Forensic Sciences

13 pages, 419 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Coping Strategies in Children’s Repeated Suggestive Interviews

by Monia Vagni and Valeria Giostra

Forensic Sci. 2024, 4(2), 221-233; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci4020015 - 7 May 2024

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Often in the forensic context, child victims and witnesses are interviewed several times, exposing them to suggestive questions and social pressures. The present study had the main purpose of verifying the effect of coping strategies on the levels of immediate suggestibility and on [...] Read more.

Often in the forensic context, child victims and witnesses are interviewed several times, exposing them to suggestive questions and social pressures. The present study had the main purpose of verifying the effect of coping strategies on the levels of immediate suggestibility and on the Resistant Behavioral Responses (RBRs) of children subjected to repeated suggestive interviews. A sample of 90 children, aged between 11 and 14, were administered the two parallel Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales (GSS2 and GSS1) a few months apart and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) to detect their coping strategies. The results showed that the avoidance coping increased suggestive vulnerability and reduced resistant responses. Task-oriented coping favored responses with greater source monitoring, which allow for the rejection of misleading information. Coping strategies did not show direct effects on the management of the socioemotional aspects involved in the suggestive interaction. After the negative feedback that invites children to be more accurate, a smaller effect of the avoidance strategy was recorded, indicating how actively requesting greater source monitoring can lead children to better recognize misleading information. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abuse and Violence in Families)

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10 pages, 1643 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ovarian Weight and Uterine Volume Index Are Useful for Age Estimation in Adult Women

by Takato Murai, Takahiro Tomioka, Marin Takaso, Arisa Takeda, Mami Nakamura, Shinya Koshinuma, Yumiko Tateoka and Masahito Hitosugi

Forensic Sci. 2024, 4(2), 211-220; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci4020014 - 20 Apr 2024

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Abstract

Practically, when only parts of an unidentified human body are found, age estimation with limited materials is required. The purpose of this study was to investigate methods for estimating age using the uterus and ovaries. Among forensic autopsies performed between January 2011 and [...] Read more.

Practically, when only parts of an unidentified human body are found, age estimation with limited materials is required. The purpose of this study was to investigate methods for estimating age using the uterus and ovaries. Among forensic autopsies performed between January 2011 and March 2022, 211 uteruses and 521 ovaries of 322 women were used for this study. Measured values for ovarian weight and uterine volume index were corrected by body surface area to consider the effect of body size. The corrected uterine volume index increased in teenage years and achieved its maximum in the 40–49 group, then gradually decreased with increasing age. The corrected ovarian weight increased until the twenties, after which it decreased with age. For women aged 20 years or more, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggested that a uterine volume index of 41.2 cm³/m² was the cutoff value for classifying the age as ≥60 years or <60 years, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of 0.751. Ovarian weights of 2.27 g/m² and 1.92 g/m² were the cutoff values for classifying the age as ≥40 years or <40 years, or ≥50 years or <50 years, with AUC values of 0.935 and 0.930, respectively. These methods can help determine an unknown individual’s age group simply and quickly, even for incomplete cadavers. Full article

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9 pages, 4721 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Application of X-STRs for Forensic Identification in Mixed DNA Profile: A Case Report

by Nunzia Ilaria Vacca, Giacoma Mongelli, Stefania Ceccardi, Elisabetta Moroni and Vincenzo Agostini

Forensic Sci. 2024, 4(2), 202-210; https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci4020013 - 12 Apr 2024

Viewed by 423

Abstract

Autosomal polymorphisms (STRs) or Y-Chromosome polymorphisms (Y-STRs) are usually used for the study and deconvolution of mixed DNA profiles in forensic genetics, accompanying data interpretation with biostatistical evaluations (e.g., RMP, RMNE, LR). Sometimes, however, some mixed DNA profiles are so complex that autosomal [...] Read more.

Autosomal polymorphisms (STRs) or Y-Chromosome polymorphisms (Y-STRs) are usually used for the study and deconvolution of mixed DNA profiles in forensic genetics, accompanying data interpretation with biostatistical evaluations (e.g., RMP, RMNE, LR). Sometimes, however, some mixed DNA profiles are so complex that autosomal and Y markers are not sufficient for correct discrimination and identification. In this work is reported a robbery case in which the analysis of the polymorphic markers of the X Chromosome (X-STRs) was applied to the mixed profiles obtained from the traces. This falls outside the classic use of the X-STRs. Indeed, the aim of the authors is to encourage the usage of X-STRs not only in parental relationships, but also in pure forensic cases for interpreting complex mixed DNA profiles, since their application in case resolution could be more decisive than autosomal STRs and Y-STRs. Full article

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