Investigating the Potentially Protective Effects of Neighborhood Processes in Intimate Partner Violence

Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) are often mothers. This study seeks to further the understanding of IPV in families, as well as social factors that can prevent violence from occurring. Based on existing literature and theory, we hypothesize that social cohesion and informal social control are associated with lower rates of IPV. To test this theory, we use a total sample of 2,344 mothers with partners surveyed in the Families and Child Wellbeing study and analyze the effects of neighborhood social cohesion and informal social control on reported IPV experiences. This was done by using a negative binomial regression. Findings show that informal social control is associated with lower levels of IPV experiences among mothers with partners.     

The Effects of Social Capital and Neighborhood Characteristics on Intimate Partner Violence: A Consideration of Social Resources and Risks

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a growing public health problem, and gaps exist in knowledge with respect to appropriate prevention and treatment strategies. A growing body of research evidence suggests that beyond individual factors (e.g., socio‐economic status, psychological processes, substance abuse problems), neighborhood characteristics, such as neighborhood economic disadvantage, high crime rates, high unemployment and social disorder, are associated with increased risk for IPV. However, existing research in this area has focused primarily on risk factors inherent in neighborhoods, and has failed to adequately examine resources within social networks and neighborhoods that may buffer or prevent the occurrence of IPV. This study examines the effects of neighborhood characteristics, such as economic disadvantage and disorder, and individual and neighborhood resources, such as social capital, on IPV among a representative sample of 2412 residents of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Using a population based sample of 2412 randomly selected Toronto adults with comprehensive neighborhood level data on a broad set of characteristics, we conducted multi‐level modeling to examine the effects of individual‐ and neighborhood‐level effects on IPV outcomes. We also examined protective factors through a comprehensive operationalization of the concept of social capital, involving neighborhood collective efficacy, community group participation, social network structure and social support. Findings show that residents who were involved in one or more community groups in the last 12 months and had high perceived neighborhood problems were more likely to have experienced physical IPV. Residents who had high perceived social support and low perceived neighborhood problems were less likely to experience non‐physical IPV. These relationships did not differ by neighborhood income or gender. Findings suggest interesting contextual effects of social capital on IPV. Consistent with previous research, higher levels of perceived neighborhood problems can reflect disadvantaged environments that are more challenged in promoting health and regulating disorder, and can create stressors in which IPV is more likely to occur. Such analyses will be helpful to further understanding of the complex, multi‐level pathways related to IPV and to inform the development of effective programs and policies with which to address and prevent this serious public health issue.     

A Social Disorganization Perspective on Bullying-Related Attitudes and Behaviors: The Influence of School Context

Social disorganization theory suggests that certain school-level indictors of disorder may be important predictors of bullying-related attitudes and behaviors. Multilevel analyses were conducted on bullying-related attitudes and experiences among 22,178 students in 95 elementary and middle schools. The intraclass correlation coefficients indicated that 0.6–2% of the variance in victimization, 5–10% of the variance in retaliatory attitudes, 5–6% of the variance in perceptions of safety, and 0.9% of the variance in perpetration of bullying was associated with the clustering of students within schools. Although the specific associations varied somewhat for elementary schools as compared to middle schools, the hierarchical linear modeling analyses generally suggested that school-level indicators of disorder (e.g., student–teacher ratio, concentration of student poverty, suspension rate, and student mobility) were significant predictors of bullying-related attitudes and experiences. Student-level characteristics (i.e., sex, ethnicity, status in school) were also relevant to students’ retaliatory attitudes, perceptions of safety, and involvement in bullying. Implications for school-based research and violence prevention are provided.     

An Underserved Population and Untapped Resource: A Preliminary Study of Collegiate Sorority Response to Dating Violence

ABSTRACT

To what extent do national collegiate sororities have formal programs and policies addressing dating violence? Given that undergraduate women are at high risk for violence by a male partner, sororities represent an opportunity to reach large numbers of undergraduates as well as women in the community who are active in alumni chapters. Based on a telephone survey and review of organizational Web sites, study results suggest that collegiate sororities are an underserved population with regard to prevention, education, and outreach services and an untapped resource with regard to opportunities for community service. Suggestions for building collaboration between sororities and service providers to raise awareness, support victims, create safety planning, and develop resources are addressed.     

