title: A Spatial Analysis Of Assault Patterns In Entertainment Areas Throughout the Waikato using Geographic Information Systems

authors: Hughes, Geoffrey

subjects: assaults

abstract: Alcohol related violence has long been a matter of social concern. Recent studies investigating the association between assaults and alcohol have found that there are certain places and locations including bars, which are more commonly associated with assaults than other places. Using different spatial analysis techniques accommodated within a Geographic Information System (GIS) including point and choropleth density, Euclidean based distance measures, clustering analysis and geographically weighted regression, this study examines the association between bars and assaults in the Waikato region. It also seeks to explain the assault patterns around bars by various theories, namely the “Social Disorganisation Theory”, “Routine Activity Theory” and the “Crime Potential Theory”. The study determined that for the two year period (2008-2009) in the Waikato Police district there was clear evidence of higher assault levels being associated with areas of higher bar densities. In Hamilton’s CBD there was a particularly strong relationship between assaults and bars where around 25% of all assaults took place within 10 metres of a bar and approximately half of all assaults took place within 50 metres of a bar. Over the study period, one meshblock in Hamilton’s CBD recorded approximately 45 assaults per square kilometre per week. Elsewhere in the Waikato, the study showed a reasonably strong relationship between assaults and bars at the coastal resorts of Whitianga, Raglan and Coromandel township. In these townships, there was a discernable, but lesser relationship to that of the Hamilton CBD, with around 15-25% of assaults taking place within 10 metres of a bar. The assault density in the centre of these coastal townships, as well as other townships throughout the Waikato was generally lower, recording 3-4 assaults per square kilometre per week. Suburban areas in Hamilton City showed similar assault densities to that recorded in the centre of townships throughout the Waikato. The study findings were found to be generally consistent with the Routine Activity and Crime Potential theories by conclusively demonstrating that place, in this instance, bars, and their location, influences the distribution of assaults. The study examined population characteristics only in respect of population density and its proxy, road density, but these variables were not found to be particularly accurate in predicting the distribution of assaults.

text: A Spatial Analysis Of Assault Patterns In Entertainment Areas Throughout the Waikato using Geographic Information Systems Alcohol related violence has long been a matter of social concern. Recent studies investigating the association between assaults and alcohol have found that there are certain places and locations including bars, which are more commonly associated with assaults than other places. Using different spatial analysis techniques accommodated within a Geographic Information System (GIS) including point and choropleth density, Euclidean based distance measures, clustering analysis and geographically weighted regression, this study examines the association between bars and assaults in the Waikato region. It also seeks to explain the assault patterns around bars by various theories, namely the “Social Disorganisation Theory”, “Routine Activity Theory” and the “Crime Potential Theory”. The study determined that for the two year period (2008-2009) in the Waikato Police district there was clear evidence of higher assault levels being associated with areas of higher bar densities. In Hamilton’s CBD there was a particularly strong relationship between assaults and bars where around 25% of all assaults took place within 10 metres of a bar and approximately half of all assaults took place within 50 metres of a bar. Over the study period, one meshblock in Hamilton’s CBD recorded approximately 45 assaults per square kilometre per week. Elsewhere in the Waikato, the study showed a reasonably strong relationship between assaults and bars at the coastal resorts of Whitianga, Raglan and Coromandel township. In these townships, there was a discernable, but lesser relationship to that of the Hamilton CBD, with around 15-25% of assaults taking place within 10 metres of a bar. The assault density in the centre of these coastal townships, as well as other townships throughout the Waikato was generally lower, recording 3-4 assaults per square kilometre per week. Suburban areas in Hamilton City showed similar assault densities to that recorded in the centre of townships throughout the Waikato. The study findings were found to be generally consistent with the Routine Activity and Crime Potential theories by conclusively demonstrating that place, in this instance, bars, and their location, influences the distribution of assaults. The study examined population characteristics only in respect of population density and its proxy, road density, but these variables were not found to be particularly accurate in predicting the distribution of assaults.

year: 2011

title: Coordinating knowledge to improve optical music recognition

authors: McPherson, John

abstract: Optical Music Recognition (OMR) is the process of automatically processing and understanding an image of a music score. This process involves various distinct phases to transform the image into primitive shapes, musical objects, and ultimately into a syntactic model representing the music's semantics. In general, OMR systems have performed these tasks in a linear sequence, so that the output of one component is the input to the next. However, this means that processing errors that occur in one of the tasks propagate through the system, and often when the error is eventually detected it is too late to reconsider the decisions leading to the incorrect classification or information. 
This thesis describes how OMR can be improved by modifying the recognition process from a sequence of linear tasks to a collection of modules that coordinate the information extracted from the data. Methods for_ data representation and controlling the system's flow of execution are investigated, and a practical implementation of such a system is described. This system has a message-passing design for providing contextual information from one module to another, such as suggesting possible classifications for an object. These messages are used to aid decision-making and to correct faulty decisions. This helps the system to adapt to a particular score while processing the image, increasing accuracy. 
This system is designed to aid in the research and evaluation of algorithms to achieve the above aims; therefore it is straightforward to modify various aspects of the system's behaviour, such as adding support for different music symbols. Examining the implemented system's behaviour clearly shows that this coordinated approach can correct many errors and can even identify some objects by only using syntactic information, based on the surrounding objects.

