Court rules campus police didn't use excessive force

Background Shoulder dystocia occurs when the fetal head delivers, but the shoulder is lodged behind the pubic symphysis. Training for these emergency deliveries is not optimized, and litigation can occur around a shoulder dystocia delivery. Objective Evaluate the ability of an outside observer to visually estimate the amount of traction applied to the fetal head during simulated deliveries complicated by shoulder dystocia. Study Design Simulated deliveries with an objective measurement of traction were randomly organized for estimation of traction applied. Videos show providers applying a “normal” (75 N) and “excessive” (150 N) amount of force in both a “calm” and “stressed” delivery. Results Fifty participants rated the amount of force applied. Observers estimated traction, on a scale from 1 to 5, higher in the 150-N deliveries as compared with 75-N deliveries (“calm” environment: 3.1 vs. 2.8, p < 0.001; and “stressed” environment: 3.2 vs. 2.8, p < 0.001). Only 15% of observers rated force “above average” or “excessive” in a “calm” environment, as opposed to 30% of observers in the “stressed” environment. Conclusion Observers are not able to determine when “excessive force” is used and are twice as likely to overestimate the force applied to a fetal head when an average amount of force is used and the delivery environment is stressful. Precis Observers are unable to determine when excessive traction is applied to the fetal head during simulated deliveries complicated by shoulder dystocia.

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Rethinking Excessive Force

Duke Law Journal ◽

10.2307/1372527 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 1987 (4) ◽

pp. 692

Author(s):

R. Wilson Freyermuth

Keyword(s):

Excessive Force

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Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church

Criminal Justice and Behavior ◽

10.1177/0093854808314470 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 35 (5) ◽

pp. 658-678 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Michael D. White ◽

Karen J. Terry

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Catholic Church ◽

Excessive Force ◽

Police Organization ◽

Sex Abuse ◽

Police Deviance ◽

The Individual ◽

The Church ◽

The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church response to its sexual abuse crisis and how the problem should be addressed parallels the “rotten apple” assertions of police deviance. The rotten apple theory, however, does not fully explain police deviance, as there are often also structural explanations. This article employs Kappeler, Sluder, and Alpert's (1998) police deviance framework to characterize and understand the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, drawing specific comparisons to the intentional use of excessive force by police. Though the analogy has limitations, there are similarities at both the individual and organizational levels, particularly because the Church has implemented accountability mechanisms similar to the police. The article concludes with a discussion of lessons the Church can learn from the police organization as they seek to prevent, control, and effectively respond to sexual abuse of children by their clergy.

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