Simulated judicial decision-making for African and European American adolescents with illegal sexual behavior: The impact of medical data and victim race/ethnicity

The perceived importance of victim and defendant race/ethnicity and medical evidence in child sexual abuse cases has been recognized separately in the literature. However, few studies have considered these factors simultaneously. Within a sample of 880 college students, an interaction effect was tested between the presence of medical evidence and the race/ethnicity of a juvenile defendant and victim using child sexual abuse case vignettes. The main effects of medical evidence and the race of the defendant were observed. Medical evidence and race of victim influenced victim believability such that medical evidence was more impactful for cases with African American victims. Further, there were interactions between the race of the defendant and the race of the victim in adult versus juvenile court decisions, sex offender registration and notification requirements, and length of sex offender registration and notification. Interracial sexual offending was associated with substantially higher punishment than intraracial sexual offending. Accordingly, several important implications for court-level decision-making processes are explored.

Predictors of Police Reporting Among Hispanic Immigrant Victims of Violence

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of police reporting among Hispanic immigrant victims of violence. A sample of 127 Hispanic immigrants was generated through a chain-referral procedure in the city of Hempstead, New York. Participants were asked about their most recent victimization experiences, and detailed information was collected on up to three incidents. The analyses were based on a total of 214 separate victimization incidents, one third of which were reported to the police. Logistic regression analyses indicated that serious injury, multiple-victim incidents, and perceptions of discrimination increase the odds of a police report. Moreover, incidents involving a Black primary assailant were less likely to be reported to the police than incidents involving an assailant perceived to be of Hispanic origin. Supplementary analyses suggested that this latter relationship may be contingent upon the type of crime and the victim's relationship with the assailant. At the policy level, these findings call into question assumptions about very recent immigrants being too socially isolated and distrustful of law enforcement to sustain robust reporting levels, as well as pointing to encouraging possibilities for productive engagement between police and Hispanic immigrant populations.

Club drug use in Hispanic college students

Club drug use and correlates were examined among 251 Hispanic college students on the Texas-México border. Participants completed questionnaires on substance use, club drug attitudes and beliefs, sexual risk-taking behaviors, depressive symptoms, and acculturation. One-quarter of participants reported club drug use. Regression analyses demonstrated that frequency and history of lifetime use were consistently associated with more permissive drug attitudes and other substance use but not sexual risk-taking, depression symptoms, or acculturation. Acculturation was negatively associated with frequency of club drug use, yet positively associated with use of other illicit substances. Avenues for future studies are suggested.

Is ecstasy a drug of dependence?

This paper examines the evidence for an MDMA or "ecstasy" dependence syndrome. Animal evidence suggests that MDMA may be a less potent reinforcer than other drugs, but that it does have dependence potential. This suggests that (a) ecstasy dependence might be less likely than dependence upon other drugs; and (b) factors related to the behavioural and psychological aspects of reward and dependence may make a relatively greater contribution for ecstasy than for other drugs, where physically centred (and better understood) features of dependence may be more salient. Human evidence supports this proposition. Some people report problems with their use, but the literature suggests that physical features play a more limited role than psychological ones. Tolerance is apparent, and withdrawal is self-reported, but it is unclear whether these reports distinguish sub-acute effects of ecstasy intoxication from symptoms reflective of neuroadaptive processes underlying a "true" withdrawal syndrome. Studies examining the structure of dependence upon ecstasy suggest it may be different from drugs such as alcohol, methamphetamine and opioids. Consistent with studies of hallucinogens, a two-factor structure has been identified with factors suggestive of "compulsive use" and "escalating use". Regardless of the nature of any dependence syndrome, however, there is evidence to suggest that a minority of ecstasy users become concerned about their use and seek treatment. Further controlled studies are required to investigate this phenomenon.

An exploration of recent club drug use among rave attendees

Raves are characterized by large numbers of youth dancing for long periods of time and by the use of "club drugs," such as 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy"). While a small body of research has explored the use of ecstasy and other club drugs (EOCD) among club rave attendees in the United States, we are aware of no studies that have investigated the relationship between EOCD use and high-risk sexual behaviors among members of this population. We explored the association between EOCD use and high-risk sexual behaviors among a sample of 283 club rave attendees interviewed during the spring and summer of 2005. Data were collected at 13 rave events in two different clubs along the Baltimore-Washington corridor between March 17 and September 3, 2005. Potential respondents were conveniently sampled and approached between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. as they exited the clubs. Only 12% reported using ecstasy within the two days preceding the interview, findings considerably lower than our earlier studies of club rave attendees. Moreover, no significant relationship was discerned between recent MDMA use and high-risk sexual behavior. These findings suggest that the use of EOCD among rave attendees has diminished and that the allocation of significant resources to combat their proliferation, among this and other populations at risk for EOCD use, may be premature.

Are there sex differences associated with the effects of ecstasy/3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)?

Sex has been identified as an important factor in moderating the effects of several drugs of abuse. Given the increasing popularity of ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]) use, it is important for researchers and clinicians to understand the factors that may influence its pharmacological actions to improve education, harm reduction and treatment efforts. This review focuses on preclinical and clinical research that examines the role of sex as an independent variable in the effects of ecstasy/MDMA. A systematic search of PsycINFO and MEDLINE electronic databases from 1966 to April 2006 was conducted. Both preclinical and clinical studies show a sexually dimorphic pattern in the acute, subacute and possibly long-term effects of ecstasy/MDMA. Specifically, adult females are more sensitive than males to the acute and subacute physical and psychological effects of ecstasy/MDMA and long-term alterations in aspects of 5-HT functioning. Conversely, males are more sensitive to the acute physiological effects of ecstasy/MDMA. These findings are consistent with research outcomes reported for other substances such as amphetamines and cocaine. Potential reasons for these sex differences and directions for future research are discussed.