The Influence of Neighborhood Aesthetics,Safety, and Social Cohesion on Perceived Stress in Disadvantaged Communities

Limited research has explored how specific elements of physical and social environments influence mental health indicators such as perceived stress, or whether such associations are moderated by gender. This study examined the relationship between selected neighborhood characteristics and perceived stress levels within a primarily low‐income, older, African‐American population in a mid‐sized city in the Southeastern U.S. Residents (n = 394; mean age=55.3 years, 70.9% female, 89.3% African American) from eight historically disadvantaged neighborhoods completed surveys measuring perceptions of neighborhood safety, social cohesion, aesthetics, and stress. Multivariate linear regression models examined the association between each of the three neighborhood characteristics and perceived stress. Greater perceived safety, improved neighborhood aesthetics, and social cohesion were significantly associated with lower perceived stress. These associations were not moderated by gender. These findings suggest that improving social attributes of neighborhoods may have positive impacts on stress and related benefits for population health. Future research should examine how neighborhood characteristics influence stress over time.     

How Neighborhood Structural and Institutional Features Can Shape Neighborhood Social Connectedness: A Multilevel Study of Adolescent Perceptions

According to the norms and collective efficacy model, the levels of social connectedness within a local community are a function of neighborhood structural characteristics, such as socioeconomic status and ethnic composition. The current work aims to determine whether neighborhood structural and institutional features (neighborhood wealth, percentage of immigrants, population density, opportunities for activities and meeting places) have an impact on different components of neighborhood social connectedness (intergenerational closure, trust and reciprocity, neighborhood-based friendship and personal relationships with neighbors). The study involved a representative sample of 389 early and middle adolescents aged 11–15 years old, coming from 31 Italian neighborhoods. Using hierarchical linear modeling, our findings showed that high population density, ethnic diversity, and physical and social disorder might represent obstacles for the creation of social ties within the neighborhood. On the contrary, the presence of opportunities for activities and meeting places in the neighborhood was associated with higher levels of social connectedness among residents.     

网络亲子沟通与青少年抑郁的关系:线上社会资本的中介作用及其年龄差异

采用问卷法对武汉市两所中学549名青少年早期和中期的中学生进行调查,探讨网络亲子沟通对青少年抑郁的影响,同时考察线上社会资本在二者之间的中介作用,以及该中介效应的前半路径是否受年龄的调节。结果表明：（1）在控制性别、年龄和线下亲子沟通的条件下,网络亲子沟通负向预测青少年抑郁;（2）线上社会资本在网络亲子沟通与青少年抑郁之间起完全中介作用;（3）线上社会资本的中介作用受到青少年年龄的调节,相比青少年早期阶段,该中介作用在青少年中期阶段更显著。这些结果对于综合解释网络亲子沟通对青少年抑郁的作用路径与机制具有重要意义。     

Childhood Sexual Abuse and Adulthood Parenting: The Mediating Role of Intimate Partner Violence

This study examined the role of intimate partner victimization in mediating the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adulthood parenting in a community sample of mothers reliant on public assistance (N = 483). Baron and Kenny's (1986 Baron, R. M. and Kenny, D. A. 1986. The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51: 1173–1182. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) method for establishing mediation was used to address this question. A recent history of intimate partner violence mediated the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and psychological aggression; however, a lifetime history of intimate partner violence did not. Depressive symptomatology was found to mediate the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and parental warmth. The impact of childhood sexual abuse on corporal punishment was indirect through its association with childhood physical abuse and witnessing domestic violence. Implications for research, theory development, and practice are provided.     

Social Cohesion and Self-Rated Health: The Moderating Effect of Neighborhood Physical Disorder

Using data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey and its companion datasets, we examined how neighborhood disorder, perceived danger and both individually perceived and contextually measured neighborhood social cohesion are associated with self-rated health. Results indicate that neighborhood disorder is negatively associated with health and the relationship is explained by perceived cohesion and danger, which are both also significant predictors of health. Further, individually perceived cohesion emerges as a more important explanation of self-rated health than neighborhood-level social cohesion. Finally, neighborhood disorder and perceived cohesion interact to influence health, such that cohesion is especially beneficial when residents live in neighborhoods characterized by low to moderate disorder; once disorder is at high levels, cohesion no longer offers protection against poor health. We interpret our findings as they relate to prior research on neighborhoods, psychosocial processes, and health, and discuss their implications for intervention efforts that address disorder in urban communities.     

