The objectives of the present study were to develop and validate the Public Law-Abiding Tendency Scale (PLATS) and to examine its association with some health-related behaviors. Several steps were taken including item suggestion and discussion by an expert panel, sequential item reduction to maximize internal consistency using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. A sample comprised 1108 community-dwelling participants. Internal consistency and construct validity of the PLATS were examined. The 10-item scale showed good psychometric properties. There was a significantly moderate association between PLATS scores and COVID-19 preventive behaviors ( = 0.564; < .001), indicating that a greater tendency to abide by public regulations was positively associated with more adherence to health recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study findings suggest the PLATS is a promising new scale for assessing individuals' tendency to abide by general public laws that could provide an empirical basis for further study on this topic.

The aim of this study was to explore differences in gesture use during a free recall task among individuals of different ages and different development of conceptual thinking. Sixty-three children (aged 7-14 years) and 30 adults participated in an experiment in which they first witnessed a live staged event and a week later were interviewed about the event and tested using the Word Meaning Structure Test. Results showed that adults used more gesture types and showed higher gesture use frequency than children. Further, we found that word meaning structure and gesture use - specifically metaphoric and iconic gestures - predicted more accurate free recall in children. Our findings suggest that gestures may function differently during varying developmental stages, with gesture use being related to word meaning structure and the benefits of gesture use in free recall being more evident in children than adults.

Court-ordered treatment for offenders who suffer from psychiatric disorders or addiction has been the subject of controversy in all Western countries, but opposition in France has been more widespread than elsewhere. Based on 100 interviews, this article nonetheless reveals that healthcare professionals have gradually accepted court-ordered treatment, which they provide both inside and outside correctional facilities. We argue that, with few exceptions, they now agree that given offenders' frequent unwillingness to seek treatment, constraint can lead to creating a therapeutic alliance, although it is a complex process that involves employing a variety of techniques. To overcome offenders' suspicions that they are working with the courts, they claim to be complete outsiders who keep their distance from the judicial system and its expectations. We find that, despite greater acceptance of court-ordered treatment, these professionals perpetuate France's distinctive system and fuel the growing criticism from prosecutors, judges, and corrections system personnel.

In New Zealand, adolescents contribute to almost half of property damage caused by fire. Data on firesetting location (at-home or away-from-home) of adolescents (aged 12-18 years), referred to a fire-awareness intervention programme ( = 2696), were analysed using chi-square and logistic regression. Characteristics of the 'at-home' group (93% male; mean age 13.5 years) included setting a fire alone; a history of misusing fire; a history of a psychiatric diagnosis; no history of offending; firesetting motivated by experimentation; and identifying as non-Māori/non-Pacific. Conversely, the 'away-from-home' group (88% male,  = 13.8 years) were predicted by firesetting with peers; this being their first misuse of fire; negative feelings (fear, shame) after the fire; an offending history; firesetting motivated by peer pressure; and identifying as Māori or Pacific. Finding distinct subgroups within the adolescent firesetting population enhances opportunities to appropriately target interventions.

Accurate assessments about medical decision-making capacity (DMC) are vital but could be susceptible to age-bias. We examined if client age impacts on DMC likelihood assessment. One hundred and forty-seven adults were trained to identify four cognitive abilities (i.e., understanding, appreciation, reasoning, expression). Six experimental vignettes described a person making a diabetes treatment decision with systematic variation of client age (unspecified, 50-, or 95-years-old) and abilities (demonstrated vs uncertain). The dependent variable was DMC likelihood. Standardised tests of explicit (Kogan's Attitudes Toward Old People scale) and implicit age-bias (IAT) were administered. There was a statistically significant effect of abilities on DMC likelihood. DMC was judged more likely when cognitive abilities were demonstrated. There were no other significant effects. Age-bias, measured implicitly and explicitly, did not influence DMC likelihood. Contrary to the hypothesis, DMC likelihood was unaffected by client age. This suggests that training can mitigate age-bias in simulated clinical DMC evaluation.

