Risk Factors for Multiple Violations of Protective Orders in Intimate Partner Violence Against Women.

This study examined 1,134 cases of violence against women in intimate partner relationships with violations of protective orders in a monitoring period of up to 15 months. The dynamics of time and violence were analyzed in the cases of multiple violation versus one-time violation, with the objective of identifying and thus neutralizing the risk factors for this type of recidivism. The results showed that early violation, serious physical violence, death threats, as well as jealousy, harassment, and control are related to multiple violation. This article discusses the results in comparison with other research and proposes measures to avoid revictimizations.

Protective Orders for Male Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence: Differences Between Violators and Non-Violators.

The goal of this study was to determine the profile of the aggressors of intimate partner violence (IPV), who tend to violate protective orders (POs). A cohort of 200 men convicted of IPV (120 violators and 80 non-violators of the POs) was studied. Male perpetrators were more likely to belong to the PO violator group when they had a prior criminal history, they inflicted more severe physical violence, they were drug users, and they had a low education level. Using the risk factors identified here when dealing with males who perpetrate IPV and taking appropriate measures may help to prevent revictimization.

Relationship between adult attachment and cognitive emotional regulation style in women and men.

Cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies are useful in evaluating the risk of developing emotional disorders and that they may define subjects' styles. This study aims to explore the extent to which specific styles of CER strategies relate to the anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions in adults and whether such relationships operate similarly for women and men. Two hundred and fifteen adults (between 22 and 67 years old) completed the Spanish versions of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Experiences in Close Relationships instrument. Cluster analysis, ANOVA and Student's t-test were used. Our results show that women and men can be successfully classified into two CER clusters (Protective and Vulnerable), distinguished by the higher use in the protective cluster of the CER strategies considered most adaptive and complex (Acceptance, Positive Refocusing, Refocus on Planning, Positive Reappraisal, and Putting into Perspective). However, only in women were the anxious and avoidant attachment dimensions significantly associated with CER style. In conclusion, from a clinical and interpersonal perspective, it is interesting to be able to predict the belonging to a Protective or Vulnerable coping style by analysing the CER strategies and to know their relationship with the adult affective system.

Adolescents Adjudicated for Sexual Offending: Differences Between Sexual Reoffenders and Sexual Non-Reoffenders.

Although a very small group of adolescents adjudicated for sexual offending (ASO) will persist into adulthood, the use of official records of sexual recidivism after long-term follow-up periods underrates the repetition of sexually coercive behaviors during adolescence. Additionally, limited research has considered sexual reoffending as a criterion to classify this heterogeneous population. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of ASO who engaged in repetitive sexual offending before their adjudication, and to use it as a classification criterion to examine the differential characteristics associated with each group. A sample of 73 adjudicated ASO in Spain was examined. They were divided into sexual reoffenders (SR) (n = 34) and sexual nonreoffenders (SNR) (n = 39). An ex post facto research design was carried out. Assessments included reviews of official files, interviews with professionals in charge, and interviews with the ASO in which the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was administered. Descriptive analyses were conducted for all variables and Odds Ratio (OR) was used to compare intergroup differences. Results showed that SR had 12.95 times the odds of sexual victimization, 6.91 times the odds of having lived in a sexualized family environment, and 3 times the odds of bullying victimization. Deviant sexual fantasies were exclusively present among SR (44%). Significant differences between groups were also found in some sexual crime variables but not on the empathy scale. These results have implications for the distinction between ASO who have repeatedly engaged in sexually coercive behavior and those who engaged in a single event of sexual offending. The identification of specific risk factors and criminogenic needs for each group would benefit court decisions and more tailored interventions.

Evidences of an Implemented Training Program in Consensual and Responsible Sexual Relations for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

(1) Background: While there is a growing awareness of the rights of individuals with intellectual disabilities, very limited progress has been made in supporting these people to create and maintain intimate and personal relationships. (2) Methods: This paper reports the results from a program aimed at promoting responsible and consensual sexual relations of adults with intellectual disabilities. Of the 44 participants, 31.8% were women and 68.2% were men aged 22 to 67 years. Pre and post measurements regarding the attitudes toward sexual relations were taken, and difficulty and discrimination indexes were calculated. (3) Results: Statistically significant improvements were identified in the overall measurements, as were they for the domains of privacy, safety, and respect. The difficulty index changed from 0.67 to 0.79 in a pre-post assessment, denoting more positive attitudes. This and other results support the relevance and usefulness of the intervention program and encourage further intervention efforts.

