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Firearms are used in over half of partner violence victim homicides, and many victims experience firearm-related threats from their abusive partners. It is unclear whether, and to what extent, abusers who make firearm-related threats also engage in other forms of control and violence. An online community-based sample of women whose abusive partners caused them to experience fear because of their access to guns or threats to use them were recruited for the study. This study examined coercive control, threats, violence, and help-seeking for women whose partner held them at gunpoint (n = 112) compared to women whose partners did not hold them at gunpoint (n = 125). Women whose partners held them at gunpoint experienced more severe and frequent firearm and non-firearm related threats and physical/sexual violence. Additionally, abusers used a variety of strategies to control victims including tactics to increase dependency, debility, and dread-all of which were more frequent and severe among women held at gunpoint by the abuser. Only about half of the women held at gunpoint, and 30% of those not held at gunpoint, talked to police or sought a civil protective order. Among those that sought help through the justice system, only about 70% told police or the court about the firearm threats. Current legal remedies that restrict firearms may reduce some lethality risk, but safety is far from guaranteed by solely restricting gun ownership underscoring the importance of assessment and safety planning for partner violence victims who experience firearm-related threats., Author(s): TK Logan [sup.1] , Kellie Lynch [sup.1] , Robert Walker [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.266539.d, 0000 0004 1936 8438, University of Kentucky, , 333 Waller Ave, Suite 480, 40504, [...]

When IPV victims contact justice system or victim service professionals they are often advised on safety actions. Yet, there is limited research on what advice victims receive and how that advice might differ depending on where one lives (e.g., a rural versus urban area) or who is giving the advice (e.g., law enforcement versus victim advocates). The current study surveyed 133 justice system and victim service professionals who work with IPV victims in rural and urban communities. Three primary research questions were analyzed: (1) what advice do professionals give IPV victims with protective orders that had been violated?; (2) how helpful do professionals perceive six different safety strategies for IPV victims?; and (3) what role do firearms play in safety advice and perceived helpfulness among professionals? Contacting the criminal justice system was overwhelmingly the most common safety advice reported by all professionals. In comparison, less than one third of professionals mentioned safety planning and less than 20% mentioned seeking help from victim services despite these two responses being rated as the most helpful in the close-ended questions. Although obtaining a firearm was advised by few professionals and was perceived as unhelpful by most professionals, rural and justice system professionals were more likely than their counterparts to mention firearms in their advice and rate firearm-related protective behaviors as helpful. The results highlight the need to focus on improving first responder advice to victims and maximize training on the importance of safety planning in high-risk IPV circumstances., Author(s): Kellie R. Lynch [sup.1] , TK Logan [sup.2] , Elizabeth Hatch [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.215352.2, 0000000121845633, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Texas, , Durango Building, 501 W. [...]

Though researchers have documented that adolescents are vulnerable to coercion focused on reproductive and sexual autonomy, measures to assess this type of coercion for both adolescent females and males have not been validated in a population-based sample. The present study used secondary data collected from high school students across Kentucky (n = 16,137 from two independent samples in 2010 and 2014) to 1) determine if five items measuring adolescent reproductive and sexual coercion (ARSC) are appropriate for use among both females and males; and 2) estimate prevalence of identified ARSC factors by sex. For both male and females, given measurement items, the results supported a two-factor model of ARSC comprised of 1) verbal relationship manipulation and 2) contraceptive interference. Measurement invariance by sex was also supported. Additional findings indicated the high prevalence of ARSC and its associated subscales. Approximately 4 in 10 females and 3 in 10 males reported experiencing ARSC in the previous year, with almost all of those reporting contraceptive interference also reporting verbal relationship manipulation. Findings suggest verbal relationship manipulation and contraceptive interference (together forming ARSC) may restrict the autonomous sexual and reproductive decision-making of both female and male adolescents., Author(s): Julianna M. Nemeth [sup.1], Nelia Viveiros [sup.2], Kellie R. Lynch [sup.3], Tia Stevens Andersen [sup.4], Bonnie Fisher [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.261331.4, 0000 0001 2285 7943, Assistant Professor of [...]

