Online and offline dating violence: same same, but different?

BACKGROUND: Violent behaviors in romantic relationships among adolescents and young people are pressing social matter as they have an effect on both victims and aggressors. Moreover, in the last decades, new forms of harassment, control, and abuse through social networks and mobile phones have arisen. Therefore, now forms of online and offline dating violence coexist. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to analyze the prevalence rates by sex and age and the co-occurrence of online and offline dating violence. Moreover, the roles of online and offline dating violence aggressors and victims for their self-esteem, hostility, general psychological state, and emotional intelligence were investigated. METHOD: Three hundred forty-one university students from the Basque Country, Spain, participated in the study. They completed six validated instruments related to the mentioned variables. RESULTS: Results highlight the high prevalence of online and offline dating violence in the sample and the co-occurrence of both types. No gender nor sex differences were found for online and offline dating violence perpetration and victimization. The correlation between online and offline dating violence was confirmed, and the reciprocity of violence is greater for offline violence. In relation to the role, both types of victims (online and offline) showed higher levels of hostility and psychological symptomatology than non-victims, but differences in self-esteem and emotional regulation were found in these modalities. Online and offline perpetrators shared hostility and some psychological symptoms as characteristics compared to non-victims, but differed in other symptoms and emotional intelligence. CONCLUSION: There is a continuum between offline and online victimization perpetration albeit differences in the characteristics such as self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and general functioning exist.

Measuring Cyber Dating Violence: Reliability and Validity of the Escala de CiberViolencia en Parejas Adolescentes (Cib-VPA) in Spanish Young Adults / La evaluación de la ciberviolencia en el noviazgo: fiabilidad y validez de la Escala de Ciber-Violencia en Parejas Adolescentes (Cib-VPA) en adultos jóvenes españoles

The aim of this study was to obtain validity evidence of the Escala de Ciber-Violencia en Parejas Adolescentes (Cib-VPA) in the Spanish young adults. A total of 298 undergraduate students (222 women, 75 men and 2 people who identified themselves as ‘other’) completed the Cib-VPA and other related measures of offline and online dating violence. Internal consistency and construct, convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated. In line with the original validation study, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided evidence for an 18-item model comprising 2 subscales, with 2 factors per subscale. All had acceptable internal consistency values. Total and subscale scores correlated positively with online and offline dating violence measures, with these correlations being stronger in subscales evaluating violence in the same direction (perpetrated or victimisation). As expected, no differences were observed according to gender. This study shows validity evidences of Cib-VPA scores, which can be quickly and inexpensively administered to large samples of young adults. (AU)

El objetivo de este estudio fue poner a prueba la validez de la Escala de Ciber-Violencia en Parejas Adolescentes (Cib-VPA) en adultos jóvenes españoles. Un total de 298 estudiantes universitarios (222 mujeres, 75 hombres y 2 personas que se identificaron como “otros”) cumplimentaron la Cib-VPA y otras medidas relacionadas con la violencia en el noviazgo, convencional y ciberviolencia. Se evaluó la consistencia interna y la validez de constructo, convergente y discriminante. En consonancia con el estudio de validación original, un análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) evidenció un modelo de 18 ítems compuesto por 2 subescalas, con 2 factores por subescala. Todos tenían valores de consistencia interna aceptables. Las puntuaciones totales y de las subescalas correlacionaron positivamente con las medidas de violencia en el noviazgo, tanto convencional como ciberviolencia, siendo estas correlaciones más fuertes en las subescalas que evalúan la violencia en la misma dirección (perpetrada o victimización). Como se esperaba, no se observaron diferencias en función del género. Este estudio confirma la validez de las puntuaciones del Cib-VPA, que puede ser administrado de forma rápida y económica a grandes muestras de jóvenes adultos. (AU)

La ciberviolencia en parejas jóvenes y factores predictores / Cyberviolence in young couples and predictors

