Ronn Johnson

“Are two better than one?” the impact of years in head start on child outcomes, family environment, and reading at home

Abstract This study examined whether children attending Head Start for two years have better developmental outcomes than children attending for one year and whether their families enjoy a more positive family environment. Forty-five children were in the one-year duration group and 29 were in the two-years duration group. The Family Environment Scale (FES), the Child Development Inventory (CDI), and a demographic questionnaire were administered. Results indicated that children’s scores on the CDI did not differ as a function of the length of participation in Head Start. However, families who participated for two years reported an increased intellectual-cultural orientation, and increased active recreational orientation. These families placed greater emphasis on organization, and read more times to their child during the week than families who participated in the program for only one year.

Towards a Forensic Psychological Evaluation of Juvenile Fire Setters: Parent Power

Parents can provide information and insight critical to the understanding and treatment of clinical and forensic psychological issues presented by juvenile fire setters. Better inclusion of parents may improve treatment outcomes, and thus promote public safety. Forensic assessments of juvenile fire setters (JFSB) often reveal emotional discord (e.g., anxiety, depression, social, trauma-related stress). The intentional features of a juvenile’s case meet the FBI criteria for arson-related behaviors. Risk assessment by mental health professionals is imperative to try to anticipate the threat of repeat behavior. The ratings can then be used by a diverse group of professionals (e.g., psychosocial service providers, legal agencies, prosecutors, and probation officers). Parents are powerful (though sometimes reluctant) informants, who may require encouragement to assist mental health professionals craft better risk assessments. Information from parents can significantly influence the clinical and forensic service experiences of JFSs. This paper reviews the clinical and forensic matters relevant to understanding juvenile fire setters. The article examines risk assessment issues relative to using information provided by parents in the context of forensic work with juvenile fire setters. A section of the article is dedicated to the considering how the assessment of parents is used in the broader context of the forensic work with a juvenile. A recommended interview procedure for parents of juvenile fire setters is reviewed. Conclusions for forensic research and implications for forensic psychological practice are also highlighted.

MMPI-A PERFORMANCE OF AFRICAN AND MEXICAN AMERICAN ADOLESCENT FIRST-TIME OFFENDERS '

54 African and Mexican American adolescent first-time offenders were examined with the MMPI–A to evaluate ethnic differences. Multivariate analyses by ethnicity and MMPI–A scales (validity, clinical, content, and supplementary scales) were not significant; however, there was a significant univariate difference where African American adolescents scored significantly higher on the Repression scale than the Mexican American group. A greater percentage of within-normal-limits profiles were African American (50%) than Mexican American (25%). Research and clinical implications for using the MMPI–A with these groups are discussed.

Forensic psychological public safety risk assessment integrated with culturally responsive treatment for juvenile fire setters: DSM‐5 implications

Purpose – This paper aims to present an overview of a variety of risk assessment issues that are of particular relevance for work with juvenile fire setters in clinical and forensic settings. The paper seeks to consider Juvenile Fire Setting (JFS)‐Youthful Misuse of Fire (YMF) across a broad array of clinical domains, including developmental, prognostic, and the diagnostic utility anticipated by using the DSM‐5. National standards and risk assessment levels are to be examined.Design/methodology/approach – The paper includes a comprehensive review of the research and practices related to juvenile fire setters. This review included assessment and intervention resources that are used in diverse practice environments. The authors reviewed the literature to establish a nexus between risk assessment and community‐based interventions which were illustrated by a nationally recognized YMF mental health program (FATJAM).Findings – The paper provides empirically‐based insights into key issues for working with these ...

Culturally Responsive Family Therapy with Post-Risk Assessment Juvenile Fire Setting and Bomb Making: A Forensic Psychology Paradigm

Internationally, research on juvenile fire setting and bomb making creates an empirically based rationale that supports at least two intervention practices. First, there is a forensic mental health justification for remaining attentive to the recurring public safety risks attached to these high profile cases. Second, there is a post-risk assessment preference for using culturally responsive family therapy within a JFSB context. Largely, JFSB does not occur in isolation from the family. The author argues that post-risk assessment family issues must be addressed as a means to mitigate recidivism. The major purpose of this article four-fold when it comes to exploring the current research literature and reviewing risk assessment methods. First, the articles discuss the prevalence of the JFSB problem and referral matters. Second, the article stresses the necessity for forensic mental health adaptations to be made during family therapy with respect to JFSB cases. Third, ethical and legal issues are examined along with culturally responsive post-risk assessment family therapy specific to JFSB. Finally, conclusions, implications for practice, research, training, and supervision are discussed.

Risk assessment of school police officers in addressing public safety related to school violence: a biopsychosocialcultural perspective

Acts of school violence increase awareness of the public safety role played by school police. While not every school has permanently assigned police officers, research shows they can make a positive difference. The high profile gun violence cases have increased demands for safer schools, with an argument over the best ways to fund and achieve that goal. This paper examines high profile school shootings; traumatization in the wake of school violence, the biopsychosocialcultural impact of violence on school climate, as well as student resource officer relationships with pupils, parents and the community. The comprehensive effect of school violence is best measured using a biopsychosocialcultural paradigm. Training school police for crafting a safety plan, threat assessment, and scene management are discussed. Finally, implications for forensic psychological research and practice are explored.

