Comparison of Clinical Characteristics, Gender Perceptions, and Rape-Related Beliefs of People Assessed for Criminal Liability for Rape Against Children and Adults. / Çocuga ve Eriskine Yönelik Tecavüz Suçu Nedeniyle Ceza Sorumlulugu Degerlendirilen Kisilerin Klinik Özelliklerinin, Toplumsal Cinsiyet Algilarinin ve Tecavüze Iliskin Inançlarinin Karsilastirilmasi.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the criminal, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, paraphilic behaviors, sexual attitudes, gender perceptions, and rape-related beliefs of people assessed for criminal liability for rape against adults and children. METHOD: The study compared 40 people investigated for criminal liability for rape against an adult (RAA) with 40 individuals investigated for criminal liability for crime of rape against a child (RAC), and 43 age, sex and education matched individuals without any sexual crime history using the Structured Clinical Interview form for DSM-5 disorders, Hendrick Brief Sexual Attitude Scale, Gender Perception Scale, Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. RESULTS: All participants were male. There was no difference between the groups in terms of lifelong or existing psychiatric diseases. All participants had full criminal responsibility during the crime. No participant in any group was diagnosed with a paraphilic disorder. It was determined that people in both RAC and RAA groups tended to use sexuality as a tool, paid less attention to birth control methods, had a far less egalitarian perception of gender, and their myths about rape were significantly higher compared to the control group. The control group was much more impulsive than the sex offenders. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the act of sexual assault should not be explained only by impulsivity or psychiatric disorders, and that gender perception and sexual myths may also be influential. The fact that all individuals had full criminal responsibility emphasizes the need for more research on the social and cultural origins of sexual violence.

Comparing perceptions of individuals who sexually offend against children versus adults.

OBJECTIVE: We examined how the age of the victim influences the public's risk assessment and punishment attitudes for individuals who have sexually offended and whether actuarial feedback influences these ratings. HYPOTHESES: (1) Risk ratings for child victim vignettes would be higher than ratings for adult victim vignettes. This effect would be driven by higher ratings for lower risk individuals. (2) Because of the increased stigma associated with individuals with child victim sexual abuse convictions, participants who rated this subgroup would be less likely than those who rated adult victim vignettes to revise their initial risk ratings. (3) Dispositional placements for the individuals in vignettes with child victims would be more punitive than for those with adult victims, both before and after feedback. METHOD: Participants (N = 389, 18-77 years, 51.7% male, 73.0% White) read five vignettes of individuals incarcerated for a sexual offense at five different risk levels and with either child or adult victims. They made judgments about recidivism risk and postprison dispositions and then received actuarial feedback and made the ratings again. RESULTS: Risk ratings for child victim vignettes were higher than ratings for adult victim vignettes, particularly for cases of average risk and below (η²p = .17). Participants were equally likely to revise initial risk ratings for child and adult victim vignettes (η²p = .01). Dispositional placements for child victim vignettes were significantly more punitive than for adult victim vignettes both before and after feedback, especially for the lower risk individuals (η²p = .07). CONCLUSIONS: Although judgments of risk and disposition toward individuals who sexually offend can be adjusted regardless of victim type, there is a more severe bias against individuals with child victims. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An exploratory study of the prevalence and adverse associations of in-school traditional bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents in Connecticut.

Bullying, traditional or cyber, among adolescents, is a public health concern. In this study, we explored frequencies and correlates of different forms of bullying among Connecticut high-school students. Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 2019 from Connecticut adolescents (N = 1814) were used. χ2 tests and survey-weighted logistic regressions examined relationships between bullying subgroups (in-school traditional bullying (ISTB) only, cyberbullying only, and both) and mental concerns, risk behaviors, academic performance, physical health, and receipt of social support, with the logistic regressions adjusted for demographics. The past-12-month frequency of having experienced only cyberbullying was 5.6%, only ISTB was 9.1%, and both forms was 8.7%. Between-group differences were observed by bullying status in terms of sex and race/ethnicity. In adjusted models, bullying status was associated with suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression/dysphoria, mental health, use of alcohol, marijuana, injection drugs, tobacco, and e-vapor, gambling, driving under influence of alcohol, high-risk sexual behavior, physical fights, weapon-carrying, injuries/threats at school, feeling unsafe at school, dating violence, obesity, poor general health, insecure housing, less perceived family support, and poor academic performance. People experiencing both types of bullying were typically more likely to report adverse measures. High-school students commonly report bullying. The findings that both forms (traditional and cyber) were more robustly linked to negative experiences highlight the need for examining further relationships between types and patterns of bullying and mental health and functioning. Better understanding may help improve preventive anti-bullying interventions.

