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

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

Women Abused: Analysis of Assistance Provided by Urgency Mobile Service.

Considering that reports of violence against women must come after a victim seeks help, the subject matter transcends health-related issues. In Brazil, mobile urgency services (SAMU/SIATE) frequently provide first aid to these women and, to the best of our knowledge, no other research has specifically examined the first reaction given to these women. The present study aimed to analyze SAMU/SIATE assistance to abused women in a cross-sectional study of the assistance to assaulted women provided by SIATE and SAMU Maringá/Norte Novo between 2011 and 2020. Women between 20 and 39 years old, non-pregnant, were the main victims, and 19.52% of them have used drugs of some kind. The (ex) partner figured as the perpetrator in 17.35%, but there was no information about this variable in 73.75% of the records. The Chi-square test shows a mortality rate superior to 70% among the severely traumatized victims. This is the first research work to examine the kind of care that SAMU/SIATE offers, and it identifies several weaknesses in its "modus operandi" that may prevent the results from being applied to larger contexts. In addition, further studies on mobile urgent care services in other provinces are required in order to suggest ways to lessen this epidemic.

Differential Treatment Response of Proactive and Reactive Partner Abusive Men: Results from a Laboratory Proximal Change Experiment / [La respuesta al tratamiento diferencial de hombres maltratadores proactivos y reactivos: los resultados de un experimento de cambio proximal de laboratorio]

Objective: The current study reexamines data from Babcock et al. (2011) proximal change experiment to discern the differential utility of two communication skills-based interventions for proactive and reactive partner violence offenders. Method: Partner violent men were randomly assigned to the Editing Out the Negative skill, the Accepting Influence skill, or to a placebo/timeout and reengaged in a conflict discussion with their partners. Proactivity was tested as a moderator of immediate intervention outcomes. The ability to learn the communication skills, changes in self-reported affect, observed aggression, and psychophysiological responding were examined as a function of proactivity of violence. Results: Highly proactive men had some difficulty learning the Accepting Influence skill and they responded poorly to this intervention. They responded positively to the Editing Out the Negative technique, with less aggression, more positive affect, and lower heart rates. Low proactive (i.e., reactive) men tended to feel less aggressive, more positive, and less physiologically aroused after completing the Accepting Influence technique. Conclusions: This study lends support for tailoring batterer interventions specific to perpetrator characteristics.(AU)

Objetivo: El presente estudio reexamina los datos de Babcock et al. (2011) con respecto a un experimento de cambio proximal para discernir la utilidad diferencial de dos intervenciones basadas en habilidades de comunicación para agresores de violencia de pareja proactivos y reactivos. Método: A los agresores se les asignó aleatoriamente a las condiciones habilidad de eliminar lo negativo, habilidad de aceptación de la influencia, o placebo/tiempo fuera y volvieron a participar en una discusión conflictiva con sus parejas. Se evaluó la proactividad como moderadora de los resultados proximales de la intervención. Se examinó la capacidad de aprender habilidades de comunicación, los cambios en el afecto autoinformado, la agresión observada y la respuesta psicofisiológica en función de la proactividad de la violencia. Resultados: Los hombres muy proactivos tuvieron algunas dificultades para aprender la habilidad de aceptación de la influencia y respondieron escasamente a esta intervención. Sin embargo, respondieron positivamente a la técnica de eliminar lo negativo, con menor agresión, más afecto positivo y una frecuencia cardíaca más baja. Los hombres poco proactivos (es decir, reactivos) tendían a sentirse menos agresivos, más positivos y menos activados fisiológicamente después de completar la técnica de aceptación de la influencia. Conclusiones: Este estudio proporciona apoyo a la adaptación de las intervenciones para maltratadores a las características específicas del agresor.(AU)

The Association Between Witnessing Interparental Violence and Adolescents' Anger Expression Styles.

