The rate of false allegations has been a topic of research spanning back to as early as the 1970s. Studies have often relied on data gathered by Child Protective Services workers and court administrators. Some researchers have also used hypothetical scenarios to estimate rates. However, given the plethora of sampling methods, there is a large variation in estimated rates of false allegations of sexual abuse depending on the data source and context of the allegation. Additionally, methodological problems such as unclear or invalid criteria used to judge truth or falsity of an allegation, unrepresentative samples, and ignoring important contextual variables such as the stage at which an allegation is made, currently all render the determination of actual rates of false child sexual abuse allegations to be unknown. This examination of literature is intended to gain a firmer understanding of the frequency at which allegations are false and during which stage of prosecution they occur, thus assisting with the legal practice of distinguishing between a false versus positive allegation. Research reviewed supports two general conclusions: (a) the vast majority of allegations are true but (b) false allegations do occur at some non-negligible rate. Suggestions for future research, as well as cautions about claims about specific rates of false allegations in the courtroom, are provided.
Over the last ten years, the UK government has made tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB) a priority in its discourses and through the introduction of a wide range of legislative and policy measures. In the development of the new politics of conduct a number of competing discourses have emerged in which binary oppositions are employed to symbolically differentiate the law abiding from the irresponsible. The focus of this paper is on the way in which disabled people, particularly those with mental health conditions are vulnerable to being constructed as victims and perpetrators of ASB. We explore the tensions and contradictions between policy developments in policing conduct and the requirement for housing authorities to take steps to meet disabled people's needs even if this requires more favourable treatment. Drawing on empirical evidence of the way in antisocial behaviour measures have had a disproportional impact on disabled people the paper reflects on the failure of policy makers to acknowledge the complex material reality in which the antisocial subject can be constituted as both a victim and perpetrator. The use of regulatory mechanisms such as the ASBO we argue, may not only fail to address the underlying causes of problem behaviour but also can have exclusionary effects that exacerbates discrimination.
Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate majors in American universities, despite the fact that the field has many unsettled questions about how to best progress as a science or even if it qualifies as a science (Lilienfeld, 2012;O'Donohue, 2013). Lack of clarity and accuracy in describing what science is and psychology's relationship to science are at the heart of these issues. To better understand how science is defined and its relationship to science is depicted, 30 undergraduate textbooks were examined and analyzed. It was predicted that authors would be inconsistent in their characterization of science. Additionally, it also was predicted that key controversies regarding the structure and methods of science would simply be ignored and support was also found regarding this prediction as well. This suggests that the textbook definitions of science were often simplistic. This analysis underscores the importance of a more consistent, accurate, and detailed presentation of the science for undergraduate psychology students, as well as the need for further scholarship in this area.
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