Universal mandatory reporting policies show null effects in a statewide college sample.

OBJECTIVE: It is widely assumed that universal mandatory reporting policies (MRPs) for sexual misconduct are important for campus safety, but there is little evidence to support these assumptions. HYPOTHESES: Given the exploratory nature of this research, no formal hypotheses were tested. We did not expect universal MRPs to be significantly associated with increased reporting or postreporting outcomes. METHOD: Data on MRPs and sexual misconduct reporting in annual security reports and to Title IX coordinators at institutions of higher education in New York (N = 188) were used to examine the prevalence of universal MRPs as well as the relationship between MRPs and reporting and postreporting outcomes. RESULTS: Descriptives showed that 44% of institutions of higher education have a universal MRP. Multivariate linear regression models indicated that universal MRPs were not significantly related to reporting in annual security reports; reports to Title IX coordinators, campus police, campus safety or security officers; or rates of referrals to additional services, no-contact orders, access to the judicial conduct process for sexual misconduct, or findings of student responsibility for sexual misconduct. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings raise concerns about the widespread implementation of MRPs and highlight the need for future research on their impact on student-survivor reporting and access to remedies and resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Faculty-Student Consensual Sexual Relationship Policies: Examining Prevalence and Content using a Nationally Representative Sample of Institutions of Higher Education in the United States.

The current study uses a nationally representative sample of institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States (n = 448) to estimate the prevalence rate of consensual sexual relationship policies (CSRPs) and to examine variation in CSRPs across sectors of IHEs. The concepts of consent and power differentials in CSRPs are also explored. Findings show that the majority of IHEs do not have a CSRP, that there are no significant differences in the prevalence rate or type of CSRPs across IHE sectors, and the most common type of CSRP is a limited ban. The concepts of consent and power differentials underpin the majority of CSRPs.

Native Missing Persons Cases Will Not be Solved by Police Alone: The Case for "Missing Persons Advocates".

This study explored the potential role of victim advocacy in Native American missing person cases. Interviews with 25 tribal and non-tribal victim/social service providers were conducted to assess their perspectives on the factors which make Native Americans vulnerable to going missing, the barriers and challenges regarding reporting and investigating missing persons, as well as how victim/social service providers might better support the families of missing persons. Findings suggest that advocates perceive that responding to and offering services for Native families who experience a missing loved one will be extremely difficult because of the intersection of isolation, poverty, and jurisdictional complexities among tribal lands, combined with social service providers and law enforcement officers' lack of resources and training regarding cultural sensitivity. At the same time, advocates suggest that additional training and resources could help overcome many of these barriers and see a role for victim service providers in responding to missing and murdered Native American persons. Implications and suggestions for practice are discussed.

Examining Faculty-to-Student Consensual Sexual Relationship Policies on Campus: Have There Been Changes in the Era of #MeToo.

Although Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment in institutions of higher education (IHEs), in the era of #MeToo, consensual faculty-student relationships have elicited significant attention. While some IHEs have developed consensual sexual relationship policies (CSRPs), little research to date has examined the content of such policies or whether IHEs have changed their policies as societal awareness regarding sexual harassment has increased. This study examined a stratified sample of IHEs, including state flagship, regional, and Ivy League schools (n = 56), to compare the type of CSRPs in 2011 and 2018 as well as changes in the content of such policies over the 7-year study period. Findings suggested that IHEs are becoming more restrictive in their CSRPs with movement toward limited bans and prohibitions; most policies discuss power differentials, include reporting requirements, and identify the use of sanctions for policy violations. Innovations in CSRPs include nuanced discussions of consent, placing the burden of proof on faculty to prove consent in allegations of sexual harassment, and including graduate students in CSRPs. Implications inform the debate regarding policies and procedures on campus sexual misconduct and advance the literature on evolving responses.

Assessing States' Intimate Partner Violence Offender Treatment Standards using a Principles of Effective Intervention Framework.

Court-ordered treatment programs are a widely used response to intimate partner violence (IPV) and many states have developed standards to guide programs. The current study provides an update to Maiuro and Eberle's. (2008) review of states' standards and extends the literature by using the principles of effective intervention (PEIs; i.e., risk, need, responsivity, treatment, and fidelity) as an organizational framework to examine standards. Findings showed that 84% of states had standards in 2020, compared to 88% in 2007, and extensive changes both within and across states' standards had occurred. Regarding the PEIs, in line with the risk principle most states mandated the use of risk assessments; inconsistent with the needs principle, few states used these assessments to classify clients into risk levels or inform individualized treatment. The majority of standards addressed the treatment principle by outlining a required structure and duration, but few attended to responsivity factors (e.g., identifying treatment modalities, attending to specific client factors). Regarding the fidelity principle, most standards outlined education or training requirements for staff and required periodic program reviews or audits, but few standards were evidenced-based and only about half required that programs collect data to measure effectiveness. Taken together, findings suggest that standards have continued to evolve and that the integration of PEIs into IPV treatment is only just beginning. Standards provide a rich opportunity for future researcher-practitioner partnerships in the field of IPV intervention.

Examining missingness among children in out-of-home care placement in Nebraska.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the prevalence and context of missingness (i.e., being reported as a missing person) among children in out-of-home (OOH) care. OBJECTIVE: The present research examines the relationship between missingness and OOH care placements as well as predictors and case contexts of children missing from OOH care. METHODS: Point-in-time count data of reported missing persons in Nebraska and administrative records on children's OOH placements are used. Bivariate significance tests examine group differences; case contexts are explored through content analysis of OOH case reviews. RESULTS: About 30 % of Nebraska's missing children are in OOH care. Bivariate tests show that children missing from OOH care are older and are more likely to be Black and less likely to have their race listed as "unknown" than children missing from their families of origin. Children in OOH who are missing are also more likely to be in group care, on probation, and have greater placement instability compared to children in OOH care who are not missing. Case contexts of missingness include unmet substance use and mental health challenges, experiences with violence and victimization, and few bonds to school. CONCLUSIONS: Screening and interventions for high-need children in OOH care and their caregivers are necessary to prevent children from going missing from placements.