Violence and Victims最新文献

Military sexual trauma (MST), an unfortunately common experience reported by U.S. service members and veterans, frequently leads to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other related conditions. However, little is known about how contextual features of MST correlate with specific clinical phenotypes and symptom presentations. The current study examined correlations between contextual factors of MST and cumulative interpersonal trauma history with diverse clinical outcomes, including PTSD symptom clusters, depressive symptoms, worry, and posttraumatic cognitions in a sizeable treatment-seeking sample (N = 472). Nuanced patterns emerged. Generally, additional exposure to childhood sexual abuse and adult intimate partner violence (IPV; describing nonsexual violence perpetrated by an intimate partner) was associated with elevations in particular negative posttraumatic cognitions as were multiple perpetrator MST events. In contrast, recurrent MST and additional sexual trauma in adulthood were not predictive. Multiple perpetrator MST and adult IPV were also associated with distinct PTSD symptom cluster profiles. Lifetime emotional and physical abuse were related to multiple deleterious outcomes and evidenced the strongest effects. Fewer relationships were identified between cumulative trauma exposure and elevated worry and depression. A better understanding of cumulative and contextual trauma experiences and phenotypic variability in clinical presentation may inform effective tailoring of and innovations in treating trauma-related symptoms.

Technology can be leveraged as a tool by perpetrators of interpersonal violence, which requires survivors to consider digital platforms as part of their safety planning processes. To explore how survivors are addressing these safety concerns, we performed secondary, qualitative content analysis of semistructured interviews with college students who used campus-based advocacy services for interpersonal violence. Participants described an array of technology-related safety strategies they implemented to protect themselves across multiple types of digital technologies. As a cohort of the internet age, many college student survivors reported having an extensive "digital footprint" which created challenges in identifying and addressing all possible security concerns. Campus-based advocacy services should integrate technology considerations into their safety planning using a survivor-led, empowerment approach which helps maintain access to digital platforms.

The present study examined experience of interpersonal violence and perfectionism as predictors of suicide risk (viz., depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation) in a sample of 196 young adult Indian males and females. Results obtained from conducting a set of hierarchical regression analyses indicated several notable patterns. Experience of interpersonal violence was a predictor of both depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Moreover, the inclusion of dimensions of perfectionism (as a set) was also found to consistently predict additional unique variance in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, even after accounting for experience of interpersonal violence. Importantly, even after controlling for depressive symptoms, experience of interpersonal violence and perfectionism, namely, parental criticism, uniquely accounted for additional variance in suicidal ideation. Overall, our findings based on a non-Western, industrialized, educated, rich, and democratic sample of young adult Indians not only indicate that experience of interpersonal violence is an important predictor of suicide risk but also indicate that perfectionism remains an important predictor of suicide risk.

Adolescents who have high subjective experiences of perceived discrimination (PD) face an elevated risk of being bullied, both of which have been linked to adverse psychosocial outcomes. This study (a) assesses the association between PD and bullying victimization and (b) explores whether teacher support and family functioning moderate the hypothesized PD and bullying victimization relationship. Data are from Hispanic and Somali youth (N = 311, mean age = 15.9 years, standard deviation = 1.5) living in a midwestern city. About 75% of the sample reported some level of PD, and 33% reported bullying victimization. PD was associated with elevated incidence rate ratios of bullying victimization. Teacher support and family functioning were inversely associated with bullying victimization but did not moderate the relationship. These findings highlight the complex nature of social support in the PD and bullying victimization relationship.

Understanding the prevalence and service needs of underserved populations affected by gender-based violence (GBV) is significant, given that their experiences are often underreported, and existing services frequently fall short of addressing their needs effectively. In this study, "underserved populations" is an overarching term referring to groups historically marginalized, underrepresented, and inadequately supported as victims of GBV. The types of services examined in the study include both direct forms, such as shelter and advocacy, and indirect approaches, including systemic interventions and policy reform and advocacy. The study involved 41 survey responses, including advocates, victim shelter staff, case managers for domestic violence victims, law enforcement, and legal professionals in a Midwestern state. The findings have shown significant service disparities, especially in rural areas, due to insufficient funding and support infrastructure. These disparities are exacerbated by factors such as isolated locations, conservative political climates, LGBTQIA+-hostile legislation, and victim-blaming attitudes. To effectively address these service disparities, it is important to improve the accessibility of services in rural areas to ensure victims in a service desert can access the support they need. Furthermore, advocating for comprehensive statewide policies is necessary to create a supportive environment for survivors.

