Age Of Victims Research Articles

Social Law Instruments for Counteracting Mistreatment and Victimization of Elderly and Dependent People

The subject of this paper is to establish risk factors which make elderly and dependent people vulnerable to different forms of mistreatment and victimization. Therefore, firstly there will be presented different forms of mistreatment or abuse, including some crimes, and risk factors of mistreatment and victimization. Secondly, against this background Author will identify social law instruments, which may minimize the impact of those factors.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Teenage Homicide Incidence: A Retrospective Review of Forensic Autopsy Cases in Maryland from 2018 to 2021

Homicides in the United States disproportionately affect minorities, and previous research also indicates that increased economic deprivation and social disorganization correlates with increased rates of homicide. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated economic disparities and may have magnified existing disparities in homicide rates. Few studies have examined the incidence of teenage homicides throughout the United States, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a retrospective case review of homicides involving youth between the age group of 13 and 19 years from 2018 to 2021 in the state of Maryland. The aim of this study was to assess COVID-19 affected rates of youth homicide. A total of 230 teenage homicides occurred in Maryland from 2018 to 2021 with 113 cases during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period (2018/2019) and 117 cases during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020/2021). The majority of teenage homicide victims were African − American male. More than 83% and 79% of victims were African − American in 2018/2019 and 2020/2021, respectively. Victims were also predominantly male (90% in 2018/2019 and 88% in 2020/2021). Maryland has a population of approximately 6 million people and is made up of 23 countries and Baltimore City. Nearly half of the overall incidents of teenage homicide took place in Baltimore City (49.6% pre-COVID-19 and 44.4% during COVID-19, respectively). While the average victim age did not vary considerably between 2018/2019 (17.8 years) and 2020/2021 (17.5 years), the percentage of cases involving victims ages 13–15 years more than doubled from 5.3% of cases in 2018/2019 to 12% of cases in 2020/2021. The majority of teenage homicide cases were due to firearm injuries (91.7%, n = 211), but during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rise in violence involving sharp objects such as knives. The incidence of teenage homicide did not change considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic, although we did observe a trend toward younger males who were African American.

ILLITERACY IN OLDER ADULTS – VICTIMS OF THE COLOMBIAN ARMED CONFLICT: AN UNDERSTANDING FROM THEIR SUBJECTIVITY

Literacy is a universal theme, its materialization is the flag in many countries of the world, among which Colombia stands out in its fight for the eradication of illiteracy and the overcoming of the armed conflict. This article describes the progress of a research carried out with a community of elderly victims of the armed conflict in a situation of illiteracy residing in the municipality of Momil Córdoba, Colombia. The main objective of this research is to analyze the conceptions of the elderly victims of the armed conflict about illiteracy and the need to approach reading and writing. For this, an investigation with an ethnographic approach was implemented with the participation of 15 older adults residing in Momil municipality and in the surrounding villages. The information collection technique was a semi-structured interview. The results of the research were analyzed with the Nvivo software, and the main conclusions point to the significance of literacy as a differentiating factor in the lives of the victims of the conflict. It was found that the need to approach reading and writing is latent within this community, and that the encouragement to start the educational journey does not disappear with the passage of time. A novel aspect of this research is that it allows specifying how illiteracy is a factor that hinders access to educational and employment opportunities for the population. At the same time, learning to read and write are fundamental for the exercise of citizenship from their status as victims, guaranteeing the understanding of their rights as victims and greater autonomy in the process of enforceability of the same, that is, the reading and writing processes are essential for the dignity and protection of the elderly victim population, since it allows them, in turn, to have the ability to accept/deny and sign legal documents without the intervention of third parties. Keywords: Illiteracy, Victims, Armed Conflict, Education, Older Adults DOI： https://doi.org/10.35741/issn.0258-2724.58.3.48

Perpetrators of Sexual Violence against Minors in Casamance (Senegal)