The purpose of this research was to determine the association between witnessing interparental violence and anger expression styles in adolescents. Previous studies have generally focused on the attitudes to violence of individuals witnessing it. However, the present research specifically investigated the association between witnessing interparental violence and anger. The research was performed as a descriptive and correlational study. The research sample consisted of 1,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19 contacted via social media platforms using the convenience sample method. An online data collection form containing questions was prepared to determine adolescents' sociodemographic characteristics and contained questions from the Witnessing Interparental Violence Scale and Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS 21.0 software. In all, 446 (44.6%) adolescents had witnessed interparental violence. Trait, externalized, and internalized anger scores were higher among adolescents who had witnessed interparental violence compared to those who had not. This research shows that witnessing interparental violence has significant effects on the individual's trait anger and anger expression styles. We recommend that the effects of exposure to violence and witnessing interparental violence be compared and that witnessing violence in different cultural environments be evaluated in future studies.

Women's Social Mobility and Attitudinal Acceptance of Wife Abuse: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Bengali, Santal, and Garo Ethnic Communities in Rural Bangladesh.

Previous studies exploring the influential factors associated with attitudinal acceptance of wife abuse (AAWA) did not widely focus on the relation between women's social mobility (WSM) and different dimensions of AAWA in rural Bangladesh. This current study examined the association between WSM and different dimensions of AAWA in the context of socio-cultural differences among the Bengali, the Santal, and the Garo ethnic communities in rural Bangladesh. Adopting a cross-sectional design, 1,929 married men and women were randomly included in the study from 8 Bengali, 8 Santal, and 8 Garo villages where 50.2% were women and 49.8% were men. Of the sample, 33.2% Garo, 33.2% Santal, and 33.6% Bengali participants were included in this study. Data revealed that 45.5% of women had low social mobility and the prevalence of different dimensions of AAWA was high and varied among the study communities. We used descriptive statistics, chi-square, and binary logistic regression analysis to estimate the association. The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis results revealed that the likelihood of attitudinal acceptance of overall abuse, psychological abuse, physical abuse, abuse on disobeying family obligation, and abuse on challenging male authority were significantly lower for the respondents who belonged to families where women enjoyed high mobility compared to those who belonged to families where WSM was low. This study also showed that the Bengali and the Santal participants were more likely to accept different dimensions of AAWA compared to the Garos. This study suggests that WSM should be considered in policy-making and implementing interventions to reduce the different dimensions of AAWA in rural Bangladesh.

Burden, trend and determinants of various forms of domestic violence among reproductive age-group women in India: findings from nationally representative surveys.

BACKGROUND: Violence, a notable human rights concern, has a public health impact across the globe. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of domestic violence among ever-married women aged 18-49 years in India. METHODS: Secondary data analysis with National Family Health Survey 5, 2019-21 data (NFHS-5) was conducted. The complex sampling design of the survey was accounted-for during analysis. The primary outcome was domestic violence. Prevalence was reported with 95% confidence interval (CI). Prevalence ratio was reported to provide the factors associated with domestic violence using Poisson regression. RESULTS: About 63 796 ever-married women aged 18-49 years covered under domestic violence module of NFHS-5 survey were included. Prevalence of domestic violence (12 months preceding the survey) was 31.9% (95% CI: 30.9-32.9%). Physical violence (28.3%) was the most common form followed by emotional (14.1%) and sexual violence (6.1%). Women with low education, being employed, husband being uneducated or with coercive behavior had significantly higher prevalence of domestic violence. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of the reproductive age-group women were facing some form of domestic violence. Target group interventions like violence awareness campaigns, women supportive services and stringent law enforcement should be implemented to eliminate domestic violence by year 2030.

Prevalence and risk factors of physical violence against husbands: evidence from India.

