Family Violence, Personality Traits, and Risk Behaviors: Links to Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among College Students.

Though dating violence (DV) is prevalent on college campuses, few studies have examined a multitude of risk factors that may better explain this process. As such, we examined the role of family violence (i.e., childhood physical abuse, witnessing parental violence), personality traits (i.e., entitlement, antisocial personality [ASP] and borderline personality [BP]) and risk behaviors (i.e., risky sexual behaviors, heavy drinking, marijuana use, illicit drug use) on DV victimization and perpetration among 783 college students. Path analysis revealed that witnessing parental violence was linked to DV perpetration while experiencing more physical abuse was positively correlated with entitlement (females only), ASP traits, and BP traits. ASP traits (both males and females) and entitlement (females only) were directly associated with high-risk behaviors. Among females, entitlement was also indirectly associated with DV victimization and perpetration through sexual risk behaviors. Findings highlight the importance of histories of physical abuse and personality traits in understanding DV.

Intentional injury and violent death after intimate partner violence. A retrospective matched-cohort study.

The incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) varies according to IPV definitions and data collection approaches. The criminal Justice system assesses IPV through a review of the evidence gathered by the police and the court hearings. We aimed to determine the association between IPV, as identified in criminal Justice disposition records, and subsequent healthcare-identified intentional injury inflicted by others, including violent death. We conducted a retrospective population-based matched-cohort study using linked multisectoral databases. Female adult Manitoba residents identified as victims of IPV in provincial prosecution and disposition records 2004 to 2016 (n = 20,469) were matched to three non-victims (n = 61,407) of similar age, relationship status and place of residence at the date of the IPV incident. Outcomes were first healthcare use for intentional injury and violent death, assessed in Emergency Department visits, hospitalizations and Vital Statistics deaths records. Conditional Cox Regression was used to obtain Hazard Ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The risk of intentional injury was 8.5 per 1000 women among non-victims of IPV and 55.8 per 1000 women among IPV victims. The Hazard Ratios associated with IPV were 3.8 (95% CI: 3.4, 4.3) for intentional injury and 4.6 (95% CI: 2.3, 9.2) for violent death, after adjustment. IPV victims experienced half the risk of subsequent intentional injury if the accused received a probation sentence. Our findings suggest that Justice involvement represents an opportunity for intersectoral collaborative prevention of subsequent intentional injury among IPV victims.

Associating child sexual abuse with child victimization in China.

OBJECTIVES: To provide a comprehensive profile of the prevalence of child sexual abuse as well as other forms of child victimization in China and to examine the associations between child sexual abuse, demographic factors, and other forms of child victimization. STUDY DESIGN: Using a 2-staged stratified sampling procedure, we recruited a total of 18,341 students in grades 9-12 (girls 46.7%, mean age 15.86 years) from 150 randomly sampled schools during November 2009 through July 2010 in 6 Chinese cities. We assessed the students' demographic background and their experience of child sexual abuse and other forms of victimization. The independent effect on child sexual abuse of each demographic factor and form of child victimization was examined after controlling for other variables. RESULTS: The overall lifetime and preceding-year prevalence of child sexual abuse was 8.0% and 6.4%, respectively. Boys were more likely to report child sexual abuse than were girls. Apart from having experienced other forms of child victimization, several characteristics were associated with greater risk of child sexual abuse: being a boy; being older; having sibling(s); having divorced, separated, or widowed parents; or having an unemployed father. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides reliable estimates of child victimization to facilitate resource allocation in health care settings in China. The strong associations between child sexual abuse and other forms of child victimization warrant screening for additional forms of child victimization once any one of them has been identified.

Intimate Partner Violence Among International and Interprovincial Migrants: A Population-Based Analysis of Canadian Linked Immigration and Justice Data.

Factors associated with IPV among immigrant women are not well understood. Using linked immigration and justice data, we compared the incidence of justice-identified IPV (JIIPV) among 58,564 international immigrant women born outside of Canada, 30,098 women born in other Canadian provinces (i.e., interprovincial migrants), and 88,662 long-term Manitoban resident women. International immigrant women had the lowest incidence of JIIPV compared to matched long-term Manitobans (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.49, 95% CI: 0.43-0.56) and interprovincial migrants (aHR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.43-0.73). Among immigrants, JIIPV varied substantially according to birthplace, increased with length of residence, and was less frequent among secondary immigrants.

Intimate Partner Violence Among Persons With Mental Health-Related Disabilities in Canada.