Partner’s Emotional Dependency Scale: Psychometrics.

INTRODUCTION: Emotional dependency in a partner implies an excessive permanent affectional bonding to the other individual that is dysfunctional, associated with low self-esteem and conceals a lack of affection. Emotional dependency generates a series of negative emotional consequences: symptoms of anxiety and depression, obsessive thoughts, sleep disorders and abandonment of social relations and leisure. In recent decades several tools have been developed to measure emotional dependency, but they are more focused on measuring dependent personality disorder, centered on an exclusively young population or are not validated in the Spanish population. The aim of this research is to design and validate a new scale to overcome these limitations. METHOD: The sample population included 166 adults (53 men and 113 women) from the general population, to whom a new scale was applied (partner’s emotional dependency scale, SED), as well as the CDE (Emotional Dependency Questionnaire). RESULTS: The scale has a unidimensional structure, showing good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .90) and a high convergent validity with the CDE (r = .86). There is no difference between men and women with regarding emotional dependency. Some cut-off points have been established based on the degree of emotional dependency (low, moderate, high and extreme). CONCLUSIONS: The SED is a brief assessment tool, simple to conduct and allows the degree of emotional dependency to be assessed unidimensionally with regard to a stable intimate relationship (current or past) in a normative population.

Characteristics and risk factors in juvenile sexual offenders.

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that juvenile sexual offences constitute about 7% of the total annual rate of sexual offences in Spain. Nevertheless, research on Spanish juvenile sex offenders (JSO) is virtually non-existent. This paper analyzes the risk factors related to sexual violence committed by adolescents. METHOD: The participants were 73 adolescents (M = 15.68 years, SD = 1.12) aged between 14 and 18, who were serving a sentence for committing a sexual offence in various Spanish Autonomous Regions. In this descriptive study multiple methods were used to collect the data: court records, self-reports, along with an interview with the JSO and with the professionals involved. RESULTS: Risk factors related to family history, certain personality characteristics, and the development of "inadequate sexualisation" (96% of cases) were analyzed. This latter variable was mainly related to an early onset of pornography consumption (70%), to a sexualized family environment (26%), and to sexual victimization during childhood (22%). CONCLUSION: These results are consistent with international research on juvenile sex offending, so we can conclude that the process of development of sexualization from infancy onwards should be deeply examined with regard to sexual violence.

The Contribution of Moral Disengagement to Dating Violence and General Aggression: The Gender and Age Moderating Effects.

The main aims of this study were, first to analyze the partial effects of specific mechanisms of moral disengagement (MMD) on different manifestations of general aggression and dating violence (DV) in adolescents and youths; second, to explore the moderating effects of gender and age on these relations. Moral disengagement, and different forms of aggression and DV, were evaluated in a sample of 424 participants (61.1% women) aged 15 to 25 years (M = 18.80; SD = 2.69). Pearson correlations and different hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. All regressions were controlled by social desirability. MMD contributed to physical aggression with a medium effect size (R2 = .22) and verbal aggression with a small effect size (R2 = .10). Conversely, MMD did not appear to clearly contribute to DV. In conclusion, depersonalization and rationalization were the most important MMD for physical aggression, rationalization for verbal aggression, and irresponsibility for verbal-emotional violence in dating relationships. Moreover, the relationships between physical aggression and rationalization mechanism were significantly moderated by gender: there appears to be a stronger relationship between rationalization and physical aggression in boys than in girls. Moderating effects of age on these relations were not found.

