Academic literature on the topic 'Direct and indirect exposure to crime'

Objectives: To examine the contemporaneous (cross-sectional), acute (1 year), enduring (5–7 years), and long-term (12–13 years) effects of exposure to violence on offending behaviors. Methods: We analyze four waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health ( N = 7,706). Exposure to violence captures direct (interpersonal victimization and violent threats) and indirect (witnessing violence) experiences with violence. Outcome measures include property crime, violent offending, and substance use. A series of logistic regression models examine the acute, enduring, and long-term effects of exposure to violence on the offending outcomes at each study wave, controlling for exposure to violence, lagged dependent variables, and baseline covariates at all previous waves. Results: The effects of exposure to violence on violent offending persist over time, with effects attenuating over time. However, exposure to violence only has contemporaneous and acute effects on property crime and drug use. Conclusions: Long-term effects of exposure to violence on violent offending are not an artifact of confounding with more recent experiences with violence. Both distal and proximate effects of exposure to violence should be addressed in order to adequately disrupt the overlap between exposure to violence and violent offending.

One of the key observations of delinquency research – that adolescents are more likely to offend during the time spent in the company of peers and without adult supervision – has been supported by recent studies following Situational Action Theory (SAT). According to SAT, exposure to criminogenic settings may influence adolescent behaviour by presenting opportunities and frictions; however, the outcome is seen as conditional on individual crime propensities and the moral context in which opportunities and frictions are encountered. To what extent the behaviour of adolescents in these settings also depends on the delinquent inclinations of their peers is an additional question that has received less attention. In the current study, we use data from a recent German school survey, including network data and a direct measurement of delinquent friends, to test for interactions between unstructured socializing and the crime propensities of respondents, as well as of their friends, and find support for SAT. In this context the measurement of ‘delinquent friends’ becomes important because its association with an adolescent’s own delinquency is likely to be overestimated when respondents report on their friends’ behaviour. The novel contribution of this study is to analyse how the interplay between these factors changes if one moves from an indirect to a direct measurement of friends’ delinquency. We show that the influence of situations and opportunities is unduly diminished when using the indirect measurement.

Numerous international research has identified that direct or indirect exposure to violent victimization in a familial context during childhood is a risk factor for violent criminal behavior of victimized children in adulthood. Studies of violent victimization of children in Serbia are rare, and are mostly directed at determining the prevalence, the main characteristics of or the immediate physical, psychological and behavioral consequences of victimization. Empirical analysis of the criminological consequences of early violent victimization in adulthood are an exception in scientific studies in Serbia. The aim of the paper is to present the results of research into the influence of early violent victimization on violent crime of adult men and women. After the introduction a brief overview of the worldwide research confirming the correlation between the experience of violent victimization and subsequent violent behavior is given. The results of the research conducted by the author will then be discussed. The results illustrate the possibility of predicting violent criminal behavior in adulthood based on indicators of direct and indirect victimization in childhood.

Human life history (LH) strategies are theoretically regulated by developmental exposure to environmental cues that ancestrally predicted LH-relevant world states (e.g., risk of morbidity–mortality). Recent modeling work has raised the question of whether the association of childhood family factors with adult LH variation arises via (i) direct sampling of external environmental cues during development and/or (ii) calibration of LH strategies to internal somatic condition (i.e., health), which itself reflects exposure to variably favorable environments. The present research tested between these possibilities through three online surveys involving a total of over 26,000 participants. Participants completed questionnaires assessing components of self-reported environmental harshness (i.e., socioeconomic status, family neglect, and neighborhood crime), health status, and various LH-related psychological and behavioral phenotypes (e.g., mating strategies, paranoia, and anxiety), modeled as a unidimensional latent variable. Structural equation models suggested that exposure to harsh ecologies had direct effects on latent LH strategy as well as indirect effects on latent LH strategy mediated via health status. These findings suggest that human LH strategies may be calibrated to both external and internal cues and that such calibrational effects manifest in a wide range of psychological and behavioral phenotypes.

