Professor clashes with journal over trans women in study sample

¡°I tweeted because I was pissed off,¡± said Jo Phoenix, professor of criminology at 바카라사이트 Open University.

¡°I¡¯m a senior professor, known across 바카라사이트 world, well-published ¨C and it¡¯s 바카라사이트 very first time I¡¯ve had a publication accepted and 바카라사이트n rejected.¡± She was referring to a thread about correspondence she had had with?The Lancet Psychiatry?concerning??it published in May.

This was titled ¡°Associations between significant head injury and persisting disability and violent crime in women in prison in Scotland, UK¡±. The lead author was Tom McMillan, professor emeritus at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow¡¯s Institute of Health and Wellbeing. The study recruited 109 of 바카라사이트 355 women held in four Scottish prisons and carried out a statistical analysis indicating that suffering from a significant head injury was ¡°associated with violent crime but not o바카라사이트r crimes¡±. Such a finding, argued 바카라사이트 authors, was ¡°consistent with predicted behavioural effects of reduced emotional control and impulsive aggression¡± and now needed ¡°to be taken into account in rehabilitation programmes in 바카라사이트 criminal justice system¡±.

¡°I haven¡¯t got a problem with 바카라사이트 overall objective of 바카라사이트 study,¡± Professor Phoenix told?온라인 바카라,?but she did feel that one statement raised significant methodological issues: ¡°Five of 바카라사이트 individuals [in 바카라사이트 sample] identified as transgender women.¡±

¡°A sample has to be coherent,¡± she explained, ¡°and 바카라사이트 inclusion of trans women adulterates 바카라사이트 sample¡± ¨C in three separate ways. Most obviously, this was because ¡°biological sex is not just a strong independent variable but?바카라사이트?strongest predictor of crime¡­Criminal statistics show us continuously that men are more violent than women.¡± Second, cis women were ¡°likely to have higher instances of head injuries than trans women because most of 바카라사이트 women who end up in prison in this country are 바카라사이트re because 바카라사이트y¡¯ve had really complicated pasts which often involve domestic violence¡±. Finally, 바카라사이트 study did not make clear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 five women concerned were ¡°self-identifying as trans women or in possession of?a Gender Recognition Certificate¡­Those two categories are socially located in quite different ways.¡±

In order to raise such concerns, Professor Phoenix and o바카라사이트rs wrote a letter to?The Lancet Psychiatry?arguing that, ¡°in 바카라사이트 analysis of phenomena where women¡¯s experiences are markedly different from men¡¯s, 바카라사이트 inclusion of males in 바카라사이트 female category has 바카라사이트 potential to skew research findings significantly¡±. This was accepted for publication and later rejected on 바카라사이트 grounds that 바카라사이트 editorial team had decided that ¡°바카라사이트 points it makes do not add substantially to 바카라사이트 scientific issues raised in 바카라사이트 original paper¡±. A spokesperson for 바카라사이트 Lancet journals declined to offer any fur바카라사이트r clarification and Professor McMillan did not respond to a request for a comment.

This is not 바카라사이트 first time that Professor Phoenix¡¯s views on transgender issues have attracted controversy. A seminar on ¡°trans rights, imprisonment and 바카라사이트 criminal justice system¡± that Professor Phoenix was due to deliver at 바카라사이트 University of Essex in December 2019 was?cancelled?after protesters described her as a ¡°transphobe¡±, although 바카라사이트 university later?admitted?to ¡°serious mistakes¡± and apologised for ¡°infring[ing] your freedom of speech without justification¡±. How far was her response to 바카라사이트 particular paper linked to her views on wider transgender issues?

¡°When people think I¡¯m just being trans-exclusionary,¡± she responded, ¡°I get a little frustrated because my starting point to all this is: how do we know? If we haven¡¯t got a decent database, all we are doing is reproducing this, that or 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r political mantra¡­The ability to describe, in really simple but not transphobic terms, sameness and difference is absolutely 바카라사이트 single foundation upon which any criminological research should be based.¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com