Relationships between Past Trauma Exposures and PTSD among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

This study examined child abuse and community violence exposure as potential risk factors in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV). In a community sample of 51 primarily low-income women who had experienced IPV, childhood exposure to child abuse made a unique contribution to PTSD symptom severity from subsequent IPV. Community violence also accounted for variance in PTSD symptom severity, but in the opposite direction, with individuals exposed to community violence reporting lower levels of PTSD symptoms from IPV. These findings suggest the need for further research to identify which factors related to community violence exposure might inoculate individuals against the development of PTSD following IPV exposure.     

Dating Violence Perpetration: The Predictive Roles of Maternally versus Paternally Perpetrated Childhood Abuse and Subsequent Dating Violence Attitudes and Behaviors

This study investigated both young men's and young women's perpetration of physical, sexual, and psychological forms of dating violence, examining predictors of violence including maternally or paternally perpetrated forms of various types of child maltreatment, as well as attitudes toward dating violence and dating violence victimization. Results of hierarchical linear regressions found that childhood experiences of maternal neglect predicted men's physical perpetration, and childhood sexual abuse predicted women's sexual perpetration and men's psychological perpetration. Further, positive attitudes toward dating violence predicted women's physical, psychological, and sexual perpetration, as well as men's sexual perpetration, and experiences of dating violence victimization were the strongest predictors of most forms of dating violence perpetration, particularly among women. Implications for future research and prevention initiatives are discussed.     

Factors Predicting Dating Violence Perpetration Among Male and Female College Students

This study examined the importance of witnessing parental violence, experiencing childhood violence, problems with alcohol, length of relationship, relationship satisfaction, anger management skills, and partner's use of physical and psychological aggression for male and female perpetrators of dating violence in college. For males, partner's use of physical aggression, low anger management skills, and high relationship satisfaction were the strongest predictors of physical aggression. For females, partner's uses of physical and psychological aggression were the most important predictors of their use of physical aggression. The model in this study was a good predictor of male violence, accounting for 81% of the variance; however, it only accounted for 51% of the variance in female violence.     

Family Violence and Health Among Elderly in Croatia

This article presents the research carried out on a sample of 303 elderly men and women. In the last year they reported experiencing violence in the family as follows: psychological abuse (24.1%), financial exploitation (6.4%), physical abuse (4.4%), and sexual abuse (2.1%). The abusers were most often husbands (30.15%), sons (16.64%), daughters (14.01%), and wives (9.21%). In the partner relationship, 44%?of the women and 35%?of the men had experienced at least some form of violence. The results showed that elderly men and women who were victims of family abuse had poorer psychological health than those without such experiences. Elderly who had experienced partner violence consumed alcohol more often than those who had experienced violence by other household members.     

Sexual and Physical Abuse Among Adolescent Girls with Disruptive Behavior Problems

We examined the prevalence and age of onset of physical and sexual abuse in a clinic-referred sample of adolescent girls, as well as differences in diagnoses and symptoms among abused and non-abused girls. Forty-nine girls (aged 13–17 years) with disruptive behavior were interviewed along with their primary caretaker. Data were gathered through both a structured interview with the girl and her parent, as well as self and parent-report questionnaires. Findings indicated that the prevalence of Conduct Disorder (CD) and Major Depression were higher for abused girls. Somatoform Pain Disorder was significantly less likely for physically abused girls, compared to girls who were both physically and sexually abused. Of CD symptoms, truancy was twice as high for the physically and sexually abused group, compared to the prevalence for non-abused girls. Internalizing symptoms were also highest for the dual abuse group. Onset graphs show that the onset of sexual abuse usually occurred at an earlier age than the onset of physical abuse. Abused girls showed an earlier age of onset of CD symptoms. Results indicated that the experience of combined types of abuse is associated with a poorer psychiatric prognosis.     

A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Feminist Beliefs and Feminist Identity Development Among College Women Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

Using a mixed-methods approach, we explored how college women’s lifetime experiences of physical or sexual gender-based violence (GBV) were associated with appraisals of GBV and their feminist beliefs or identity (N = 32). Women commented on their increased awareness of the prevalence of GBV, their desire to help other women, and their beliefs about the trustworthiness of men and the current state of gender equality. Women who perceived no or minimal influence of sexism on GBV attributed their GBV experiences to a flaw in themselves or the perpetrators (i.e., self-blame, poor vigilance) or as a reasonable disciplinary measure for their ‘misbehavior.’ We also found that some women reported agreement with pro-feminist beliefs, yet rejected a feminist identity. Our findings illustrate how feminist stigma and sexism might prevent women who endorse core feminist beliefs from characterizing GBV as a sexist event. Given the potential harmful consequences of GBV and other forms of sexism, connecting women with meaningful resources, such as empowering educational programs, nurturing peer-to-peer women’s support groups, and awareness campaigns, may help to facilitate sisterhood and alleviate distress. Our findings also support the need for clinical assessment of how GBV may have affected beliefs about gender, self, world, and others.     

