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Verbal sexual coercion (VSC) and rape are common experiences among college women. Although they have been theorized to involve different risk markers, few prospective studies have examined predictors of VSC and rape separately. The present prospective study was designed to identify precollege risk markers for VSC and rape in first-year college women, with the goal of considering the degree to which they overlap or differ. Women (N = 449) recruited from the community just prior to high school graduation completed measures of sexual victimization (SV) since age 14 but prior to college, sexual refusal assertiveness, high school heavy episodic drinking (HED), college drinking intentions, and sociosexuality. Follow-up surveys at the end of the first and second college semesters assessed VSC and rape. Using the Sexual Experiences Survey's severity scoring method, women were classified into one of three groups according to the most severe type of SV reported in the first year of college: neither VSC nor rape (71%), VSC (16%), and rape (13%). Most women who experienced rape (73%) also experienced VSC. Precollege SV and college drinking intentions predicted both rape and VSC. Sexual refusal assertiveness and high school HED did not independently predict either form of victimization. Sociosexuality predicted rape but not VSC. Findings suggest a substantial overlap in the predictors of VSC and rape and support the severity continuum underlying many conceptualizations of SV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment (CM) is a major global public health issue, and a strong association exists between CM and aggression. However, the underlying mechanism of this association has not been understood to date. The objective of this study was to explore the mediating role of irritability in the association between CM and aggression in Chinese early adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-report questionnaire to evaluate the levels of CM, aggression, and irritability in 5,724 middle school students from the Anhui Province, China. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis of the mediating effect of irritability on the relationship between CM and aggression. We further investigated gender differences in this association using multiple group analyses. CM was positively related to both irritability and aggression, and irritability was positively associated with aggression (p <.01). The mediating effects of irritability between CM and aggression were significant (β =.107, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.077–0.133, p <.05). Males had a higher indirect effect size of the pathway from CM to aggression via irritability compared with females. Overall, irritability was a crucial mediator in the relationship between CM and aggression in Chinese adolescents, and males were more prone to engage in aggression compared with females through the pathway of irritability. Therefore, early irritability characteristics should be carefully monitored in adolescents, and they should be provided adequate support to acquire critical emotion regulation skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential mobility remains an underexplored yet critical construct that may influence the risk of violence among women who exchange sex. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between residential mobility and experience of client-perpetrated physical or sexual violence among women who exchange sex in Baltimore, Maryland. Participants were at least at 18 years of age, were cisgender women, reported having engaged in transactional sex three or more times within the last 3 months, and were willing to be contacted for 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up visits. Analyses of responses from 370 women who exchange sex participating in at least one study visit were conducted. Unadjusted and adjusted Poisson regression models of the association over time between residential mobility and recent experience of physical or sexual violence were fit. Generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable correlation structure and robust variance estimation were used to account for clustering of participants' responses over time. Findings demonstrated that those who had lived in at least four places in the past 6 months had a 39% increased risk of client-perpetrated physical violence (aRR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.07–1.80; p <.05) and a 63% increased risk of sexual violence (aRR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.14–2.32; p <.01) compared to their less-mobile counterparts. These findings provide necessary evidence of correlations over time between residential mobility and experience of client-perpetrated violence among women who exchange sex. Strengthening our understanding of how residential mobility intersects with violence is critical for the development of public health interventions that are relevant to women's lives and needs. Future interventions should explore including residential mobility, a critical pillar of housing instability, with efforts to address client-perpetrated violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive longitudinal designs (e.g., experience sampling methods [ESMs]) hold promise for examining the dynamic interplay between daily adversity, coping strategies, and behavioral and mental health issues among marginalized populations. However, few studies have used intensive longitudinal designs with sexual minority women (SMW), an understudied and at-risk population. We assessed feasibility and acceptability of using once-daily, interval-contingent ESM with 161 trauma-exposed SMW (M age = 29.1, SD = 7.57); 20.5% nonbinary; 32.3% queer; 52.2% people of color; 14.3% with annual incomes ≤$9,999; and 30.4% in Southern United States (U.S.). SMW completed one comprehensive online baseline assessment and once-daily brief online assessments for 14 days. Daily surveys assessed past-24-hour stressors, stress responses, and behavioral and mental health symptoms. At the end of the 14-day ESM period, SMW answered three open-ended questions about participating in this study and about research with SMW. Regarding feasibility, 151 participants (94.0%) initiated