Introduction: The causes of sexual delinquency against children are multifactorial and the motivations that drive the perpetrators of sexual assault are diverse. Nowadays, there is still no consensus on a single portrait of child sex offenders and studies that focus on sex offenders are still rare in Senegal and Africa. Objectives: To determine the profile of the perpetrators and to identify the circumstances of sexual violence against minors in Casamance. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive and analytical study from April 1, 2014 to October 31, 2019 was conducted. The study population was made up of perpetrators of sexual violence against minors whose legal proceedings were dealt with at the Ziguinchor High Court. The data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and then analyzed using Epi InfoTM 7 software. Results: A total of 106 cases of sexual violence against minors were collected for 113 aggressors and 106 victims. Rape accounted for 66.03% of sexual violence. Male aggressors were 98.23%. Female victims accounted for 95.28%. The average age of the attackers was 32.52 years (±13.68). Offenders over the age of 35 committed the most rape (p = 0.043). The average age of the victims was 12.62 years (±3.42). Victims aged ten and over (p = 0.015) and who had a low level of education (p = 0.016) were more exposed to rape. The assault took place during the day (65.71%) and at the home of the aggressor (62.26%). Victims knew their attackers (84.47%). Victims were assaulted more than once by the same assailant (40.57%). Those aged 10 years and over (p = 0.0037) and who knew their attackers (p = 0.014) were more at risk of being repeatedly sexually abused. Conclusion: In Senegal, sexual violence against minors is perpetrated by young adult men, single, with little or no education and exercising low-income professions. Rape is the type of aggression preferred by perpetrators, most of whom were known to their victims. The policy to fight sexual violence against children must integrate sex education at school and community level, public awareness, monitoring of child sex offenders and possibly, their medico-psychological care.

INCEST IN TURKEY: THE EXAMPLE OF AN ADOLESCENCE CENTER

Background Child sexual abuse, especially incest may reveal more serious consequences in terms of young victims, the relationship’s context between abuser and victim, and the presence of the risk associated with sexual activity. In this context, the aim of this study was to provide awareness and perspective for healthcare professionals on the subject by publishing our experiences on incest, which is a difficult and sensitive subject.
 Methods This study was carried out retrospectively and descriptively based upon medico-legal records of girl children under the age of 18 evaluated in an Adolescence Center between the years of 2004-12.
 Results Intrafamilial abuse was 23 of 139 victims of child sexual abuse during this period of time. The gender of the victims female only, and the age of victims was between 2-18 ages, and 10 of 23 presented with various gynecological complaints. The abuse of 56.52 % of the cases was detected by gynecologists. Also, 34.7 % of them were pregnant. The long term consequences of incest were determined ASD, PTSD, social isolation, ADHD and substance abuse.
 Conclusion The decision as to whether the child is a victim of incest or not is difficult and has serious implications. In cases with delayed notification, changes or loss in evidence may lead to confusion in medico-legal evaluation, which makes social and legal management harder, thus causing a delay in the protection of victims from abuse. At this stage, early diagnosis of abuse becomes very important in line with the best interests of the child.

Assessment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Associated Socio Demographic Parameters of Road Traffic Accident Victims

Background: Road traffic accident (RTA) is a global trauma which can produce a traumatic stress with tremendous physical, social and psychological impairments to the victims. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most common mental disorders among the RTA victims. Objectives : To assess the PTSD among the RTA victims and the relationship between the socio demographic parameters of RTA victims with PTSD. Methods: This cross sectional study conducted among 202 RTA patients attended in the inpatient dept. of a specialized hospital in Dhaka city for one year duration. Data collected from these patients using a semi structured interview administered questionnaire and PTSD assessed by using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV DSM-IV(PCL-S). The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS software (Version 21) and p < 0.05 considered as significant. Results: The mean age of RTA victims found 37.6 (±13.2) years, majority 57.4% belongs to 18-30 years age group. Out of 202 RTA patients 41.1% developed PTSD having e”51 score in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV DSM-IV (PCL-S) checklist. Among the socio demographic parameters age and occupation were significantly associated with the PTSD; whereas education, family income, sex were not associated significantly with PTSD. Conclusion: This study found a high magnitude of PTSD among RTA victims. J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2023; 41: 22-26