As the proportion of women being victims of spousal violence in India is higher than men, laws are usually framed to safeguard women. However, men who have experienced physical spousal violence are not unheard of. The study aims to provide the nationwide prevalence of physical violence against husbands and the risk factors for such violence, using large-scale nationally representative 'National Family Health Survey' (NFHS 4) data. The study used descriptive, bivariate, logistic, and multilevel regression models with a random intercept clustering within states and households to explain the physical violence against husband. Sample size for the analysis was 62,716 currently married women aged 15-49 years. Findings revealed that in most of the states of India, physical spousal violence has increased over time. Behavioural characteristics like marital control, alcoholism, and childhood experience of parental violence have a consistent and strong role in explaining the experience of physical violence across states. With age, experience of violence against husbands increases. Differences in socio-economic characteristics do not have unidirectional effect on violence experienced by husbands across regions of India. Working women who are earning cash and having access to mobile phones perpetrate more physical violence in selected regions. Education shows a gradient on such violence perpetration, indicating that only after achieving a certain level of education, chances of violence reduce. Regionally contrasting social and economic risk factors in explaining violence strengthen the argument that violence is space and culture-specific, and development alone may not resolve violence unless the system is addressing the behavioural aspects. There is a need for supporting men experiencing domestic violence within the existing system facilities. Revisiting the present domestic violence laws and programmes for inclusivity is the need of the hour.

Alcohol Use, Discrimination, and Psychological Partner Abuse Among LGBQ+ College Students: Results From a Daily Diary Study.

Alcohol use correlates with psychological partner abuse (PA) perpetration among lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and other nonheterosexual (LGBQ+) young adults. However, less is known about the proximal association between alcohol use and psychological PA within this population, which would provide valuable information for intervention development. Informed by minority stress and alcohol-related PA theories, we evaluated whether (a) psychological PA perpetration odds increased as the number of drinks consumed prior to psychological PA on a given day increased, (b) psychological PA perpetration odds were greater following heavy episodic drinking (HED) relative to non-HED, and (c) experiencing LGBQ+-specific discrimination (i.e., heterosexist harassment, incivility, and hostility) strengthened the association between daily alcohol use (number of drinks, HED) and subsequent psychological PA perpetration. LGBQ+ college students (N = 41; 75.6% women, 22.0% men, and 2.4% transgender/non-binary) completed a baseline survey of past-year discrimination before completing daily reports of their alcohol use and psychological PA for 60 consecutive days. Multilevel modeling revealed that drinking more than one usually does on a given day is positively associated with subsequent psychological PA odds (OR = 1.31, p < .001). Psychological PA was more likely following HED relative to non-HED (OR = 3.23, p < .001). Unexpectedly, experiencing discrimination was negatively associated with psychological PA odds across models (OR = .26 p = .01). No alcohol × discrimination interactions emerged. Results support alcohol use as a proximal risk factor for psychological PA among LGBQ+ college students and underscore the need for more nuanced examination of discrimination and other contextual variables in alcohol-related PA.

Patterns, prevalence and risk factors of intimate partner violence and its association with mental health status during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study on early married female adolescents in Khulna district, Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to identify the patterns, prevalence and risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) against female adolescents and its association with mental health problems. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTINGS: Dumuria Upazila (subdistrict) under the Khulna district of Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 304 participants were selected purposively based on some specifications: they must be female adolescents, residents of Dumuria Upazila and married during the COVID-19 pandemic when under 18 years of age. OUTCOME MEASURES: By administering a semi-structured interview schedule, data were collected regarding IPV using 12 five-point Likert scale items; a higher score from the summation reflects frequent violence. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional IPV among the 304 participants, who had an average age of 17.1 years (SD=1.42), was 89.5%, 87.8% and 93.7%, respectively, whereas 12.2% of the participants experienced severe physical IPV, 9.9% experienced severe sexual IPV and 10.5% experienced severe emotional IPV. Stepwise regression models identified age at marriage (p=0.001), number of miscarriages (p=0.005), education of spouse (p=0.001), income of spouse (p=0.016), age gap between spouses (p=0.008), marital adjustment (p<0.001) and subjective happiness (p<0.001) as significant risk factors. Hierarchical regression, however, indicated that age at marriage (p<0.001), age gap between spouses (p<0.001), marital adjustment (p<0.001) and subjective happiness (p<0.001) had negative associations with IPV, while the number of miscarriages (p<0.001) had a positive relationship. Pearson's correlation showed that IPV was significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in IPV and mental health problems among early married adolescents was documented. To reduce physical and mental harm and to assure their well-being, preventive and rehabilitative measures should be devised.

