Regulating Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines for Ammunition

This Viewpoint discusses the history and current status of assault weapons bans in the US, provides evidence of the potential effectiveness of a US ban and information regarding the Australian ban, and explores potential next steps.

Sexual Homicides in China: Exploring the Offender, Victim, and Offense Characteristics

Nearly all information available on sexual homicides are limited to studies conducted in the West. Little is known about sexual homicides that occurred in China. The current study is arguably the first to explore the offender, victim, and offense characteristics of Chinese sexual homicides. Over a period of 23 years (1994 to 2016), the data of 59 cases collected from two data sources (i.e., published Chinese case reports and police data) are examined. Findings indicate that heterosexual assaults are far more prevalent in Chinese sexual homicides. Sexual murderers who averagely aged 32.44 years are mostly males (97%), single (67%), secondary school educated (68%), and with no prior overall (80%) and sexual (88%) convictions. The victims are mostly females (83%) with mean age of 35.35 years. The frequently observed offending patterns include strangers as victim choice (63%), con tactics as victim approach method (57%), sexual pleasure as primary motivation (49%), and personal weapons as murder weapon of choice (41%). Vaginal penetration is a commonly observed sexual assault (88%) and victim body mutilation is also not uncommon (47%). Three case examples are also presented to illustrate the diverse nature and offending patterns of Chinese sexual homicide offenders.

Sexual Homicide in France

The primary objective of this study was to describe and compare the modus operandi, and associated contextual and situational factors, of French serial sexual murderers (SSMs) and nonserial sexual murderers (NSMs). A further objective was to verify the generalizability of the conclusions of James and Proulx's 2016 systematic review of the modus operandi of sexual murderers, the majority of whom were American or English. Detailed data on the precrime, modus operandi, postcrime, and victimology factors of 120 French sexual murderers (SSMs: n = 33; NSMs: n = 87) were compared. The results suggest that choice-structuring properties that shape the modus operandi of French sexual murderers are similar to those reported by James and Proulx: The modus operandi of French SSMs was shaped by homicidal, sadistic, and rape fantasies, while that of NSMs was shaped by the need to satisfy immediate, especially sexual, needs. However, it should be noted that while the modus operandi of American and English NSMs is primarily shaped by general deviance, that of French NSMs appear be primarily shaped by sexual deviance.

Evaluating the Impact of Employing Local Tax Collectors to Improve State-Level Licensing Program Outcomes in Florida

The improvement of public services is an important public policy objective, and several approaches have been proposed and implemented across all levels of government to achieve this goal. A recent policy in Florida (FL) fosters collaboration between local and state governments by allowing local tax collector (TC) offices to receive and support applications for the state's concealed weapons (CW) license program. We use 80,020 application records to estimate process improvements brought about by this policy. Our analysis shows that by using TCs, the time for the application to be processed was one third the time it needed via mail and about 3% at the regional office. The likelihood of errors in applications and supporting documents decreased significantly. The policy, therefore, has improved the effectiveness of the CW licensing service in FL. Similar initiatives can be adopted by government entities facing bottlenecks in permitting or licensing processes.

Mortality data in the age of drones ‡

Mortality data plays an essential role in shaping humanitarian, legal and ethical responses to conflict situations. The rise of drone warfare poses new questions regarding the accuracy and reliability of mortality data in conflict. This article examines some of the methodological and political challenges to collecting mortality data in drone warfare, and how the way in which drones are framed in public discourse contributes to these challenges.