범죄피해자 구조금 산출 방법의 문제점 및 개선방안범죄피해자 구조금 산출 방법의 문제점 및 개선방안

In 2010, the ｢Crime Victims Aid Act｣ was abolished and the new ｢Crime Victims Protection Act｣ was enacted, bringing about continuous changes to the development of the crime victim aid system which is guaranteed as a basic right in the Constitution.
 In the Rescue Act, which was abolished due to this influence, the relief money paid to victims to be rescued was a fixed amount in the form of a consolation money, but in the later revised Protection Act, the concept of actual income or average income of rescue victims was introduced, a system was implemented to pay differential rescue funds according to the relationship between the rescue victim and the rescue target victim.
 Meanwhile, the amount of relief also continued to increase each year in line with the rise in average wages, and the target for disability relief was expanded from the previous 10th grade to the 14th grade.
 In addition, there have been many previous studies that the protection law needs to be revised as foreign spouse rescue and victims of incidents caused by negligence are excluded from the rescue target.
 In addition, there are several problems with the rescue system, but the first problem to be improved is the uniform calculation method of the rescue fund that does not consider the age of the rescue victim at the time of the incident.
 It has been pointed out that the relief funds received by the victims to be rescued are not fair due to these problems, the ranking of unmarried children over the age of 19 who live on the income of rescue victims is not reasonable, and it is very insufficient to guarantee their future life.
 Therefore, this study aims to suggest a plan to improve the structural fund calculation method that can fundamentally improve the problems of the structural fund system.

Retrospective Study of Pattern and Medicolegal aspects of Sexual Offence Cases reported at a Government Tertiary Care Hospital in Tamil Nadu

Background: Women and off late children are being more vulnerable group for sexual assault which causes severeand irreparable damage to the physical and more so to the mental health of the victims. As per the recent data,woman faces a rape attempt every two hours and a case of assault with intent to outrage the women’s modesty isreported every six minutes.Aim: To analyze the pattern, social aspects and medico legal implications of sexual offence cases reported to agovernment medical college hospital in South India.Methodology: A retrospective record based study by analyzing the data of the past three years was conducted inthe department of forensic medicine and toxicology at Tanjore Medical College and Hospital (TN). A total of 185sexual assault victims data were analysed in our study. Data of the subjects related to their age, marital status,time of the assault, accompanying trauma and the report of the medical examination which were recorded in theregister were noted and analysed. All the data regarding accused which were entered in the register were alsonoted.Results: The minimum age of the rape victim was 6 years and the maximum age was 60 years with a mean ageof 17.5 years. The mean age of the accused was 27.7 years. Majority (89.7%) of the rape victims was known butnot relative for the accused. Majority of the victims educational status was higher secondary. Penovaginal wasthe most commonest type of sexual assault conducted on the victims and the commonest place of crime was theresidence of the accused. Injury to the hymen is the most common type of physical injury occurred among thevictims. The average time interval between the rape incidence and the first medical examination was 24 days.Conclusion: Wide spread education and awareness regarding sex and moral values is the need of the hour whichis to be taught both at college and at school level. The government and the society have to work unitedly to endsexual abuse on females

Intra-familiar homicides: From 2006 to 2021 in the judicial district of Milan

IntroductionThe present research aims at analyzing criminological and medico-legal characteristics of intra-familiar homicides occurred in two major Italian cities (Milano and Monza) from the beginning of 2006 to the end of 2021. MethodsCases were identified using the Institutional database of the Institute of Legal Medicine of Milan, where all the autopsies of victims were performed. Data about these cases were obtained from autopsies findings, preliminary investigation reports, local papers and victim relatives’ interviews.In this period 11,480 autopsies were performed: 392 were homicides and, among these, 94 were confirmed as intra-familiar homicides (as a result of 84 events).Cases were classified according to the classic definition of intimate partner violence (referring only to an intra-familiar context), parricides, filicides, fratricides, familicides and grannicides.Age, sex, nationality and risk factors of the victims and perpetrators, as well as methods of murder were registered for each case. Only in some cases, motives for murder were known. ResultsThe most frequent type of intra-familiar homicides was intimate partner violence (41.5%), followed by parricides (16%, mainly matricides), filicides (10.7%) and fratricides (6.4%). 9.6% of the total number of events were familicides.Risk factors were frequently involved, in particular among perpetrators and in the group of parricides, while among siblicides they showed minimal relevance. Overall, psychiatric pathologies were the main risk factors involved (at least 23.8%), unlike extrafamiliar homicides, where previous criminal report or involvement in illicit traffics are frequently reported among perpetrators. This finding enlightens the difficulties of caring for a relative with a mental disorder, who can become dangerous for the domestic caregiver.Furthermore, the high number of physical illness and the advanced age of victims points out the tragical consequences of the lack of social support system for these categories of people. Methodsof murder were mainly cold steel (30–31.9%) and firearms (21–22.3%). However choking/manual ligature (9–9.6%), blunt force trauma inflicted using objects found on the scenario or bare handed (16–17%) and combined methods (11–11.7%) were frequently represented confirming the expected high level of impulsivity related to this kind of crime.