A Systematic Review of Women's Experiences of Interpersonal Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To explore and synthesize women's experiences of interpersonal violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. DATA SOURCES: The MEDLINE, Ovid, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched to identify articles published between December 2019 and November 2022. STUDY SELECTION: Seventeen peer-reviewed studies were included, for a total of 2,046 women. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. DATA SYNTHESIS: COVID-19 brought many challenges for women experiencing interpersonal violence. Women reported worsening of abuse during the pandemic. The pandemic led to severe economic challenges, which eventually precipitated more abuse. Additionally, women experienced mental health distress from social isolation and increased surveillance and control from their abusive partners. Several factors affected their ability to access health care and support services; these included limited availability of services, fear of contracting the virus, and an abusive partner who restricted their movement outside the home. CONCLUSION: The pandemic presented multiple challenges and additional stressors for women who experienced interpersonal violence during pandemic-related restrictions on services, gatherings, and work and school outside of the home. The findings from this review signify the need to raise public awareness about violence against women and to plan for coordinated efforts to decrease violence against women and address victims' needs in the event of future pandemics or other public health emergencies.

'We don't get money in our own hands': evidence from focus group discussions on economic abuse against women in two states of India.

INTRODUCTION: Violence against women is a serious human rights violation. While much attention has been given to the prevalence and prevention of physical, sexual and emotional violence, one crucial dimension is to date less well understood: economic abuse against women. This paper presents rich qualitative data on economic abuse against women in India to improve the understanding of economic abuse in a lower-middle income setting and to assess how economic abuse interacts with socio-cultural factors such as patrilocality, patriarchal gender norms and limited acceptance of female employment. METHODS: We conducted 13 focus group discussions (FGDs) in the states Maharashtra and Rajasthan. FGDs were conducted with married working (for income) and non-working women, husbands and mothers-in-law. Discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis and emerging themes were discussed among all authors. RESULTS: Women suffered from four distinct forms of economic abuse. Economic control emerged as the most prevalent theme, amplified by women's marginalisation from financial decision-making in the household. Discussions further alluded to employment sabotage, which husbands commonly justified by not wanting their wives to neglect their duties at home. A third category was women's economic exploitation, expressed by husbands taking their salaries, accumulating debt in their wife's name, and using their wife's wedding endowments for own purposes. A last category was husbands' refusal to financially contribute to necessary household expenses, which hindered investments in children's education and adequate coping with health emergencies. We identified important linkages with other forms of domestic abuse. CONCLUSION: Economic abuse has the potential to trap women in abusive relationships. Effective interventions to reduce economic abuse and economically empower women such as financial inclusion programmes are urgently needed. Stricter penalisation of dowry-related violence and spousal abuse is also required.