The aim of the study was to explore the research question: What challenges to building rapport can police interviewers experience when interviewing suspects displaying disruptive behaviors, and how can these challenges be managed? To gather data, 14 police officers in academic positions (with previous experience of investigations), completed a five open text-question questionnaire. Thematic analysis was conducted and resulted in three main themes: (1) Disruptive behaviors and their influence on the interview process, (2) Being prepared through knowledge of the case and the person, and (3) Responding to resistance through communication, understanding, and relating to the interviewee's state. The results highlight the importance of planning and preparing the interviews, particularly regarding strategies for establishing and maintaining rapport, as well as being able to respond constructively to the suspect's behavior during the interview. The results are discussed in relation to current protocols and research on the interviewing of suspects.

While there is increasing use of standardised tools to assist in determining decision-making capacity in adults, there is limited literature evaluating these tools in children/adolescents. The current PRISMA guided systematic review aimed to evaluate standardised capacity assessment tools used in the child/adolescent population, and to examine the relationship between these capacity assessment tools and cognition. Inclusion criteria comprised: (1) validation of a new/existing tool to assess capacity or competence; (2) participants < 18 years; (3) involved validation on normative or non-normative populations; (4) published in English in a peer review journal. Ten studies were included. The majority applied a version of the Macarthur Competence Assessment Tool. Findings suggest capacity assessment tools demonstrate sound psychometric properties, but research into capacity assessment in children is still in its infancy. Limitations include the lack of diagnostic gold standard of capacity and the inconsistent and minimal incorporation of cognitive functioning into standardised capacity assessment.

The Saskatoon Mental Health Strategy (MHS) aims to improve supervision for justice-involved individuals with mental illness and cognitive impairments. Given the limited research on certain aspects of mental health courts, the current study seeks to add to this growing body of literature by exploring professionals' perceptions of the Saskatoon MHS Court. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of nine professionals involved in the Saskatoon MHS Court, and results were divided into three main themes (balancing priorities and viewpoints, resources, and connections) with corresponding subthemes. Despite challenges, professionals thought that the Court was meeting its goals by treating the underlying causes of offending behaviour rather than simply criminalizing the behaviours. Suggestions for improving the overall effectiveness and functioning of the Court are discussed.

This scoping review examined quantitative research comparing involuntary inpatient groups with voluntary inpatients or other comparator group. Ten themes were identified: patient knowledge of legal status, experienced or perceived coercion, effects on medication use, clinical effects measured on outcome scales, effects on psychiatric readmission, use of restraints and seclusion, effects on suicide and deaths, patient satisfaction, length of stay and carer experiences. The review found that involuntary inpatient admission was associated with harms including increased subjective and objective coercion, increased cost and decreased patient satisfaction. In addition, it found that there may be significant confusion among both voluntary and involuntary patients regarding their legal rights. However, patients admitted on an involuntary basis experienced greater improvements in symptoms and function, possibly due to greater symptom burden prior to admission. Involuntary treatment carries the potential for both benefit and harms that should be acknowledged and mitigated by service providers.

Professionals are encouraged to include multiple symptom validity tests (SVTs) and multiple performance validity tests (PVTs) to assess the credibility of clinical and forensic presentations. Combining the Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29, an SVT) with its Memory module (IOP-M, a PVT), referred to here as 'IOP-29-M', may be especially beneficial, as it allows for rapid assessment of both symptom and performance validity. Accordingly, the present study aimed at 'stress testing' the IOP-29-M by examining base rates of failure (BR) in 109 patients with schizophrenia spectrum psychopathology, both with and without criminal convictions. In the overall sample, BR were low: 13.8% and 8.3%, respectively, for the standard (≥ .50) and conservative (≥ .65) cutoffs of the IOP-29, and 12.8% and 9.2%, respectively, for the standard (≤ 29) and conservative (≤ 28) cutoffs of the IOP-M. Importantly, very few individuals, less than 5%, failed both components of the IOP-29-M.