Alcohol Availability and Violence among Inner-City Adolescents: A Multi-Level Analysis of the Role of Alcohol Outlet Density

Researchers recognize that the connection between alcohol and peer violence may relate to community level ecological factors, such as the location of businesses that sell alcohol. Building on previous research among adults, this study examines the relationship between alcohol outlet density and violent behaviors among adolescents, taking into account demographic characteristics, individual alcohol use, and neighborhood level socioeconomic indicators. Data drawn from a diverse Emergency Department based sample of 1,050 urban adolescents, combined with tract level data from the state liquor control commission and U.S. Census, were analyzed. Results of multivariate multi-level regression analysis indicate that alcohol outlet density is significantly related to adolescents’ violent behaviors, controlling for demographic characteristics and individual alcohol use. Census tract level socioeconomic indicators were not significantly associated with youth violence. Findings suggest that alcohol outlet density regulation should be considered as part of broader violence prevention strategies for urban adolescents.     

The Relationship between Social Dominance Orientation and Gender: The Mediating Role of Social Values

Invariance hypothesis posits that, across cultures and contexts, men are higher in SDO than women. Social Dominance Theory (SDT) suggests that this difference is biologically determined and resulting from the differences in reproductive strategies between sexes. In this study we tested the hypothesis that values can explain gender–SDO differences. SDT suggests that SDO mediates gender differences in values. The contrasting hypothesis suggests that gender–SDO differences are mediated by values. Using SEM with a sample of Italian University students (N = 162, 80 men), the results provided strong support for the hypothesis of a mediation effect of values. Indeed, when controlling for values, gender difference in SDO disappear. Very similar findings were obtained for both GBD and OEQ. Results are discussed.     

Childhood Emotional Abuse and Young Adulthood Dating Violence: The Moderating Role of Stress Reactivity

Dating violence has been linked to past experiences of childhood emotional abuse; however, little research has explored how stress reactivity functions within interpersonal relationships to amplify or attenuate these associations. The present study investigated the moderating effects of cortisol stress reactivity on associations between retrospective self-reported childhood emotional abuse and later self-reported interpersonal violence in young adult dating relationships. The current sample consisted of 57 young adult heterosexual dating partners (46 females, 11 males) between the ages of 18 and 24. Salivary cortisol samples were collected before and after a stress task to measure stress reactivity. Moderation analyses were conducted through the PROCESS macro in SPSS version 22. The relation between childhood emotional abuse and dating violence varied depending on cortisol reactivity, such that the association between childhood emotional abuse and young adult dating violence was stronger for those who demonstrated low levels of cortisol reactivity. The association between childhood emotional abuse and dating violence was not significant for those who demonstrated high cortisol reactivity. Findings underscore the importance of studying physiological mechanisms that may confer risk in the relationship between child emotional abuse and later interpersonal consequences.     

领悟社会支持对社交焦虑的影响:反刍思维的中介作用和社会阻抑的调节作用

本研究旨在探索领悟社会支持对社交焦虑的影响,深入探讨社会阻抑和反刍思维对该影响的作用。方法:采用问卷法,以471名职员为被试进行调查,数据结果分析采用Bootstrap分析方法。结果显示:(1)反刍思维在领悟社会支持和社交焦虑之间起中介作用。领悟社会支持通过降低反刍思维的水平,减轻社交焦虑。(2)社会阻抑调节领悟社会支持→反刍思维→社交焦虑中介模型的前半路径,社会阻抑改变了领悟社会支持对反刍思维作用的大小。     

自尊与心理性应激反应的关系：社会认可需求的中介作用

国外研究者认为高自尊个体的内控性高,因此其在心理性应激情境中的反应不那么强烈,而国内研究者从集体文化(中国)考虑,则认为高自尊个体的社会认可需求较高,因此在心理性应激情境中的反应更强烈.本研究采用特里尔社会应激测试作为应激情境,采集41名中国大学生被试在这一情境下的客观参数(心率)作为心理性应激反应的指标,通过问卷测量被试的自尊水平、内控性水平和社会认可需求水平,考察自尊影响心理性应激反应的机制.结果发现被试的自尊水平与应激情境下的心率呈正相关,并且社会认可需求在自尊与心理性应激的关系中起着显著的中介作用.本文从文化差异角度提出自尊预测心理性应激反应的模型可能需要在不同文化背景下来分别探讨.     