the post-baseline ESM study portion and 72 (45.0%) completed all 14 daily surveys. An average of 11.70 (median = 13, SD = 3.31) daily surveys (83.5%) were completed by those who initiated the ESM. ESM completion level varied by race/ethnicity and U.S. region. Qualitative acceptability data revealed several themes, namely that SMW (1) enjoyed participating and felt positively about the ESM experience, (2) felt supported to reflect on impacts of early and ongoing stressors, (3) appreciated the chance to self-reflect and challenge existing thought patterns and coping behaviors, (4) recognized their capacity to tolerate trauma-related distress, (5) recommended that researchers focus on SMW's diverse stressors and daily experiences, (6) wanted a rationale for providing sensitive information and more space to narrate their experiences, and (7) recognized the need for affirmative treatment and policies. Findings could inform modifications to ESM protocols to improve their feasibility and acceptability among trauma-exposed SMW and promote ongoing utility of this valuable method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive coercion (RC) is a type of intimate partner violence (IPV) characterized by partner interference with contraception or reproductive decision-making. Despite sexual minority people's vulnerability to other forms of IPV, limited research has examined reproductive coercion in this population. Research on behavioral health impacts of reproductive coercion is also lacking, especially for sexual minorities. This study addressed these gaps by examining the occurrence and behavioral health impact of reproductive coercion among emerging adults, including both heterosexual and sexual minority people. In 2020, survey data were collected with emerging adults (aged 18–24 years) at a university in the southeastern United States (N = 387). We conducted bivariate analyses to explore associates of reproductive coercion and logistic regression to identify risk factors. We then conducted linear regression to investigate relationships between reproductive coercion and behavioral health outcomes, in the full sample and in separate models based on sexual attraction. One in 15 sampled students (6.3%) had experienced reproductive coercion. Sexual attraction was a significant risk factor for reproductive coercion, with increased rates among plurisexual (i.e., attracted to people of multiple genders) compared to monosexual students, in both bivariate (χ2(2) = 7.57, p =.023) and regression analyses (B = 1.25, p =.012). Reproductive coercion was associated with worse behavioral health outcomes in bivariate and regression analyses (anxiety: B = 3.77, p =.001; depression: B = 3.26, p =.010; alcohol use: B = 2.32, p <.001). In separate linear regression models based on sexual attraction, RC was significantly associated with behavioral health indicators for participants who were attracted only to men and those attracted to people of multiple genders but not for participants who were attracted only to women. Findings indicated increased RC risk for plurisexual students compared to monosexuals and showed significant associations between RC and behavioral health outcomes, with differential effects based on sexual attraction. These novel findings support the need for continued research on RC, inclusive of nuanced conceptualizations of sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective studies assessing women's experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) and alcohol use have shown mixed results and all are from high-income countries. Using longitudinal data from young women in South Africa we assess whether changes in physical IPV impact alcohol use, and whether changes in alcohol use impact physical IPV experience. Post-hoc analysis of women aged 18–30 living in informal settlements in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa, involved in the Stepping Stones and Creating Futures trial, between September 2015 and October 2019, with data collected at baseline (n = 677) and endline at 24 months (n = 545, 80.5% retention). At both timepoints, women were asked about their past year physical IPV experience and alcohol use. We estimated changes in physical IPV over time and whether this was associated with harmful alcohol use at endline. We then estimated changes in alcohol use over time, and whether this was associated with experience of past year physical IPV at endline. Women who experienced an increase in physical IPV over the study period were more likely to report harmful drinking at 24 months (aOR2.45, 95% CI 1.21–4.97). Similarly, women reporting increased alcohol use over time were more likely to report past year physical IPV at 24 months (aOR2.04, 95% CI 1.21–3.46). Among young women living in urban poverty those who experienced increasing physical violence from intimate partners were more likely to report increased and problematic alcohol use. Similarly, women reporting increasing alcohol use over 24 months were more likely to report physical IPV. However, there was no evidence that decreased alcohol use led to reductions in IPV, or that reduced IPV experience led to decreased alcohol use. Future research and interventions need to consider the reciprocal risks of physical IPV and alcohol use, with a focus on joint underlying drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to a host of subsequent negative health and behavioral problems. However, the role of sex in the ramifications of early ACEs remains unclear, particularly for delinquency and substance use initiation in adolescence. A small body of research has produced mixed findings on sex differences in the relationship between ACEs and antisocial outcomes in adolescence, resulting in uncertainty about whether and how ACEs may operate differently for boys and girls. The current study drew on a high-risk group of adolescents (N =2455; M age =15.4; 48% female; 50% Black, 23% Hispanic) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the associations between accumulated ACEs across early childhood, and delinquency and substance use initiation of alcohol, cigarette, and cannabis in adolescence. We utilized mother and father reports on the exposure to seven different types of ACEs (i.e., physical abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, parental substance misuse, parental mental illness, parental intimate partner violence, and parental criminal behavior) when adolescents were ages 1, 3, and 5. Total ACEs scores and their relationships with delinquency, and lifetime use of alcohol, cigarettes, and cannabis were assessed separately for girls and boys. Results suggested that accumulated ACEs during early childhood may be implicated in boys' delinquency, while ACEs were not significantly associated with girls' self-reported delinquency or for boys' and girls' substance use initiation. Findings suggest that the enduring consequences of ACEs may be sex-specific, and have implications for the development of policies to mitigate ACEs and their harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between intimate partner violence (IPV), gender, unmet healthcare needs, and health. Specifically, this study identified how unmet healthcare needs mediate the relationship between IPV and health, and how this mediation is moderated by gender. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) (N = 15,425), we first estimated ordinary least squares regression models to investigate the association between IPV and self-rated health. Then, we used structural equation models to examine how unmet healthcare needs mediate this relationship. Lastly, we conducted a moderated mediation model to investigate whether gender moderates these mediation patterns. The results of this study showed that experiencing IPV was associated with a decrease in self-rated health and an increase in the unmet need for medical care (but not in unmet need for routine health check-ups). Unmet need for medical care explained about one-quarter of the negative association between IPV and self-rated health. A moderated mediation model revealed that indirect effects of IPV on health via unmet medical care needs were more pronounced among victimized women than victimized men. This study filled knowledge gaps about the mechanisms underlying the association between IPV and poor health status. Unmet healthcare needs partially mediated the relationship between IPV victimization and health. This mechanism was more salient for the health of victimized women than victimized men. Interventions designed to improve the health of IPV victims may focus on addressing unmet healthcare needs and could be tailored according to the gender of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children have a universal right to live free from exposure to family and domestic violence (FDV). Children exposed to FDV can experience long-term effects on their physical and psychological health and their social competencies including social, emotional, and cognitive skills and behaviours that underpin successful social adaptation and academic achievement. The aim of this study was to investigate if children exposed to FDV were more likely to be vulnerable on school readiness measures compared to those children who were not exposed. Our cohort study used de-identified individual-level administrative data of children born during 2002–2010, in Western Australia, who were identified in police and hospital records as being exposed to FDV during 2002–2015. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of vulnerability in Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) outcomes of children exposed to FDV compared to a non-exposed cohort. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, children exposed to FDV had higher odds than non-exposed children of being vulnerable in all five AEDC domains: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills (school-based) and communication skills and general knowledge. Exposed children have an increased likelihood of vulnerability in all five AEDC domains: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills (school-based) and communication skills and general knowledge. Comprehensive multiagency early intervention for children exposed to FDV is required to mitigate the impact on outcomes, and ultimately the need to prevent FDV is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol consumption is known to have a disinhibiting effect and is associated with a higher likelihood of aggressive behavior, especially among men. People with certain personality traits maybe more likely to behave aggressively when intoxicated, and there may also be variation by gender. We aimed to investigate whether the reason why men and women with certain personality traits are more likely to engage in violence may be because of their alcohol use. The Big Five personality traits and anger-hostility, alcohol consumption, and violence were measured by questionnaire in 15,701 nationally representative participants in the United States. We tested the extent to which alcohol mediates the relationship between personality factors and violence in men and women. We found that agreeableness was inversely associated with violence in both genders. Alcohol mediated approximately 11% of the effect in males, but there was no evidence of an effect in females. Anger-hostility was associated with violence in both sexes, but alcohol mediated the effect only in males. We also found that Extraversion was associated with violence and alcohol use in males and females. Alcohol accounted for 15% of the effect of extraversion on violence in males and 29% in females. The mechanism by which personality traits relate to violence may be different in men and women. Agreeableness and anger-hostility underpin the relationship between alcohol and violence in men, but not in women. Reducing alcohol consumption in men with disagreeable and angry/hostile traits would have a small but significant effect in reducing violence, whereas in women, reducing alcohol consumption among the extraverted, would have a greater effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers do not agree on how intimate partner violence (IPV) emerges and changes from adolescence to young adulthood. This may be because change in these behaviors varies across individuals. The present study uses a longitudinal, person-centered approach to examine whether there are multiple classes or patterns of change in the perpetration of IPV during the transitional period from adolescence (age 18) to young adulthood (age 25) using data collected annually from a community sample of 484 participants. Latent class analysis was the analytic approach used. Results revealed three patterns for psychological IPV (Little-to-None, Minor/Increasing, and Extensive/Increasing) and two patterns for physical IPV (Little-to-None and Extensive). Patterns varied greatly in number of representatives, although they were more balanced in size for psychological than physical IPV. Variations in IPV behaviors were also revealed across classes, although as expected in a community sample, minor forms of IPV were more common than severe forms. In addition, classes differed in demographic and relationship status variables. These findings suggest that IPV may occur in multiple distinct patterns as opposed to one average pattern across a population. This suggests that interventions for IPV may need to be geared to differences in patterns to enhance their efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peritraumatic dissociation and distress are strong predictors of acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. However, there is limited data concerning gender differences in these relations, particularly among victims of violent crimes (VVC). The objective of this study is to examine whether peritraumatic dissociation and distress predict the number of ASD symptoms differently for men and women VVC. In all, 162 adults (97 women, M age = 39.6 years), 63% of whom experienced physical assaults, completed the Acute Stress Disorder Interview, the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experience Questionnaire, and the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory. Analyses included t tests and multiple hierarchical regressions models controlling for known PTSD risk factors. The regression model showed dissociation and distress to be significant predictors of ASD for both men and women (β =.349 and β =.312 respectively; all p <.001). A significant three-way interaction was also observed between peritraumatic distress (PDI), past potentially traumatic experiences, and gender. In simple slopes analyses, the combination of high levels of PDI and of a high number of past potentially traumatic events were associated with greater risk of ASD in men only (b = 3.78, p <.001). However, women experienced greater PDI, t (157) = 5.844, p =.005, than men, and elevated distress was associated with more ASD symptoms independently of past traumatic events. Gender differences were revealed as a function of past potentially traumatic experiences. There is a cumulative impact of past potential traumas and current distress that predicts ASD in men, while in women, it contributes to ASD via increased distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of investigations of sexual abuse concerning vulnerable adults residing in facility settings that were associated with case substantiation. Data on 410 reports of sexual abuse were collected prospectively from Adult Protective Services (APS) and state licensure agency staff in New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin over a six-month period. Specifically, we examined differences between reports that were substantiated and those that were not by comparing characteristics of alleged victims, alleged perpetrators, and aspects of investigation using logistic regression. We found that a relatively low proportion of cases (18%) were substantiated overall. Compared to cases that were not substantiated, cases that were substantiated were more likely to feature nursing home residents, older victims, female victims, and allegations of physical contact between the alleged perpetrator and victim. Despite the high proportion of alleged perpetrators who were facility staff (51%) compared to resident perpetrators (25%), cases with resident-to-resident allegations of abuse were much more likely to be substantiated, accounting for 63% of substantiated cases. In light of these findings, we believe it is important that investigators are trained to handle sexual abuse cases appropriately and that they are able to investigate the case thoroughly, promptly, and with as much information as possible. It is also critical that investigators make substantiation decisions using the appropriate standard for confirmation (e.g., preponderance of the evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, clear and convincing evidence) as state law dictates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has many negative outcomes for women, children, and families. However, researchers have opposing perspectives and findings with respect to the effects on mothering for abused women. The assumption by some service providers that abused mothers are compromised in their parenting generally ignores the larger issue of male violence and women's and children's safety. The question examined in this study was whether there were differences in reported positive parenting responses with children between women who have experienced IPV and those who have not experienced IPV. The sample consisted of 1,211 mothers and came from two studies: The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, and The Healing Journey: A Longitudinal Study of Mothers Affected by Intimate Partner Violence. The Positive Interaction and Rational Parenting scales, adapted from Strayhorn and Weidman's Parenting Practices Scale, were used to measure parenting interactions. Bivariate correlations between the outcome variables and maternal age, maternal education, child age, and child sex were calculated to determine whether any of these variables were significantly related to the Positive Interaction Scale or Rational Parenting Scale. This was followed by ANCOVA to determine whether mothers who had experienced IPV differed in their scores on the two parenting scales from mothers who had not experienced IPV. Findings did not support the notion that abused women are compromised in their parenting responses with their children in regard to positive interactions and behavior management. Recommendations include a greater focus on the prevention of IPV, addressing the source of violence and providing appropriate support for mothers who experience IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual coercion, especially forced sexual