Multiple victimization, or polyvictimization, is closely related to delinquency and crime, although few studies have studied these experiences in juvenile offenders. Therefore, the aim of this study is to present victimization rates in young offenders from a Southwestern European country. The sample consisted of 101 youth aged between 14 and 17 years, who were mainly recruited from detention centers (77.2%). From a lifetime perspective, the majority had suffered a criminal offense against the person (93.1%), exposure to community violence (95.0%), and peer victimization (86.1%). Prevalence rates for direct and indirect family violence were also high (63.4% and 43.6%). Electronic victimization reached a rate of 40.6% and sexual victimization of 15.8%. Past year experiences showed lower but similar patterns. Based on a community population criterion to define polyvictimization, 65.3% of the sample were considered lifetime polyvictims, while 41.6% were defined as past year polyvictims. Interventions to address multiple, concurrent forms of exposure to violence should be implemented in the justice system as polyvictimization has been revealed as a frequent reality in young offenders, which may result in antisocial behavior.

Background/Aims: Opioid substitution treatment (OST) improves outcomes in opioid dependence. However, controlled drugs used in treatment may be misused or diverted, resulting in negative treatment outcomes. This review defines a framework to assess the impact of misuse and diversion. Methods: A systematic review of published studies of misuse and diversion of OST medicines was completed; this evidence was paired with expert real-world experience to better understand the impact of misuse and diversion on the individual and on society. Results: Direct impact to the individual includes failure to progress in recovery and negative effects on health (overdose, health risks associated with injecting behaviour). Diversion of OST has impacts on a community that is beyond the intended OST recipient. The direct impact includes risk to others (unsupervised use; unintended exposure of children to diverted medication) and drug-related criminal behavior. The indirect impact includes the economic costs of untreated opioid dependence, crime and loss of productivity. Conclusion: While treatment for opioid dependence is essential and must be supported, it is vital to reduce misuse and diversion while ensuring the best possible care. Understanding the impact of OST misuse and diversion is key to defining strategies to address these issues.

Prior research indicates that fear of crime may lessen a person’s quality of life by leading them to avoid participating in social activities. The current study explores the relationship between fear of online victimization and participants’ levels of engagement with social networking services (SNS). Using data from a survey of 1,000 adolescents and adults aged 14 to 59 years, the direct relationship between the level of engagement on SNS and fear of online victimization and the indirect relationship through prior victimization were assessed. Findings show that the direct effect of the level of engagement on SNS on victimization experience was significant. In addition, the relationship between the level of engagement and the fear of victimization on SNS was significantly mediated through prior victimization experiences on SNS. These findings support the hypothesis that greater exposure on SNS increases online victimization, leading to a greater fear of victimization on SNS. Considering the large role SNS play in social activities and relationships, the findings are important for understanding how victimization impacts fear and may help inform policymakers how to help people stay engaged freely in socializing in a safer online environment.

This study examines the direct, reciprocal, and indirect effects of parolees on neighborhoods, including residential vacancies, property sales, public assistance, and crime. Cross-lagged autoregressive models are estimated using a unique data set containing annual neighborhood information on parolees, crime rates, and neighborhood structure in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, between 2000 and 2008. Results suggest parolees degrade neighborhood structure, and these effects are direct, reciprocal, and indirect. Understanding how the presence of parolees can contribute to changes in neighborhood processes linked to crime will broaden our understanding of the effects that parolees have on communities and highlight additional areas for intervention.

The purpose of the study was to examine concern and exposure to crime in relation to the individual’s close relative’s/close friend's exposure to crime. Two binary logistic regressions were used based on data from a crime survey done by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention. Previous research and victimological theories indicated that additional factors could be relevant to risk of exposure to crime. The identified factors were gender, age, academic achievements, occupation and whether the respondent was living alone. However the main focus of the study was close relative’s/close friend’s exposure to crime and its effect on the individual's concern and exposure to crime, in relation to the lifestyle and routine activities theory. The logistic regressions were used to analyse the data and the results indicated that risk for concern and exposure to crime was substantially higher if the individual had a close relative/close friend who was exposed to crime. The control variables and their effect on the aforementioned relationship were as previous research suggested it would be, and were used to explain some of the variance.
Studiens syfte var att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan individens oro och utsatthet för brott och individens närståendes utsatthet för brott. För att undersöka det här användes data från Brottsförebyggande rådets nationella trygghetsundersökning och det genomfördes två logistiska regressionsanalyser. En genomgång av tidigare forskning och viktimologiska teorier indikerade att ett flertal faktorer påverkar risken för utsatthet. De faktorerna som identifierades och användes som kontrollvariabler var kön, ålder, utbildningsnivå, sysselsättning och boendesituation. Det primära fokuset i studien var om risken för oro och utsatthet påverkas av en närståendes utsatthet och om det kan förklaras av rutinaktiviteter och livsstil. Resultatet utifrån de logistiska regressionsanalyser visade att risken för att individen var orolig och/eller utsatt för brott ökade om individen hade en närstående som var utsatt för brott. Kontrollvariablernas påverkan stämde överens med förväntningar från tidigare forskning och bidrog till att förklara en del av variansen i respektive beroende variabel.