Los objetivos de esta investigación fueron analizar la presencia de laciberviolencia en parejas jóvenes, explorar las asociaciones entre la ciberviolencia,la dependencia emocional, la empatía y las relaciones filio parentales, e identificarfactores predictores de la ciberviolencia. Para ello, se seleccionó una muestra deconveniencia compuesta por 469 estudiantes universitarios. Estos completaron la“Escala de violencia de pareja en las redes sociales en adolescentes” el“Instrumento de vínculo parental”, el de “Dependencia emocional en el noviazgode jóvenes y adolescentes” y la “Escala de empatía básica”. El 51,9% de la muestraafirmaba haber sufrido ciberviolencia y el 56,6% admitía haberla ejercido. Loschicos puntuaron más alto que las chicas en ciberviolencia y cibervictimización. Seencontró que a mayor nivel de estudios menos ciberviolencia y, a mayor númerode parejas, mayor posibilidad de sufrir ciberviolencia. La escasa evidencia empíricaacerca de los factores relacionados con la ciberviolencia apunta a la importancia deseguir investigando más profundamente sobre variables individuales y familiares. (AU)

The aims of this research were to analyze the presence of cyberviolence inyoung couples, to explore the associations between cyberviolence, emotionaldependence, empathy, and filioparental relationships, and to identify predictors ofcyberviolence. For this purpose, a convenience sample consisting of 469 universitystudents was selected. They completed the following measures: The AdolescentSocial Network Partner Violence Scale, the Parental Bonding Instrument, the DatingEmotional Dependence in Youth and Adolescents, and the Basic Empathy Scale.51.9% of the sample admitted to having suffered cyber-violence, and 56.6%admitted to having perpetrated it. Boys scored higher than girls on cyberviolenceand cybervictimization. It was found that the higher the level of education, thelower level of cyberviolence and the higher the number of partners, the greater thepossibility of suffering cyberviolence. The scarce empirical evidence about thefactors related to cyberviolence points to the need of further research on individualand family variables. (AU)

Factors Influencing Compliance with COVID-19 Health Measures: A Spanish Study to Improve Adherence Campaigns.

Since the spread of the COVID-19 virus was declared a pandemic, different measures have been taken to control it, including frequent hand-washing, the use of face masks and social distancing. Given the importance of these measures, the present study aims to assess compliance with them in a Spanish sample of 722 people aged between 18 and 65 years. It also aims to determine which factors influence the levels of compliance observed. Participants complied more with the rules in the public spaces. The younger group had lower levels of compliance than the older group. No differences were found in accordance with sex. It was shown that overall, the agents that most influenced compliance were family, testimonials and friends and fines. Some differences were observed in relation to age, and significant sex differences were found in some of these factors, with women scoring higher than men. The results are discussed in terms of their usefulness for the design of information campaigns that seek to foster a greater degree of engagement by the entire population and, ultimately, greater control of the pandemic, in addition to serving as a basis for the early prevention of the spread of new viruses in the future.

Factors related to compliance with the COVID-19 health regulations among young people.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected all facets of our lives and all ages and social strata worldwide. Measures have been taken to protect against the spread of the virus, such as more rigorous hand hygiene, the use of face masks and social distancing. However, the focus has often been on young people, who have been seen as a group lacking sufficient respect for government-imposed measures. This review outlines the preventive measures that have been taken in different countries and discusses their specific impact on young people and adolescents, taking into account the developmental stage and concrete needs of this age group. It summarizes those studies that have provided information on compliance with preventive measures by young people and adolescents, concluding that although compliance levels among this age group are lower than among older adults, the general view of youths as non-compliant is not consistent with real, objective data. The review also summarizes different views regarding the possible reasons for this lower level of compliance, taking into account both social (gender and age) and personal factors (personality, empathy, prosociality, self-control, cognitive styles and motivations), and discusses the practical implications of these findings for the future.

Cyber Dating Violence Prevention Programs in Universal Populations: A Systematic Review.

Although the technological revolution of recent decades has produced undeniable advances, it has also generated problems derived from new forms of human communication, especially among the younger population. This is the case with cyber dating violence, a problem that affects between 12% and 56% of young couples, making the need for preventive intervention patently evident. This study attempts to fill a gap in the literature in this field, carrying out a systematic review of universal cyber dating violence prevention programs, analyzing their characteristics and the evidence provided of their effectiveness. Following the PRISMA method, only 3 programs met the inclusion criteria: the DARSI program, the Dat-e Adolescence program and the Brief Incremental Theory of Personality (ITP) adolescent dating violence prevention program. All were reported to be effective, based on different indicators. Given the small body of work published to date and the limitations of the aforementioned programs, future research should aim to design and validate a greater number of programs that serve as tools for addressing this problem in a timely manner, in order to avoid not only the serious consequences it has for victims, but also its escalation towards adulthood.