Adolescents as perpetrators of aggression within the family

Although family violence perpetrated by juveniles has been acknowledged as a potentially serious form of violence for over 30years, scientific studies have been limited to examining the incidence and form of home violence. The present study examined the prevalence of family aggression as perpetrated by youths; we examined groups drawn from clinic-referred and forensic samples. Two audits of case files were conducted to systematically document aggression perpetrated by referred youths toward their family members. The purpose of the first audit was fourfold: i) to identify the incidence of the perpetration of family aggression among clinical and forensic samples; ii) to identify whether there were any reports of weapon use during aggressive episodes; iii) to identify the target of family aggression (parents or siblings); and iv) to identify the form of aggression perpetrated (verbal or physical). The second audit aimed to replicate the findings and to show that the results were not due to differences in multiple deprivation indices, clinical diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorders, and placement into alternative care. A sampling strategy was designed to audit the case notes of 25 recent forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) cases and 25 demographically similar clinic-referred CAMHS cases in the first audit; and 35 forensic cases and 35 demographically similar clinic-referred CAMHS cases in the second audit. Using ordinal chi-square, the forensic sample (audit 1=64%; audit 2=82.9%) had greater instances of family violence than the clinical sample (audit 1=32%; audit 2=28.6%). They were more likely to use a weapon (audit 1=69%; audit 2=65.5%) compared to the clinical sample (audit 1 and 2=0%). Examining only the aggressive groups, there was more perpetration of aggression toward parents (audit 1, forensic=92%, clinical=75%; audit 2, forensic=55.17%, clinical=40%) than toward siblings (audit 1, forensic=43%, clinical=50%; audit 2, forensic=27.58%, clinical=30%). Based on these findings, we would urge professionals who work within the child mental health, particularly the forensic area, to systematically collect reports of aggression perpetrated toward family members.

Ballistic parameters and trauma potential of carbon dioxide-actuated arrow pistols

Medical literature abounds with reports of injuries and fatalities caused by arrows and crossbow bolts. Crossbows are of particular forensic and traumatological interest, because their mode of construction allows for temporary mechanical storage of energy. A newly developed type of pistol (Arcus Arrowstar), which belongs to the category of air and carbon dioxide weapons, discharges arrow-shaped bolts actuated by carbon dioxide cylinders. As, to the best of the authors' knowledge, literature contains no information on this uncommon subclass of weapons it is the aim of this work to provide the experimental data and to assess the trauma potential of these projectiles based on the ascertained physical parameters. Basic kinetic parameters of these carbon dioxide-actuated bolts (velocity v = 39 m/s, energy E = 7.2 J, energy density E' = 0.26 J/mm(2)) are similar to bolts discharged by pistol crossbows. Subsequent firing resulted in a continuous and fast decrease in kinetic energy of the arrows. Test shots into ballistic soap blocks reveal a high penetration capacity, especially when compared to conventional projectiles of equal kinetic energy values (like, e.g., airgun pellets). To conclude, these data demonstrate the high efficiency of arrow-shaped projectiles, which are also characterized by a high cross-sectional density (ratio of mass to cross-sectional area of a projectile).

[Experimental throws with a knife to clarify a case of domestic violence]

For an expert opinion, the course of events in a conflict resulting in a 3 cm deep and 1.8 cm wide stab wound on the neck of a woman was to be reconstructed. Based on the statements of witnesses, there were three possible scenarios: 1. The knife was thrown from a distance of about one meter. 2. The knife had accidentally slipped from the hand. 3. The knife was deliberately used for a stab to the neck of the victim. The experimental setup comprised the knife presumably causing the injury and four comparable knives. The victim was represented by a pig carcass. The results of the test throws are presented and the sequence of movements is assessed as to the most probable course of events. Four male and three female subjects performed test throws which were documented by video recordings and measurements of the penetration depth. Six of the seven subjects were able to generate stab wounds by throwing the knives, whereas a knife accidentally slipping from the hand never caused a stab wound in the tests.

[Fatal crossbow injury in an adolescent]

The authors present the case of a 14-year-old boy who died while handling a crossbow, which was a gift from a friend's mother. The bolt passed through the right nostril, penetrated the sinus sphenoidalis, the brain stem, the left occipital lobe and the occipital calvaria. Immediately after the accident, the victim was taken to a maximum care hospital. In spite of neurosurgical treatment and intensive care the victim died 4 days later. The case presented demonstrates that crossbows are not suitable as toys for underage persons, as they are deadly weapons which can cause serious penetrating injuries. In Germany, no license is required to buy and/or possess crossbows. In the authors' opinion, legal restrictions on the sale of crossbows and a special training of the users would be reasonable measures to reduce such accidents.