Towards an Evidence-Based Clinical Forensic Diagnostic Assessment Framework for Juvenile Fire Setting and Bomb Making: DSM-5 Quadrant

Juvenile fire setting and bomb making (JFSB) poses clinical, cross-disciplinary, ethical, and legal challenges. For example, the discipline lacks an available assessment method that is specifically designed to guide the diagnostic work with JFSBs. Consistent with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition; DSM-5), an expanded dimensional diagnostic framework referred to as the DSM-5 Quadrant is recommended as a valid approach to augment the clinical utility for both case conceptualization and crafting forensically relevant interventions aimed at these youth. This article identifies issues associated with assessing mental health symptoms frequently found within the JFSB population.

Forensic psychological autopsy of home grown terrorists: More questions than answers

T goal of tiger conservation is to maintain sufficiently large populations of each subspecies in its natural habitat that ensured high probabilities of long term survival. Poaching for illegal trade is a serious threat across its range. Success in tiger conservation is to curtail global trafficking in tiger parts and products. Development of genetic tools has enabled tracking poaching of endangered species to their source population. Project is aimed at establishing genotyping data profile of tiger population in India and use for tracking poaching cases to its geographic origin. We examined genetic structure of tigers based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA using scat samples collected from tiger reserves and tissue samples. Mitochondrial DNA data indicates unique haplotype in cytochrome b gene, which was used to differentiate population from northern (Rajaji to Pakke Tiger Reserves) to rest of the tiger populations. A major challenge in developing genotyping profile from nuclear DNA is to identify suitable microsatellite loci which are suitable for poor to good quality scat samples therefore, we screened 60 loci. Of these, 26 loci ranged from moderate to good for using them on such samples that were <200 bp. We examined genetic structure of samples collected from Rajaji-Corbett Population (RC), Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR), Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR), Central India (CI) and zoo (Z) tiger populations. The mean observed heterozygosity ranged 0.28 to 0.69 and was in the order of CI>RC>BTR>Z>RTR. The observed mean effective allele per locus ranged 1.53 to 3.76 with the highest in RC population. Fst values for population structuring indicates a population differentiation from moderate to high among examined populations and observed values (Fst>0.033) are suitable for Bayesian based population assignment. Genetic variation within population was c.82%, where as, among population was 18%. We discuss population assignment based on Bayesian approach for tracking tiger poaching.

Clinical forensic implications for the DSM-5 quadrant in JFSB

T goal of tiger conservation is to maintain sufficiently large populations of each subspecies in its natural habitat that ensured high probabilities of long term survival. Poaching for illegal trade is a serious threat across its range. Success in tiger conservation is to curtail global trafficking in tiger parts and products. Development of genetic tools has enabled tracking poaching of endangered species to their source population. Project is aimed at establishing genotyping data profile of tiger population in India and use for tracking poaching cases to its geographic origin. We examined genetic structure of tigers based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA using scat samples collected from tiger reserves and tissue samples. Mitochondrial DNA data indicates unique haplotype in cytochrome b gene, which was used to differentiate population from northern (Rajaji to Pakke Tiger Reserves) to rest of the tiger populations. A major challenge in developing genotyping profile from nuclear DNA is to identify suitable microsatellite loci which are suitable for poor to good quality scat samples therefore, we screened 60 loci. Of these, 26 loci ranged from moderate to good for using them on such samples that were <200 bp. We examined genetic structure of samples collected from Rajaji-Corbett Population (RC), Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR), Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR), Central India (CI) and zoo (Z) tiger populations. The mean observed heterozygosity ranged 0.28 to 0.69 and was in the order of CI>RC>BTR>Z>RTR. The observed mean effective allele per locus ranged 1.53 to 3.76 with the highest in RC population. Fst values for population structuring indicates a population differentiation from moderate to high among examined populations and observed values (Fst>0.033) are suitable for Bayesian based population assignment. Genetic variation within population was c.82%, where as, among population was 18%. We discuss population assignment based on Bayesian approach for tracking tiger poaching.

Forensically oriented police officer PTSD preparation for school shootings

P confidence in the police is essential for effective law enforcement, and police agencies rely on community engagement and information from the public in order to function effectively. It is therefore important that police maintain high levels of reported victim satisfaction. Victim satisfaction is affected by a number of factors, including whether the crime was solved, however their prior expectations are perhaps the most important predictor of satisfaction. There is a body of literature which has demonstrated that members of the public (both jurors and victims) have unrealistically high expectations about forensic science, and this paper describes a series of studies investigating how these expectations may affect reported satisfaction with the Scene of Crime Officer response to reported incidents. The theoretical basis for these studies is the application of the ‘expectancy disconfirmation’ paradigm to the forensic examination of crime scenes, which has been used for many years to explain consumer satisfaction in other domains. Lisa Smith, J Forensic Res 2013, 4:4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2157-7145.S1.009J Fire Setters/Youthful misuse of fire (YMF) is a chronic international problem that has garnered increased research attention. For example, in the United States the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated that between 2005 and 2009 there was an average of 56,300 child-playing fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments per year (2012). These fires caused annual averages of 110 civilian deaths, 880 civilian injuries, and