Analysis of suicides in one of the administrative regions of Bulgaria for 10-year period (2009-2018)

Abstract Background Suicide is an important medical and social problem responsible for nearly one million deaths per year globally. However, distal and proximal risk factors for suicide, expect being mentally diagnosed, are not enough studied. The aim of the study was to analyze the dynamics, structure, socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of all suicides committed by persons with mental disorder for 10-year period (2009-2018) in Pleven district. Methods Retrospective analysis of medical records of all mentally ill persons who committed suicide was done. Data were extracted from the databases of all in- and outpatient mental health centers in the region. Data processing was performed by IBM SPSS Statistics v.25. Statistical associations between a number of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and the age of suicide victims was studied by dispersion analysis and Mann-Whitney test. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results Among all 281 registered suicide cases during the studied period, 77 (28%) were with mental disorders. The most common were mood disorders (44%), followed by schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders and organic mental conditions. The mean age of all suicides was 55.62 years; significantly lower in males than in females (p = 0.042); lower in divorced or never married/single living persons compared to married or who had lived with a partner (F (2.74) =17.682, p < 0.001]; the lowest in patients with schizophrenia (44.62 years), and the highest in organic disorders (66.83 years). Higher educational degree was associated with lower age of suicide (U = 3.713, p < 0.01) and the earlier age of onset of the psychiatric disorder (r = 0.754, p < 0.001). Most of the suicide cases had occurred in March and September. Tuesdays and Fridays were most suicidal. Conclusions Severe mental disorders are major risk factors for suicide with the additional contribution of certain socio-demographic and disease related characteristics. Key messages • Suicide monitoring should be constant in all patients with chronic and severe mental disorders. • Suicide registration in Bulgaria needs to be improved in terms of collecting sufficient and reliable information about the mental health of suicide victims.

ABUSO NA INFÂNCIA E ADOLESCÊNCIA NO BRASIL NOS ÚLTIMOS 10 ANOS CHILD ABUSE AND ADOLESCENCE IN BRAZIL IN THE PAST 10 YEARS

Objective To present Brazilian epidemiological data on Abuse in childhood and adolescence in the last 10 years. Methods Data collection through compulsory notications, available on the Ministry of Health website, evaluated between January 2011 and December 2021, the types of violence applied, victim's age group, ethnicity, sex, perpetrators of abuse, place of occurrence, recurrence and case outcome. Results A total of 1,689,887 cases of abuse were reported in Brazil, 42.85% of which occurred in children and adolescents. 61.7% of victims are female. Most are between 15 and 19 years old. 60.4% of the cases occurred in the child's own home. 45.5% corresponded to physical violence. In 30% of the cases the mother was the perpetrator of the violence. Mortality was 0.21%. Conclusion In Brazil, more than 1 million cases of abuse were reported in the last 10 years, almost half occurred in children and adolescents, it was possible to draw a Brazilian epidemiological prole and demonstrate the importance of the orthopedist in recognizing the prole of patients, the importance of lling correct notication of the disease and availability of data in the information system of the Ministry of Health.