Despite the alarming problem of intimate partner rape (IPR), there is a dearth of empirical data investigating how jury-eligible individuals perceive IPR in a courtroom setting. In particular, very little research has addressed IPR beyond the scope of marital rape. Thus, we investigated how community members perceived intimate partner rape involving both a married and non-married couple in a mock trial context. In Experiment 1, 129 participants (78 women) read a trial summary describing an intimate partner rape that differed as to whether the victim and defendant were married or in a cohabiting, non-marital relationship. In Experiment 2, which involved the same methods as Experiment 1, we gave 153 participants (79 women) four verdict options: not guilty, guilty of Rape in the First-Degree, Intimate Partner Rape, or Sexual Misconduct. In both experiments, women were more likely to render guilty verdicts than men and yielded more pro-victim/anti-defendant judgments. Participants did not perceive the case differently between the marital status conditions. In Experiment 2, the presence of other guilty verdict choices influenced both men and women's guilt decisions. The proportion of women who found the defendant not guilty of any crime decreased by over 50% in Experiment 2, while the proportion of men who found the defendant not guilty remained stable across experiments. The results suggest that few men and women are willing to convict the defendant of Rape in the First-Degree-especially when presented with other, lesser sexual crime options-and that the victim and defendant's intimate relationship is a mitigating factor causing mock jurors to view IPR as a lesser, sexual crime different to felony rape., Author(s): Kellie R. Lynch [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jonathan M. Golding [sup.3] , Jenna A. Jewell [sup.4] , Anne Lippert [sup.5] , Nesa E. Wasarhaley [sup.6] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000000121845633, grid.215352.2, [...]

Findings are reported from an experiment that examined mock jurors' gender biases regarding intimate homicide case adjudications. Mock jurors were more likely to convict a man than a woman who had killed an abusive partner, which was partially mediated by sympathy toward both the victim and defendant. Analyses revealed an abuser height and abuser gender interaction such that conviction rates for women defendants were higher when her abuser was taller compared to when he was shorter than she; abuser height did not influence conviction rates for men. Findings also suggested that when given information about a child being present, mock jurors perceived the killing of the abusive partner as an act to protect that child. The results are discussed in relation to how extra-legal factors impact juror perceptions of domestic violence cases in the courtroom. Keywords Intimate partner homicide * Juror perceptions * Gender biases * Domestic violence, Findings from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011) leave little doubt that intimate partner violence (IPV) affects the lives of [...]

Little is known about the scope and nature of how guns are used to threaten (ex)partners particularly during periods of stalking, which often occurs after victims leave their abusers. This study examines survey results from over 500 women from across the United States who contacted the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Specifically, this study (a) describes the prevalence and characteristics of partner abuse victims who were and were not stalked and who were and were not threatened with guns, (b) compares types of gun threats experienced by partner abuse victims who were and were not stalked, (c) examines worries about gun threats for those who were and were not stalked among partner abuse victims not threatened with a gun, and (d) assesses factors associated with advice to obtain a gun for personal safety. This article also provides open-ended comments selected to highlight themes from the quantitative information around participant fears and worries about gun threats and stalking. Findings from this study show one-third of the participants had experienced threats with guns, and one-fifth of those without gun threats worried their (ex)partner would harm them with a gun. Furthermore, there was a significant association between stalking and gun threats, as three-fourth of those who were threatened with a gun reported being stalked. Victims who experienced stalking were also more likely to report their (ex)partner threatened others with guns and were more likely to carry a firearm on their body or in their car, which suggests stalkers who threatened with guns may pose a significant risk to public safety. Implications for future research are discussed., (© 2018 Springer Publishing Company, LLC.)

This study examined 2 groups of police officers on perceived barriers and attitudes related to charging stalking. Police officers who categorized into groups based on if they had (n=73) or had not (n=90) previously charged stalking. Results indicated that officers who had never charged stalking viewed stalking as less dangerous, believed that officers do not file reports when called for stalking, and perceived all barriers related to charging stalking as more challenging than officers who had previously charged stalking. Officers who charged stalking had greater comprehension of the stalking statute and identified specific problems within the statute. The results have implications related to improving specialized police training in an effort to better protect victims of stalking and increase stalking charges.

This study used a sample of women who obtained protective orders (N = 709) from urban and rural communities and identified risk factors in arrest for victims of intimate partner violence 12 months after the protective order was obtained. Lower social support, higher loneliness, living in a rural community, substance abuse/dependency, a history of prior arrest, engaging in illegal behavior, and younger age were all identified as significant predictors of arrest at follow-up. The findings highlight the need for support and resources in vulnerable populations to reduce the risk of offending and recidivism. Implications for reentry programs and services for victimized women at risk are discussed.