This study examined the elevated risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) among persons with mental health-related disabilities (MH-RD) and the extent to which known risk factors accounted for this phenomenon. Data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of 33,127 Canadians collected in 2014 as part of Statistics Canada's General Social Survey. Results showed that respondents with MH-RD had more than three-fold increased odds of both overall and severe IPV victimization. Although females were more likely to possess a MH-RD, males and females with MH-RD reported similarly elevated odds of IPV victimization. Risk factors that contributed to a significant reduction in elevated odds of IPV for respondents with MH-RD were child maltreatment (CM), respondents' nonprescription drug abuse, and perpetrators' jealous, monitoring, and socially isolating behaviors. The inability to test additional risk factors and bidirectionality in the relationship between MH-RD and IPV may have contributed to the failure to fully account for these respondents' elevated odds of IPV. Future research is needed to understand the complex mechanisms contributing to the elevated risk of IPV and enhance prevention and intervention strategies for this underresearched and underserved vulnerable population.

The effect of poor parenting on male and female dating violence perpetration and victimization.

This study examines the effects of poor parenting on dating violence perpetration and victimization among approximately 900 males and females from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Results revealed that more physical abuse and low parental warmth were linked to greater substance use and higher rates of delinquency. In addition, low parental warmth, more neglect, and greater delinquency had positive direct effects on dating violence perpetration, whereas more physical abuse, low parental warmth, and increased delinquency were all positively associated with dating violence victimization. Finally, delinquency mediated the link between low parental warmth and dating violence perpetration and victimization. The results provide some support for both social learning theory and an antisocial orientation perspective.

Screening for intimate partner violence in the early postpartum period: Maternal and child health and social outcomes from birth to 5-years post-delivery.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a substantial public health concern, yet little is known about the developmental trajectory of these women and their children after birth. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine maternal and child health as well as social outcomes from birth to 5-years post-delivery associated with a positive (vs. negative) maternal IPV screen around the time of delivery. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Manitoban women giving birth to a live singleton infant from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006 were followed from birth to 5-years post-delivery (analytic sample: N = 40,051). METHODS: Administrative databases from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy provided data for the study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine relationships between IPV screen response around the time of birth (i.e., current, or history of, violence between parenting partners) with maternal and child health as well as social outcomes. RESULTS: Women screening positive for IPV had increased odds of diagnosed mood/anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, diabetes, respiratory morbidity, and intentional/non-intentional injury hospitalizations (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] range 1.81-5.59, p < .01). Children of women screening positive for IPV had increased odds of diagnosed attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, lower respiratory infections, and injury hospitalizations (AOR range 1.53-2.00, p < .01), child welfare organization contact (AOR = 8.84, p < .01), and of being more developmentally vulnerable at kindergarten across domains of functioning (AOR range 1.69-1.93, p < .01) than children of mothers screening negative for IPV. CONCLUSION: A positive IPV screen was associated with poorer maternal and child health, increased child and family services contact, and children being more developmentally vulnerable in the 5-years after delivery.

Understanding the Elevated Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Interracial Relationships.

Research from the United States and Canada suggest that interracial relationships tend to have an elevated prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV). Among seven extant studies, only one empirically examined speculations in the literature for this relationship. Based on analyses of data from Statistics Canada's 2009 General Social Survey (GSS), Brownridge was not able to fully account for the elevated odds of IPV in interracial relationships. The current study used data on 16,706 Canadians (731 in interracial relationships and 15,975 in noninterracial relationships) from the 2014 iteration of Statistics Canada's GSS to determine whether the risk of IPV in interracial relationships had changed since 2009 and to explore risk factors that may account for the elevated odds of IPV in interracial relationships. Results showed that individuals in interracial relationships faced elevated odds of IPV victimization relative to monoracial relationships in the 5-year reporting period prior to the study (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.40, 4.02]; p < .001). This was similar to what Brownridge found in the 2009 GSS data, indicating that the elevated risk of IPV in interracial relationships had remained stable in Canada over a 10-year reporting period. Risk factors from three levels of an ecological model were explored, and logistic multiple regression analyses showed that characteristics of the partner (young age, drug use, and jealous behavior) fully accounted for the significantly elevated odds of IPV victimization in interracial unions. Although the leading speculation for this relationship implicates stressors that are unique to these relationships, the current study suggested that this phenomenon is mostly due to characteristics of individuals with whom those in interracial relationships are more likely to be coupled.

Screening for partner violence in the early postpartum period: are we missing families most at risk of experiencing violence?