Memoria traumática: estrategias de afrontamiento adaptativas e inadaptativas / Traumatic Memories: Adaptive and Maladaptive Coping Strategies

Resumen En este artículo se analiza la relación existente entre los recuerdos traumáticos y las posibles estrategias para hacerles frente. Los recuerdos traumáticos son difíciles de integrar en la biografía de las personas afectadas y pueden interferir de forma significativa en su funcionamiento social, académico y profesional. Se distingue psicopatológicamente entre los recuerdos normales y los recuerdos traumáticos. Asimismo se analizan las estrategias de afrontamiento adaptativas, tales como la evitación cognitiva, la exposición terapéutica a los recuerdos traumáticos o la capacidad de perdón. Pero también hay un afrontamiento inadaptativo (nostalgia, sentimientos de odio y de venganza o conductas autodestructivas) que puede dar cuenta de las dificultades de recuperación en algunos pacientes. Por último, se examinan las estrategias de regulación emocional cognitiva y el papel de la resiliencia y del crecimiento postraumático para afrontar los recuerdos traumáticos. Se comentan las implicaciones de este estudio para investigaciones futuras en esta área.

Abstract In this paper the relationship between traumatic memories and coping skills to deal with them is analyzed. Traumatic memories are difficult to be integrated into the survivor's life story and can significantly interfere with social, educational and occupational functioning. From a psychopathological point of view, a distinction between normal and traumatic memories is made. Adaptive coping skills to deal with traumatic memories, such as cognitive avoidance, therapeutic exposure to traumatic memories or forgiveness, are analyzed. But there is also maladaptive coping, such as nostalgia, hate and revenge feelings or self-destructive behaviors, which should be taken into account to explain the difficulties of recovery in some patients. Finally, the cognitive emotion regulation strategies and the role of resiliency and post-traumatic growth in some patients to cope with traumatic memories are examined. Implications of this study for future research in this field are commented upon.

Current psychological therapeutic approaches for gambling disorder with psychiatric comorbidities: A narrative review / Tratamientos psicológicos actuales para el trastorno del juego c on comorbilidad psiquiátrica: una revisión narrativa

Abstract: Background: Although the presence of a gambling disorder (GD) together with another mental disorder poses special treatment challenges, such as relapses, severe outcomes for patients and families, and increased number of hospitalizations, there are only a few critical reviews in the literature. Objective: To review empirical evidence of psychological approaches to cope specifically with these dual disorders. Method: A narrative review of the relevant bibliography on this topic was carried out. A systematic search of original articles (2010-October 2017) was conducted in MEDLINE and PsycInfo. Key terms were: 1. gambling/gamblers, 2. treatment/intervention/therapy/therapeutics, and 3. dual diagnosis/comorbidity. Results: Current treatment for GD involves a number of different options, including inpatient treatments, intensive outpatient therapy, individual and group cognitive-behavioral options (CBT), self-help groups, and pharmacotherapy. Inpatient care is generally limited to patients with severe acute crises, treatment failures, and severe comorbid disorders, particularly depression and attempted suicide. Treatment for GD with other mental disorder needs more research. CBT, motivational enhancement therapy and self-help groups have some empirical support when GD is comorbid with other addiction, mood disorder, or schizophrenia. Programs that combine pharmacotherapy and psychosocial treatments for GD into a single comprehensive package are most likely to have good treatment outcomes, at least with regard to treatment retention. Discussion and conclusion: Interventions should be tailored to the needs of the patients. Future research should be concerned about the statistical power of the studies, implement motivational strategies for patients with poor medication adherence, and design measures to study treatment fidelity in the CBT groups.