Dating Violence and African Immigrant Youth

Research documents a high prevalence of dating violence among U.S. youth. This violence is linked to a host of negative mental and physical health consequences and high-risk behaviors. African immigrants comprise about 3.9% of all immigrants in the United States and recent trends suggest this population is rapidly increasing. Despite this, limited research exists on dating violence among African immigrant youth. This article summarizes the literature on dating violence in Africa, then highlights the dearth of research on African immigrant youth. The literature suggests that African immigrant girls are in a uniquely vulnerable position that increases their risk for dating violence and other abuses, warranting our attention to the issue. Future research directions and service implications with this population are presented.     

Relationships among Dispositional Attributional Style,Trauma-Specific Attributions,and PTSD Symptoms

The learned helplessness model and its various revisions suggest that causal attributions influence responses to events. This study examined relationships among the 3-factor symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represented in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and the individual dimensions of dispositional attributional style and trauma-specific attributions (i.e., internal–external, stable–unstable, global–specific). Relationships among attributions and clusters of PTSD symptoms represented by the 4-factor dysphoria model were also examined. Trauma-specific attributions were most predictive of PTSD symptoms, with higher associations for avoidance and numbing symptoms compared to arousal symptoms in the three-factor model and higher associations for dysphoria symptoms compared to arousal and avoidance symptoms in the four-factor dysphoria model. Results suggest that cognitive vulnerabilities could underlie the comorbidity between PTSD and depression and might represent a high-impact target for treatment.     

Addressing Family Violence Within Juvenile Courts

Summary

Whether as overt or underlying issues, family violence is prevalent within juvenile court caseloads, yet often is not identified within intake and disposition. Focusing on juvenile victimization of parents, and to a lesser extent teen dating partners, this article discusses model programs emerging in juvenile courts specifically addressing these issues. A comparative analysis of the drug court trend is explored in the context of its applicability for specialized family violence applications in the Juvenile Court. An overview of the King County (Washington) Juvenile Court's Step-Up Program and the Santa Clara County (California) Juvenile Court's Family Violence program is offered, followed by the process by which the Travis County (Texas) Juvenile Court has implemented a program similar to these models. Effective interventions with violent families must be informed by the domestic violence community's treatment expertise, building on the paradigm of youth resilience.     

Effects of Abusive Parenting,Caretaker Arrests,and Deviant Behavior on Dating Violence Among Homeless Young Adults

Although dating violence is widespread among young adult homeless populations, its risk factors are poorly understood by scholars. To address this gap, this study uses a social learning theory to examine the effects of abusive parenting and caretaker arrests on dating violence among 172 homeless young adults. Results from path analyses revealed that child physical abuse and caretaker arrests were positively associated with engaging in a greater number of school fights, which, in turn, was strongly and positively correlated with participating in more deviant subsistence strategies (e.g., stealing) since being on the street. Young people who participated in a greater number of delinquent acts were more likely to report higher levels of dating violence. Study results highlight the extent of social learning within the lives of homeless young adults, which is evident prior to their leaving home and while they are on the street.     

Effects of Gender,Ethnicity and Educational Status on Exposure to Community Violence and Psychological Distress in Adolescence

ABSTRACT

A study of 1,142 older adolescents living in the central city of a large urban area found a complex set of relationships among exposure to community violence, psychological distress, gender, ethnicity, and educational status. Although males and school dropouts had higher levels of exposure and females had higher levels of psychological distress, the relationshipbetween exposure to community violence and psychological distress did not differ by gender, ethnicity or educational status. The findings are interpreted in terms of the theory of protective and vulnerability processes. The authors conclude that the relationship between exposure to community violence and psychological distress is robust.     

Attachment Anxiety,Depressive Symptoms,and Adolescent Dating Violence Perpetration: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis

Adolescent dating violence (ADV) is a prevalent public health issue that has been linked to many negative effects, including attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms. Previous literature suggests that the negative mental states characteristic of attachment anxiety could be associated with dating violence perpetration. Similarly, the negative mental states characteristic of depression have also been linked to perpetration, and might potentially increase an anxiously attached individual’s likelihood of engaging in dating violence perpetration. This study used a 10-month longitudinal design with a sample of 140 middle school and high school students from Southern California. Participants ranged in age from 13 to 18 years and were ethnically diverse. The study aimed at exploring depressive symptoms as a potential mediator for the relationship between attachment anxiety and ADV perpetration. Positive associations were found between attachment anxiety and perpetration (10 months after), attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms (10 months after), and between depressive symptoms and perpetration (both 10 months after). Furthermore, depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and ADV perpetration (10 months after). These findings have implications for the development of empirically driven school-based prevention and intervention programs.     

Fear as a Mediator for the Relationship Between Child Sexual Abuse and Victimization of Relationship Violence

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been identified as a predictor for dating violence victimization; however, the mechanism for this relationship is unexplored. The current study examined whether fearful dating experiences may help explain the relationship between CSA and dating violence victimization. Participants (N =?327 college women) completed self-report measures of CSA, fearful dating experiences, and dating violence. In a mediational model test, CSA was found to be positively associated with fear in dating relationships and with dating violence victimization, fear was associated with dating violence victimization, and the effect of CSA on dating violence victimization scores was reduced after controlling for fear. A Sobel's test showed that fear partially mediated the relationship between CSA and current dating violence victimization.     