Cognitive assessments were conducted on aircraft crew who reported symptoms following exposure to jet oil engine emissions from BAe-146 aircraft. Results demonstrated impairments on tests of reaction time, processing speed and fine motor skills in most participants. Findings were significant but with such a small sample this may not be representative. However if extrapolated across the aviation industry, could indicate significant aviation safety problems. The possibility of consistent neuropsychological impairments with exposure to jet engine emissions indicates a need for more robust studies. A second study investigated the psychological impact on spouses of aircraft maintenance engineers affected by the toxic chemicals used in the Deseal/Reseal program of F-III aircraft. Ninety one spouses of affected RAAF workers were administered the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI); Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI); and Spouse Questionnaire (SQ). Controls were twenty five aged matched spouses of RAAF personnel not involved in the program. Results demonstrated significant differences between experimental group and controls on PAI Somatic Complaints, Anxiety, Depression, and Stress scales. Spouse Questionnaire of coping skills, demonstrated that the experimental group had significant difficulties coping with spouses. ZBI administered to experimental group only, indicated that their burden of stress was moderate to severe. Despite limited control group, results were considered significantly robust and statistically significant, which suggested it unlikely that results would have been different, given a larger sample. In the final study cognitive assessments were conducted on forty two health care workers exposed to the chemical glutaraldehyde. Workers were divided into two experimental groups: EXP1, currently working with glutaraldehyde, with protective measures; EXP2, previously worked with glutaraldehyde with poor protection. Controls were eighteen age matched health care workers, not exposed to glutaraldehyde. All groups were administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for emotional impact of chemical exposure. Results indicated significant impairments in information processing speed, reaction time and accuracy of responses in experimental groups compared with controls. Differences were more significant in the extensively exposed EXP2 group, who also had higher elevations on the depression scale of the HADS. Results demonstrated significant neuropsychological and emotional effects in individuals extensively exposed to glutaraldehyde, using few protective measures, compared with less severely exposed workers or controls. Implications of test results and importance of adherence to health and safety regulations are discussed. If extrapolated across the health care professions this could indicate occupational health and safety issues in hospitals and clinics, where chemicals are used.

School violence is considered the most significant problem facing United States schools (Elam, Rose, & Gallup, 1999, 2003, 2004). Although school shootings receive the bulk of media attention, incidents such as physical assaults, property crimes, intimidation, and sexual harassment are much more common (National Center for Education Statistics, 2004). In addition, little is known about the experiences of teachers. The present study examines the relationship between various types of school violence and teacher burnout. The final sample consisted of 315 high school teachers who returned surveys that assessed knowledge of direct and indirect experiences with violent acts at school over the past 12 months. Respondents also completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses was used to determine how much variance in three domains of professional burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment) was accounted for by direct and indirect experiences with violence. Results suggest 1) that teachers experience and witness a broad range of violent acts (particularly sexual harassment) in their workplaces, and 2) that direct and indirect exposure to both physical and psychological forms of violence resulted in higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Implications are discussed.

