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African American women survivors of intimate partner violence are disproportionately murdered and help-seeking is a critical variable to examine as it relates to it. There is an urgent need to develop culturally salient interventions that center African American women's ways of knowing. An initial step to doing so is identifying how they employ their sense of individual agency during help-seeking. This paper reflects findings from a study designed to do just that. We conducted 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with women who self-identified as African American. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed. Constructed agency emerged from the data. This nascent theory explicates four phases of African American women survivors' help-seeking: resistance, persistence, rejection, and resignation. Constructed agency provides practitioners and researchers with a theoretical model to examine African American women's nuanced help-seeking efforts when seeking informal supports and interventions from formal providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study goals: The study examines the connection between exposure to terror attacks from the Gaza Strip, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, cultural identities, and social support among immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) to Israel. Subjects: The study was conducted using a community sample of immigrants from the FSU to Israel living within a radius of 60 kilometers from the Gaza Strip (n = 601). Method: The study was cross-sectional and used anonymous questionnaires. The following scales were applied: the Measure of Exposure to Terrorism (Pat-Horenczyk, R., Abramovitz, R., Peled, O., Brom, D., Daie, A., & Chemtob, C. M. (2007). Adolescent exposure to recurrent terrorism in Israel: Post-traumatic distress and functional impairment. Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77 (1), 76–85), the PTSD Checklist – Civilian Version (Weathers, F., Litz, B., Herman, D., Huska, J., & Keane, T. (1993). The PTSD checklist (PCL): Reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility. Paper presented at the ninth annual meeting of the international society for traumatic stress studies), the Social Network Interview (Mueller, D. P. (1980). Social networks: a promising direction for research on the relationship of the social environment to psychiatric disorder. Social Science &Medicine—Medical Psychology & Medical Sociology, 14A (2), 147–161), the Scale of Identification with Cultural Groups (Roccas, S. (1997). Factors affecting identification with groups: Personality, group characteristics, and interaction between them. The Hebrew University), and the Scale of Adherence to Group Cultural Practices (Birman, D., & Tyler, F. B. (1994). Acculturation and alienation of Soviet Jewish refugees in the United States. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 120 (1), 101–115). Findings: The study results demonstrated that social support received from both the immigrant group and the larger society buffered the effect of exposure to terror attacks on PTSD symptoms among immigrants. Both components of cultural identity, identification with the group and adherence to the group's cultural practices, predicted social support received from the group. The effects were demonstrated for the support received from the immigrant group and the larger society. Major implications: The study results indicate that the immigrant group and the larger society may provide social support to immigrants in a stressful situation. The bicultural identity enables immigrants to receive social support from both cultural groups. Thus, the present study advances our understanding of the connection between the immigrants' bicultural identity and psychological well-being/distress. On the theoretical level, the present study advances our understanding of the immigrants' coping with the potentially traumatizing situations combining ideas of the conservation of resources (Hobfoll, S. E. (2011). Conservation of resources theory: Its implication for stress, health, and resilience. In S. Folkman (Ed.) The Oxford handbook of stress, health, and coping. Oxford University Press) and acculturation theories (Berry, J. W. (2005). Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29 (6), 697–712). From the practical point of view, the study results indicate that for immigrants to cope successfully with life-threatening situations, helping services must ensure the immigrants' access to the resources of both the immigrant group and the larger society and strengthen the immigrants' bicultural identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a common yet hidden form of violence. It is primarily perpetrated against women by their male partners and is associated with a range of serious mental and physical health outcomes. Despite these harms, it is chronically under-researched. In particular, the overlaps between IPSV and psychological abuse in relationships are poorly understood. Extant literature has focused primarily on the relationship between IPSV and physical violence, neglecting the fact that IPSV often involves verbal or emotional coercion, threats or blackmail rather than the use of 'force'. In this paper, we draw on reflexive thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with n = 38 victim/survivors of IPSV to explore how they understood the relationship between sexual and psychological abuse in their heterosexual relationships. Four themes were developed from this analysis: 1. I felt like I couldn't say Nno'; 2. I felt degraded and worthless; 3. Letting me know who's boss; and 4. Making me feel crazy. These themes broadly correspond to four distinct patterns or interactions