Psychological Symptoms in Health Professionals in Spain After the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Following the declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic in March 2020, a state of alarm was decreed in Spain. In this situation, healthcare workers experienced high levels of stress, anxiety and depression due to the heavy workload and working conditions. Although Spain experienced a progressive decline in the number of COVID-19 cases until the last week of May (when a flattening of the case curve was achieved) and the work overload among health workers was substantially reduced, several studies have shown that this work overload is associated with the later emergence of psychological symptoms induced by stress. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels of stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and compassionate fatigue in health professionals. The sample consisted of 973 health professionals 16.5% men, 82.9% women, and one non-binary person. The data were collected through an online questionnaire sent to the participants by e-mail. DASS-21 was used to measure anxiety, stress and depression, PCL-C to measure post-traumatic stress and ProQOL -vIV to measure compassion fatigue. In addition, other descriptive variables that could be related to these levels of psychological symptomatology were evaluated. The results reveal that after the work overload experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers report psychological symptoms, post-traumatic stress and compassion fatigue. It is therefore recommended that these professionals be provided with psychological help in order to reduce the emotional impact of COVID-19, and consequently improve their mental health.

Relationship between Parental Socialization, Emotional Symptoms, and Academic Performance during Adolescence: The Influence of Parents' and Teenagers' Gender.

Scientific interest in students' emotional and psychosocial experiences has been increasing in the last years due to their influence on students' learning processes and academic performance. The present manuscript tries to go further in the study of the relationship between perceived parenting socialization and academic performance by analyzing not only their direct effects, but also by testing their indirect influence through other variables such as students' psychological and school maladjustment, especially focusing on gender differences (both of students and parents). The sample comprised 823 students (416 males and 407 females) from the Basque Country (Spain), with ages ranging between 12 and 16 years (M = 13.7, SD = 1.2). Students completed a sociodemographic data form, the PARQ-Control questionnaire, and the BASC-S3 test. Teachers answered an ad hoc question on each student's academic performance. The data showed that, both for males and females, the same structure of parent-teenager relationship predicted teenagers' academic performance, via psychological and school maladjustment. However, the intensity of the relationship between parental acceptance and teenagers' results in all the other factors differed depending on teenagers' gender. Fathers' influence was greater in males, and mothers' influence was higher in females. This study is considered a starting point for a theoretical model predicting academic performance and psychological and school maladjustment among teenagers.

The mediating role of mentalizing between attachment and eating disorders.

The objective of the study was to investigate whether mindfulness mediated the relationship between attachment and eating disorders in a sample of 323 female university students and 38 anorexic inpatients using structural equation modeling. All insecure attachment subscales were positively related to eating disorder symptoms and negatively to mindfulness. Furthermore, mindfulness scores were negatively associated with eating disorder symptoms. Mediation analyses showed that the relationship between all the insecure attachment subscales and eating disorders was partially mediated by the mindfulness effects. These results are in line with Bateman and Fonagy's (2004a, 2004b) theory that implies a mediating role of mindfulness used as a proxy for mentalizing between attachment and psychopathology. Further research is needed, however, to replicate these findings.

Adaptación del Empathy Quotient (EQ) en una muestra española / Adaptation of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) in a Spanish sample

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio consistió en adaptar el cuestionario autoaplicado Empathy Quotient en población española. El cuestionario se aplicó a 471 estudiantes universitarios. Los análisis psicométricos mostraron un buen ajuste para una estructura factorial de 23 ítems en tres dimensiones, similar a la propuesta por otros autores. Además se encontraron valores adecuados de consistencia interna, así como correlaciones con otras medidas de empatía y de desempeño emocional. Se concluye que el EQ es una medida fiable y válida para evaluar empatía en muestras no clínicas, aunque se recomienda realizar una validación con una muestra más grande y heterogénea e incluir alguna medida de fiabilidad test-retest y de ejecución.

Abstract The aim of the study consisted of adapting the self-report questionnaire Empathy Quotient to the Spanish population. A sample of 471 university students answered the questionnaire. The psychometric analysis showed a good fit for 23-ítem three factor model, similar to those proposed by other authors. Furthermore, the internal consistency was adequated and correlations with other empathy and emotional measures were found. In conclusion, EQ is a reliable and valid measure to evaluate empathy in non clinical samples, but a validation with a larger and more heterogeneous sample is recommended, together with test-retest and ejecution measures.