Esta tese é composta por cinco estudos que tiveram como objetivo geral investigar a exposição à violência direta (ser a vítima) e indireta (ser testemunha) e suas relações com bem-estar subjetivo e sintomas de depressão, ansiedade e estresse em adolescentes de escolas públicas da cidade de Porto Alegre - RS. O primeiro capítulo apresenta uma revisão sistemática de literatura sobre exposição à violência na adolescência e suas relações com saúde mental. O segundo capítulo é um estudo de adaptação e validação da Escala de Depressão, Ansiedade e Estresse para Adolescentes (EDAE-A). O terceiro capítulo, estudo empírico, teve como objetivo investigar a prevalência de exposição de adolescentes à violência direta e indireta e sua associação com idade, sexo, reprovação escolar e configuração familiar. Já o quarto estudo, também empírico, investigou as relações entre exposição à violência direta e indireta, bem-estar subjetivo e sintomas de depressão, ansiedade e estresse. Por fim, o quinto capítulo apresenta o relato da experiência de devolução dos dados da pesquisa que teve como objetivo discutir violências(s) cotidianas. Participaram 426 adolescentes de escolas públicas, de 12 a 18 anos, que responderam a uma ficha de dados sociodemográficos e aos instrumentos Triagem de Exposição à Violência de Crianças na Comunidade, Escala de Depressão, Ansiedade e Estresse para Adolescentes (EDAE-A), Escala de Afetos Positivos (AP) e Afetos Negativos (AN) e a Escala Multidimensional de Satisfação de Vida para Adolescentes (EMSVA). Análises descritivas e inferenciais foram realizadas. Os resultados desta tese indicaram a alta prevalência de exposição direta e indireta dos adolescentes à violência e a associação com sintomas internalizantes. A adaptação e validação do instrumento EDAE-A possibilitaram a avaliação conjunta das variáveis depressão, ansiedade e estresse, demonstrando boas propriedades psicométricas. A construção do Índice de Bem-Estar Subjetivo, englobando a satisfação de vida e afetos positivos e negativos, deve ser mais bem explorada em pesquisas futuras. Finalmente, a intervenção focal realizada com os adolescentes demonstrou o quanto a violência é naturalizada no contexto escolar, indicando a necessidade de trabalhos preventivos e interventivos para essa população. Limitações e sugestões para novos estudos são descritas.
This thesis is comprised of five studies that had as main objective to investigate the exposure to direct violence (being victim) and indirect (being witness) and their relationship with subjective well-being and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in adolescents from public schools of the city of Porto Alegre - RS. The first chapter presents a systematic review of literature on exposure to violence in adolescence and its relationship with mental health. The second chapter is a study of adaptation and validation of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale for Adolescents (DASS-A). The third chapter (a empirical study) aimed to investigate the prevalence of adolescent exposure to direct and indirect violence and its association with age, sex, school failure and family configuration. The fourth study (which is also empirical) investigated the relationship between exposure to direct and indirect violence, subjective well-being and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Finally, the fifth chapter presents a report about the experience of informing the participants about the results of the research with the aim of discussing violence(s) in the daily life. The participants were 426 adolescents from public schools, 12-18 years old, who responded the sociodemographic form and the following instruments Screening of Exposure to Violence of Children in the Community; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale for Adolescents (DASS-A); Positive Affects (PA) and Negative Affects (NA) and the Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale for Adolescents (MLSSA). Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. The results of this thesis indicated a high prevalence of direct and indirect exposure of adolescents to violence and the association with internalizing symptoms. The adaptation and validation of instrument DASS-A allowed the joint assessment of the variables depression, anxiety and stress, demonstrating good psychometric properties. The construction of the Subjective Well-being Index, encompassing life satisfaction besides positive and negative affects, should be further explored in future research. Finally, the focal intervention realized with the adolescents demonstrated how much the violence is naturalized in the school context, indicating the necessity of preventive and interventional actions for this population. Limitations and suggestions for further research are described.

Recent studies have proposed the application of exposure-based criteria in developing alternative primary ambient ozone standards. Historically, epidemiological studies of ozone have approached exposure assessment in a simplistic fashion with simplistic methods used to estimate ambient ozone concentrations in exposure assessment. A new method for assessing human exposure to ozone has been developed. The research uses a spatial temporal statistical method, kriging, in conjunction with subject activity logs to estimate personal exposure to ozone. The personal ozone exposure to human subjects was monitored using Harvard passive samplers during August and September of 1997. Each subject logged their location and activity during the exposure period. A three-dimensional kriging model of ozone was developed to estimate the ozone exposure for each subject from ambient fixed site monitoring data. The ozone predications from the model were combined with the activity and location information, adjusted for indoor environment when applicable, to estimate personal exposure concentrations for each subject. Using two independent approaches, the kriging model was proven to provide accurate spatial and temporal estimates of ozone at subject exposure points. The results from this work show that the method developed to estimate exposure through kriging over (x,y,t) to predict ozone concentrations at exposure points combined with subject activity and location logs produces exposure estimates within the error bounds of the analytical methods for personal monitoring.