Community stigma, victimization, and coping strategies among gay, bisexual, and other cis-gender men who have sex with men in slum communities in Ghana. BSGH-003.

BACKGROUND: Gay, bisexual, and cis-gender men who have sex with men (GBMSM) face severe consequences, especially within stigmatized environments. However, very little is known about the experiences of GBMSM living in slums in SSA and Ghana. This study investigates the experiences of stigma, victimization, and coping strategies and proposes some interventional approaches for combating stigma facing GBMSM in slum communities. METHODS: We engaged GBMSM living in slums in two major Ghanaian cities. We used a time-location sampling and collected data through in-depth individual interviews. Two major themes emerged from the study: (1) insecurities and criminalization of GBMSM activity, and (2) GBMSM coping strategies. RESULTS: Findings show GBMSM experienced negative attitudes from the community due to their sexual behavior/orientation. GBMSM also developed coping strategies to avert negative experiences, such as hiding their identities/behavior, avoiding gender non-conforming men, and having relationships with persons outside their communities. CONCLUSION: We propose interventions such as HIV Education, Empathy, Empowerment, Acceptance, and Commitment Therapy as possible measures to improve the experiences of GBMSM living in Ghanaian slum communities.

Healers that hurt: a scoping review of media reports of cases of rape in healthcare settings.

BACKGROUND: Sexual assault occurring within healthcare settings represents a significant breach of public trust. This scoping review aimed to highlight the profile of people raped, those who committed the rape within the health facilities, and the legal actions taken to resolved cases. METHODS: Media-reported data on incidents of rape in healthcare settings were collected. The search was conducted in May and June 2023, focusing on English-language publications with accessible full texts. Reports that lacked information on the survivors or incidents that occurred outside of healthcare settings were excluded. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the categories of the collected publications, and graphical representations were employed for visualization purposes. RESULTS: A total of 62 cases were retrieved, originating from Africa (n = 17; 27.4%), Europe (n = 14; 22.6%), Southeast Asia (n = 14; 22.6%), the Americas (n = 11; 17.7%), the Western Pacific Region (n = 5; 8.1%) and Eastern Mediterranean region (n = 1; 1.6%). In addition, 69 individuals were implicated in 59 cases. They were 31 doctors (44.9%), 17 (24.6%) nurses, four (5.8%) nurse/healthcare assistants, three (4.3%) cleaners/ward boy, two (2.9%) traditional medical doctors, and two (2.9%) security guards. Others included six (8.7%) staff members without designations and one (1.4%) ambulance driver. All perpetrators were male, ranging in age from 22 to 67 years. There were 66 victims identified in the 62 cases with age ranging from 2 to 92 years. Except for one case, all victims were female, and all but one case were patients. Most assaults occurred in consulting rooms/clinics (n = 21; 31.8%), 16 (24.2%) happened under sedation, and six (9.1%) were repeatedly raped, Survivors typically reported the cases the police (n = 12; 19.4%), family/friends (n = 11; 17.7%) or to hospital authorities (n = 10; 16.1%). Out of the 69 perpetrators, 19 (30.6%) were imprisoned with sentences ranging from 12 months to an indefinite period and one (1.6%) received a death sentence. CONCLUSION: The raping of patients by healthcare providers within healthcare settings calls for urgent and extensive measures. Stakeholders in healthcare management need to prioritize raising awareness about the problem, implement robust prevention and reporting strategies, and create healthcare environments that are safe, respectful, and supportive for all individuals seeking care.