Little is known about women's interest in multiple perpetrator rape (MPR), as most of the literature to date has investigated men. Thus, the aim of the current study was to explore correlates of interest in MPR in women. Loneliness, psychopathy, and anger rumination were hypothesized to be related to an interest in MPR, according to previous work. In a fixed order, participants completed a series of questionnaires on Qualtrics that included the Multiple-Perpetrator Rape Interest Scale (M-PRIS), the UCLA Loneliness Scale: Short-form, the Aggression Questionnaire, the Sexual Fantasy Questionnaire, the Anger Rumination Scale, the Measure for Assessing Subtle Rape Myths, and the Self-Report Psychopathy (SRP-III) Short Form. Descriptive analyses revealed that most of the participants (N = 182) were university educated and married White women. A backward stepwise linear regression indicated that psychopathy, rape myth acceptance, aggression, and deviant sexual fantasies were individually correlated with MPR interest. An in-depth analysis of the M-PRIS showed that 37% of participants had some level of sexual arousal, behavioral propensity, and/or enjoyment of hypothetical scenarios involving rape. Further work is needed to help establish risk factors for MPR interest in women and to assess which risk factors are most predictive of participating in rape.

Undergraduate students in the United States report high rates of sexual harassment (SH) from both peers and faculty and staff. In science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, SH poses a major obstacle to the retention and advancement of women. The role of the perpetrator can impact the consequences of SH (e.g., academic disengagement) and how students respond to the harassment. The current study examined the prevalence of SH perpetrated against undergraduate students majoring in STEM disciplines and whether responses to harassment and student outcomes (i.e., perceptions of academic support, sense of belonging, and college persistence) varied based on the status of the perpetrator (i.e., peer or faculty/staff). Approximately 60% of students in STEM reported SH from peers, compared to 46% from faculty/staff. Survivors of faculty/staff-perpetrated SH were more likely to use internally (e.g., ignoring the SH) rather than externally focused strategies (e.g., reporting the SH, confronting harasser) to respond to the harassment. Although survivors of peer- and faculty/staff-perpetrated SH reported lower perceptions of academic support compared to participants who did not report any SH, survivors of peer-perpetrated SH reported significantly lower sense of belonging and survivors of faculty/staff-perpetrated SH reported significantly lower college persistence. Implications for prevention and response efforts are discussed.

This article analyzes statutes in 37 U.S. states and Washington, DC amended to include companion animals in definitions of domestic violence and to enable their inclusion in protection orders (POs). The findings indicate that while the inclusion of animal abuse in definitions of domestic violence tends to frame their maltreatment in anthropocentric terms-as a vehicle for harming people-the language and consequences of their inclusion in some PO statutes position them as more-than-property, that is, more as subjects than objects. The analysis documents a temporal trend toward offering greater protections over time, greater bipartisan support for the amendments, and a shift from animals-as-property toward sociolegal recognition of their social membership and the ways their well-being is interconnected with that of the people who care for them.

Over recent years, community-based responses to domestic violence against women have become an important topic, and there is growing recognition that domestic violence requires a comprehensive response from agencies across a variety of community sectors. When reaching out for help, female survivors of domestic violence need to have access to a broad range of services, empowering professionals to manage violence against women, and coordinated community responses that promote safety, autonomy, and integration. Since the early 1990s, Portugal has been gradually moving toward a community-based approach to domestic violence against women where local organizations and professionals are major stakeholders of this policy. Besides having had an increased network of services implemented, it is important to examine how prepared service providers are to respond effectively. The current study analyzed how ready professionals in Portugal are to deliver interventions targeting violence against women. A total of 585 professionals from different backgrounds completed a readiness survey. The results revealed that, despite their perceived readiness, professionals are not duly prepared to respond effectively to violence against women. They lack the appropriate knowledge and training to respond effectively to survivors. Hence, further efforts must be made to change professional practices and services to ensure that abuse is recognized, barriers are overcome, and interventions are more effective.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common type of violence committed against women and results in serious personal, familial, social, and economic consequences; thus, there is a need to detect IPV early. One test for detecting IPV is the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST). The objective of the study was to obtain evidence of the validity of the WAST in terms of its internal structure, measurement invariance, convergent validity, clinical validity, and reliability. A total of 670 women who have or have had a heterosexual relationship participated in the study. The first stage included 513 adult women who partook of health services (M _age = 35.5 years, SD _age = 10 years). The second stage included 160 women, 80 diagnosed with IPV (M _age = 34.2 years, SD _age = 11.8 years) and 80 who were not (M _age = 31.8 years, SD _age = 11.5 years). We used multivariate and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. We found evidence that the WAST demonstrates a one-dimensional structure; evidence of measurement invariance regarding cohabitation with the partner, length of the relationship, and age; evidence of convergent validity in terms of correlations with emotional dependence, self-compassion, expressive suppression, anxiety, and depression; and evidence of clinical validity in terms of the high probability of detecting positive cases of IPV. These properties support the use of the WAST for detecting possible cases of IPV, which will allow timely intervention. This instrument can also be used in larger studies on IPV in the Spanish-speaking population.