Exploring the Potentials of Restorative Justice Mechanisms (SOTP AND COSA) in Treating Child Sexual Offenders in India

For most restorative justice (RJ) promoters, RJ is consequentialist, philosophical, methodological and political. The efficiency and success of RJ can be drawn from the person’s ability to judge and act (act of regret). Treatment of offenders and their participation to a great extent determines the viability of reducing child sexual abuses (CSA). Programmes such as Sex Offender’s Treatment Programme (SOTP) and Centre for Support and Accountability (COSA) in CANADA, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have proved to be effective in reducing offences of sexual abuse. The programmes focus on accountability, shaming harm and rehabilitation of the offenders, mostly without involving the child victim in the process. A critical question, as to what extent the standards of RJ and international mechanism would be attained in cases of sexual offences against children, considering the nature of offences and the tender age of victim, arises. The objective of this article is to explore the potentials of applying RJ mechanism to cases of CSA in India, keeping in mind the consequentialist and methodological nature of ‘RJ’. The researcher tried to assess RJ responses to CSA and the role of criminal justice professionals in implementing and monitoring RJ processes in cases of child sexual offenses. The research methodology used was doctrinal, and sources of data collection were secondary sources.

Patterns of homicide in Sfax, Tunisia: A 9-year cohort study (2011-2019).

In Tunisia, since the January 2011 revolution, there has been considerable media interest in violence, particularly homicides. A popular perspective is, aside from any politically motivated killings, of a rise in homicides from year to year. In the absence of Tunisian national homicide statistics, a more accurate picture may be obtainable from area pathologist records. To examine annual homicide rates from post-mortem data for the second largest administrative area of Tunisia, Sfax, with a mixed urban-rural population of about one million people. All victims of common law homicide for the region are taken to the forensic department of one hospital in Sfax. We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study of all such cases of homicide for the 9year period from the date of the fall of the Tunisian government in 14 January 2011 to 31 December 2019 and linked these data to those from earlier studies in the same department. One hundred and nine victims of unlawful homicide were identified during this nine year period, with an average of 12 cases per year and a peak of 17 cases in 2016, yielding a broadly consistent rate of 1.2 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants and no consistent pattern in fluctuations. Just over two-thirds of the victims were men. Mean age of victims was 34.85years (range 8-90years). Just under half were married (45%); largest employment groups were of low-paid casual workers (40%) or unemployed (28%). One third of the killings had taken place in a private residence, with interpersonal conflict given as the largest explanatory category; over one quarter were intra-familial and 14% between intimate partners. There was some seasonal variation, with nearly two-thirds of homicides occurring in the spring and summer months. Contrary to press hype, we found no evidence of rising homicide rates in Southern Tunisia, although this does represent a different picture from that in the north of the country. The seasonal variation would merit further exploration as it raises questions around impact of fluctuations in mental health.

Improving the system of neurotraumatology care in the metropolis for elderly victims with severe traumatic brain injury (on the example of Saint Petersburg)

The OBJECTIVE was to study the dependence of the results of neurosurgical treatment of elderly patients with severe TBI on the organizational transformations of the neurotraumatology care system on the metropolis – Saint Petersburg scale.METHODS AND MATERIALS. 1228 victims aged 60 to 75 years with severe TBI (men – 982 (80.0 %) people, women – 246 (20.0 %) people) who were treated in the neurotraumatology centers of St. Petersburg in the period before (2007–2009) and after (2010–2020) organizational transformations.RESULTS. The measures implemented on a megalopolis scale have made it possible to improve the system of neurotraumatology care in St. Petersburg due to optimal routing and rapid delivery of elderly victims with severe TBI to neurotraumatology centers, performing brain SCT scans around the clock during the first 6 hours from the moment of their delivery to the hospital, conducting minimally invasive including neuroendoscopic brain surgery, performing early rehabilitation treatment in the conditions of neurotraumatology centers with further continuation in inpatient centers and medical rehabilitation departments.CONCLUSION. Modernization of the system of neurotraumatology care for elderly patients with severe TBI on the metropolis – St. Petersburg scale allowed to reduce the frequency of functional disorders, infectious and inflammatory complications, the rate of temporary disability, disability and mortality of victims.