between IPSV and psychological abuse. Our findings strongly suggest that the relationship between sexual and psychological abuse in relationships is far more complex than previous research would indicate. Psychological abuse is not simply a tool to obtain sex and sexual violence is not only used as a mechanism of psychological control. Instead, the two forms of abuse interact in ways that can be unidirectional, bi-directional or simultaneous to develop and maintain an environment of fear and control and erode women's self-worth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent attention focused on child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure pathways has highlighted complex psychological processes that influence disclosure both for children and adults. Some authors have suggested that such processes may differ between children and adults yet few studies have examined distinct samples within the same study. This paper addresses this gap by exploring adolescent (n = 20) and adult (n = 10) experiences of disclosure of childhood sexual abuse. Interviews were conducted with both samples, using the same interview schedule and a comparative analysis was conducted of the key themes identified from a grounded theory analysis. Those themes that were found to be common to both samples included pressure cooker effect, telling would make it worse, and self-blame. Themes that were found to be more prevalent in the adolescent sample included police/court involvement, concern for other children, being asked, and peer influence. It is suggested that such potential differences reflect the changing social context over the past few decades which is characterised by increased awareness of sexual abuse as a crime and the risks of recidivism of offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native Americans (the preferred term of our partners/co-authors) experience high rates of sexual violence, which is rooted in colonization and multiple historical traumas. Sexual violence leads to numerous deleterious outcomes, underscoring the critical need for prevention early in life. Yet, most research to date on sexual violence has not focused on Native American populations, and we know little about the most effective strategies to recruit and retain Native American individuals in sexual violence prevention research. The purpose of the current study, grounded in principles of participatory action research, is to describe strategies that were used to recruit (e.g., traditional feeds, door knocking) and retain (e.g., monetary incentives, ongoing community engagement) Native American youth for a study that sought to assess, via surveys and qualitative interviews, the impacts of a youth-led sexual violence prevention initiative in a small city in the Great Plains. We also collected qualitative data from Native American caregivers regarding their perceptions of research. Overall, 67.9% (n = 545) of eligible Native American youth completed the survey, and school and door knocking were most effective methods of recruitment/enrollment followed by community and school events and texting. Over the course of 3 years of data collection, there were higher rates of attrition among Native American youth compared to white youth, and several factors (e.g., older age, sexual assault victimization) predicted attrition among Native American youth. Native American caregivers' responses reflected on reasons it is hard to engage youth and caregivers in research (e.g., lack of time, distrust) as well as strategies to enhance engagement (e.g., personal connection, providing community resources). Throughout the paper, Native American co-authors and project partners reflect on these findings. Implications for future sexual violence prevention research with Native American youth and their caregivers that uses decolonized, participatory action research methodologies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the post-incarceration reintegration experiences of military veterans convicted of sex offenses and identify potential interventions to ease reintegration for this population. Participants were a convenience sample of 14 veterans who were on sex offender (SO) registries and 21 community stakeholders involved in supporting persons during re-entry. Subjects were identified purposively and through snowball sampling, in Massachusetts. We employed semi-structured qualitative interviews of participants, followed by analysis including process mapping to identify barrier and facilitation points. We used both a grounded thematic approach and a priori codes, guided by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations. We found re-entry barriers include older age, stigma, lack of social support, inadequate information about sexual offense levels, limited housing options and access to mental health treatment to reduce sexual impulses, and re-entry information tailored to SOs. Re-entry facilitators include access to SO treatment, knowledge about services, self-efficacy, ability to self-advocate, and social support. Interventions to aid successful re-entry include pre-release counseling and classes tailored to SO needs, reentry planning including housing resources, sexual deviance treatment, and referral to legal counseling to assist with altering assigned SO level. Specific needs and resources unique to veterans should be integrated into reentry plans. Convicted SOs often lack information and assistance to prepare for life after release, putting them at increased risk of homelessness, emotional difficulties, and financial hardship. Failure to recognize the unique needs of this population, and to leverage resources, creates a public health risk as it increases the likelihood that SOs will recidivate. Veterans who are SOs have unique resources available