Resumen: Antecedentes: La presencia comórbida del juego patológico (JP) con otro trastorno mental plantea diversos desafíos al tratamiento, como las recaídas, las repercusiones negativas para los pacientes y sus familias y un mayor número de hospitalizaciones. Objetivo: Revisar la evidencia empírica existente sobre el papel que cumplen las terapias psicológicas en el tratamiento de estos trastornos duales. Método: Se realizó una revisión narrativa de la bibliografía relevante sobre este tema. Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda sistemática de artículos originales (2010-octubre 2017) en MEDLINE y PsycInfo con las palabras clave: 1. gambling or gamblers, 2. Treatment, intervention, therapy or therapeutics, y 3. dual diagnosis or comorbidity. Resultados: Hay diversas terapias para el JP: tratamiento hospitalario, terapia intensiva ambulatoria, terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC) individual y en grupo, Jugadores Anónimos y farmacoterapia. La hospitalización se limita a los pacientes con una crisis aguda, fracasos terapéuticos previos y trastornos comórbidos graves, como la depresión y los intentos de suicidio. El tratamiento para el JP comórbido con otro trastorno (depresión, abuso de sustancias o esquizofrenia) requiere más investigación. Las terapias más efectivas en estos casos son al parecer la TCC, la entrevista motivacional y los grupos de autoayuda. Los programas que combinan farmacoterapia con tratamientos psicológicos parecen aumentar la retención del tratamiento. Discusión y conclusión: La intervención debe adaptarse a las necesidades específicas de cada paciente y la investigación debe mejorar las estrategias motivacionales cuando los pacientes muestran una deficiente adherencia a la medicación, así como diseñar medidas para mejorar la fidelidad al tratamiento psicológico.

Comparison of methods for dealing with missing values in the EPV-R.

BACKGROUND: The development of an effective instrument to assess the risk of partner violence is a topic of great social relevance. This study evaluates the scale of “Predicción del Riesgo de Violencia Grave Contra la Pareja” –Revisada– (EPV-R - Severe Intimate Partner Violence Risk Prediction Scale-Revised), a tool developed in Spain, which is facing the problem of how to treat the high rate of missing values, as is usual in this type of scale. METHOD: First, responses to the EPV-R in a sample of 1215 male abusers who were reported to the police were used to analyze the patterns of occurrence of missing values, as well as the factor structure. Second, we analyzed the performance of various imputation methods using simulated data that emulates the missing data mechanism found in the empirical database. RESULTS: The imputation procedure originally proposed by the authors of the scale provides acceptable results, although the application of a method based on the Item Response Theory could provide greater accuracy and offers some additional advantages. CONCLUSIONS: Item Response Theory appears to be a useful tool for imputing missing data in this type of questionnaire.

Escala de Gravedad de Síntomas Revisada (EGS-R) del trastorno de estrés postraumático según el DSM-5: propiedades psicométricas / Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom Severity Scale-Revised (EGS-R) according to DSM-5 criteria: psychometric properties

La escala de gravedad de síntomas Revisada del trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) es una entrevista estructurada que consta de 21 ítems, basada en los criterios diagnósticos del DSM-5, y sirve para evaluar la gravedad de los síntomas de este cuadro clínico. En este trabajo se describen las propiedades psicométricas de este instrumento. la muestra contó con 526 víctimas de agresiones sexuales o de violencia familiar y con una muestra normativa de 193 participantes. El instrumento global mostró una alta consistencia interna (α = .91), así como una buena validez discriminante (g = 1.27) y convergente (rbp = .78 con el diagnóstico). Los resultados del análisis factorial confirmatorio apoyan los cuatro núcleos de síntomas del DSM-5. Un punto de corte de 20, con una eficacia diagnóstica del 82.48%, es apropiada para discriminar a las víctimas con un TEPT. Esta escala resulta útil para planificar el tratamiento y las investigaciones clínicas.

the posttraumatic stress Disorder (ptsD) symptom severity scale-revised is a 21-item structured interview based in DSM-5 criteria and intended to assess the severity of the symptoms of this mental disorder. This paper describes the psychometric properties of this instrument for assessing PTSD. The sample consisted of 526 patients who had been victims of sexual aggression or family violence and 193 people from the general population. The global instrument showed high internal consistency (α = .91), as well as good discriminant (g = 1.27) and concurrent validity (rpb = .78 with diagnosis of PTSD). The results of confirmatory factor analysis are presented and give support to the DSM-5 four symptom clusters. a cut-off point of 20, with a diagnostic efficacy of 82.48%, is appropriate to discriminate the victims with PTSD. The interview appears to be a sound instrument and should prove useful for treatment planning and research.

Aggression, anger and hostility: Evaluation of moral disengagement as a mediational process.