Gender differences in the acceptance of wife-beating: evidence from 30 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) has cited domestic violence as an urgent global maternal and child health priority. Gender differences in the acceptance of wife-beating have not been explored at the multi-country level in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the occurrence of wife-beating (36%) is greater than the global average (30%). It is against this backdrop that we examine the gender differences in the acceptance of wife beating in SSA. METHODS: We used Demographic and Health Survey data from 30 SSA countries. Acceptance of wife beating among women and men was the principal outcome variable of interest. We employed Multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression model as the primary estimation methods for this study. The descriptive statistics show that women had a higher acceptance rate (44%) of wife beating than men (25%). For the women sample, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, and Guinea had higher rates of acceptance of the wife beating (80.6%, 78.4%, 77.1% and 70.3% respectively) For the men, only Guinea had an acceptance rate above 50 percent. RESULTS: We found that all else equal, women's acceptance of wife beating is higher for male-headed households than for female-headed households. Women without formal education were 3.1 times more likely to accept wife beating than those with higher education. Men with no formal education were 2.3 times more likely to accept wife beating than men with higher education. We found that polygamous women were comparable to polygamous men. Polygamous women were 1.2 times more likely to accept wife beating than those in monogamous marriages. Women were 1.2 times more likely to accept wives beating if they had extramarital relationships. Contrarily, men who engaged in extramarital affairs were 1.5 times more likely to justify wife beating. We also found that women's acceptance of wife beating decreases as they age. Men who decide on major household purchases and spending decisions on their earnings are more likely to accept wife beating. Corollary, women with similar gender and employment roles also accept wife beating. Finally, exposure to mass media is significantly associated with lower acceptance of wife beating for women and men. CONCLUSION: We conclude that women have a higher acceptance rate of wife beating than men in SSA. Acceptance of wife beating differs significantly by country. Given the same level of education, women are more likely to accept wife beating than men. If women and men have similar levels of employment and gender roles, acceptance of wife beating is higher when men make major household purchasing decisions and and it is still higher even when the woman makes these decisions. Acceptance of wife beating is higher among young women and men, the uneducated, those in polygamous marriages, women, and men who engage in extra marital affairs, poor households and in rural areas. The findings indicate the need for policies and programs by SSA countries to truncate the high acceptance rate of wife beating, especially among women.

Developing and validating an instrument to assess women's empowerment in dealing with domestic violence in Iran: a mixed-methods study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the emphasis on empowerment in interventions supporting women against domestic violence and ending spousal abuse, there is still no standard and accurate instrument to evaluate women's empowerment in this field. This study proposes a protocol to fill this gap by developing and psychometrically testing a standardised instrument for assessing women's empowerment in dealing with domestic violence (WEDDV). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will be conducted in Iran in a mixed method with a sequential exploratory design (qualitative-quantitative). In the first phase, qualitative methods will be used to generate items, rank and identify essential items for WEDDV conceptualisation. The data collection method in this phase includes semistructured face-to-face interviews with married women, a review of related literature, and a fuzzy Delphi method with participants with work experience and expertise about violence against women. Qualitative data analysis will be done using a content analysis strategy and MAXQDA 2020 software. In the second phase of the study, the psychometric properties of the instrument, including face, content and construct validity, and the instrument's reliability will be evaluated. Also, the psychometric features of the COSMIN checklist will be used in the design of this instrument. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study protocol has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences with code (IR.SBMU.PHNS.REC.1400.011). The findings will be published in prestigious journals and presented at national and international conferences. We hope that these results can provide a practical framework for planning and organising domestic violence interventions for policy-makers, researchers and women's health and counselling service providers.

Discursos sobre violencia contra la mujer de jóvenes y profesionales en España. Proyecto PositivMasc / Discourses on violence against women by young people and professionals in Spain: PositivMasc project

