Treatment and therapeutic change of individuals imprisoned for child abuse in the Barcelona Study on Sex Offenders

The sexual abuse of children is a serious social problem that must be prevented through distinct measures. Among them is the application of treatments to those who have already committed sex crimes in order to prevent them from committing a new one. To assess the efficacy of sexual offense treatment, the most common method has been to compare the recidivism rates of treated and untreated groups. Several meta-analyses in this regard—as well as some specific studies in Spain have shown that the application of treatment is associated with lower recidivism rates. However, the analysis of the subjects’ recidivism alone does not reveal the therapeutic changes that the treatment may elicit in them. Some international studies have evaluated the therapeutic improvements resulting from the application of treatments to men who had sexually abused children. In this context, this study explores the therapeutic changes experienced by a sample of subjects imprisoned for child abuse (N = 145), after participating in the treatment program applied in the Spanish prison system. Nine therapeutic variables were assessed (such as anxiety, cognitive distortions, impulsivity, and social self-esteem), before and after treatment, using an instrument named the Psychological Assessment Scale for Sex Offenders (PASSO). The obtained results show that most of the assessed therapeutic variables improved after treatment, with strong correlations between them. The implications of the results for treatment practice are discussed, as well as the main methodological limitations of this research

Juvenile delinquency risk factors: Individual, social, opportunity or all of these together?

There is extensive literature on risk factors leading to criminal behavior. However, most of these studies have been conducted in European and Anglo-Saxon countries, and there are few analogous studies in Latin America. Our main aim was to analyze whether the criminal risk level estimated from the interaction between antisocial motivation and criminal opportunities helps to differentiate between adolescents with and without delinquent behavior (as proposed in the Triple Risk for Delinquency Model). We measured both official and self-reported antisocial behavior in a sample of 211 young people in Argentina. The results show a significant association between delinquency and personal, social and opportunity risk factors. Also, it was possible to differentiate between adolescents with and without official and self-reported antisocial behavior with high sensitivity and specificity, based on the estimation of criminal risk levels. We discuss the relevance and implications of these findings within the particular context of this study

Offender's Narratives on Criminal Desistance While Serving a Prison Sentence

This study analyzes the early desistance narratives of a sample of 44 male offenders, between 20 and 50 years old, incarcerated in Spain for serious crimes. In particular, two types of the inmates’ stories are evaluated: 1) their narratives of personal change toward a non-criminal life (identity change, perceived self-efficacy and willingness for desistance); 2) their perceptions on those transitional or facilitator factors for desistance available to them (new learning, support and social bonding). Participants’ accounts show how many subjects, despite being still in prison, claim to have experienced favorable changes and have different facilitating factors to abandon their previous criminal life. Despite this, such early narratives of withdrawal are not exempt from ambivalences and contradictions, both between subjects and within subjects. The process of desistance and their contradictions was interpreted, in accordance with the reviewed literature, as a long journey which is often traversed in a circular and zigzagging manner. Finally, it has been discussed how the correctional system should play a major role in facilitating the personal changes and the social support necessary for the ex-offenders’ journey to desistance to be successful

Early Narratives of Desistance from Crime in Different Prison Regimes

Priority given to investigating the onset and maintenance of criminal behavior in the past is currently giving way to a new focus on the process of criminal desistance. Early narratives of future desistance are the first step in this process and, although they do not assure withdrawal from crime, they are the beginning of the personal change that precedes a progressive desistance from criminal activity. This study analyzes early desistance narratives of offenders still in prison and whether these narratives differed depending on their personal, criminal, and social characteristics. Participants were 44 imprisoned male offenders, aged between 20 and 50 years old at different stages of their sentence and in three different prison regimes. They were interviewed using Cid and Martí's protocol and their accounts were accordingly coded in three categories: early narratives towards a non-criminal identity, perceived self-efficacy to desist from crime, and will to desist. The results show that participants' early desistance narratives vary depending on their personal, criminal, and social variables. Results on the periods of sentence completion and prison regimes are discussed in terms of how prisons could contribute to enhancing the narratives of desistance from crime

Bibliografía seleccionada y comentada sobre Guastavino y la construcción tabicada

Bibliografía seleccionada y comentada sobre Guastavino y la construcción tabicad

Plan de negocios para un bar

Este trabajo se desarrolla en Hamburgo, situada al norte de Alemania, siendo la segunda ciudad más poblada del país (después de Berlín) y la séptima de la Unión Europea, y es una de las ciudades más cosmopolitas y atractivas para estudiantes extranjeros. La idea central de este trabajo, es desarrollar un Plan de Negocios de un Bar con estilo latinoamericano en la zona universitaria de Hamburgo, haciendo hincapié en la comida sana. A lo largo del trabajo se irá respondiendo distintos interrogantes para ir conociendo la impronta del negocio, ¿cuál será su estilo?, ¿a qué clientes apunta?, ¿cómo es eso del "Estilo Tropical"?, ¿es viable importar productos de Latinoamérica? También se desarrollará temas como el diseño del producto, se tratará de resolver la incógnita del "Make or Buy" (comprar o elaborar) y cómo será el sistema logístico del negocio, tema no menor ya que se intenta unir dos continentes. Se analiza desde lo conceptual si el negocio es viable, así como también se elabora un análisis financiero para conocer la viabilidad del mismo. Se desarrolla un plan de marketing para conocer cómo atraer clientes y también se elaboran algunas acciones de fidelización, incluyendo temas que atañen al lanzamiento del negocio, ya que si bien se aborda a un mercado bastante explorado, se hará con un producto sumamente innovador. Pero también se analizará si el mercado aceptará este producto y conocer si el producto está ubicado en el lugar exacto. Este proyecto está especializado en la venta de bebidas de frutas refrescantes, 100% naturales, llamadas "smoothies" y comidas "snacks" que representan especialidades gastronómicas provenientes de Latinoamérica.Fil: Redondo,Santiago Andrés. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas

A Dynamic Risk Factors-Based Typology of Sexual Offenders

The purpose of this article was to develop an Spanish psychometric typology of sexual offenders taking into account dynamic risk factors. The sample comprised 94 sex offenders imprisoned in Spain (52 rapists and 42 child molesters). The analysis yielded two different offender categories based on the subjects' criminogenic needs level (high and low). The results also showed that social desirability has a strong influence on the developed typologies, whereas the offence type, sociodemographic characteristics, and criminal history do not. A dynamic risk factors typology, such as the one proposed here, could help criminal and correctional facilities to fulfill their remit. It could also be useful for linking treatment intensity to offenders' criminogenic needs, as well as providing a platform for recidivism risk assessments

Evaluation of Academic Competencies Through Standardized Instruments

The aim of this investigation is to assess the correlation among different competencies-assessment systems available on the market to measure social skills in the university environment. In order to carry out the research, three self-perception competency tests were used, and 30 competencies were evaluated in a Likert scale with several response levels: the LPA-Q, the ESCI-U, and the CompeUEM. The three questionnaires were completed by 57 university students. The results show a low degree of agreement among the different questionnaires in relation to measuring the same competencies, as well as an unclear factor structure

Emerging hematological targets and therapy for cardiovascular disease: From bench to bedside

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and a major part of its pathophysiology remains obscure. Some hematological targets have been related to the development and clinical outcome of this disease, especially soluble cytokines, leukocytes, red blood cells, hemostatic factors and platelets, and bone-marrow vascular progenitors. These emerging factors may be modulated by current antiatherosclerotic pharmacotherapy, target-designed novel drugs or progenitor cell therapy. The aim of current review article is to comprehensively review the role of these antiatherosclerotic targets and therapy