Despite increasing research on gender-based violence (GBV) in higher education, a critical gap persists in understanding GBV prevention strategies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This scoping review aims to identify and synthesize existing evidence on GBV prevention interventions in higher education institutions within LMICs. A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews guidelines, identifying 14 manuscripts across LMIC higher education contexts. The review included 14 manuscripts published between 2017 and 2023, detailing ten distinct interventions. Studies were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (n = 7), East Asia (n = 4), South Asia (n = 2), and South America (n = 1). Interventions focused on primary and secondary prevention. No study focused on tertiary prevention. Most of the studies aimed to pilot test and develop interventions, with only one study employing a randomized controlled trial. The scope of the interventions encompassed participants' education about gender inequalities, consent, healthy relationships, and bystander behavior. The most consistent findings included improved knowledge, attitudes, and bystander self-efficacy. Current GBV prevention interventions in higher education institutions within LMICs are still evolving, revealing significant gaps in long-term efficacy and survivor support. These findings highlight the necessity for future culturally grounded, sustainable interventions and rigorous evaluation of long-term impact.
Sexual violence (SV) is a significant concern in higher education. Regarding varsity athletes, between 29% and 45% have experienced SV, while nearly half report consequences that negatively impact their functioning, yet less than 10% formally report these incidents. This literature review aimed to identify risk factors and prevention recommendations for SV among varsity athletes. A literature review was conducted between May 2023 and July 2024 using keyword searches in academic databases (Ebsco, ProQuest, Érudit) and Google. Inclusion criteria included publications from 2012 onwards (reflecting post-#MeToo impact), English or French language, and a specific focus on varsity athletes. This literature review yielded 31 initial references (27 scientific, 4 grey literature), with an additional 20 articles later incorporated from key scientific references of this review. Results revealed risk factors across a four-level social-ecological model: individual (gender, sexual orientation, age), relational (social drinking situations, relationship dynamics), organizational (athletic subcultures), and societal (culture of silence, traditional masculine values). Prevention findings highlight the effectiveness of long-term interventions that incorporate peer/coach education, deconstructing myths, and bystander programmes, while avoiding single-session or online-only formats. Nine specific prevention programmes were examined and described, showing some promising results despite limited evaluation in higher education sports contexts. This review highlighted significant knowledge gaps, including limited research outside the United States, on diverse varsity athlete populations and regarding organizational risk factors.
Most if not all previous evidence focused primarily on psychological disorders of prisoners/ex-prisoners, whereas the secondary trauma symptoms across the whole family await clarification. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the associations between exposure to family incarceration and psychiatric symptoms and moderators of the associations. This systemic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines (CRD42023495095). Studies on the mental health of family incarceration from inception to March 4th, 2024 were searched in PsycINFO, PubMed, and Medline. Methodological quality was assessed. Meta-analysis of correlation coefficients r with the random-effects model was performed using "metafor" package in R. Fifty-three studies (34 non-duplicate samples, 2005-2024) with 101,417 people experiencing family incarceration across eight countries were included in the final synthesis. Participants aged 2 to 99 years. Most (96.23%) were conducted in high-income countries (i.e., Australia, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, the US, and the UK), with 3.77% in Mexico and Poland. Over half were longitudinal studies with follow-up periods from 2 to 53 years. Exposure to family incarceration was positively associated with psychiatric symptoms. Stronger effect sizes were found between incarceration and substance abuse disorder and externalizing disorders. Incarceration relates to secondary trauma symptoms in the long run among the affected families especially for children, African Americans in the US, and middle-income countries. Family-based intervention should be made to target the whole family with priorities on substance abuse disorder and externalizing disorders.
Limited meta-analytical research has examined the epidemiology of child sexual abuse (CSA) victimization among Chinese children and adolescents over the past two decades. It is crucial to evaluate how the incidence of CSA has changed over time in response to the significant policy and sociocultural changes since 2013. This study employed a cross-temporal meta-analysis to explore the trend of CSA victimization among Chinese children and adolescents from 2000 to 2022. A total of 39 studies (72 independent samples, 83,318 participants, Mage = 15.77 years) using three questionnaires for CSA victimization (Chen Jingqi's scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, or Xiang Bing's scale) were identified through a systematic literature search. A meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models on Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3.0 software. Results indicated that the overall prevalence of CSA victimization from 2000 to 2022 was 16.4%, with distinct differences between genders (15.0% for girls and 18.1% for boys). Moreover, the prevalence for girls decreased significantly after 2013 (12.2%) compared to before 2013 (18.9%), whereas the prevalence for boys remained relatively stable between 2013 and 2022 (19.4%) and 2000 to 2012 (16.2%). After controlling participants' age, the prevalence of CSA victimization for both girls and boys showed a decreasing trend from 2013 to 2022, while no significant change was observed from 2000 to 2012. These findings underscore the importance of considering gender in CSA research and prevention efforts. They also suggest that increased sociocultural awareness and policy changes post-2013 may have contributed to protecting girls from CSA victimization, though similar benefits were not as evident for boys.