Systemic concentrations of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) are influenced by the pharmacokinetic properties of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacokinetics and local drug exposure can differ significantly within anatomical sanctuary sites compared with the systemic compartment. High variability in interpatient ARV concentrations is common, which makes population pharmacokinetics for ARVs very difficult to interpret. HIV replication is dynamic and requires combination antiretroviral therapy with multiple active agents in order to achieve durable virologic suppression. Direct and indirect relationships between drug exposure, efficacy, and/or toxicity are common for most ARVs, which can be used to improve overall treatment success. Suboptimal adherence can result in inadequate concentrations, drug resistance, and virologic failure. Therapeutic drug monitoring can be considered in certain scenarios that should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

This chapter gives the definition of confounding, a central issue in epidemiology and its dependence on two associations, with exposure and with outcome. It explains confounding in trials, cohort and case-control studies, and Simpson’s paradox. It explains the five methods of controlling confounding: restriction, randomisation, stratification, matching and multivariate methods. For randomised trials, the limits of randomisation, residual confounding, pre-stratification, intention-to-treat, management and explanatory trials, pragmatic trials are explained. It shows the Mantel–Haenszel risk ratio or odds ratio, direct and indirect standardisation, and effect modification. Frequency and individual matching, their value and limitations, over matching, confounding by indication, and calculation of matched odds ratio are shown. It explains multivariate methods, including linear, logistic, Poisson, and Cox’s proportionate hazards models, including the relationship between coefficients and odds ratios, dummy variables, conditional methods, and propensity scores.

Police influence on offender choices has largely been described in terms of general and specific deterrence. This chapter expands this description by examining the quantity and quality of police influences. With regard to quantity, theory and research from environmental criminology have described a rich set of influences that have direct and indirect effects on offenders. Indirect influences operate through various third parties and by manipulating crime situations. With regard to quality, theory and research from a wide variety of disciplines show that how the police behave with offenders has an influence on offender choices. Four principles are particularly important for quality: the degrees to which the police appear to be reasonable, disarming, focused, and consistent. Expanding our understanding of how police can influence offender choices provides useful areas for research and opens a wide range of possibilities for improving police effectiveness and fairness in addressing crime.

We are now in an era of cyberconflict, where nation states, in addition to private entities and individual actors, are attacking each other through Internet-based mechanisms. This incorporates cyberespionage, cybercrime, and malware attacks, with the end goal being intellectual property, state secrets, identity information, and monetary gain. Methods of deterring cybercrime ultimately require effective attribution; otherwise, the threat of consequences for malicious online behaviour will be diminished. This chapter reviews the state of the art in attribution in cyberspace, arguing that due to increases in the technical capability of the most recent advances in cyberconflict, models of attribution using network traceback and explicit identifiers (i.e. direct models) are insufficient build trustworthy models. The main cause of this is the ability of adversaries to obfuscate information and anonymise their attacks from direct attribution. Indirect models, in which models of attacks are built based on feature types and not explicit features, are more difficult to obfuscate and can lead to more reliable methods. There are some issues to overcome with indirect models, such as the complexity of models and the variations in effectiveness, which present an interesting and active field of research.

This chapter explores the effects of perceived criminal injustice on voting behavior as well as on other important outcomes. Using data from the 2006 ANES Pilot Study, the chapter begins by examining the measurement properties of a set of survey items tapping perceptions of criminal injustice and then incorporates those items into a model of voting behaviors, controlling for demographic characteristics, political efficacy, political ideology, and political partisanship. It reveals that perceived criminal injustice has systematic and theoretically meaningful demographic and attitudinal correlates. In addition, these analyses demonstrate that perceived injustice has both direct and indirect effects on turnout and vote choice, above and beyond the expected standard predictors.