OBJECTIVES: In Manitoba, government policy is for public health nurses to screen families with newborns within 1-week post-discharge for risk factors associated with poor child developmental health. The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of families who are screened for intimate partner violence (IPV) with families without a documented response to an IPV screen item. This information can be used to help identify and target families in need of support whose needs are not being met within the current system. METHODS: Manitoban women giving birth to a live singleton in the province from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006 were included in the analyses (N = 52,710). Data were part of a larger research study following these families for several years to examine longer-term developmental outcomes. Administrative databases from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy provided data for the study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine relationships between IPV screen status and socio-demographic covariates and birth outcomes. RESULTS: In the study population, 66.7% of the sample were screened for IPV. Women less than 20 years of age, not in married or common-law unions, and living in lower income areas were less likely to have a documented response to the IPV screen item. A low number of prenatal care visits, prenatal mental health problems, and prenatal substance use, as well as premature and low birthweight delivery, were associated with a decreased likelihood of having a documented response to the IPV screen item. CONCLUSION: Incorporating violence screening into routine prenatal and postnatal care, rather than only screening women after birth, may help to better identify families with unmet needs and ensure more timely referrals to positive strengths-based supports and services.

Correlates of in-law conflict and intimate partner violence against Chinese pregnant women in Hong Kong.

This study examines correlates of in-law conflict with intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women in a cohort of Chinese pregnant women who visited antenatal clinics in Hong Kong. This was a territory-wide, cross-sectional study of 3,245 pregnant women recruited from seven hospitals in Hong Kong. Participants were invited to complete the Chinese Abuse Assessment Screen and a demographic questionnaire. About 9% of the pregnant women reported having been abused by their partners in the preceding year. In-law conflict was the characteristic most significantly associated with preceding-year abuse against pregnant women, after controlling for covariates. Findings underscore the need to obtain information on in-law conflict as a risk factor for IPV. In-law conflict should be included in the assessment of risk for IPV. For the prevention of IPV, family-based intervention is needed to work with victims as well as in-laws.

The elevated risk for non-lethal post-separation violence in Canada: a comparison of separated, divorced, and married women.

The purpose of the study was to shed light on the potentially differing dynamics of violence against separated and divorced women by their ex-husbands and violence against married women by their current husbands. Using a nationally representative sample of 7,369 heterosexual women from Cycle 13 of Statistics Canada's General Social Survey, available risk markers were examined in the context of a nested ecological framework. Separated women reported nine times the prevalence of violence and divorced women reported about four times the prevalence of violence compared with married women. The strongest predictors of violence against married women, namely, patriarchal domination, sexual jealousy, and possessiveness, were not significant predictors of violence against separated and divorced women. This suggested that post-separation violence is a complex phenomenon the dynamics of which can be affected by much more than domination and ownership.

The elevated risk for violence against cohabiting women: a comparison of three nationally representative surveys of Canada.

This study examined cohabiting women's elevated risk for male partner violence. It was predicted that an increased rate of cohabitation would be accompanied by a reduction in the bias toward selection into cohabitation and that this would result in greater similarity between characteristics of cohabiting and marital relationships as well as in their respective rates of violence. The results were generally consistent with this prediction. Cohabitation increased in Canada between 1993 and 2004, which appeared to have been reflected in some reduction in differences in selection and relationship variables as well as in lower rates of violence for cohabiting relative to married women. Nevertheless, persons who cohabited remained a select group and several relationship differences persisted. These selection and relationship differences accounted for the persistence of cohabiting women's elevated odds of violence in each survey. Results suggested that rates of violence in cohabiting and marital unions should eventually converge.

Understanding violence against Chinese women in Hong Kong: an analysis of risk factors with a special emphasis on the role of in-law conflict.

This study examines risk factors of intimate partner violence against women in a cohort of Chinese women drawn from a large representative sample in Hong Kong. Data from a cross-section of 1,870 women are analyzed. Prevalence rates of women's self-reports of violence by their intimate partners and conflict with in-laws are computed and compared in terms of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The results show that in-law conflict was the characteristic most significantly associated with women's reports of violent victimization. This suggests that in-law conflict should be included in the screening and assessment of risk for intimate partner violence.

Maternal and paternal depressive symptoms and child maladjustment: the mediating role of parental behavior.

This study examined parental behaviors as mediators in links between depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers and child adjustment problems. Participants were 4,184 parents and 6,048 10- to 15-year-olds enrolled in the 1998 and 2000 cycles of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Mothers and fathers self-reported symptoms of depression at Times 1 and 2 and their children assessed parental nurturance, rejection, and monitoring and self-reported internalizing and externalizing problems and prosocial behavior at Time 2. Hierarchical linear modeling showed evidence of mediation involving all three domains of parental behavior. Findings supported the hypothesis that the quality of the child's rearing environment is one mechanism that carries risk to children of depressed parents. Interventions for parents whose symptoms of depression interfere with parenting responsibilities could help reduce the risk of some childhood disorders.