We present the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) among LGBTQ+ adults in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Of 1,234 articles, 22 met inclusion criteria, and data were extracted for 4 key research areas: prevalence, measurement, risk and protective factors, and interventions. LGBTQ+ adults in LAC experience IPV at similar or higher rates than those documented among cisgender heterosexuals, with estimates ranging from 0.4% to 91.4%. Inconsistencies in estimates may be due to non-standardized measures and subpopulation variability. The broad variability across subgroups demonstrates the need for more standardized measurement of IPV for these populations. Furthermore, this review identified key risk factors for IPV among LGBTQ+ people including alcohol use, perceived/experienced discrimination, transactional sex, and childhood/adolescent experiences of violence. Protective factors and interventions are not well understood in this context, as there was little to no data. The research on IPV among LGBTQ+ adults in LAC is limited, but this review suggests an increase in research in recent years. However, research has primarily focused on men who have sex with men and transgender women. Studies focusing on bisexual populations, lesbians, transgender men, intersex, and other sexual gender minority populations are needed. The high prevalence of IPV among LGBTQ+ individuals in LAC, inconsistency in definitions and measures, unique risk factors, and lack of interventions found in this review demonstrate the need for further IPV research among LGBTQ+ populations, and standardization of epidemiological methods to measure IPV and its effects.
Most people with a psychotic illness will never be violent; however, it is widely known that violence is more prevalent in this group compared to the general community, particularly during first-episode psychosis (FEP). Despite this, there is limited research into what contributes to this increased risk during FEP. The present systematic review aimed to identify whether certain risk factors are differentially associated with severity and timing of violence perpetration during FEP. The following databases were used to identify studies, up to March 8, 2024: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ProQuest. A total of 15 studies were included. Male gender, non-white ethnicity, history of violence, higher general psychopathology, and recent substance use were significantly associated with any violence, regardless of the time at which violence was committed. Serious violence was not associated with any risk factors. Higher general psychopathology was associated with any violence committed before presentation to services, while male gender was associated with violence perpetrated at service entry. Only male gender and unemployment were associated with violence committed after treatment. Based on our results, risk factors appear to vary according to the severity and timing of violence. These risk factors also overlap with those found associated with violence risk in the general community, and those correlated with the risk of psychosis. Past studies are limited in the range of risk factors studied and further work is needed to understand correlates of violence in people who have experienced FEP to inform treatment options.
In recent decades, the concept of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) has been the subject of ongoing debate. Despite its recent inclusion in the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), CPTSD continues to generate controversy. The lack of consensus regarding its current definition has led to the often interchangeable use of various terminologies. The objective of this scoping review is threefold: (a) to examine existing definitions of the concept of CPTSD, (b) to consider adverse or traumatic experiences preceding CPTSD, and (c) to take into account criticisms of CPTSD. Following the scoping review methodology outlined by Arksey and O'Malley, five online databases were searched. The results were independently reviewed by three reviewers. All qualitative and quantitative peer-reviewed english studies providing outcome data for the definition of CPTSD between 2013 and 2025 were included. A total of 40 articles met the inclusion criteria. All selected studies discussed CPTSD, with 40 directly addressing the concept. Four theoretical frameworks were identified as key: Herman's concept of CPTSD, Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified, Developmental Trauma Disorder, and ICD-11 criteria. Overall, CPTSD is consistently referred to as a psychopathological consequence of exposure to adversity. This scoping review highlights that the concept of CPTSD has been evolving for nearly 30 years. The findings confirm that CPTSD is a distinct psychiatric disorder, now formally recognized by the ICD-11, which typically occurs following exposure to one or more stressors under specific conditions.
A meta-analysis published in 2015 demonstrated a significant association between bullying victimization (BV) in school and workplace settings and the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, a recent theoretical review showed that the consequences of BV are much more complex than the traditional PTSD criteria. The authors argue that two potential diagnoses ought to be considered in the context of BV: developmental trauma disorder (DTD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). This systematic review aims to synthesize the results regarding the relationship between BV and these two complex trauma symptoms. Following PRISMA guidelines, systematic searches were conducted in seven electronic databases in March 2024. We searched for Portuguese or English quantitative published studies, or unpublished quantitative master's or doctoral theses. In total, 1056 studies were identified, and 12 were considered eligible. Ten were cross-sectional, and two were longitudinal. Five had youth samples, whereas seven had adult samples. Most studies presented a low risk of bias. No studies were found that aimed to assess the relationship between BV and DTD symptoms. In contrast, a significant positive relationship between BV and CPTSD symptoms in youth and adult populations was found. BV was particularly associated with CPTSD, but not with PTSD in both populations. Only one study found that BV was not a predictor of CPTSD status in a Danish adult population. The results reveal that BV might be associated with a more complex symptomatology. However, it is still not possible to assert the causal link between BV and DTD/CPTSD.