[Forensic medical assessment of injuries to the human body and clothes caused by a crossbow arrow]

Analysis of the data published in the special literature revealed the lack of information for the objective comprehensive forensic medical evaluation of injuries to the human body and clothes caused by the arrows from different models of crossbows. Morphological characteristics of injuries were shown to strongly depend on the design features of the arrows. This fact can be used to differentiate between injuries inflicted by crossbow arrows and other types of missile weapons.

[Experimental studies on the wounding capacity of recently developed shuriken/throwing stars and their legal categorization--an interdisciplinary view]

Shuriken/throwing stars are traditional Japanese weapons for close combat situations. They vary greatly in shape and mode of action. Due to their wounding capacity traditional shuriken made of steel were prohibited in Germany in the 1980's. In the present study three recently developed types of shuriken were examined to determine their wounding capacity. Type 1 was made of plastic, whereas type 2 was a so-called cyclone shuriken equipped with three knives protruding from a discoidal center due to centrifugal force during the flight. Type 3 consisted of three traditional metal shuriken with blunt edges and peaks produced for decorative purposes. Experiments using pig carcasses were carried out for types 1 and 2. An experiment using human skin was performed with type 3 shuriken. An experienced thrower performed throws from a distance of 1, 2, 3, and 4 m with the shuriken made of plastic. For the cyclone shuriken a distance of 4 m was chosen to ensure the unfolding of the shuriken during flight. Type 3 shuriken were tested using a distance of 2 m. Penetration depths of the shuriken made of plastic reached up to 8 mm in pig skin. The experiment with the cyclone shuriken revealed a penetration depth of up to 2.5 cm cutting through the entire abdominal tissue and opening up an intestinal loop whereas type 3 shuriken yielded maximal penetration depths between 0.9 and 2.3 cm. This study indicates that all three types of shuriken may inflict lethal wounds upon opponents in close combat. The findings of this study should promote a public discussion whether the ban on traditional shuriken should be extended to the recently developed types.

[Homicide by bow and arrow]

Since the invention of firearms, arrow wounds represent a rarity in the daily routine of forensic pathologists. In the present paper, we describe a homicide by a broadhead arrow shot from a compound bow in a domestic environment. Based on this homicide, we discuss the characteristics of the lesion caused by broadhead arrows and field-tip arrows. We look critically at the free saleability of this equipment mostly used for sport shooting in Germany.

Visions of utopia: social emancipation, technological progress, and anticapitalism in Nazi inventor policy, 1933-1945

Inthis paper I would like to relate some of the results of my specialized research on Nazi inventor policy to themes and interpretations with which many students of the Third Reich already are familiar. One of those themes is the relationship between big business and the Nazi state. An influential hypothesis in this area centers on the notion of a “power cartel,” based on the insight that Nazi Germany was not a dictatorship in which all sectors of society were suppressed with equal force. According to the “power-cartel” interpretation, which incorporates elements of the Marxist perspective on the relationship between capitalism and National Socialism, the Third Reich was governed by an informal coalition of the Nazis, the military, and big business. This fundamental idea is then qualified by two additional observations. First, the Nazi movement is broken down into factions comprising the party, Labor Front, and SA on the one hand, and the Gestapo and SS on the other hand. The former are seen to lose power as time went by while that latter gained it, which helps explain the regime's increasing brutality and its accelerating descent into barbarism. Second, the idea of a changing balance of power is also applied to the power cartel as a whole. The point here is to account for the gradual loss of power by the military and big business. Their relatively advantageous positions in the regime’s early years steadily eroded, producing a very different weighting among the cartel’s members by the time World War II ended, without, however, ever completely destroying it.