schools, their unique learning needs, and the chronic shortage of special education teachers, there is a need for universities and districts to identify additional ways to be able to effectively train teachers to meet the unique needs of this population of students. A review of literature revealed that the numbers of children being identified with autism and served in school districts across the country, and Missouri, continues to rise at an alarming rate. Consequently, there is a need for schools to ensure that appropriate educational services are provided for this population (Feinberg & Vacca, 2000; Simpson, 2004). It is well documented that the unique learning characteristics of this population of students differ greatly from other learners requiring teachers to possess specialized skills in order to adequately meet their needs (Simpson, 2005). Identifying additional avenues for training teachers to work with these students is critical. With the growing number of online education programs, there is an increasing need for scientific studies that evaluate the efficacy of online courses, both on their own, and as they compare to traditional classroom courses. Research on the satisfaction and achievement of students in online versus face-to-face courses has produced mixed results: some findings suggest that students in online course are not as successful or not as satisfied with their courses as students in face-to-face courses and others suggest that online students perform just as well or better than students in face-to-face classes. There are few studies that look at the relationship and variables between these two formats of instruction for training teachers to effectively work with students with autism spectrum disorders (Weissman, et al., 2004). Students participating in this study were enrolled in the pilot course as part of a series of 6 graduate courses in the area of autism being offered for the first time at a university in Missouri. State approval for the program was not obtained until shortly after the course began, and enrollment in the courses was limited and expectedly low. A pre and post survey instrument, the General Competencies in Autism Spectrum Disorders, was developed, and completed by both groups of students before the course began, and then immediately following the completion of the course. Students were asked to complete a Likert-scale format of items to rate their own knowledge and skill level in various areas of general knowledge in autism spectrum disorders. In addition, students participating in each format of instruction completed a survey relative to their particular format of instruction to identify variables they considered beneficial to their particular format of instruction as well as barriers. The results of this study have important implications for designing the remaining courses in the program, as well as additional personnel preparation initiatives for current and future special educators at the university and in the field of autism. The need for additional, effective teachers to work with students with autism is clear. Is an online format of instruction an effective way to reach more educators? Can individuals who participate in these types of learning formats obtain the necessary skills to be able to transfer what they have learned to work effectively with students with autism

A follow-up study of the 1954-1958 secretarial department graduates of Husson College, Bangor, Maine

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

La Signification et l\u27Influence des Cinq Sens sur le Suet de la Domestication dans l\u27Oeuvre de Colette [The Signification and Influences of the Five Senses on the Topic of Domestication in the Work of Colette]

Colette stands alone in her time as a woman who brought a new way of looking at the world. Critics have accused her of frivolity because she stressed the senses and not the intellect as a means of interacting with life, but in her demonstration of style and thought she worked her intellect beyond conventional boundaries, creating a new liberal humanitarianism that recently has seen a resurgence in popularity. One can find quotes from Colette\u27s work in popular magazines and advertisements, proving the timelessness of her influence. When Colette was writing she used experiences from her childhood in the French countryside and her relationships with men and women in Paris before, during and after the time of two World Wars. It is the experience of her life as a woman that Colette brings to her writing and which makes her so relevant today. In our modern age of technology we often find our human capacities failing to absorb rapid change. The world seems smaller, yet our problems are global in scope. New fields of science such as gene alteration, human cloning and weapons of mass destruction leave us confused and looking for basic truths on which to center our lives. Colette found her stability in a primordial force of life, one that exists independently of society\u27s cultural codes of morality and behavior. She called this force a pure, unnamable sensation that reacts with the natural elements of earth, water, wind and fire, shared by humans and non-humans alike, linking them in the cosmos. Critics today would call this a pagan religion, but Colette was ambiguous enough to also believe in a social order and code of morality based on a strict discipline of personal responsibility. She would not have liked to be labeled a lesbian or a feminist, and remains free of any classification. I would not presume to label Colette an ecofeminist, but I have found many links between Colette\u27s thoughts and the modern philosophy of ecofeminism. I chose Dialogues de Bêtes, La Chatte and a journal of collected animal stories, Bêtes libres et prisonnières de Colette to demonstrate Colette\u27s idea that the confusion and anguish created by man\u27s arrogant domestication of life can be healed by returning to nature and recognizing our instinctive links with all life and non-life, which is the basic principle of eco-feminism In a recent article on the rescue of exotic animals, a woman volunteer was quoted on her moment of truth, …that working with animals teaches something about yourself. That was the one moment that I absolutely knew who I was, your mind is screaming, but you\u27re reacting the way you\u27re supposed to. Now I know what I\u27m made of. It\u27s enlightening, in a weird way (Smithsonian, March 2003, p.98). Because of the strong biological links to nature, women in Colette\u27s work and in ecofeminism are stronger than men in reestablishing their position of self worth. This does not mean that men are not capable of overcoming the gap caused by the arrogance of dominating nature. Men can profit from women\u27s softening of the word domestication and share in a new interaction, one that encompasses the universe and allows for a deeper appreciation of life. This is an appreciation of life that Colette painted so beautifully with her artistic and female senses

Work Family Conflict

Thesis advisor: Maureen E. KennyWork can be a very satisfying experience; for many people, work defines a large piece of their identity. Yet work sometimes intrudes into other aspects of our lives in ways that are problematic. Work-family conflict results when the needs of the family and the needs of the workplace cannot both be met, because the time and effort required by one of these roles makes it difficult to fulfill the other. When it is present in people's lives, work-family conflict can have negative effects on physical and psychological health and the overall quality of life. Certain personality characteristics and learned skills can mediate or exacerbate the effects of work-family conflict. A family systems perspective aids in understanding the many ways in which work-family conflict can affect and can be affected by different subsystems and family members. Finally, the employer has a role in mediating work-family conflict by creating formal programs and fostering an organizational culture that help people to reduce or eliminate work-family conflict in their lives.Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2004.Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Education, Lynch School of.Discipline: College Honors Program