The 2018 Japan Floods increased prescriptions of anti-dementia drugs among disaster victims: a retrospective cohort study based on a national health insurance database

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The occurrence of weather-related disasters is increasing with the progression of global climate change. Natural disasters increase the risk of impaired cognitive function of elderly victims. It is not clear what effects such natural disasters have on the prescriptions of drug treatment for dementia. Thus, we evaluated the effect of the 2018 Japan Floods, the second-largest water-related disaster in Japan, on the prescriptions of anti-dementia drugs (ADD) for elderly people. Methods: From the National Database of Health Insurance Claims, we extracted prescription data in Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime prefectures for one year before and after the disaster. From the database, 1,710,119 people aged 65 years or over were selected as the study participants. Sex- and age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of victims for new ADD prescriptions were calculated using logistic regression models. A difference-in-difference analysis was conducted to take into account the trends for the ORs before the disaster. Furthermore, among continuous ADD users, the effects of disaster on the increasing trend for ADD prescriptions (daily dose or number of drug types) was also evaluated. Results: Of 1,710,119 people enrolled, 15,994 (0.9%) were recorded as a disaster-victims, and 112,289 (6.6%) were prescribed ADD. Among original non-users, victims were more likely to start using ADD after the disaster than non-victims [adjusted OR=1.33 (95% CI:1.16–1.52)]. Among continuous users, an increasing trend for ADD prescriptions was more often observed for victims than non-victims [1.61 (1.13–2.31)]. These associations were maintained even after considering the pre-disaster trend of ADD use. Conclusions: The natural disaster results in an increased number of users of anti-dementia medications. Special attention to such neurological shifts and welfare support is needed for elderly victims of a large-scale natural disaster.

Negative human–crocodile interactions in Kariba, Zimbabwe: data to support potential mitigation strategies

AbstractInteractions between people and wild animals often result in negative impacts, and different views on the management of such interactions can lead to conflicts. Both intentional and unintentional negative human–wildlife interactions are increasing problems in many places where people share space with wild animals. Here we focus on negative interactions between people and Nile crocodiles Crocodylus niloticus in and around Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. In the study area, crocodile attacks on people occur frequently, leading to people being injured or killed, which in turn prompts retaliatory actions against crocodiles. However, despite the negative impact of such interactions on both people and crocodiles, little is known about the spatio-temporal patterns of crocodile attacks or environmental conditions under which attacks occur. We collected information about crocodile attacks on people that occurred during 2000–2020, including the date, time, season and location of attacks, the age of victims and the activities they were carrying out when attacks occurred, and water conditions during attacks. We analysed these data to discern patterns and trends of crocodile attacks on people. Attacks occurred in clear as well as turbid water, and nearly half of all reported attacks were at night or in the early morning. The locations with the highest number of recorded attacks were Nyanyana and Charara lakeside, and the fewest attacks occurred at Andora harbour. Most victims were 26–40 years old, and most were attacked in the dry-hot season, while they were fishing. Our findings can be used to design area-specific mitigation strategies to reduce negative human–crocodile interactions.

The Legal Analysis of Age Limitations of Child Victims on Criminal Actions in Justice Perspective

The purpose of this study was to determine and analyze the impact of changes in the age limit of child victims, provisions for the age limit of child victims in Islamic law and age limits for victims of crimes of decency with justice. The approach method in this study uses a doctrinal research method (juridical normative) and a legal psychological approach method, with a descriptive analytical research specification. In collecting data used literature study method with qualitative data analysis. From the results of the study, it was concluded that the change in the age limit of child victims in positive law in Indonesia in 2002 from 15 (fifteen) to 18 (eighteen) years had an impact on increasing the number of cases of decency crimes. Even criminal acts of decency are dominated on the basis of reports from the parents of the victim's child who do not approve of the courtship (consensual) relationship between the victim's child and the perpetrator of the crime of decency. This has implications for the conscience of justice for law enforcement officers to demand or make decisions against the perpetrators, there is a sense of injustice, there is a sense of inadequacy when they have to demand or impose punishment, because actually the crime was also desired by the victim. So for the sake of realizing justice, the age of the child victim of 18 (eighteen) years needs to be reconsidered for revision or change.