debut, is associated with lifelong adverse health consequences. This is compounded in regions, such as Uganda, where the dual impact of HIV and violence critically shapes women’s sexual health risks. Among a sample of women in HIV serodiscordant relationships, we investigated the prevalence and consequences of forced sexual debut. Data for this analysis come from the Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment as Prevention (HAARP) Study, a cohort of HIV serodiscordant couples in Jinja, Eastern Uganda, and investigates the role of forced sexual debut on two outcomes: age of sexual debut and having more than three lifetime sexual partners. Bivariate and multivariate linear regressions were used to model age at sexual debut using β and adjusted (A) β and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to model having more than three lifetime sexual partners and used odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted OR (AOR) and 95% CI. A total of 574 women were included in this analysis, median age 35 years, and 241 (41.99%) were living with HIV. A quarter (24.21%) of women experienced forced sexual debut at the median age of 16 years. Forced sexual debut was significantly associated with earlier age of sexual debut (β = –1.17, 95% CI: [–1.64, –0.68]). Forced sexual debut was significantly associated with having more than three sexual partners (AOR: 1.99, 95% CI: [1.33, 2.99]), in addition to older age (AOR: 1.02, 95% CI: [1.01, 1.05]). Speaking Lusoga, the primary language in Jinja (the study site) was associated with lower odds of having more than three sexual partners (AOR: 0.63, 95% CI: [0.43, 0.92]). Forced sexual debut was a common experience significantly associated with younger age of sexual debut and higher number of lifetime sexual partners. Safe and consensual first sexual experiences for young women play an important role in reducing HIV risk and lay the foundation for healthy and safe sexual health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has demonstrated the particularly damaging effects of exposure to multiple forms of victimization, or "poly-victimization," on youth mental health. The primary objective of the present study is to begin to identify the mechanisms that help explain its powerful impact. Analyses are based on two waves of longitudinal data from the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), conducted in 2008 and 2010, that comprised a telephone sample of 1,186 youth ages 10 to 17. Using structural equation modeling, we examine direct and indirect effects on distress symptoms of increased, decreased, and stable high poly-victimization between Waves 1 and 2 compared to no or low victimization in both waves. Specifically, we consider the extent to which reductions in core psychosocial resources, including family support, peer support, self-esteem, and mastery, mediate the relationship between these poly-victimization conditions and distress. Relative to stable low victimization, both increased poly-victimization and stable high poly-victimization were associated with declines in all four resources. However, only self-esteem and mastery significantly mediated the association between poly-victimization and distress, with mastery showing the strongest effect. Although significant indirect effects were evident, poly-victimization still had a strong direct effect on distress with resource factors controlled. Findings support the hypothesis that the potent effect of poly-victimization on youth mental health is, in part, due to its damaging influence on core psychosocial resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence often begins during the courtship stage of romantic relationships. Although some relationships dissolve as a result of aggression, other relationships remain intact, increasing the risk for escalated violence. The present study identified factors predictive of individual differences in emerging adults’ commitment to physically aggressive or sexually coercive dating relationships. Specifically, Rusbult’s Investment Model of romantic relationships (e.g., investment, satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and commitment) was applied to a longitudinal sample of 148 young adult women who reported experiencing aggression or coercion from their current partners. To further explain commitment within aggressive or coercive dating relationships, rejection sensitivity and anxious and avoidant romantic relational styles were included as predictors of the Investment Model variables. A more avoidant romantic style indirectly predicted commitment through relationship satisfaction and investment. Both commitment and rejection sensitivity significantly predicted continuing an aggressive or coercive relationship 6 months later. The present study improves our understanding of the processes involved in relationship commitment. Continuing to understand these processes will inform interventions that seek to help women who have decided to end aggressive or coercive dating relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study assessed women’s immediate and long-term reactions to completing self-report measures of interpersonal violence. College women completed surveys at the beginning and end of a 2-month academic quarter for course credit. Results showed that 7.7% of participants experienced immediate negative emotional reactions to research participation. Greater immediate negative reactions were related to interpersonal victimization and psychological distress variables. Attrition from the study over the 2-month follow-up was not predicted by participants’ immediate negative emotional reactions to the research or anticipation of future distress. Of the participants who returned for the follow-up, 2.1% of participants reported experiencing distress over the interim period as a result of their initial participation in the study. These long-term reactions were bivariately related to a number of victimization, psychological distress, and reaction variables measured at the first study session. However, in the regression analyses, only immediate negative emotional reactions to the research and anticipation of future distress predicted long-term negative emotional reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]