In the last few years, the global community witnessed the rise of the #MeToo movement followed by its later backlash. Aiming to get a better understanding of the movement, this study explored how rape myths might be associated with the acceptance of the #metoo movement. Through an online survey, 76 participants from the UK, aged between 18 and 60, responded to the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMAS)-Revised and a short questionnaire on the #MeToo movement. Results showed there was a significant relationship between rape myth acceptance and negative perceptions of the #MeToo movement. Moreover, the subcategories of the IRMAS, 'it wasn't really rape' and 'she lied', had the biggest relationship and effect on opinions about the #MeToo movement. This might suggest that dismissal and disregard of abusive acts, linked to gender stereotypes, is associated with the resistance towards the #metoo movement.

This study examines the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with delusional disorder who have committed crimes, with a particular focus on the factors that contribute to criminal behaviour and the criminal characteristics that are exhibited by this group. Furthermore, this study presents the inaugural analysis of criminal responsibility and legal capacity in this patient population. The data from the Turkish Council of Forensic Medicine (2018-2022) were subjected to retrospective analysis, with a comparison made between the 54 cases evaluated for criminal responsibility. The results demonstrated that patients with criminal histories exhibited elevated rates of divorce, diminished educational attainment, increased hospitalisations, and a higher prevalence of erotomanic and religious delusions. Males were more likely to commit crimes against their spouses, while females targeted their neighbours. Males also predominated in objections to guardianship decisions. These characteristics are associated with an increased risk of criminal involvement.

Amidst ongoing police violence in the United States, strained relations persist between individuals from marginalised ethnoracial communities and law enforcement, necessitating urgent action. Targeted U.S. police training programmes can address ethnoracial bias and improve interactions and community relations with police. Our review of existing research, following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, identified six studies (three youth-specific studies, three adult-specific studies) on interventions to enhance police relations and promote ethnoracial equities in U.S. policing practices. We used SIGN guidelines to evaluate internal validity and the overall assessment of the selected literature. Evidence supports the use of ethnoracial bias awareness training for U.S. officers, which may lead to better rapport with individuals from marginalised ethnoracial communities in the future. We aim to aid future research and develop training to rectify inequitable treatment of individuals from historically oppressed ethnoracially marginalised communities by policing personnel. .

This study examines a cohort of persons aged 14 to 25 years referred to a threat assessment centre in Australia due to concerns regarding their potential for extremist or other grievance-fuelled violence. It examines the demographic features, clinical comorbidities and threat profile of this cohort and compares cases with and without a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The findings suggest that young people with ASD are significantly overrepresented, compared to the population rate, with late diagnosis and complex, unmet needs. The services required to mitigate risk were predominantly mainstream disability and mental health programs, not specialised forensic interventions. These exploratory findings have broader implications for improved provision of autism-specific services to prevent this vulnerable group entering the justice system.

This study examines the prevalence of deliberate firesetting in an un-apprehended New Zealand sample and factors that differentiate firesetting and non-firesetting individuals. An anonymous online survey assessing demographic and background characteristics, history of firesetting and psychological characteristics was advertised on Facebook community groups and pinboards across New Zealand. A total of 626 adults completed the survey. One-hundred and three participants (16.45%) self-reported having deliberately set at least one fire over the age of 14 years. When controlling for all other variables in a logistic regression model, having a high-school qualification as the highest level of educational attainment (odds ratio,  = 2.24), history of a mental health diagnosis ( = 1.91), fearful attachment style ( = 1.16) and fire interest ( = 1.05) showed the strongest unique association with un-apprehended firesetting. Further research is needed to examine the full range of behavioural and psychological characteristics associated with un-apprehended firesetting.

Cloud Research ( = 320) participants read a hypothetical description of an arson and police investigation. They were randomly assigned to one of eight conditions in a 2 (presence of alibi evidence) X 2 (presence of prosecution evidence) X 2 (presence of judicial alibi instructions) between-participants design. They completed alibi believability ratings, chose a verdict and evaluated the defendant's character. Alibis were more believable in the absence of incriminating prosecution evidence and the presence of exonerating alibi evidence. Alibi evidence also led to more positive views of the defendant. The presence of judicial instructions decreased likelihood of guilt ratings. Most participants chose a not guilty verdict, yet guilty verdicts were more common when prosecution evidence was present. Scalar verdict-confidence ratings were higher when prosecution evidence was present and alibi evidence was absent. While participant recall on the judge's instructions were poor, they performed well on two recognition questions.

