The relationship between neutralizations and perceived delinquent labeling on criminal history in young offenders serving community orders

This study examined the associations between young offenders’ justifications for delinquent behavior, their perceptions of being labeled “delinquent,” and criminal history. Participants were 153 young offenders (aged 14 to 19 years) serving community orders with the New South Wales Department of Juvenile Justice, Australia. They completed a questionnaire that assessed their use of justifications for offending (neutralizations) and their perceptions of being delinquent. More than half of young offenders (53.6%) did not believe that others labeled them as “delinquent”. Those who did believe that others labeled them as “delinquent” (28.8%) self-reported more delinquency and other problem behaviors, but did not a have more serious official criminal history than ‘unlabeled’ offenders. Factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure (minimization and rationalization) for the neutralization items. Neutralization factors were weak predictors of official criminal history, but stronger predictors of self-reported delinquency and other problem behaviors. Age at first court appearance and rationalizations successfully discriminated 66.7% of the young offenders who thought others labeled them as “delinquents”. Findings are discussed with reference to the implications for risk and responsivity principles in the treatment of young offenders

Moral reasoning of adolescent male offenders: Comparison of sexual and nonsexual offenders

This study compared the moral reasoning abilities of juvenile sex and non-sex offenders using a novel methodology that explored their responses to moral questions in a variety of offending contexts. Seven sexual and nine nonsexual adolescent male offenders from a maximum security detention facility in New South Wales, Australia, were presented with a variety of hypothetical offending situations involving sexual and non sexual offences and asked to discuss these. It was hypothesised that the quality of moral reasoning employed by offenders would be impaired in those offending contexts in which they had prior experience. Responses were assessed using a modified version of the Moral Judgment Interview Standard Issue Scoring Manual (MJI; Colby & Kohlberg, 1987). Assigned levels of moral reasoning ability were verified independently by two expert raters. Responses by sexual offenders in sexual offending contexts and by nonsexual offenders in nonsexual offending contexts were dominated by preconventional reasoning. Both groups employed a greater use of conventional reasoning in non-congruent offending contexts

Moral reasoning of adolescent male offenders: Comparison of sexual and nonsexual offenders

This study compared the moral reasoning abilities of juvenile sex and non-sex offenders using a novel methodology that explored their responses to moral questions in a variety of offending contexts. Seven sexual and nine nonsexual adolescent male offenders from a maximum security detention facility in New South Wales, Australia, were presented with a variety of hypothetical offending situations involving sexual and non sexual offences and asked to discuss these. It was hypothesised that the quality of moral reasoning employed by offenders would be impaired in those offending contexts in which they had prior experience. Responses were assessed using a modified version of the Moral Judgment Interview Standard Issue Scoring Manual (MJI; Colby & Kohlberg, 1987). Assigned levels of moral reasoning ability were verified independently by two expert raters. Responses by sexual offenders in sexual offending contexts and by nonsexual offenders in nonsexual offending contexts were dominated by preconventional reasoning. Both groups employed a greater use of conventional reasoning in non-congruent offending contexts

Singing as an adjunct therapy for children and adults with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetically inherited, life‐threatening condition that affects major organs. The management of cystic fibrosis involves a multi‐faceted daily treatment regimen that includes airway clearance techniques, pancreatic enzymes and other medications. Previous studies have found that compliance with this intensive treatment is poor, especially among adolescents. Because of both the nature and consequences of the illness and the relentless demands of the treatment, many individuals with cystic fibrosis have a poor quality of life. Anecdotal reports suggest that singing may provide both appropriate exercise for the whole respiratory system and a means of emotional expression which may enhance quality of life. This is an update of a previously published review. To evaluate the effects of singing as an adjunct therapy to standard treatment on the quality of life, morbidity, respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function of children and adults with cystic fibrosis. We searched the Group's Cystic Fibrosis Trials Register and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Date of latest search: 07 January 2019. We also searched major allied complementary data bases, and clinical trial registers. Additionally, we hand searched relevant conference proceedings and journals. Date of latest search: 28 March 2019. Randomised controlled trials in which singing (as an adjunct intervention) is compared with either a control intervention (for example, playing computer games or doing craft activities) or no singing in people with cystic fibrosis. Results of searches were reviewed against pre‐determined criteria for inclusion. Only one eligible trial was available for analysis. Since only one small study (n = 40) was included, no meta‐analysis could be performed. The included randomised controlled study was of parallel design and undertaken at two paediatric hospitals in Australia. The study evaluated the effects of a singing program on the quality of life and respiratory muscle strength of hospitalised children with cystic fibrosis (mean age 11.6 years, 35% male). While the singing group received eight individual singing sessions, the control group participated in preferred recreational activities, such as playing computer games or watching movies. This study was limited by a small sample size (51 participants) and a high drop‐out rate (21%). There were no differences between the groups at either post‐intervention or follow‐up; although by the end of treatment there were some improvements in some of the domains of the quality of life questionnaire Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire‐Revised (e.g. emotional, social and vitality domains) for both singing and control groups. For the respiratory muscle strength indices, maximal expiratory pressure at follow‐up (six to eight weeks post‐intervention) was higher in the singing group, mean difference 25.80 (95% confidence interval 5.94 to 45.66). There was no difference between groups for any of the other respiratory function parameters (maximal inspiratory pressure, spirometry) at either post‐intervention or follow‐up. No adverse effects were observed in the singing group; adverse events for the control group were not reported in the paper. There is insufficient evidence to determine the effects of singing on quality of life or on the respiratory parameters in people with cystic fibrosis. However, there is growing interest in non‐medical treatments for cystic fibrosis and researchers may wish to investigate the impact of this inexpensive therapy on respiratory function and psychosocial well‐being further in the future.N/

