TAX TIME TIP: FIND A GOOD ACCOUNTANT AND FILE ELECTRONICALLY -- Tempted to try out one of those computer programs to figure out your taxes on your own? Think twice, says Temple social and organizational psychologist Don Hantula, who studies technology and psychology. If you're not sure what you're doing to begin with, computers may make things worse, says Hantula. "It's the old computer phrase, 'Garbage in, garbage out,'" says Hantula. "People generally will have more confidence in calculation and computation when a computer does it rather than a person. But if you don't know what you're doing, then you don't know if the computer is doing it right for you. Unless you have a good idea of what goes where and why, it's a very technologically-enhanced way of fooling yourself." Hantula recommends finding a good accountant to help beat the April 15 deadline and taking advantage of the technology to file online--and avoid those nasty post office lines. "Every time you transfer data by computer rather than by a person entering the information, you're cutting down on error," says Hantula. "And if you're getting a refund, the speed of electronic filing is a great thing." Reach Dr. Hantula through the Office of News and Media Relations, 215-204-7476.
KIDS IN COURTS AT THE CROSSROADS -- What do you do with a boy who kills a playmate mimicking wrestling moves he's seen on TV? In Florida last month, a 13-year-old, who did just that, was sentenced to life in prison. But was the sentence justified? Did the boy know what he was doing? And what does his sentencing say about the state of juvenile justice in America? Those are some of the questions leaders in the fields of juvenile justice, public policy and psychology will discuss during Juvenile Justice at the Crossroads: Policy and Practice in Philadelphia and Beyond, a forum at Temple on Tuesday, April 24, from 1-3 p.m., in the Great Court of Mitten Hall, Broad St. and Berks Mall. "The forum will highlight recent developments in juvenile justice practice and policy and discuss the future of juvenile justice in the region and across the country," says Anne B. Shlay, director of the Center for Public Policy, forum sponsor along with the departments of criminal justice and psychology, and the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice. Moderated by Temple psychologist Laurence Steinberg, director of the national research network, the forum will address, among other issues, what works--and doesn't work-- in juvenile justice, the impact of trying kids as adults, and crime rates for juveniles. Philadelphia is a good setting for the discussion, says Steinberg. "New York is very punitive, very harsh, and New Jersey is a very traditional juvenile justice state. But Pennsylvania is kind of in the middle of the pack. And Philadelphia has an incredible array of different programs and services." For information on the forum, call the Office of News & Media Relations.
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Cheryl AfonsoTemple UniversityOffice of News andMedia Relations215.204.7476[email protected]
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