"Contemporary Issues in Family Law and Mental Health is an original and practical discussion of cutting-edge issues in family relations and the law. Through the prism of family law, and custody disputes in particular, it discusses the basic principles that underlie the proper use of mental health evidence in court and it sets out the proper use of mental health evidence in litigation. In this book of twenty chapters, Michael G. Brock and Samuel Saks discuss many important topics: Facilitative and evaluative mediation, case preparation versus the expert witness, the privilege and ethics of forensic practice, therapy court, valid and invalid scientific evidence, false allegations of abuse, parental alienation, child advocacy, mental health forensics, and child therapy. In addition, the effect of the amendment to the Michigan Rule of Evidence 703 on expert testimony in court is examined, as well as the forensic interviewing protocol in child abuse cases, science and technology, and the search for truth. In several chapters, the authors also describe the problems involved in establishing child abuse in the courts. The book also includes the elements of child custody evaluations, the use of the polygraph test, and when child abuse constitutes malpractice. This engaging book will enrich the literature on family law and mental health. It will help shed light on the challenges and pitfalls that surround the use of mental health evidence in court."--BOOK JACKET.

The intention of this book is to provide training officials - working in law enforcement, courts, adult corrections, juvenile justice, child and family welfare, fire safety, emergency medical care, and related agencies - with valid mechanisms for assessing the degree to which trainees actually acquire the knowledge and skills required to effectively perform duties that can be complex and challenging, in order to determine which trainees will and will not be formally credentialed to perform work. This book addresses the current void in the literature on the topic and to encourage increased attention to the question of whether tools being used to assess knowledge and skills acquired from training conform to scientifically established standards of validity. The meticulous efforts of the authors have produced a solid basis for application through comprehensible and concrete theoretical principles. The aim of the book is to show how to perform validation of training assessment instruments by actually doing so and by addressing the central issues that warrant consideration in the process. The book begins with background information that is important to the authors' research on the validity of tests used in policed training. After providing the background in the first three chapters, the following four chapters describe and present the findings of their validation study of police academy testing. The last chapter draws conclusions about the validity and reliability of the instruments that were studied and by examining the implications of their research for future efforts to validate tests in justice and safety training contexts. The book also contains appendices that present data to support the conclusions and also include methods and instruments developed during the authors' research.

The field of police vehicular pursuits is replete with complex, often conflicting, legal issues. The consequences of negligence can have far- reaching implications for law enforcement agencies as well as individuals. While this book is not an indepth legal analysis of pursuit ramifications, it provides discriminating readers with the most up-to-date guide to understanding the many legal intricacies involved with police pursuits. The text provides comprehensive examination of legal aspects underlying police department pursuits and policy considerations; exploration of liability and negligence.

This book presents a treatise on the topic of business and industrial security and loss control as it applies to the protection of assets and personnel. The material in this thoroughly revised and updated second edition will enable law enforcement officers, security/loss control personnel and business managers to view security/loss control needs from a broad perspective and thus devise security measures that will reflect a well-thought-out systems approach. The book contains a wide range of information, and is presented in terms that will be meaningful to readers that do not have formal training or experience in the field of security and loss control. The information is of a practical nature which, if applied in a variation that is consistent with specific needs, will tailor a program that will result in a well-understood balanced systems approach. Through further understanding, the effectiveness of police and security personnel is enhanced as they perform crime prevention duties and assist local businesses in upgrading security measures. Replete with numerous illustrations and tables, the author provides a security/loss control survey for businesses, plus an overview of security for both businesses and industries. Specialized chapters on executive protection, fire dynamics and hazardous materials, security cameras, loss control surveys, loss control manager participation, and managerial leadership are included. This book will help the officer fine-tune investigative techniques when a crime, such as a burglary, has been committed at a business.