Objetivo: Analizar los discursos de jóvenes y profesionales sobre la violencia contra la mujer y explorar las posibles estrategias para su prevención en España.Método: Estudio cualitativo basado en entrevistas semiestructuradas a 16 jóvenes (18-24 años) y 23 profesionales que trabajan en la prevención de la violencia contra la mujer. Se llevó a cabo un análisis del discurso para identificar los principales repertorios interpretativos.Resultados: Los cuatro repertorios interpretativos de este estudio reflejan cómo las personas jóvenes perciben la violencia física en el ámbito doméstico como el tipo de violencia contra la mujer más visible. En sus discursos, tanto hombres como mujeres jóvenes describen el carácter bidireccional de la violencia en el ámbito de la pareja. Emerge la alusión a la responsabilidad de los agentes sociales en la perpetuación de la violencia contra la mujer. Por último, las personas jóvenes y profesionales destacan el papel clave de los chicos en la prevención de la violencia contra la mujer.Conclusiones: La violencia física continúa siendo el principal tipo de violencia percibido por la población joven, pero mayoritariamente las chicas fueron capaces de identificar otras formas de violencia más sutiles y normalizadas. Los agentes sociales tienen una fuerte influencia en el imaginario sobre la violencia contra la mujer de la población joven. Por último, las futuras estrategias contra la violencia contra la mujer deben contar con la participación de los hombres jóvenes desde estrategias comunitarias que trabajen en la promoción de actitudes y relaciones positivas e igualitarias.(AU)

Objective: To analyze the discourses of young people and professionals on violence against women and to explore possible strategies for its prevention in Spain.Method: Qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 16 young people (18–24 years old) and 23 professionals working in violence against women prevention. A discourse analysis was carried out to identify the main interpretative repertoires.Results: The four interpretative repertoires of this study reflect how young people perceive physical violence in the domestic sphere as the most visible type of violence against women. In their discourses, both young men and women describe the bidirectional nature of intimate partner violence. The allusion to the responsibility of social agents in the perpetuation of violence against women emerges. Finally, young people and professionals emphasize the key role of boys in the prevention of violence against women.Conclusions: Physical violence continues to be the main type of violence perceived by the young population, but most girls were able to identify other more subtle and normalized forms of violence. Social agents have a strong influence on the imaginary of violence against women in the young population. Finally, future strategies against violence against women must involve young men in community-based strategies that work to promote positive and egalitarian attitudes and relationships.(AU)

Psychometric Properties and Refinement of the ATT-IPV Scale to Measure Attitudes about Intimate Partner Violence among Married Adolescents and Their Husbands in Niger.

(1) Background: This study sought to assess the appropriateness of a five-item scale to measure attitudes towards IPV (ATT-IPV) among married adolescent girls and their husbands in Niger, a population in which this scale has not yet been tested. (2) Methods: Using data collected from 1100 pairs of married adolescents, aged 13-19 years old, and their husbands across 48 villages in rural Niger, we performed classical test theory reliability and exploratory factor analysis, followed by item response theory (IRT) analyses and testing differential item functioning (DIF) by gender. (3) Results: The ATT-IPV scale was found to be internally consistent (alpha = 0.8) and unidimensional in this population, with all items loading onto one factor. We found differential item functioning of the following item: "In your opinion, is a husband justified in hitting or beating his wife in the following situations: If she burns his food?" by gender, suggesting that in order to have a scale that performs similarly in men and women, that item should be removed. (4) Conclusions: The ATT-IPV scale is useful as a measure of attitudes towards IPV among married adolescents and their husbands in Niger. However, it may need to be updated to reflect additional forms of violence and to eliminate gender-differential responses in order to be a more effective measure.

Injury and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Intimate Partner Violence in Women in Israel: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence is a growing public health concern worldwide, and nurses are uniquely positioned to help identify and refer patients for services. Yet, intimate partner violence injury patterns and characteristics often go unrecognized. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explore injury and sociodemographic characteristics associated with intimate partner violence in women presenting to a single emergency department in Israel. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed medical records of married women injured by their spouse who presented to a single emergency department in Israel from January 1, 2016, to August 31, 2020. RESULTS: In total, 145 cases were included, of which 110 (76%) were Arab and 35 (24%) were Jewish, with a mean age of 40. Patients' injury patterns consisted of contusions, hematomas, and lacerations to the head, face, or upper extremities, not requiring hospitalization, and having a history of emergency department visits in the past 5 years. CONCLUSION: Identifying intimate partner violence characteristics and patterns of injury will help nurses identify, initiate treatment, and report suspected abuse.

