Crime scene technicians collect evidence related to crime and are therefore exposed to many traumatic situations. The coping strategies they use are thus very important in the process of facing the psychological consequences of such work. The available literature shows that crime scene technicians are an understudied subgroup of police workers. Our study is therefore the first unfolding insights into technicians' coping strategies, post-traumatic symptomatology and somatic health, based on a sample of 64 male crime scene technicians (85% of all Slovene technicians). Crime scene technicians mainly use avoidance coping strategies. Approach strategies that are more effective in the long-term-i.e. lead to a larger buffering of the effects of traumatic stress-are more frequently used if technicians are familiar with the nature of the task, when they have time to prepare for it, and if they feel that past situations have been positively resolved. Behavioural avoidance strategies were found to be least effective when dealing with traumatic experiences and are also related to more frequent problems of physical health. Results indicate that appropriate trainings for future technicians would facilitate the use of more effective coping strategies and consequently lead to a more effective and satisfied worker. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract. This study is the first to our knowledge to focus on posttraumatic symptomatology among crime scene investigators (CSIs) and explore its relationship with their personality functioning as measured by Rorschach. Considering that posttraumatic symptomatology can affect decision-making, which is of crucial importance in police work, police officers’ evaluations should include an assessment of trauma-related impairments. The study was carried out on a sample of 64 male CSIs (85% of all Slovene CSIs). Posttraumatic symptomatology was found to be more frequent among CSIs than among the general population. Avoidance appears to be a predominant personality characteristic defending CSIs from emotionally overwhelming work situations. CSIs show less conventional, but still appropriate, cognitive mediation; however, a more detailed analysis indicates that the group with the highest posttraumatic symptomatology exhibits severely disrupted mediational processes, presumably because of negative affect. Rorschach was found to be a suitable method for such assessments, particularly because it unfolds psychological functioning related to traumatic experience but not necessarily linked to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and not necessarily recognized by the traumatized individual.

Povzetek: Otroci so v sodnih procesih lahko adekvatne priče, če je forenzični intervju ustrezno izpeljan. Prispevek predstavlja pomembnejše linije otrokovega razvoja -mišljenje, spomin, govor in socialno-emocionalni razvoj -in jih povezuje z usmeritvami za vodenje razgovora z otrokom. Zaradi pogostega prepričanja, da je otroka mogoče pripraviti do neresničnega pričanja in da ne loči med realnim ter domišljijskim, sta obravnavani tudi temi laganja in sugestibilnosti. Prispevek na koncu daje nekatere praktične usmeritve za izvedbo forenzičnega razgovora in opozarja na pomen izobraževanja vseh, ki so v stiku z otroki -potencialnimi pričami.Ključne besede: forenzično ocenjevanje, intervju, otroci, priče, spomin, sugestibilnost Children's developmental characteristics in the forensic interviewTinkara Pavšič Mrevlje Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Maribor, Slovenia Abstract: Children can be credible witnesses in court procedures given an adequately conducted forensic interview with them. This paper presents the most important features of a child's development (the cognitive and socioemotional development and the development of language and communication) and from these features derives the specific guidelines for forensic interviews of children. Due to the frequent belief that children can be led to false witnessing and that they do not differentiate between reality and fantasy the topics of lying and suggestibility are also discussed. At the end some practical suggestions are given with recommendations for trainings of all professionals working with children that are potential witnesses.

Police work is stressful and can lead to absenteeism, withdrawal, and impaired physical health. However, the stress brought by work can be reduced by effective coping strategies. The aim of our study is to explore the relationship between health and coping strategies of officers in three different units dealing with serious crime (homicide and sexual offences, juvenile crime, and crime scene investigation). The moderating role of work experience in this relationship is also explored. We used the Coping Responses Inventory questionnaire to assess coping strategies and the Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness to measure physical symptoms. Overall, the sample included 104 respondents. The approach coping strategies prevail among all three units. However, avoidance-coping strategy use is associated with more frequent somatic symptoms (P= 0.005). These are particularly linked to the emotional discharge (P < 0.001), especially in the group of officers with longer years of service (P = 0.01). Still, when this strategy is used rarely or not at all, more experienced officers report fewer symptoms than their younger colleagues. Preventive programmes promoting adaptive coping strategies would benefit police officers since avoidance-coping strategies are linked to more frequent physical symptomatology. More experienced police officers with somatic complaints should be focused on in particular.

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Prispevki 23. konference Dnevi varstvoslovja prinašajo strokovni in znanstveni premislek o načinih in virih za zagotavljanje varnosti sodobne družbe. V zborniku so zbrani napovedniki dveh plenarnih predavanj, dveh okroglih miz in štiriinštiridesetih povzetkov, v katerih se avtorji lotevajo tematik nasilja v družini, policijske dejavnosti, zasebnega varovanja, varnosti v lokalnih skupnostih, preiskovanja kaznivih dejanj, kriminologije, pritožbenih postopkov, detektivske dejavnosti, izvrševanja kazenskih sankcij, kibernetske varnosti, sodobnih tehnologij pri zagotavljanju varnosti in drugih aktualnih varnostnih izzivov sodobne družbe.

The paper starts by reviewing key studies of victimisation of the elderly and continues by presenting a comparison of some types of victimisation of the elderly in the municipalities of Uppsala (Sweden) and Ljubljana (Slovenia). A randomly chosen sample of women and men over 65 years of age was invited to take part in the survey by receiving a questionnaire by post. The response rate was almost 40% (n ¼ 635) in Ljubljana and almost 71% (n ¼ 1,059) in Uppsala. The results show that the elderly are predominantly victims of property crime in both municipalities. However, the prevalence of victimisation among the elderly over 65 years of age in Ljubljana is higher with respect to harassment, threats, theft and fraud in comparison to Uppsala's elderly. Even though strangers are the most common offenders in both municipalities, adult children are the second most frequent perpetrators, but only in Ljubljana. The study gives an interesting insight into the similarities/differences between the two municipalities and is also the first study targeting the elderly in Slovenia.