Assistance to victims of violence in Emergency services from the Forensic Nursing perspective.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze nurses' role in collecting, identifying and preserving traces in Emergency care for victims of violence, from the perspective of these professionals. METHOD: a qualitative study with an exploratory and descriptive approach. It was developed through semi-structured interviews with 21 nurses from hospitals that are part of the intersectoral flow to assist victims of violence from two reference hospitals in this type of care, in a capital city from southern Brazil. Nurses that are members of the multiprofessional team working in the Emergency areas at the respective hospitals were included; in turn, the exclusion criteria corresponded to professionals relocated in Emergency areas during the pandemic. Data analysis was performed according to Thematic Content Analysis. RESULTS: the data were discussed in five categories: 1) Professional qualification; 2) Institutional protocol and materials; 3) The professionals' perceptions; 4) The professionals' actions; and 5) Team structure. CONCLUSION: Nursing professionals' skills in collecting, identifying and preserving traces in Emergency assistance provided to victims of violence need to be better organized, structured and standardized. The presence of Nursing professionals in the care of victims of violence in Emergency services is undeniable, but their importance is still underestimated and their potential contribution to the forensic approach is underused.

Screen time, social media use, and weight-related bullying victimization: Findings from an international sample of adolescents.

Screen time, social media, and weight-related bullying are ubiquitous among adolescents. However, little research has been conducted among international samples. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the association between screen time, social media use, and weight-related bullying victimization among an international sample of adolescents from six countries. Data from the 2020 International Food Policy Study Youth Survey were analyzed (N = 12,031). Multiple modified Poisson regression models were estimated to determine the associations between weekday hours of five forms of screen time, and total screen time, and use of six contemporary social media platforms and weight-related bullying victimization. Analyses were conducted among the overall sample, and stratified by country (Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States). Greater hours of weekday screen time and use of each of the six social media platforms were associated with weight-related bullying victimization among the sample. Each additional hour of social media use was equivalent to a 13% (confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.16) increase in the prevalence of weight-related bullying victimization. The use of Twitter was associated with a 69% (CI 1.53-1.84) increase in the prevalence of weight-related bullying victimization. Associations between hours of weekday screen time, use of six social media, and weight-related bullying victimization differed by country. Findings underscore the associations between screen time, social media, and weight-related bullying among a sample of adolescents from six medium- and high-income countries. Country-specific and global public health and technology efforts are needed to address this burgeoning social problem.

Memory Wars: A Solution to the Conflict / Las Guerras de la Memoria: una Solución al Conflicto

Se discute la validez de la memoria disociativa en contextos forenses y las causas de las llamadas “guerras de la memoria”. Conceptos erróneos entre la psicología clínica y la psicología forense, una definición deficiente de la amnesia y las dificultades inherentes en el estudio de recuerdos traumáticos contribuyen a la persistencia de esta controversia. Particularmente en el campo de la psicología forense, el debate podría atribuirse a la falta de consenso sobre la evidencia científica. Los psicólogos necesitan establecer una base empírica para comprender mejor los mecanismos de la memoria involucrados en recordar y olvidar recuerdos traumáticos. Se esboza el Modelo de Accesibilidad Continua de la Memoria para explicar la recuperación de los diferentes grados de accesibilidad a los recuerdos autobiográficos basados en diferentes factores.(AU)

The validity of dissociative memory in forensic contexts and the causes of the so-called “memory wars” arediscussed. Misconceptions between clinical and forensic psychology, a deficient definition of amnesia, and the difficulties inherent in studying traumatic memories contribute to the persistence of this controversy. Particularly in the field of forensic psychology, the debate could be attributed to the lack of consensus on scientific evidence. Psychologists need to establish an empirical foundation to understand better the mechanisms of memory involved in remembering and forgetting traumatic memories. The Continuous Accessibility Model of Memory is outlined to explain the retrieval of the different degrees of accessibility to autobiographical memories based on different factors.(AU)

Borderline Personality Disorder and Intimate Partner Violence: A Systematic Review / Trastorno Límite de Personalidad y Violencia en la Pareja: una Revisión Sistemática