Nurses' experiences of perceiving violence and abuse of women in Saudi Arabia: A phenomenological study.

AIM: To explore the practices, understanding, and experiences of nurses and nursing students about domestic violence and abuse in Saudi Arabia. BACKGROUND: Domestic violence and abuse is a well-known public health issue and a clear violation of human rights resulting in detrimental effects on women's health. INTRODUCTION: Societal and cultural barriers in Saudi Arabia limit women's rights and disclosure of violence within marriage and families, preventing access to health care and support. There are few reports of this phenomenon in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to acquire in-depth insights into nurses' perceptions and experiences regarding domestic violence and abuse. Eighteen nurses and student nurses were recruited from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using convenience sampling. Data were gathered between October 2017 and February 2018 through in-depth semistructured interviews, organized using NVivo 12 and analyzed manually to identify consistent themes. This study adhered to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. FINDINGS: An overarching concept of "being disempowered" was identified, which was present at three levels: a lack of nurses' professional preparation, insufficient organizational structures and processes, and wider social and cultural components. CONCLUSION: This study provides an in-depth account of nurses' practices, understanding, and experiences of domestic violence and abuse, highlighting the sensitivity and difficulties of addressing the problem in hospitals across Saudi Arabia and potentially other similar countries. IMPLICATIONS: The study's findings will inform the development of nursing education and practice in Saudi Arabia, as well as pave the way toward formulating effective strategies with needed modifications in curriculum, organizations, policy, procedures, and laws.

Engaging fathers to strengthen the impact of early home visitation on physical child abuse risk: Findings from the dads matter-HV randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite growing recognition of the importance of fathers in child abuse risk, the field of perinatal home visitation has only begun to consider fathers' roles in the implementation of such services. OBJECTIVES: This study examines the effectiveness of Dads Matter-HV ("DM-HV"), a father-inclusion enhancement to home visitation, and hypothesized mediators of impact. METHODS: A multisite cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with 17 home visiting program teams serving 204 families across study conditions. Program supervisors and their teams were randomized to deliver home visiting services plus DM-HV enhanced services (intervention) or home visiting services alone (control). Data were collected at three time points: baseline, 4 months post-baseline immediately following the intervention, and 12 months post-baseline. We employed structural equation modeling to estimate the effect of the intervention on physical child abuse risk and to trace hypothesized mediators, including the quality of the father-worker relationship, parents' partner support and abuse, and the timing of service initiation. RESULTS: Results indicated that the DM-HV enhancement improved home visitor relationships with fathers, but only for families receiving services initiated postnatally. For these families, the improved quality of the father-worker relationship predicted improved parents' support of one another and reduced bidirectional mother-father partner abuse at 4-month follow-up, which in turn lowered maternal physical child abuse risk and paternal physical child abuse risk at 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: DM-HV can strengthen the impact of home visitation services on physical child abuse risk for families when services are initiated postnatally.

Nonintimate Polyvictimization and the Severity of Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Men.

There is a dearth of research on the relation of men's cumulative experiences of nonintimate victimization (polyvictimization) to their victimization in intimate relationships. This study examines the association between nonintimate polyvictimization (including being abused as a child, cyberbullied, stalked, physically assaulted, and experiencing property crime) and the severity of intimate partner violence victimization in men. The sample of 8,784 men in current married/common-law relationships was drawn from a random sample of the 2014 Canadian General Social Survey. About 3% of the men (an estimate of about 265,000 men in Canada) experienced the most severe forms of partner abuse, including the combination of emotional abuse and controlling behaviors, physical violence, and the resulted injuries. Among these severely abused men, about one-third were polyvictims. As expected, a nonintimate polyvictimization predicted the increased severity of male partner abuse victimization, controlling for sociodemographic variables. These findings highlight the importance of preventing nonintimate polyvictimization of men that can help reduce their partner violence victimization.