Stereotype threat about leadership ability may trigger emotional and cognitive responses that reduce women's leadership aspirations. This chapter reviews literature and presents a study on the effects of implicit (covert) and explicit (overt) leadership stereotype threat on women's emotions, power-related cognitions, and behaviors as moderated by exposure to powerful female or male role models. Emotional responses were measured using self-report (direct) and narrative writing (indirect) tasks. Undergraduate women (n = 126) in the Northeastern U.S. were randomly divided into three stereotype threat groups: none, implicit, and explicit. Implicit stereotype threat resulted in higher indirectly expressed (but not self-reported) anxiety, behaviors that benefited others more than the self, and when preceded by exposure to powerful female role models, higher self-reported negative emotion but also higher indirect positive affect. Explicit stereotype threat resulted in higher indirect optimism, and when preceded by exposure to powerful female role models, lower self-reported sadness but also lower implicit power cognitions.

Background: Ambient air pollution exposure has been associated with dementia. Additionally, epidemiologic evidence supports associations between air pollution and diabetes as well as diabetes and dementia. Thus, an indirect pathway between air pollution and dementia may exist through metabolic dysfunction. Objective: To investigate whether local traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) influences incident dementia and cognitive impairment, non-dementia (CIND) in a cohort of older Mexican Americans. We also assess how much of this estimated effect might be mediated through type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: In a 10-year, prospective study of Latinos (n = 1,564), we generated TRAP-NOx as a surrogate for pollution from local traffic sources at participants’ residences during the year prior to enrollment. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling and mediation analysis to estimate the effects of TRAP-NOx on dementia and/or CIND and indirect pathways operating through T2DM. Results: Higher TRAP-NOx was associated with incident dementia (HR = 1.55 for the highest versus lower tertiles, 95% CI = 1.04, 2.55). Higher TRAP-NOx was also associated with T2DM (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.27, 2.05); furthermore, T2DM was associated with dementia (HR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.42, 2.66). Mediation analysis indicated that 20% of the estimated effect of TRAP-NOx on dementia/CIND was mediated through T2DM. Conclusion: Our results suggest that exposure to local traffic-related air pollution is associated with incident dementia. We also estimated that 20% of this effect is mediated through T2DM. Thus, ambient air pollution might affect brain health via direct damage as well as through indirect pathways related to diabetes and metabolic dysfunction.

It has been shown that reproductive activity is responsive to changes in the physical, psychosocial, and chemical environments. Occupational exposure has been identified to a wide range of putative hazards and adverse reproductive outcomes, or fertility. Such risks include the physical environment such as VDT and noise, as well as psychosocial stress and chemical agents. Some of these may have a direct or indirect effect on IVF outcomes. Psychosocial factors such as inadequate coping mechanisms, anxiety and/or depression are related to a lower incidence of IVF pregnancy. In this chapter the authors focus on the difficulties involved in linking exposure to putative hazardous substances to adverse reproductive outcomes in environmental and occupational settings, particularly the effectiveness of IVF procedures.

It has been shown that reproductive activity is responsive to changes in the physical, psychosocial, and chemical environments. Occupational exposure has been identified to a wide range of putative hazards and adverse reproductive outcomes, or fertility. Such risks include the physical environment such as VDT and noise, as well as psychosocial stress and chemical agents. Some of these may have a direct or indirect effect on IVF outcomes. Psychosocial factors such as inadequate coping mechanisms, anxiety and/or depression are related to a lower incidence of IVF pregnancy. In this chapter the authors focus on the difficulties involved in linking exposure to putative hazardous substances to adverse reproductive outcomes in environmental and occupational settings, particularly the effectiveness of IVF procedures.

This chapter explores the impact of political violence on children and youth through an examination of theory and research, particularly social-ecological systems theory, dealing with prolonged exposure to armed political conflicts and experiences of single-incident attacks. The chapter discusses both the direct traumatic effects of being a victim of political violence and the indirect effects of living in communities and societies in which the experience of violence is transmitted through the media to the minds of children, adults, and policymakers. The chapter further discusses the role and limitations of psychological resiliency and the importance of fostering normalcy to help children overcome the effects of exposure to political violence. The chapter concludes with suggestions for programmatic initiatives at the community and national level that reinforce a return to normalcy and provide assistance to traumatized children and adolescents.

