Introduction: Broken glass exhibits unique fracture patterns depend upon the nature of the impact. The fracture patterns provide information like point and angle of impact, direction of force and sequence of firing. Recent studies have shown that the use of shotgun in Malaysia is increasing, yet, the relationship existing among the fracture pattern and the projectile impact factors are not well documented. The objective was to analyse the fracture characteristics on different glass types of variable thickness and distance made by shotgun ammunition. Methods: Soda lime and tempered glass panel with dimension of 12’x 12’ with 3 or 4 mm thickness were shot from various distances of 4, 6 and 8 m from the muzzle end of the shotgun. Samples were analysed under fixed parameters and observations were recorded. Results: It is found that the bullet hole diameter of 4 mm tempered glass were larger compared to 4 mm soda lime glass ranged from 14.33 to 24.17 cm as distance increased. Tempered glass surface also exhibited dicing fragments unlike soda lime glass where only radial fracture patterns are evident. This can be attributed to high inherent strength and ductility that makes the tempered glass remarkably resistant to external force. Conclusion: The findings from this study can lead to distinguish the type of glass through examination of fracture patterns, whether it is soda lime silica or tempered glass. The type of glass and the source of impact can be determined using the fragments, no reconstruction necessary.
Objective: A sizable body of criminology literature has suggested that personality factors are critical to the development of aggressive behaviour. While research on personality focusing on aggression often revolves on "Eynseck Three Factor Model" and "Big Five Model", research on "Alternative Five Factor Model" (AFFM) is rather inadequate. Objective: The present study aimed to examine the association between five types of personality traits and subscales of aggression. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in two prisons in Peninsular Malaysia among 198 Malay adult male inmates. The participants were selected based on the purposive sampling method from those who were convicted for various types of crime. Two psychometric instruments adapted to the Malaysian context were used: Malay version of Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire-40-Cross Culture (ZKPQ-M-40-CC) and Aggression Questionnaire (AQ-M). Pearson correlation coefficient test was conducted to determine the association between five types of personality traits and subscales of aggression. Results: The results showed that there was a significant association between certain types of personality traits and subscales of aggression. The results were discussed in relation to theory and the context of crime. Conclusion: There is evidence that personality traits are linked to aggressive behaviour which may lead a person to commit offenses. ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 15 (2): July - December 2014: 176-185.
Introduction: Crime is an immoral act capable of tearing the well-being of society and the nation. Various factors have been accredited as potential factors for crime engagement for example natural inclination, nurture or a combination of these factors. Within the domain of natural inclination, lack of self-control is often viewed as the primary cause of crime and delinquency. However, there are no valid and reliable Malay language psychometric instruments to measure the level of self-control among Malaysians.
Objective: The aim of this study was to validate the Self Control Scale (SCS) for use among Malay speaking populations. Henceforth the Malay language version is identified as SCS-M.
Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 150 inmates incarcerated within two prisons in Peninsular Malaysia in June 2012. Forward and Backward translations of the original SCS were carried out followed by content and face validation processes. Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's Alpha reliability analysis were performed.
Result: Both content and face validation processes showed promising and good outcomes. Preliminary analysis for factor analysis supported factorability of the items. The factor loadings of SCS-M items did not correspond to the original six SCS dimensions. Since SCS is often administered as a unidimensional scale, a forced one factor analysis was performed and items with factor loadings exceeding 0.3 were retained. The result of internal consistency reliability of SCS-M demonstrated a good Cronbach's alpha value of 0.80.
Conclusion: The findings supported that SCS-M is a valid and reliable unidimensional scale to measure the level of self-control among Malay speaking populations. It is anticipated that the emergence of SCS-M is vital for self-control assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation purposes.