Borderline personality (BPD) features and intimate partner violence (IPV) have been seen associated, focusing the research specially into perpetrators. The achievement of this systematic review is to analyze this relation in both victims and perpetrators, using 17 scientific articles published between 2017 and 2021 from different data bases. Most studies were focused on perpetrators, in which both men and women were equally represented as perpetrators. Instead, studies about victims were focused on women. Throughout this review, different factors observed in people with BPD traits who are victims or perpetrators of IPV are mentioned, finding particularities in each profile. These findings allow increase knowledge about the relationship between BPD and IPV, promoting a greater understanding that impacts positively on clinical intervention in this population.(AU)

Los rasgos límites de personalidad (TLP) se han visto asociados a violencia en la pareja, con investigaciones centradas especialmente en quienes la ejercen. El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática es analizar esta relación tanto en víctimas como en perpetradores, utilizando 17 artículos científicos publicados entre 2017 y 2021 en distintas bases de datos. Los estudios analizados se centraron mayoritariamente en perpetradores, encontrándose tanto hombres como mujeres igualmente representadas. En cambio, los estudios sobre víctimas atendían por lo general a mujeres. A lo largo de esta revisión, se mencionan distintos factores observados en personas que presentan rasgos TLP y ejercen o son víctimas de violencia de pareja, encontrando particularidades en cada perfil. Este trabajo permite incrementar el conocimiento sobre la relación existente entre TLP y violencia de pareja, fomentando una mayor comprensión que repercuta positivamente en la intervención clínica de esta población.(AU)

"For men, by men": Menstrual victimization and the weaponization of period products in carceral settings.

BACKGROUND: The literature on menstruation defines period poverty as the inability to access sufficient period products, education, and sanitary facilities needed to manage menstruation healthily and effectively. While research has identified shortcomings of healthcare in the carceral setting, period poverty behind bars has remained largely absent from criminal legal discourse. OBJECTIVES: The current study examines the interplay of period poverty and carceral control to introduce the novel concept of menstrual victimization, defined as the physical, emotional, and financial victimization that results from period poverty perpetuated through carceral control. METHODS: The study uses qualitative content analysis to systematically gather and code journalistic accounts pertaining to the menstrual experiences of incarcerated and previously incarcerated females, criminal justice practitioners, and journalists. The analysis uses literary pieces (n = 99), which were coded deductively and guided by concepts related to structural violence and radical feminist criminology. RESULTS: The findings shed light on the unique structural harms incarcerated menstruators face and reveal the dearth of needed empirical research on period poverty in carceral spaces. The narratives in the sample revealed how manufactured scarcity of period products within carceral spaces is used as a means of oppression by institutional agents. The emergent themes highlight how the intersection of period poverty and carceral control led to menstrual victimization characterized through shame, humiliation, control, and coercion. CONCLUSION: Potential outcomes associated with understanding menstrual victimization in the carceral setting are discussed, including reducing menstrual stigma, disseminating health education, minimizing health disparities, and ultimately, shifting modes of holding accountability away from oppressive, retributive, and controlling tactics.

Exploring how access to period products is used to harm people who menstruate in correctional facilities using an analysis of journalistic accountsPeriod poverty is defined as the inability to access sufficient period products, education, and sanitary facilities needed to manage menstruation healthily and effectively. Research reveals the shortcomings of healthcare in prisons and jails but period poverty in prisons is largely unexplored. The current study uses published media and research reports discussing menstruation in correctional facilities to examine how the control of period products, access to washrooms, and medical care impacts is used to harm people who menstruate experiencing incarceration. The findings suggest correctional staff leverage access to menstrual health resources to control, coerce, shame, and humiliate incarcerated menstruators. In conclusion, we offer potential reforms are discussed including reducing menstrual stigma, providing health education and care, and ultimately, holding staff accountable and shifting away from oppressive, punitive, and controlling tactics.

Female Sexual Violence: A 12-Year Experience at a Single University Hospital in North-East Italy.

This retrospective study analyzed a case series of female sexual violence (SV) victims who were admitted to the emergency department of the University Hospital in Udine between January 2012 and April 2023. A total of 155 cases were divided into two groups according to their age: 115 adult victims and 40 minors. Compared with minors, adults had risk factors such as psychiatric disorders and past experience of SV, and reported bodily injuries and extragenital lesions more frequently. Moreover, a positive screening for sexually transmitted diseases and its association with genital injuries turned out to be significantly more present among adult victims than minors. In contrast, victims younger than 18 years tended to delay seeking medical help and more often did not report genital penetration. To conclude, a deeper knowledge of the different characteristics of sexual abuse among female adults and minors may help us to understand what the focus of prevention programs and public awareness campaigns should be.

