Journal of Interpersonal Violence最新文献

Male sexual victimization is more commonly examined in the context of child sexual abuse (CSA) rather than adult sexual assault (ASA). This qualitative study examines the meaning-making of ASA among men who have been sexually assaulted in adulthood (after age 18) by analyzing the ways they experience and narrate adult age and masculinity in this context. To gain a comprehensive understanding of male sexual victimization in adulthood, data were gathered through 40 in-depth interviews with 19 Israeli male ASA survivors and 21 sexual trauma therapists. This study found that survivors perceived the sexual assaults they experienced as adults through the dual lenses of adulthood and masculinity, which resulted in an identity where expectations of being an adult and being male became intertwined. This perspective deepened their sense of loneliness, driven by the belief that adult men should be self-reliant, and distinguished the meaning-making of ASA from that of CSA. In addition, ASA survivors negotiated the narrative of being an adult male survivor of sexual assault using three strategies: detachment from the experience, minimization of the experience, and hypersexuality. Accordingly, we conclude that the perception of the assault by ASA survivors is shaped by both their masculinity and their maturity.

Strangulation involves the application of force to the neck to restrict blood flow or breathing. It is often utilized in both homicides and non-fatal incidences of coercive control, interpersonal altercations, and sexual assaults. The intention of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of interpersonal fatal strangulation in Australian adults through the documentation and analysis of characteristics and circumstances involved in these fatalities. Currently, there is limited research within this field in Australia leading to a medico-legal knowledge deficit that needs to be rectified to ensure public health intervention and preventative death policies and initiatives. Researchers conducted a retrospective review of all closed interpersonal strangulation coronial cases within Australia between 2000 and 2021 using the National Coronial Information System online repository. Researchers identified 195 cases to be included in the study. Strangulation currently accounts for 1.1% to 5.8% of all assault fatalities in Australia per year. Most victims of strangulation are women (68.2%), under the age of 45 (52.3%), and Anglo-European (73.3%). Most individuals are killed by someone they know (89.2%), often in the context of intimate partner violence (52.3%). The leading cause of death within the sample is directly related to the strangulation (90.8%), and the leading manner of death is homicide (94.4%). The study is the first of its kind to utilize descriptive forensic epidemiology to explain the circumstances and characteristics of fatal interpersonal strangulation in Australia providing an Australia-specific medico-legal voice to aid in future research, policy development, and criminal prosecution. The findings within this study are foreseen to contribute to improvements in public health policy surrounding fatal and non-fatal strangulation and assist future medico-legal death investigations, and provide LGBTQ+ and Indigenous Australian representation, which has not been considered in previous studies.

In 2017, the #MeToo movement garnered international attention when millions of people used the hashtag to share personal experiences of sexual violence. The present study examines how noncelebrity users discussed their experiences of sexual victimization through a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of a random sample of #MeToo tweets (N = 1,427). We found that survivors prioritized details about the "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," and "how" of trauma in their disclosures. Key themes in their responses included child sexual abuse (22.7%), long-term adverse effects (17.6%), and polyvictimization (10.4%) across the life course. Survivors also utilized #MeToo to highlight the prevalence of violence against women (26.4%) and offer critiques of rape culture and social structures (23.9%) as indirect causes of their victimization and subsequent negative experiences. Our analysis demonstrates the utility of Twitter for broadening current understandings of the context in which sexual violence occurs, while also offering a nuanced analysis of the persisting difficulties many survivors face in narrating personal experiences of violence.

Mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence (MR-IPV) is a controversial topic. This study examined the practice of MR-IPV by investigating what factors were associated with MR-IPV experience among victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study also investigated the experiences of IPV victims who have experienced MR-IPV, to better understand the consequences of MR-IPV. Eighty-six IPV victims were recruited through help services and administered a questionnaire about their experiences with IPV and MR-IPV. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore statistical predictors of having experienced MR-IPV. Candidate predictors included IPV characteristics and risk factors, sociodemographic/contextual variables, and contact with the help services. IPV severity and persistence were of particular interest, as these define the threshold for whether MR-IPV applies in Norwegian law. IPV victims with MR-IPV experience were asked questions about the experienced consequences of MR-IPV. Neither characteristics of the IPV victimization, risk factors, sociodemographic variables nor contact with the help services were predictive of MR-IPV experience. However, having perpetrated severe psychological aggression was predictive of MR-IPV experience (OR = 4.99). Participants with MR-IPV experience (n = 39) reported both positive and negative consequences of MR-IPV, but generally more positive consequences for themselves. A majority agreed that, overall, they were better off after MR-IPV was used. Our results indicate that the Norwegian MR-IPV law might not be practiced as intended. The consequences of MR-IPV for IPV victims appear complex and warrant further study. However, overall, the use of MR-IPV led to positive reported consequences for the majority of the participants in this study.

Bias-based bullying (i.e., bullying targeting actual or perceived aspects of one's identity) is a form of interpersonal victimization that has adverse consequences for youth functioning. While research has documented foundational knowledge on bias-based bullying, few studies have incorporated a multilevel longitudinal approach to examining theorized risk and protective factors of this complex phenomenon. The current study addresses this gap by investigating predictors (e.g., school climate and state laws) at multiple social-ecological levels and comparing the magnitude of coefficients. Three data sources were used: (a) data from a sample of adolescents (N = 639) participating in a four-wave longitudinal study regarding their experiences with bias-based bullying, (b) external data on enumerated anti-bullying laws, and (c) external data on protected categories in state hate crime statutes. We estimated a series of latent growth curve models to examine trajectories of bias-based bullying victimization over the 18-month study period and added social-ecological predictors (sociodemographic characteristics, peer support, family support, school climate, enumerated anti-bullying laws, and an index of protected categories in state hate crime laws) of bias-based bullying victimization. Key findings documented that sexual minority youth and youth identifying as another racial identity, non-Hispanic had higher initial bias-based bullying victimization scores, with sexual minority youth decreasing at a significantly more rapid rate than heterosexual youth. Peer support, family support, school climate, and enumerated anti-bullying laws were significantly associated with the intercept factor (i.e., initial status) of bias-based bullying victimization. Notably, school climate emerged as an important protective factor in the fully adjusted model, predicting initial bias-based bullying victimization scores. This study provides new information on risk and protective factors and is critical for tailoring prevention and intervention efforts to mitigate this form of victimization. Bolstering support for vulnerable youth and promoting a positive school climate are recommended.

The consistently high prevalence of unwanted sexual experiences (USEs) on university campuses has led to increasing calls for evidence-based solutions to inform policies, training, and intervention development. However, Research Ethics Committees are often hesitant to approve sexual trauma research due to beliefs that asking participants about traumatic experiences will cause extreme distress. Conversely, previous literature has found that many participants who have experienced sexual trauma report positive reactions following their participation in such research. Studies have found that while immediate negative emotional reactions are common, this distress is short-term (e.g., lasting only minutes or hours after participation). The present study assessed 469 Northern Irish university students' experiences of participating in research addressing USEs. The findings indicated that participating in USE research was a positive experience for participants, regardless of victimization status. Further, participants who reported a victimization experience did not report experiencing a negative emotional reaction to participating in the study. This article considers the ethics of conducting sexual trauma research among university students, with reference to common ethical concerns that can be addressed as part of the research process.