Validation of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test in a healthy Spanish sample and women with anorexia nervosa.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to build a Spanish version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) including limited time of response and an integrated glossary, and to test its validity. METHODS: A total of 433 university students (121 men and 350 women) and 38 anorexic women completed the RMET and other related measures of empathy and alexithymia. The results of the Parallel Analysis suggested a unidimensional structure for 19 items, which was verified through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis. RESULTS: Similarly to other research, this factor had a low reliability (α = .56, ρ = .59); however, regarding validity, the total score of the instrument showed positive correlations with empathy and negatives with alexithymia. Furthermore, healthy females were superior to males in RMET, and to anorexic women; but no significant differences appeared between healthy men and the anorexic group. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the validity of the test and permits a relatively short and inexpensive means of administration in large samples of adults. Besides, it suggests the necessity of assessing and treating the theory of mind in anorexic women.

Validación preliminar del Método para la Evaluación de la Mentalización en el Contexto Interpersonal (MEMCI) / Preliminary Validation of the Method for Evaluation of Mentalization in the Interpersonal Context (MEMIC)

El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar una validación preliminar de un instrumento diseñado para evaluar mentalización en adultos (Método para la Evaluación de la Mentalización en el Contexto Interpersonal, MEMCI). Una muestra de 97 estudiantes (72% mujeres) y una muestra de 10 pacientes (50% mujeres) participaron en el estudio. Los participantes completaron el MEMCI junto con medidas de empatía, teoría de la mente y apego. El análisis factorial sugirió una estructura de dos dimensiones (mentalización de pensamientos/mentalización de sentimientos y de otros estados mentales subyacentes a la conducta) que explicaban el 75,26% de la varianza. La consistencia interna fue alta y el acuerdo entre jueces adecuado. En cuanto a la validez, la puntuación total del instrumento correlacionó alto con las puntuaciones en función reflexiva. También correlacionó significativamente con empatía, apego y teoría de la mente. Asimismo, diferenció pacientes con trastorno límite de personalidad de la población normal (AU)

The aim of this study was to perform a preliminary validation of an instrument designed to assess mentalization in adults (Method for Evaluation of Mentalization in the Interpersonal Context, MEMIC). A sample of 97 students (72% women) and a sample of 10 patients (50% women) participated in the study. They completed the MEMIC and some other measures of empathy, theory of mind and attachment. The results of the factor analysis suggested a two-dimensional structure (mentalizing thoughts/mentalizing feelings and several other mental states that underlie behavior) that explained 75,26% of the variance. The internal consistency was high, and inter-rater reliability was adequate. Regarding validity, the total score of the instrument showed high correlations with reflective function scores, and significant correlations with empathy, attachment and theory of mind. Furthermore, it showed capacity to differentiate patients with borderline personality disorder from the general population (AU)

Método para la evaluación de la mentalización en el contexto interpersonal (MEMCI) aplicado a la relación parento-filial / Method for the assessment of the mentalization in the interpersonal context (MEMCI) applied to the parent-child relationship

Esta comunicación presenta el Método de Evaluación de la Mentalización en el Contexto Interpersonal (MEMCI) como una herramienta de evaluación de FR en los progenitores. Desde la teoría de la Mentalización, la posibilidad de que los infantes, en su desarrollo, alcancen la representación de estados mentales va de la mano de un "mentalizar parental suficientemente bueno". El trabajo terapéutico, en cualquiera de sus formas, trata de favorecer la mentalización y, desde esta premisa, consideramos importante poder captar la presencia o ausencia de procesos mentalizadores en el psiquismo de las figuras parentales. Se ofrece, también, una viñeta clínica para ejemplificar la aplicación del MEMCI en la evaluación de la función reflexiva de una madre (AU)

This study presents the Method for Assessment of Mentalization in the Interpersonal Context (MEMCI) as an approach to assess the reflective function in parents. According to the mentalization theory, the possibility that infants in their development achieve the representation of mental states is strongly associated to a "good enough parental mentalization". In addition, it is proposed that the therapeutic work, in whatever form, involves a promotion of mentalization. From this premise, capturing the presence or absence of mentalization processes in the psyche of parental figures represents a key component of the therapy. In the present study we provide a clinical vignette to illustrate the application of MEMCI in assessing reflective function of a mother (AU)