Examining the stability and change in age-crime relation in South Korea, 1980-2019: An age-period-cohort analysis.

The aggregate-level age-crime distributions in Western countries are predominantly right-skewed and adolescent-spiked. Based on Western data, Hirschi and Gottfredson (1983) asserted that this age-crime pattern is universally invariant across time and places. This study's overall goal is to rigorously examine Hirschi and Gottfredson's invariant premise within a non-Western country, focusing on the stability and change in the age-crime patterns of South Korea from 1980 to 2019. Specifically, two research questions are addressed: (1) whether the average age-arrest curves in South Korea diverge from the invariant premise after adjusting for period and cohort effects; (2) how period and cohort effects modify the age-arrest curves. To examine these questions, I applied the age-period-cohort-interaction model (APC-I) to analyze the official age-specific arrest statistics for various offense types from 1980 to 2019 in South Korea. Findings suggested that the age-crime patterns of homicide, assault, and fraud are characterized by spread-out distributions and advanced peak ages. After adjusting for period and cohort effects, most of the age-crime curves are still robustly divergent from the age-crime distributions found in Western countries. Cohort and period effects have modified the age-crime patterns, but arrests in South Korea are largely concentrated among midlife age groups older than 30. These results provide additional compelling evidence contesting Hirschi and Gottfredson's invariance thesis, underscoring the substantial impact of country-specific processes, historical context, and cultural factors on the age-crime relationship.

Are social pressure, bullying and low social support associated with depressive symptoms, self-harm and self-directed violence among adolescents? A cross-sectional study using a structural equation modeling approach.

BACKGROUND: More in-depth evidence about the complex relationships between different risk factors and mental health among adolescents has been warranted. Thus, the aim of the study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of experiencing social pressure, bullying, and low social support on mental health problems in adolescence. METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 among 15 823 Norwegian adolescents, aged 13-19 years. Structural Equation Modelling was used to assess the relationships between socioeconomic status, social pressure, bullying, social support, depressive symptoms, self-harm and suicide thoughts. RESULTS: Poor family economy and low parental education were associated with high pressure, low parental support and depressive symptoms in males and females. Moreover, poor family economy was associated with bullying perpetration and bullying victimization among males and females, and cyberbullying victimization among females, but not males. Low parental education was associated with bullying victimization among males, but not females. Further, high social pressure was associated with depressive symptoms among males and females, whereas high social pressure was linked to self-harm and suicide thoughts among females, but not males. Bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization were associated with depressive symptoms, self-harm, and suicide thoughts among males and females. Bullying victimization was associated with depressive symptoms among males, but not females, whereas bullying perpetration was linked to self-harm and suicide thoughts among females, but not males. Low parental support was associated with bullying perpetration, bullying victimization, depressive symptoms, self-harm and suicide thoughts among males and females, whereas low parental support was associated with high social pressure among females, but not males. Low teacher support was associated with high social pressure and depressive symptoms. Low support from friends was associated with bullying victimization, depressive symptoms and suicide thoughts among males and females, whereas low support from friends was linked to self-harm among males, but not females. Finally, results showed that depressive symptoms were associated with self-harm and suicide thoughts among males and females. CONCLUSION: Low socioeconomic status, social pressure, bullying and low social support were directly and indirectly associated with depressive symptoms and self-directed violence among Norwegian adolescents.

PTSD Symptoms Among College Students: Linkages with Familial Risk, Borderline Personality, and Sexual Assault.

