Law enforcement officers' perception of rape and rape victims: a multimethod study.

In a study to assess law enforcement officers' perceptions of rape and rape victims, researchers asked 149 law enforcement officers to respond to surveys which included a definition of rape measure, an unfounded rape claims measure, and the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Revised (RMA-R) measure. Although most officers scored low on the RMA-R--indicating that they did not adhere to myths about rape--most officers also responded with incomplete definitions of rape and inaccurate estimates of the number of false rape claims. Multivariate analyses indicated that officers' open-ended responses did not predict their scores on the RMA-R scale. It is argued that the RMA-R alone does not accurately measure officers' understanding of rape. Officers need ongoing training on the legal elements of the crime, the necessity of sensitivity with victims, and research-based statistics on the prevalence of rape.

Freshmen anxiety and COVID-19: Practical implications from an online intervention for supporting students affected by health inequities.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored how college freshmen, particularly those affected by health inequities, are affected by COVID-19 and whether they would use a university-created online wellness intervention for help. PARTICIPANTS: Nine-hundred and eighty-nine freshmen at a large southeastern university. METHOD: Students responded to an online survey regarding their anxiety, worry, number of life disruptions, perceived resilience and their use of the online intervention during the pandemic (June to mid-September 2020). RESULTS: During COVID-19, Latinx, Black, women and non-heterosexual students reported significantly greater worry, daily life disruptions than their non-Latinx, white, male and heterosexual counterparts. Women and non-heterosexual students also reported greater anxiety and less resilience. Additionally, Latinx students reported using the university's online intervention for help during COVID-19 more than others. Overall, freshmen, especially Black and women students, reported the online intervention would help them with struggles. CONCLUSIONS: Universities should identify unique worries faced by students during a health crisis and provide institutional support. Practical implications are discussed.

Online Virtual Supervised Visitation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One State's Experience.

This paper describes how supervised visitation programs in Florida rapidly transitioned from in-person supervised visits to virtual, online visits during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health of families and staff. Structured telephonic interviews and an online survey revealed that although most program directors had not previously developed guiding policies or hosted such visits, within weeks they were providing hundreds of online "virtual visits" between children and their non-custodial parents to maintain the crucial parent-child relationship in a safe manner. Vignettes from this data provide lessons regarding parent and child reactions to virtual visits, advantages and disadvantages of virtual visits from the programs' perspectives, and levels of enthusiasm for using virtual visits going forward. In addition, the data includes recommendations for new program guidelines and protocols for the ongoing use of virtual visits. Although it is too early to call these policies best practices, the study does offer insight into the challenges and opportunities afforded by virtual visits and can inform disaster planning that supervised visitation programs develop to prepare for inevitable future disruptions in services to families.

Helping students cope with adversity: the influence of a web-based intervention on students' self-efficacy and intentions to use wellness-related resources.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of an online wellness intervention on college students' self-efficacy, intentions to seek help, general resilience and whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) act as a moderating variable. Participants: Three-hundred and eighty-two undergraduate students. Method: Students were assigned to two conditions: treatment or control. The treatment group participated in an online intervention designed to enhance student wellness, the control group did not. Both groups completed an online questionnaire. Results: Students exposed to the intervention reported greater self-efficacy, a higher likelihood to engage in self-help activities and greater intention to use campus resources. Additionally, among students with more ACEs, those who were exposed to the site were more likely to recommend resources. Conclusion: The online intervention presented here may be an effective tool to reduce barriers for students seeking help for mental health and may increase student wellness.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Building College Students' Resilience.

PURPOSE: This paper describes the development of a new psychoeducational universal prevention resilience program ( https://strong.fsu.edu ) designed to complement existing mental health services at a large public university. The first set of descriptive data (n = 229) from the project's student surveys is discussed. METHODS: A voluntary and anonymous online questionnaire was used to determine student attitudes toward the new program. RESULTS: A large majority of participants (more than 80%) perceived the website to be credible, rating it as believable, trustworthy, and accurate. 90% believe the university resources included in the project would help themselves and others overcome struggles and challenges. Other results are also discussed. DISCUSSION: This data from a unique project shows the promise of using an online, integrative tool for a campus resilience initiative. The project is dynamic; analysis of student responses will inform ongoing revisions and refinements.

Florida State University's Institute for Family Violence Studies.

This article outlines the role of the Institute for Family Violence Studies (IFVS) within the Florida State University College of Social Work in navigating issues intersecting social work and the law ( http://familyvio.csw.fsu.edu/ ). By developing comprehensive state and national trainings for unique populations and conducting interdisciplinary research, the IFVS promotes public policy that benefits healthy families and decreases family and intimate partner violence. The crucial role of staff and students, the IFVS's collaborative alliances, and funding sources are highlighted. Projects such as the Clearinghouse on Supervised Visitation, the National Prevention Toolkit on Officer-Involved Domestic Violence, Successful Co-Parenting After Divorce, and the LGBTQ Family Life Project are described. Plans for future projects, as well as other new avenues for research, are summarized.

What do EMS personnel think about domestic violence? An exploration of attitudes and experiences after participation in training.

INTRODUCTION: In 2012, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) reaffirmed that domestic violence is a serious public health hazard that emergency medical services (EMS) personnel will encounter. Many victims of domestic violence may refuse transport to the hospital, making EMS prehospital field personnel --EMTs and paramedics-- their only contact with healthcare providers. Despite these facts, the interaction of field EMS personnel and victims of domestic violence remains largely unexamined. OBJECTIVES: Given the importance of the interaction of field EMS personnel have with victims of domestic violence, the goal of this study is to explore attitudes about and experiences of EMS personnel on the issue of domestic violence after completing a training on domestic violence. METHODS: Participants were recruited by researchers contacting multiple EMS agencies. Data were gathered using a survey attached to an online domestic violence training for field EMS personnel (EMTs and paramedics) circulated in a large southern state. Participants were able to obtain continuing education credits for completing the online modules. RESULTS: A total of 403 respondents completed the survey. 71% of respondents indicated that they frequently encounter patients who disclose domestic violence; 45% believe that if a victim does not disclose abuse, there is little they can do to help; and from 32% to 43% reported assumptions and attitudes that indicate beliefs that victims are responsible for the abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Implications of the data are discussed suggesting that EMS providers are aware that they frequently assist victims of domestic violence, yet many continue to endorse common myths and negative attitudes about victims. Core components of training that can educate EMS personnel about the dynamics of domestic violence are described, and a new free online training for medical professionals on domestic violence is offered for use as part of ongoing education to enhance the EMS response to victims.