Physical punishment, childhood abuse and psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVES: Physical punishment, as a means of disciplining children, may be considered a mild form of childhood adversity. Although many outcomes of physical punishment have been investigated, little attention has been given to the impact of physical punishment on later adult psychopathology. Also, it has been stated that physical punishment by a loving parent is not associated with negative outcomes; however, this theory has not been empirically tested with regard to psychiatric disorders. The main objective of the present study was to investigate three categories of increasing severity of childhood adversity (no physical punishment or abuse, physical punishment only, and child abuse) to examine whether the childhood experience of physical punishment alone was associated with adult psychopathology, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and parental bonding dimensions. METHODS: Data were drawn from the nationally representative National Comorbidity Survey (NCS, n=5,877; age 15-54 years; response rate 82.4%). Binary logistic and multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine the odds of experiencing psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: Physical punishment was associated with increased odds of major depression (AOR=1.22; 95% CI=1.01-1.48), alcohol abuse/dependence (AOR=1.32; 95% CI=1.08-1.61), and externalizing problems (AOR=1.30; 95% CI=1.05-1.60) in adulthood after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and parental bonding dimensions. Individuals experiencing physical punishment only were at increased odds of adult psychopathology compared to those experiencing no physical punishment/abuse and at decreased odds when compared to those who were abused. CONCLUSIONS: Physical punishment is a mild form of childhood adversity that shows an association with adult psychopathology.

Partner violence against women with disabilities: prevalence, risk, and explanations.

Using a representative sample of 7,027 Canadian women living in a marital or common-law union, this investigation examined the risk for partner violence against women with disabilities relative to women without disabilities. Women with disabilities had 40% greater odds of violence in the 5 years preceding the interview, and these women appeared to be at particular risk for severe violence. An explanatory framework was tested that organized variables based on relationship factors, victim-related characteristics, and perpetrator-related characteristics. Results showed that perpetrator-related characteristics alone accounted for the elevated risk of partner violence against women with disabilities. Stakeholders must recognize the problem of partner violence against women with disabilities, and efforts to address patriarchal domination and male sexual proprietariness appear crucial to reducing their risk of partner violence.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and mental disorders: Results from a nationally representative adult sample from the United States.

Child maltreatment is a public health concern with well-established sequelae. However, compared to research on physical and sexual abuse, far less is known about the long-term impact of emotional maltreatment on mental health. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the association of emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and both emotional abuse and neglect with other types of child maltreatment, a family history of dysfunction, and lifetime diagnoses of several Axis I and Axis II mental disorders. Data were from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions collected in 2004 and 2005 (n=34,653). The most prevalent form of emotional maltreatment was emotional neglect only (6.2%), followed by emotional abuse only (4.8%), and then both emotional abuse and neglect (3.1%). All categories of emotional maltreatment were strongly related to other forms of child maltreatment (odds ratios [ORs] ranged from 2.1 to 68.0) and a history of family dysfunction (ORs ranged from 2.2 to 8.3). In models adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, all categories of emotional maltreatment were associated with increased odds of almost every mental disorder assessed in this study (adjusted ORs ranged from 1.2 to 7.4). Many relationships remained significant independent of experiencing other forms of child maltreatment and a family history of dysfunction (adjusted ORs ranged from 1.2 to 3.0). The effects appeared to be greater for active (i.e., emotional abuse) relative to passive (i.e., emotional neglect) forms of emotional maltreatment. Childhood emotional maltreatment, particularly emotionally abusive acts, is associated with increased odds of lifetime diagnoses of several Axis I and Axis II mental disorders.

Theorizing low levels of reporting of abuse of older immigrant women.

Little research can be found describing abuse of older immigrant women, despite an increase in our aging population and increasing research on abuse of older adults. This article examines factors that may contribute to low levels of reporting of abuse of older immigrant women. The authors present empirical qualitative data collected through interviews and focus groups, which examined how people living in the community understand and define abuse of older adults. Four main themes will be discussed: first, the individual in a family and cultural community context; second, English as a foreign or second language as part of the mainstream; third, the question of "naming" abuse; and finally, age as a discriminator. Preliminary frameworks to better understand these findings are introduced. Recommendations for future research and programming are presented.