社会排斥对消费选择偏向的影响：怀旧的调节作用及社会联结的中介作用

社会排斥会导致许多消极影响,人们会尝试通过各种策略对此进行缓解,而消费是其中重要的一种应对方式。本文通过3个实验考察了社会排斥和消费选择偏向（体验性消费vs.实物性消费）的关系,同时探讨了怀旧的调节作用和社会联结的中介作用。结果发现,社会排斥可以提高消费者对体验性消费的偏好,怀旧调节了社会排斥与体验性消费偏向的关系,并通过社会联结的中介作用进一步缓冲了社会排斥对消费选择偏向的影响。     

Violence Exposure and Psychopathology in Urban Youth: The Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of violence exposure sequelae is essential to providing effective treatments for traumatized youth. This longitudinal study examined the mediating role of posttraumatic stress in the relationship between violence exposure and psychopathology, and compared the mediated models by gender. Urban adolescents (n=1,358) were surveyed using the Social and Health Assessment. The proposed relationships were examined using Structural Equation Modeling. Posttraumatic stress fully mediated the relationships between victimization and depression and anxiety in girls, and partially so in boys. In addition, posttraumatic stress partially mediated the relationships between violence exposure and commission of violence in boys. Current findings support the longitudinal effects of violence exposure on adolescent mental health. Posttraumatic stress represents a unique mechanism for the development of psychopathology in girls and is also related to negative outcomes in boys. These findings have direct implications for prevention and rehabilitation efforts among violence exposed youth.     

戒烟社会支持与吸烟者戒烟意向的关系：亲友认同的调节作用和吸烟危害认识的中介作用

研究旨在考察吸烟者的亲友认同和吸烟危害认识在亲友戒烟社会支持与戒烟意向关系中的作用。对340名吸烟者被试进行问卷调查,结果表明：（1）戒烟社会支持显著正向预测戒烟意向;（2）吸烟危害认识对社会支持和戒烟意向的关系起完全中介作用;（3）亲友认同对戒烟社会支持和戒烟意向的关系起显著调节作用。研究拓展了压力缓冲模型,说明了戒烟社会支持的认知功能,且支持了社会认同在社会支持发挥作用过程中的重要性。     

大学生社交网站使用与依赖:积极自我呈现的中介效应与关系型自我构念的调节效应

采用问卷法对658名具有社交网站使用经验的大学生进行调查,考察大学生社交网站使用与依赖的关系、积极自我呈现的中介作用以及关系型自我构念的调节作用。结果发现：（1）社交网站使用能显著正向地预测大学生社交网站依赖;（2）积极自我呈现在社交网站使用与依赖的关系中起部分中介作用;（3）积极自我呈现的中介作用受到关系型自我构念的调节。具体来说,相对于高关系型自我构念的大学生,低关系型自我构念大学生的社交网站使用更多地通过积极自我呈现影响其社交网站依赖。     

父母行为控制、心理控制与高中生消极社会适应的关系：人际自立和校园排斥的序列中介作用

基于自我决定理论和人与环境互动理论,研究考察了父母行为控制、心理控制与高中生消极社会适应的关系,以及人际自立与校园排斥的中介效应。采用父母控制问卷、青少年人际自立量表、青少年校园排斥问卷、消极社会适应问卷对辽宁省3所中学的1209名高中生进行施测。结果发现:(1)父母行为控制对高中生消极社会适应无明显预测作用,心理控制对消极社会适应具有正向预测作用;(2)人际自立和校园排斥在父母控制与消极社会适应之间发挥中介作用。具体而言,父母行为控制只能通过人际自立的单独作用以及人际自立与校园排斥的序列中介作用预测高中生消极社会适应;父母心理控制既能直接预测消极社会适应,还能分别通过人际自立和校园排斥的单独作用,以及人际自立与校园排斥的序列中介作用预测高中生消极社会适应。研究最终梳理出一条“父母教养→人格发展→人际反馈→适应结果”的理论作用机制。