text: Coordinating knowledge to improve optical music recognition Optical Music Recognition (OMR) is the process of automatically processing and understanding an image of a music score. This process involves various distinct phases to transform the image into primitive shapes, musical objects, and ultimately into a syntactic model representing the music's semantics. In general, OMR systems have performed these tasks in a linear sequence, so that the output of one component is the input to the next. However, this means that processing errors that occur in one of the tasks propagate through the system, and often when the error is eventually detected it is too late to reconsider the decisions leading to the incorrect classification or information. 
This thesis describes how OMR can be improved by modifying the recognition process from a sequence of linear tasks to a collection of modules that coordinate the information extracted from the data. Methods for_ data representation and controlling the system's flow of execution are investigated, and a practical implementation of such a system is described. This system has a message-passing design for providing contextual information from one module to another, such as suggesting possible classifications for an object. These messages are used to aid decision-making and to correct faulty decisions. This helps the system to adapt to a particular score while processing the image, increasing accuracy. 
This system is designed to aid in the research and evaluation of algorithms to achieve the above aims; therefore it is straightforward to modify various aspects of the system's behaviour, such as adding support for different music symbols. Examining the implemented system's behaviour clearly shows that this coordinated approach can correct many errors and can even identify some objects by only using syntactic information, based on the surrounding objects.

year: 2006

title: Are they really at risk? Students' stories of success.

authors: Gray, Sheridan

subjects: Student engagement

abstract: In 2011, as the year level dean for year 13, I was surprised and pleased to see a group of students complete their fifth year of secondary schooling, contrary to teacher expectations, and in spite of earlier signs of disengagement and struggle.  Such students are frequently labelled “at risk” in our secondary schools. Truancy, lack of achievement, conduct issues, learning difficulties and health problems are seen as indicators of an at risk student by teachers. 

Statistically in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika students and students from low socio-economic families tend to be overrepresented among disengaged or early leavers from secondary schools, and so being from these cultures, and being from a low socio-economic group becomes a “risk” factor.   This can lead to assumptions among teachers about the students’ families, how parents value education, and even about the capacity of these groups to be able to succeed in education.  A range of strategies and programmes have been implemented in an attempt to address these issues, including Te Kotahitanga, Ka Hikitia and the Pasifika Education Plan, Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour, Restorative Practice, and more recently Positive Behaviour for Learning

While there has been a shift in such approaches from deficit of students to emphasising more positive attitudes in teachers, the perspectives of the students themselves are missing from the discussion about these issues.  This study asks students what factors helped them to stay, and to achieve at least a level one NCEA qualification

The findings show that retention and engagement of “at risk” students requires careful attention to the quality of relationships across the school community: students, teachers and parents. They discredit some commonly held assumptions that “at risk” students and their parents do not value education and that teachers cannot support these students sufficiently. These quality relationships are respectful, responsive and tenacious showing a high level of respect for and interest in the students that goes beyond a teaching and learning relationship.  It also suggests that the discourse of “risk” invites a disrespectful response to retention and engagement of students.

text: Are they really at risk? Students' stories of success. In 2011, as the year level dean for year 13, I was surprised and pleased to see a group of students complete their fifth year of secondary schooling, contrary to teacher expectations, and in spite of earlier signs of disengagement and struggle.  Such students are frequently labelled “at risk” in our secondary schools. Truancy, lack of achievement, conduct issues, learning difficulties and health problems are seen as indicators of an at risk student by teachers. 

Statistically in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika students and students from low socio-economic families tend to be overrepresented among disengaged or early leavers from secondary schools, and so being from these cultures, and being from a low socio-economic group becomes a “risk” factor.   This can lead to assumptions among teachers about the students’ families, how parents value education, and even about the capacity of these groups to be able to succeed in education.  A range of strategies and programmes have been implemented in an attempt to address these issues, including Te Kotahitanga, Ka Hikitia and the Pasifika Education Plan, Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour, Restorative Practice, and more recently Positive Behaviour for Learning

While there has been a shift in such approaches from deficit of students to emphasising more positive attitudes in teachers, the perspectives of the students themselves are missing from the discussion about these issues.  This study asks students what factors helped them to stay, and to achieve at least a level one NCEA qualification

The findings show that retention and engagement of “at risk” students requires careful attention to the quality of relationships across the school community: students, teachers and parents. They discredit some commonly held assumptions that “at risk” students and their parents do not value education and that teachers cannot support these students sufficiently. These quality relationships are respectful, responsive and tenacious showing a high level of respect for and interest in the students that goes beyond a teaching and learning relationship.  It also suggests that the discourse of “risk” invites a disrespectful response to retention and engagement of students.

year: 2012