Intimate Partner Violence and Drinking among Victims of Adult Sexual Assault

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with problem drinking. Correlates of alcohol consumption frequency and problem drinking were examined among female sexual assault survivors (N = 1,863). Data were analyzed with blockwise multiple regressions. Results show heavy alcohol consumption and problem drinking were associated with IPV history, sexual assault by strangers or acquaintances, and maladaptive coping. Physical IPV history and partner sexual assault showed distinct effects on drinking outcomes among women. Physical IPV history partially mediated the effect of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on problem drinking. Research is needed to examine the relationship between victimization histories and drinking among female sexual assault victims. This might enable treatments and interventions to be tailored to the trauma histories of female victims.     

Nature and Prevalence of Childhood Sexual Abuse Among High School Girls and College Students in Zimbabwe

The study investigated the nature and prevalence of self-reported childhood sexual abuse (CSA) among a sample of Zimbabwean girls and college students. A total of 1059 high school girls and college students with a mean age (M = 18.31, SD = 3.66) participated in study. Overall, a CSA prevalence rate of 41.26% was found. The highest CSA prevalence rate was found among respondents who resided on commercial farms and mines (53%). Respondents who lived with their biological parents during childhood were significantly less likely to be sexually abused than were respondents who lived with non-parents such as uncles and brothers-in-law. Only 7.22% of the perpetrators were strangers. This study shows that sexual abuse of children in Zimbabwe is rampant, multifaceted, and linked to cultural factors that must be addressed as part of efforts to confront this scourge.     

Exposure to Violence and Attitudes Towards Transitional Justice

Transitional justice has emerged to address victims' needs as a means of restoring relations broken by violence. Yet we know little about victims' attitudes towards different transitional justice mechanisms. Why do some victims prioritize retributive justice while others favor other forms of dealing with the violent past? What determines victims' attitudes towards transitional justice policies? To address these questions, we offer a new theoretical framework that draws upon recent insights from the field of evolutionary psychology and links both war exposure and postwar environments to transitional justice preferences. We argue that both past experiences of wartime violence and present‐day social interdependence with perpetrators impact transitional justice preferences, but in divergent ways (resulting in greater support for retributive vs. restorative justice measures, respectively). To test our framework, we rely upon a 2013 representative survey of 1,007 respondents focusing on general population attitudes towards transitional justice in Bosnia two decades after the implementation of the Dayton Accords. Specifically, we examine the impact of displacement, return to prewar homes, loss of property, loss of a loved one, physical injury, imprisonment, and torture on attitudes towards transitional justice. On the whole, our findings confirm our two main hypotheses: Exposure to direct violence and losses is associated with more support for retributive justice measures, while greater present‐day interdependence with perpetrators is associated with more support for restorative justice measures. While acknowledging the legacy of wartime violence, we highlight the importance of the postwar context and institutional mechanisms that support victims in reconstructing their lives.     

Prevalence of Child and Adolescent Exposure to Community Violence

Emerging as one of the most significant health issues facing American youth today, child and adolescent exposure to community violence has generated much interest across multiple disciplines. Most research to date has focused on documenting the prevalence of community violence and the emotional and behavioral ramifications. This paper provides an overview of the current literature regarding prevalence of youth exposure to community violence, and identifies those areas where further research is warranted. In addition to examining overall rates of community violence exposure, this paper reviews the prevalence of different types of community violence, such as weapon use, physical aggression, and crime-related events. Predictors of community violence exposure, including gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, behavior patterns, and geography, are discussed.     

A “Wife’s Duty” and Social Suffering: Sexual Assault in Marital Relationships in Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Sexual assault in marital relationships tends to be somewhat neglected in Vietnam compared to other forms of domestic violence. This relative neglect does not occur because of a lack of concern for abused women among Vietnamese people. Rather, it is due to structural barriers, cultural assumptions and stigma associated with sexuality, sexual violence, domestic violence, and secrecy, or misunderstanding on the part of many abused Vietnamese women. Yet, these women confront a variety of emotional, bodily, and social assaults from their husbands. Suffering is commonly expressed by abused Vietnamese women as they narrate their experiences of the violence. Abused women express their suffering as bodily and emotional pain, shame, frustration, disorientation, and social marginalization. Contemporary marital sexual violence and domestic violence more broadly in Vietnam are linked to the state’s emergent political and economic goals, as well as gender and kinship ideologies drawn upon in support of these goals. These processes have resulted in abused women experiencing social suffering derived from intersecting Vietnamese state, cultural, and social forces. I suggest institutional practices, and non-supportive perspectives and approaches of some professionals and state employees assisting abused women, have made addressing marital sexual violence a difficult and painful process, as well as an additional source of suffering. Second, layered upon these structural and cultural barriers has been the neglect by some professionals of intersecting inequalities based on gender, class, and disability. Third, some institutions in Vietnam provide more effective and beneficial assistance to abused women, making the process of acquiring assistance complex.