This study examines how the mechanisms underlying moral disengagement serve as a mediator between anger and hostility and physical and verbal aggression. The study was carried out on 424 participants (61.1% females), aged 15 to 25 years, assessing the direct and indirect effects of the distinct variables using a hierarchical multiple regression analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that anger and hostility contribute independently and positively to physical and verbal aggression. Moreover, the relationships between anger, hostility, and aggression appear to be mediated by moral disengagement. Indeed, this process of mediation was invariant across sexes, and it tended to be stronger for physical--as opposed to verbal--aggression.

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire.

The aim of this study was to validate a Spanish version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-S), originally developed by Garnefski, Kraaij, and Spinhoven. To date, it is the only available instrument that permits a conceptually pure quantification of cognitive strategies of emotional regulation. A sample of 615 students (25% men; 75% women) completed the CERQ-S. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that, as in the original version, a nine-factor model also explained the data collected with the Spanish version. However, an alternative model that integrates the nine dimensions in two second-order factors shows appropriate global fit indices and has interesting implications. Likewise, the results of the present study are comparable with those obtained in previous work with measures of depression, anxiety, and anger, and increase support for the validity of this instrument for assessing normalized affective states.

[Psychometric properties of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-2) in a Spanish sample of partner-violent men]. / Propiedades psicométricas de la Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-2) en una muestra española de agresores de pareja.

Intimate partner violence is a complex problem that requires the update of the available assessment tools. The aim of the study is to test the revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-2) in partner-violent men. Its structure and other psychometric properties are analyzed in 173 convicted offenders from Brians-2 and Alhaurín de la Torre penitentiaries. Discriminant validity is also assessed by comparing offenders with 108 males from the general population. The internal consistency for the 39 items of perpetration is .88 (varying from .59 to .83 among the subscales). The validity data indicate that the scale is useful to discriminate between batterers and general population in physical and psychological violence, although there is an overlap between different types of violence, and it is difficult to compare self-reports with external criteria such court decisions. The results of confirmatory factorial analysis do not support the original five-factor structure. Using exploratory factorial analysis, four components with good internal consistency were identified: Physical (.86), Sexual (.75), and Psychological Violence (.82), and Negotiation (.83). Recommendations for use and a reference guide of rating scores in samples of offenders are suggested.

Psychological treatment of men convicted of gender violence: a pilot study in Spanish prisons.

In this article, the effectiveness of a psychological treatment program for men who are in prison for committing a serious offence of gender violence is tested. The sample consisted of 52 men who were imprisoned in eight Spanish prisons. The psychological treatment was a cognitive-behavioral program, in a group format, with 20 weekly sessions that lasted for 8 months. The results showed a significant improvement of irrational beliefs, about both women and violence, as a strategy to cope with everyday difficulties and a significant decrease of psychopathological symptomatology, anger, and hostility. On the other hand, results indicated that the only difference between the patients who dropped out of treatment and those who completed it was the level of initial motivation for treatment. Implications of this study for clinical practice and future research in this field are discussed.

Aggressors against women in prison and in the community: an exploratory study of a differential profile.

The current study compares the demographic and psychopathological characteristics of 54 men, who were in prison because of a serious offence of violence against women, and of 42 men, who belonged to a program of community treatment for violence against women in the home. There were no significant differences in demographic variables between the two samples. However, from a psychopathological point of view, psychiatric antecedents and current emotional instability were much more frequent and severe in aggressors within the community. Therefore, two possible differential profiles among the violent men are presented. Implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are commented on.

Psychopathological profile of men convicted of gender violence: a study in the prisons of Spain.

In this article, a description of the demographic, penal, and psychopathological characteristics of 54 men who are in prison because of having committed a serious offense of gender violence was carried out. Furthermore, a comparison of all the variables studied between the participants with homicide and those without homicide was done. The results showed the existence of irrational beliefs both about women and violence as a strategy to cope with everyday difficulties, as well as a general inadaptation to daily life. However, from a psychopathological point of view, in spite of not observing a high degree of symptomatology in the sample, the psychiatric and penal antecedents and current emotional instability were much more frequent and severe in people who had not committed homicide. Therefore, two possible differential profiles among the violent men are presented.