College students have high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as well as high rates of sexual assault. What is less clear, however, is whether different sexual assault types (e.g. coercive, physically forced, and incapacitation) are associated with greater PTSD symptoms. Moreover, understanding early familial and mental health histories of college students is important for explaining PTSD symptoms. As such, we use a social stress framework to examine the relationships between early familial risk (i.e. child abuse, perceived maternal rejection), borderline personality (BP) symptoms, and three sexual assault types with PTSD symptoms among college students. A total of 783 undergraduate students (65.4% female) completed paper and pencil surveys in fall 2019 and spring 2020 at a large public university. Results revealed that females were more likely to experience child sexual abuse and all three forms of sexual assault, while males experienced higher rates of child physical abuse. OLS regression results showed positive associations between child sexual abuse, perceived maternal rejection, BP symptoms and all three types of sexual assault with PTSD symptoms. Females also experienced more PTSD symptoms compared to males. Findings have implications for targeted interventions to improve mental health outcomes.

Unmasking domestic violence: Examining victim and perpetrator characteristics and injury patterns in Kuching, Sarawak.

INTRODUCTION: Domestic violence (DV) is a pervasive social and public health issue affecting millions globally, regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic background. Understanding victim and perpetrators' characteristics as well as the DV injury patterns are essential for developing targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Although past DV studies have often focused on female victims, it is increasingly recognised that DV affects a significant proportion of male victims as well. This study aimed to comprehensively examine both male and female DV victims and perpetrators, as well as the anatomical regions affected in DV cases in Kuching, Sarawak, so that a deeper understanding of DV within this community can be enhanced. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted from March 2021 to March 2023, involving adult DV victims aged 18 years and above admitted to the One Stop Crisis Center (OSCC) of Sarawak General Hospital. Data were collected from the OSCC clerking sheet, focusing on the victims, perpetrators and the violence characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 133 DV victims were analysed, with 25.6% being male victims. Although majority of the perpetrators in cases involving male victims were male perpetrators, there was a significantly higher number of female perpetrators in these male DV cases (i.e., 5 out of 34 cases,14.7%) compared to in female DV cases (4 out of 99 cases, 4.0%) (p = 0.05). The commonest type of relationship between the victims and perpetrators was spouses or ex-spouses (56.4%). Male victims had more cases involving weapons (67.6%) compared to female victims (26.3%), p < 0.001. The most affected anatomical region was the head and neck (63.9%) region although no significant differences were observed. CONCLUSION: The study reveals that DV affects individuals across all societal classes and income groups. Although weapons were used more frequently in male DV cases, other injury characteristics and affected anatomical regions were not significantly different between genders, suggesting female perpetrators can inflict similar injuries as male perpetrators. Subgroup analysis showed that the majority of male victims faced abuse from their children or grandchildren, hinting at hidden geriatric abuse, that should be unmasked and treated as a separate entity.

Internet-based emotion regulation training aimed at reducing violent revictimization and depressive symptoms in victimized depressed patients: Results of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Depressed patients who have become victim of violence are prone to revictimization. However, no evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing revictimization in this group exist. METHODS: This multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of an internet-based emotion regulation training (iERT) added to TAU in reducing revictimization, emotion dysregulation, and depressive symptoms in recently victimized, depressed patients compared to TAU alone. Adult outpatients (N = 153) with a depressive disorder who had experienced threat, physical assault, or sexual assault within the previous three years were randomly allocated to TAU+iERT (n = 74) or TAU (n = 79). TAU involved psychotherapy (mainly cognitive behavioral therapy [77.8 %]). iERT comprised six guided online sessions focused on the acquisition of adaptive emotion regulation skills. The primary outcome measure was the number of revictimization incidents at 12 months after baseline, measured with the Safety Monitor. Analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: Both groups showed a large decrease in victimization incidents. Mixed-model negative binomial regression analyses showed that TAU+iERT was not effective in reducing revictimization compared to TAU (IRR = 0.97; 95%CI = 0.64,1.46; p = .886). Linear mixed-model analyses demonstrated that TAU+iERT yielded a larger reduction of emotion dysregulation (B = -7.217; p = .046; Cohens d = 0.33), but not depressive symptoms (B = -1.041; p = .607) than TAU. LIMITATIONS: The study was underpowered to detect small treatment effects. Additionally, uptake of iERT was quite low. CONCLUSIONS: Although TAU+iERT resulted in a larger decrease of emotion dysregulation than TAU alone, it was not effective in reducing revictimization and depressive symptoms. Patients' revictimization risk substantially decreased during psychotherapy.