Results from a Large, Multinational Sample Using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire

Childhood maltreatment has diverse, lifelong impact on morbidity and mortality. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) is one of the most commonly used scales to assess and quantify these experiences and their impact. Curiously, despite very widespread use of the CTQ, scores on its Minimization-Denial (MD) subscale—originally designed to assess a positive response bias—are rarely reported. Hence, little is known about this measure. If response biases are either common or consequential, current practices of ignoring the MD scale deserve revision. Therewith, we designed a study to investigate 3 aspects of minimization, as defined by the CTQ’s MD scale: 1) its prevalence; 2) its latent structure; and finally 3) whether minimization moderates the CTQ’s discriminative validity in terms of distinguishing between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Archival, item-level CTQ data from 24 multinational samples were combined for a total of 19,652 participants. Analyses indicated: 1) minimization is common; 2) minimization functions as a continuous construct; and 3) high MD scores attenuate the ability of the CTQ to distinguish between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Overall, results suggest that a minimizing response bias—as detected by the MD subscale—has a small but significant moderating effect on the CTQ’s discriminative validity. Results also may suggest that some prior analyses of maltreatment rates or the effects of early maltreatment that have used the CTQ may have underestimated its incidence and impact. We caution researchers and clinicians about the widespread practice of using the CTQ without the MD or collecting MD data but failing to assess and control for its effects on outcomes or dependent variables

The relationship between neutralizations and perceived delinquent labeling on criminal history in young offenders serving community orders

This study examined the associations between young offenders’ justifications for delinquent behavior, their perceptions of being labeled “delinquent,” and criminal history. Participants were 153 young offenders (aged 14 to 19 years) serving community orders with the New South Wales Department of Juvenile Justice, Australia. They completed a questionnaire that assessed their use of justifications for offending (neutralizations) and their perceptions of being delinquent. More than half of young offenders (53.6%) did not believe that others labeled them as “delinquent”. Those who did believe that others labeled them as “delinquent” (28.8%) self-reported more delinquency and other problem behaviors, but did not a have more serious official criminal history than ‘unlabeled’ offenders. Factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure (minimization and rationalization) for the neutralization items. Neutralization factors were weak predictors of official criminal history, but stronger predictors of self-reported delinquency and other problem behaviors. Age at first court appearance and rationalizations successfully discriminated 66.7% of the young offenders who thought others labeled them as “delinquents”. Findings are discussed with reference to the implications for risk and responsivity principles in the treatment of young offenders

A preliminary investigation into the association between body movement patterns and dynamic variation in western contemporary popular singing

This study assessed the presence of body movements that may be common to all western contemporary popular (WCP) singers that may be integral to both the physical production of the sung sound and to acoustic output, in this case sound pressure level variation. Since torso movement appears to be closely linked with dynamic variation in this style of singing, the study focused on the activity of the torso. 3-D video footage of the body movements of six professional WCP singers singing the same R & B song was collected. Antero-posterior (AP) torso movement direction frequency and characteristics at the point of maximum sustained SPL and f0 (peak note) on the vowel [open e] were analysed. The most common movement of the torso was in a posterior direction, reaching its point of maximum displacement from the starting position on the peak note. Strong anterior torso movement on the peak note, which took the torso forward of its anatomical position was associated with the head forward position and vocal distortion, indicating that this movement at a point of high SPL may present a vocal health risk. These results indicate that the AP torso movement of WCP singers has a function in voice production and that not only body posture but the manner of movement from one body position to another is significant to vocal health and sound production, especially in styles where high sound levels must be achieved and where a high level of body movement is required in performance.