Influences of poly-victimization on adolescents' pre-treatment cognitive motivations and post-treatment outcomes

IntroductionSubstance use treatment outcomes are challenging to predict: myriad potentially relevant factors influence outcomes, including age, sex, motivations, and history of victimization. MethodsThe current study seeks to assess these factors in adolescents through an evaluation of the relationship between distinct victimization profiles, sex, and cognitive factors related to substance use treatment outcomes—specifically motivation, self-efficacy, and reasons for quitting—and the relationship between these factors and posttreatment outcomes. We report sex differences in the prevalence of specific types of victimization; females are more likely than males to report poly-victimization alongside higher levels of traumagenic characteristics such as fearing for your life, chronic abuse, abuse by a trusted individual, or negative reactions to disclosure. ResultsAdolescents who endorsed high levels of poly-victimization and high traumagenic characteristics reported a) higher motivation for treatment, b) more reasons for quitting substance use, c) lower self-efficacy, and d) fewer adjusted days abstinent posttreatment relative to their peers. We report several sex differences: emergent poly-victimization profiles are different for males and females, class membership has a differential proportion, and, last, associations between class membership and pre-treatment cognitive motivations and posttreatment outcomes vary by sex. ConclusionClinicians working with adolescents who report poly-victimization should aim to leverage their motivation and reasons for quitting, as these factors are traditionally associated with positive outcomes. Last, interventions aimed at fostering self-efficacy may also be particularly important to improve long-term outcomes, specifically among adolescents with a history of poly-victimization.

Psychosocial characteristics of victims of special fraud among Japanese older adults: A cross-sectional study using scam vulnerability scale.

Despite the police preventing special fraud victimisation of older adults, both the number of cases and the amount of damage have remained high in Japan. ‘Special fraud’, in Japan, is a crime in which victims are tricked by fraudsters who through phone or postcards impersonate the victims’ relatives, employees and other associates, to dupe the victims of their cash or other valuables. The number of recognised cases of special fraud has been turned to increase in 2021. Although police or consumer affairs administrations have been conducting all-encompassing enlightenment or public education for prevention, it is also necessary to reach out to those who are vulnerable to fraud. In this study, we determine the psychosocial characteristics of victims of special fraud in Japanese older adults. We analysed the age, gender, education, residential status, household satisfaction, risk perception and scam vulnerability scale of 56 older adults aged 60 years or older (mean age: 79.34 ± 7.51 years, 49 women) who had been victims of special fraud and 99 older adults aged 60 years or older (mean age: 77.73 ± 5.69 years, 61 women) who had never been victims of special fraud. The study found that the victimised older adults were more likely to be females who live alone and go out less frequently than the non-victimised older adults. The total scores of the scam vulnerability scale were higher among the elderly victims of special fraud compared to those who had never been scammed, suggesting that the psychosocial characteristics of victims of special fraud among older adults are being female, living alone, going out infrequently, having high confidence against fraud victimisation and responding quickly to phone calls and unknown visitors. Therefore, government agencies or family members should take care of older women who meet these characteristics to reduce their contact with fraudsters.

Petechial hemorrhages, ethanol, and opioids in victims from intoxication

Petechial hemorrhages are of interest to forensic pathologists because of their association with pressure on the neck. This study shows the associations between ethanol, opioids in blood and the risk of petechiae in conjunctivae and eye lids of 865 medico-legally examined victims from intoxication, 112 (12.9 %) with petechiae. Livor mortis on the front, face down body position, higher body weight, and younger age of the victims were independently associated with higher risk of petechiae. These variables were used for adjustment in the logistic regression analyzes. We found associations between ethanol, opioids, and the risk of petechiae when analyzed simultaneously. The association between ethanol and the risk of petechiae differed in opioid negative and positive victims (interaction, p = 0.028). In the opioid negative group, the association was J-formed, victims with low to medium level ethanol having lower risk (OR = 0.77) than those without ethanol or opioids, whereas high ethanol level gave a 4-fold higher risk (OR = 3.97). In the opioid positive group, the J-formed pattern was reversed. Victims with low to medium level ethanol had more than 4 times higher risk (OR = 4.65), whereas high level ethanol gave a slightly elevated risk (OR = 1.34) only compared to no ethanol or opioids. The results suggest that ethanol and opioids have a complex association with the risk of petechiae independent of livor mortis, initial body position, body weight, and age in victims from intoxication. Of practical value for the post-mortem examination is that the pathologist must consider both the ethanol level and the presence of opioids when judging the significance of petechiae in the eye regions.