to them through the Veterans Administration such as SO treatment and peer-support specialists. Nevertheless there are additional steps that could be beneficial, such as timely provision of information, creating more opportunities for treatment, and providing more housing options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of a growing older population, the sexual health (SH) of older adults, including sexual violence (SV), is becoming an increasingly important public health concern. Yet, reliable SV prevalence rates and risk factors are lacking, due to methodological shortcomings in current studies. SV research involves challenges regarding safety and disclosure, especially in older adults. In this paper, we reflect on the methods used in a sexual health and violence (SH&V) study in older adults balancing between privacy rules imposed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ethical and safety guidelines. To ensure the acceptability of the questionnaire, it was tested in a two-phase pilot study. To maximize SV disclosure, the questionnaire built up gradually towards the more sensitive SV modules. Interviewers were trained to approach participants in a non-judgmental manner. Due to GDPR, our data collection method was changed from a random sampling via the National Register to a cluster random probability sampling with a random walk finding approach. Older adults were willing to discuss SH&V during a structured face-to-face interview with trained interviewers. Following strict safety guidelines, no major incidents were reported. The cluster random probability sampling with random walk finding approach provided an adequate sampling frame, but was inefficient and time-consuming. Doing research on SH&V in older adults is feasible but requires a substantial investment of time and the challenges involved may incur greater costs. In order to guarantee further research on sensitive topics in older adults, we recommend that an interdisciplinary expert group consisting of researchers, donors, and policymakers investigates how GDPR and public health research in hard-to-reach populations can be better matched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This formative research study was designed to collect opinion data from adolescents historically underrepresented in adolescent dating abuse (ADA) research measure development. Eight in-person focus groups and 7 telephone-based one-on-one interviews were conducted with U.S. youth aged from 11 to 20 years (N =48). We conducted two focus groups with Black, Multiracial, Latinx, Native American, and LGBTQ+ youth. Seven LGBTQ+ youth participated in one-on-one telephone-based interviews. Focus group participants and interview subjects were asked the same 11 questions from a semi-structured focus group question guide. Five questions were on the topic of dating behaviors in general. In addition, six questions were asked for reactions to a paper-based list of 75 abusive acts. Youth generated ideas for 10 new possible cyber-ADA items and 14 emotionally abusive items for inclusion on the ADA measurement instrument. They did not generate any new physical or sexual ADA items. Youth identified 14 acts that they felt should not be on the measure, either because the acts were not abusive and too common, because they could not understand the item, or because it seemed unrealistic as an act of ADA. The study faced several limitations and was a good first step toward enriching the cultural inclusivity of ADA measurement instrument. Continued attention to inclusionary research that seeks to understand the cultural milieux of diverse participants is essential for violence prevention scholarship and subsequent health programming and policy that derive from it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increasing acknowledgment of intimate partner violence (IPV) as a potentially traumatic experience, there is a gap in research investigating women's perspectives of trauma related to their experiences of IPV from an intersectional lens. Intersectionality, which illuminates interconnected inequalities due to constructions of race, gender, sexuality, class, and culture, is particularly important for exploring the broader contexts of women's experiences of IPV and trauma. In response to this dearth in research, this paper presents qualitative findings from a constructivist grounded theory study of 15 women's experiences of IPV and trauma. To conceptualize IPV-related trauma from an intersectional lens, this study addressed the following research questions: (a) How do women who have experienced IPV understand and view trauma? (b) What do women who have experienced IPV indicate are experiences of trauma? and (c) How do women's differing identities, experiences of oppression, or other hardships or adversities relate to their experiences of IPV? Through analysis, six distinct themes were identified: (a) changing perceptions of trauma; (b) the pain of trauma; (c) fear, anxiety, and triggers; (d) lasting impact of trauma; (e) struggle for acceptance; and (f) growth and insight. Implications from these findings illustrate the pervasiveness of IPV and other forms of trauma among women who have been abused by a partner, the long-lasting traumatic impacts of IPV, and the multiple experiences of being blamed and not believed that many women have experienced. These findings represent first steps in understanding the relationship between IPV and trauma from the perspectives of women who have survived IPV, offering an important contribution to previous knowledge on IPV. As well, this study provides first steps in understanding the interacting, intersectional effects of multiple forms of adversity, oppression, and IPV, and their relationships to trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]