A cross-continental synergy is paramount when addressing victimization in genocide. The definition of victim of genocide is however challenging, complex, and open to controversies, especially when dealing with a large number of casualties. By proposing a reshaping of the purely legal framework which defines genocide victims, in support of a characterisation that includes all the multiple and sometimes conflicting voices of those who are direct or indirect witnesses of the “crime of all crimes,” this contribution argues for the need of a global legal framework that embeds both collective victimization in genocide as well as the uniquely different and diverse experiences of the victims.

This study shows that cyber crime is a recent addition to the list of crimes that can adversely affect businesses directly or indirectly. This phenomenon was not directly prosecutable in South Africa until the enactment of the ECT Act in July 2002. However this Act also prevents businesses to fully prosecute a hacker due to incompleteness. Any kind of commercially related crime can be duplicated as cyber crime. Therefore very little research appears or has been documented about cyber crime in South African companies before 2003. The motivation to do this study was that businesses often loose millions in cyber attacks, not necessarily through direct theft but by the loss of service and damage to the image of the company. Most of the companies that were approached for interviews on cyber crime were reluctant to share the fact that they were hacked or that cyber crime occurred at their company as it violates their security policies and may expose their fragile security platforms. The purpose of this study was to attempt to get an overall view on how South African businesses are affected by cyber crime in the banking and short term insurance sector of the South African industry and also to determine what legislation exist in this country to protect them. The case study approach was used to determine the affect of cyber crime on businesses like banks and insurance companies and higher education institutions. Each case was interviewed, monitored and was observed over a period of a year. This study discloses the evaluation of the results of how cyber crime affected the cases, which were part of this study. The banks and higher education institutions felt that they were at an increased risk both externally and internally, which is likely to increase as the migration towards electronic commerce occurs. The insurance industry felt that they are not yet affected by external cyber crime attacks in this country.

Since 2013, City of Denpasar government has adopted smoke-free law regarding smokefree areas including worship places. However, compliance with smoke-free law at worship places remains low. The implementation of the law faces several obstacles particularly at Hindu temples since it is mostly semi-opened spaces and high social acceptability of smoking where cigarette and smoking have been deeply engrained within social and religious life. Hence, this study aims to assess factors that associated with smoking behavior at worship places particularly at Hindu temple in Denpasar Bali Indonesia. This study was a cross-sectional study, conducted in the city of Denpasar, involving 192 samples which selected using multistage random sampling. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire then analyzed using path analysis. There were 12 factors analyzed such as past behavior of smoking, exposure to anti-smoking policies, nicotine dependence, knowledge and attitude regarding second-hand smoke, knowledge and attitude regarding implementation of smoke-free law, sociodemographic (age, education), social norms of smoking (descriptive and injunctive). Of the 11 factors, 5 factors had a significant effect on smoking behavior. Past behavior of smoking had a direct negative effect with a standardized coefficient (beta) -0.34 (p<0.01); followed by nicotine dependence which had an indirect negative effect (beta -0.07; p=0.01). Meanwhile, positive direct and indirect effects showed by descriptive norms (beta 0.14; p=0.04); injunctive norms (beta 0.15; p=0.02) and education (beta 0.14; p=0.03). Past behavior of smoking had the highest effect on smoking behavior in worship places. Hence, continuous education, socialization and improved supervision to the implementation of smoke-free law remain crucial. Moreover, social norm factors also need more attention, so that a culture-sensitive strategy could be considered. Keywords: Smoking behavior, worship places, compliance, smoke-free law, Denpasar Bali