Childhood sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, revictimization, and coping among sexual minority women.

BACKGROUND: Compared with heterosexual women, sexual minority women experience higher rates and greater severity of sexual victimization. Little is known about how childhood sexual abuse (CSA), adult sexual assault (ASA), and revictimization impact coping in this population. Few studies have examined the effects of recency, developmental stage, and revictimization on coping. OBJECTIVE: To improve psychosocial outcomes following sexual victimization, it is important to understand whether different patterns of exposure differentially impact coping over time. To do so, we investigated associations between CSA, ASA, and revictimization (both CSA and ASA) and adult sexual minority women's coping strategies. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data are from a longitudinal community-based sample of 513 sexual minority women of diverse ages and races/ethnicities. METHODS: Participants reported CSA (

Early adolescent development in the face of violence: A systematic review running.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to violence has severe and lasting effects on development. Despite the body of research examining childhood exposures to violence and victimization, developmental outcomes during early adolescence are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize existing research on the effects of violence exposure on early adolescent development (youth 9-14 years old) and highlight areas for future research. METHOD: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE for articles published between 2012 and 2023. Included articles focused on violence exposure related to experiencing or observing community violence, witnessing domestic violence and/or being the victim of chronic physical abuse. RESULTS: Twenty-eight articles spanning four developmental domains were included: behavioral, biological, neurological, and social development. Behaviorally, violence exposure posed significant effects on both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Biologically, violence exposure was strongly associated with advanced epigenetic age, accelerated puberty, and insomnia. Neurologically, violence exposure had significant associations with both structural and functional differences in the developing brain. Socially, violence exposure was related to poor school engagement, peer aggression, and low social support. CONCLUSION: This systematic review highlights varying effects of violence exposure on early adolescent development. The gaps presented should be addressed and implemented into clinical practice via evidence-based policies and procedures to ensure successful transition to adulthood.

The social contexts of behaviors and relationships: The relation of classroom and cyber victimization to number of classroom and cyber friends.

Behaviors and relationships exist within a variety of social contexts. More specifically for the current research, victimization and friendships occur in classrooms and, increasingly, in online virtual contexts. The current research examined how the number of classroom friends and number of cyber friends related to the extent of classroom victimization and extent of cyber victimization. Research has demonstrated the importance of face-to-face friendships in relation to being a victim; much less is known about the role of cyber friends in relation to being a cyber victim or how these relationships may play a role in cross-context victimization. Participants were 350 children from Grades 3 through 5 (188 girls and 162 boys). Children indicated classroom friends on a classroom roster, reported the number of their cyber friends, and indicated the extent of their cyber victimization. Peers nominated classmates for classroom victimization behaviors. A path analysis revealed that number of classroom friends was negatively associated with both extent of classroom victimization and extent of cyber victimization. Number of cyber friends was positively associated with extent of cyber victimization and was negatively related to extent of classroom victimization. Discussion of results includes the construction, use, and adaptation of social skills within and between social contexts.

Factors differentiating risk of sexual abuse victimization by adults and peers among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that around half of all cases of sexual abuse among children and adolescents are perpetrated by peers. Yet, there is limited understanding of the distinct risk factors associated with adult versus peer offenders. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that increase the risk of sexual abuse victimization and explores variations in these factors depending on whether the perpetrator was an adult or a peer. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 9240 secondary school students aged between 12 and 16 years (M = 14, SD = 0.88) in Norway participated. METHODS: An electronic questionnaire was administered in schools to investigate experiences of sexual abuse and potential risk factors. The data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Two factors were related to a greater risk of being a victim of sexual abuse committed by an adult than a peer: background from a non-European country (OR = 1.93, p = 0.038) and other experiences of violence (OR = 1.63-2.91, p < 0.005). The use of alcohol was found to be related to a greater risk of victimization by peers than by adults (OR = 0.53, p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents vulnerable to sexual abuse exhibit common traits, regardless of whether the perpetrator is an adult or peer. Yet, specific factors heighten the risk with peers over adults, and vice versa. Recognizing distinct risk factors for abuse by adults and peers enables decision-makers and community workers to create targeted prevention strategies for children and adolescents.