This study evaluated police officers' perceptions of a new training program aimed at improving interviewing skills for adult interviewees. Drawing from successful strategies used in interviewing child complainants of abuse, the program focused on enhancing the use of open-ended questions. The investigation aimed to identify effective aspects, limitations, the practicality of open-ended questions in real-world scenarios, and avenues for enhancing post-training interviewer performance. Through diverse qualitative data collection methods including email feedback, discussion boards, questionnaires, and follow-up interviews, officers' feedback was thematically analysed. Four key themes emerged: the utility of open-ended questions, improved skills due to course content, variability in narrative detail needs across contexts, and opportunities for enhancing learning outcomes. These findings have implications for both research and practical applications, highlighting the effectiveness of the training program and suggesting areas for further improvement in enhancing police officers' interviewing skills with adults.

In the present study, a growth mixture modeling (GMM) analysis performed on 7117 low-to-moderate-risk justice-involved youth disclosed the presence of four latent classes of neutralization scores measured over four non-overlapping six-month periods. These four patterns were subsequently labeled low accelerating, moderate accelerating, high accelerating and decelerating. The four classes displayed differing levels of recidivism, and so a series of binary logistic regression analyses were computed in which each individual class was compared to every other class. The results of these binary logistic regression analyses revealed that recidivism occurred significantly more often in the high accelerating group than in the low and moderate accelerating groups and significantly less often in the decelerating group than in the low, moderate and high accelerating groups, even after Time 1 moral neutralization scores were controlled. These results corroborate prior research denoting that declining moral neutralization scores portend decreased odds of future recidivism.

Cyberstalking is defined as the repeated pursuit of an individual using the Internet. The current study examined the relationship between Dark Triad constructs and cyberstalking among a large sample of adults ( = 1724) while addressing several limitations of previous research. Each construct was assessed using a validated measure; a newer measure of Machiavellianism was used to ensure that psychopathy and Machiavellianism could be distinguished; and separate models were run for each trait to avoid interpreting residuals from multivariate models. After controlling for age and sex, only the antisocial facet of psychopathy (early and repeated antisocial behaviour; odds ratio,  = 2.74, 95% confidence interval, CI [1.73, 4.36]) and grandiose narcissism (inflated self-esteem and antagonism;  = 1.27, 95% CI [1.08, 1.50]) were significantly related to cyberstalking perpetration within the past 12 months. While psychopathy and narcissism may be important factors for understanding antisocial behaviour, Machiavellianism appears to have limited predictive and practical utility.

Organizational trust is an important workplace factor for organizations and their employees. There are different types of organizational trust, with coworker, supervisor and management trust being major ones. Yet, limited research has examined how organizational trust is associated with the work attitudes of correctional officers, such as job involvement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The current study explored how coworker, supervisor and management trust were related to the job involvement, job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment of Chinese correctional officers at two prisons in southeast China. Management trust had significant positive associations with involvement, satisfaction and commitment. The current results indicate the need to enhance management trust among the studied Chinese correctional officers to raise the three work attitudes.

This study uses a novel methodology that combines legal and psychological approaches to analyse a large set of Canadian refugee status rejections (n = 120). It distinguishes legal inferences from their underlying psychological assumptions and quantifies both inferences and assumptions in a set of 89 written decisions. Its findings yield new insights that inform the use of social science in the evaluation of deception findings in this field: it identifies the most important categories of legal inference that support these findings (inferences drawn from observations of 'inconsistency', 'non-probative supporting evidence' and 'risk response'), and it is the first study to identify the most significant kinds of assumption that underlie the finding that a refugee claimant is lying. These include assumptions that have been observed in previous studies: assumptions about and about . Perhaps most importantly, this study has identified a new and significant category of psychological assumption operating in these decisions: assumptions about the robustness of a claimant's metacognition, their ability to understand and explain their own cognitive processes.