Studies have hypothesized mechanisms for brain injury resulting from exposure to blast waves. Theories include shockwaves increasing fluid pressure within brain tissue by transmitting through bones and blood vessels 1, indirect brain tissue damage due to ischemia from pulmonary blast injury 2, and formation of mechanical stresses that can result in tissue distortion 3. Mechanical damage to brain tissue can occur due to skull flexure resulting in loads typically seen in impact-induced injury 4 or axonal shearing/stretching, due to linear or rotational accelerations resulting in Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) 5. Despite several investigations it remains unclear whether direct propagation of the shockwave through the cranium can deform brain tissue and result in mechanically-induced injury 6. Finite element 7, 8 and animal 9, 10 models provide information on mechanisms and outcomes of blast-induced mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury). However, validations of FEM studies were limited due to the paucity of high rate material properties. Animal tests were designed to understand mechanisms of shockwave transmission but most did not report intracranial pressures. Understanding blast injury mechanisms requires a better delineation of shockwave energy transfer through the head and the influence of factors including region-specific differences, and mechanical properties of brain simulant. A Post Mortem Human Subjects (PMHS) model was used in this study to examine these factors and provide an understanding of shockwave transmission through the tissues of the human head.

Abstract Hemocompatibility testing is critical for assessing the safety of blood-contacting medical devices. Comprehensive hemocompatibility testing requires examining a wide range of possible adverse effects cause by direct or indirect blood contact, such as hemolysis, complement activation, and thrombus formation [1]. Moreover, these domains each encompass complex intercellular processes with many potential targets for analysis. For example, the current testing paradigm of platelet function may involve exposing the device to human whole blood and performing simple blood counts and/or macroscopic evaluation to determine the extent of platelet activation and clot formation as described in ASTM F2888-19. However, this approach does not capture any observations for device-mediated initiation of any steps in the platelet activation pathway prior to aggregation. We have validated a method to evaluate platelet activation by quantifying surface p-selectin expression after exposure to various materials. This method will provide an additional level of detail about potential platelet activating properties of a medical device. Flow cytometry has been used previously to measure platelet activation for clinical and research purposes. We sought to adapt this method to test for platelet activation induced by exposure of blood to medical devices or materials. We determined that processing fresh whole blood to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) by gentle centrifugation enhanced the signal compared to fresh blood itself. In each experiment, devices were exposed to PRP according to an extraction ratio of 6 cm2/mL for 1 hour. A blank control consisting of untreated PRP, and a positive control consisting of ADP, a potent agonist, were also used. After the exposure, excess plasma was removed from the articles and combined with anti-CD61 (to stain for platelets) and anti-CD62P (to stain for activated platelets) antibodies. Flow cytometry was then performed to quantify the percentage of CD62P+ over the total CD61+ cells to measure the percentage of activated platelets. In order to optimize the method, we investigated the effect of several experimental factors, including anticoagulant usage, donor variability, and selection of reference materials to serve as controls. Our results indicate that the flow cytometry-based method is consistent and reproducible, quick and easy to perform, and is well-correlated with results from the standard platelet and leukocyte count assay. The flow cytometry-based platelet activation method is a powerful supplement to the standard regimen of medical device hemocompatibility testing.

Historical research report on the external architectural surfaces of the fortress of San LeoThe hinterland of Rimini is characterized by the presence of many castles, but the fortress of San Leo is certainly the most representative because of its position and the different constructive contributions that over time have updated its appearance and military functions. Cited by Dante and Machiavelli for the impervious nature on which it stands, its origin dates back to the early Middle Ages. It was rehashed following the imprint of Francesco di Giorgio Martini in the fifteenth century, restored by Giuseppe Valadier at the end of the eighteenth century and converted to a prison in 1631. A peculiarity that makes the studies on the fortress of San Leo absolutely interesting is the treatment of the external architectural surfaces of which there is ample documentation in the historical archives and of which there are multiple uses in the various areas of the factory; the research aims to offer useful knowledge for the subsequent conservation and restoration project. The theme, completely original, arises from indirect investigations of a documentary and iconographic nature, conducted at the State Archives of Pesaro, Florence, Rome, the Central State Archive and the Vatican Secret Archive, which repeatedly refer in the accounting of works, starting from the seventeenth century, the execution of plasters executed outside the monument. The interpretative tension of the archival documents and the drawings continued by looking for a direct comparison between historical information and materiality of the fortress, in order to identify a correspondence between historical data and constructive reality. It emerges clearly that the external surfaces of many parts of the fortress were treated and finished with plaster since its origins, probably due to the exposure to atmospheric agents; therefore a rethinking of what is reported in the literature is necessary both in terms of interpretative profile of the fortress, and about how its image was perceived over the centuries.

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.