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The goal of this study was to assess students' responses to a potentially triggering passage from literature using differing trigger warnings. 123 undergraduates read a passage which contained depictions of physical and sexual assault. Students were randomly assigned to differing trigger warning conditions prior to reading the passage that anticipated either neutral, positive, or negative emotional reactions. Measures of PTSD symptoms and distress were taken on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 14. Distress to the triggering passage did not vary as a function of either trauma history or trigger warning type. Those with higher PTSD scores to start did not experience more distress over time. The data suggest that instructors can assign challenging passages with the expectation that those with related traumas will not be disproportionately affected. In addition, the type of warning is not likely to impact on student emotional responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores whether the introduction of police-imposed barring notices in Western Australia (WA) is associated with changes to the number, type and location of recorded assaults. Police-imposed barring notices were introduced in WA in January 2011, and are issued in response to alcohol-related disorderly behaviours in/around licensed venues. A barring notice can exclude the recipient from one or more licensed venues for up to one year. WA Police provided unit level records of 67,750 assault incidents occurring during high-alcohol hours – 8pm to 6am on Friday and Saturday nights – between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2020. This enabled data from before and after the introduction of barring notices to be compared. The findings identified a number of potentially positive effects of barring notices, including significant reductions (p < 0.001) in non-family assault offences marked with an alcohol flag, assault offences recorded occurring on pathways (which includes areas around licensed premises), and common assault offences marked with an alcohol flag. These categories clearly align with the intended use and effect/s of barring notices, and the findings are encouraging. The effects of other factors on offending numbers cannot be excluded, but the association between the introduction of barring notices and, in particular, a reduction in alcohol-flagged violent offending appears to support the use of barring notices in WA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research has shown that potential perpetrators and individuals high in psychopathic traits tend to body language cues to target a potential new victim. However, whether targeting occurs also by tending to vocal cues has not been examined. Thus, the role of voice in interpersonal violence merits investigation. Objective: In two studies, we examined whether perpetrators could differentiate female speakers with and without sexual and physical assault histories (presented as rating the degree of ‘vulnerability’ to victimization). Methods: Two samples of male listeners (sample one N = 105, sample two, N = 109) participated. Each sample rated 18 voices (9 survivors and 9 controls). Listener sample one heard spontaneous speech, and listener sample two heard the second sentence of a standardized passage. Listeners’ self-reported psychopathic traits and history of previous perpetration were measured. Results: Across both samples, history of perpetration (but not psychopathy) predicted accuracy in distinguishing survivors of assault. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential role of voice in prevention and intervention. Gaining a further understanding of what voice cues are associated with accuracy in discerning survivors can also help us understand whether or not specialized voice training could have a role in self-defense practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to determine whether or not there were differences in medical, criminological and legal factors between older and younger offenders with diagnoses of delusional jealousy by undertaking a retrospective case-file search of Australian legal databases. Our results demonstrate that older offenders were more likely to have comorbid dementia whereas younger offenders were more likely to have comorbid substance use and chronic psychotic conditions. A history of domestic violence frequently predated the index offence but we were unable to determine if this was due to psychosis or a pre-existing tendency for violence. Despite a common diagnosis, the older offenders were more likely to be made forensic patients rather than sentenced prisoners when compared with the younger offenders. Consequently, different factors might mediate the pathway to violence in older and younger people suffering from delusional jealousy and could be additional targets for clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The judiciary has historically been conservative in its use of Artificial Intelligence, but recent advances in machine learning have prompted scholars to reconsider such use in tasks like sentence prediction. This paper investigates by experimentation the potential use of explainable artificial intelligence for predicting imprisonment sentences in assault cases in New Zealand's courts. We propose a proof-of-concept explainable model and verify in practice that it is fit for purpose, with predicted sentences accurate to within one year. We further analyse the model to understand the most influential phrases in sentence length prediction. We conclude the paper with an evaluative discussion of the future benefits and risks of different ways of using such an AI model in New Zealand's courts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assault burns comprise a significant subset of burns, with a greater risk of severe injuries. This South African study used a national dataset from major hospitals to identify risks and injury characteristics of assault burns. The analysis sample comprised 2658 adolescent and adult cases and employed logistic regression with bootstrapping to examine the risk of assault compared to unintentional burns. The study indicates that 17.4% of burns were due to assault. Males were 1.5 times more likely than females to be burn assault victims. Compared to adults 55 years and older, young adults 22–39 years were at greatest risk, followed by youth 13–21 years. Assault injuries were five times more likely due to chemical attacks and three times more likely to scalds than to flame burns. The head, neck and trunk were most affected. Where alcohol was indicated, assault burns were five times more likely than unintentional burns. The findings may indicate the need for targeted prevention strategies such as conflict resolution, alcohol use management and the control of corrosive chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the temporal variation (month and day) in assault-related injuries presenting to the US Emergency Departments (ED). An IRB exempt, retrospective review of prospectively collected data was performed using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Database from 2005 to 2017 for six categories of assault-related injuries-altercation, sexual assault, robbery, intimate partner violence (IPV), other specified assaults and unknown assault types. National estimates of injuries and associated variables were obtained using SUDAAN software, followed by cosinor analyses for the variation of month and weekday of injury. Three-dimensional topographic representations for weekday-by-month analyses were also created. Over this 13-year time span, there were more than 21 million injury visits due to assault, accounting for 6.57% of all ED visits. While there was no change in the incidence of total number of assaults over the study period, there was a significant increase in the annual percentage incidence of IPV (1.17%; p =.0094) and robbery (2.56%; p =.0001). Cosinor analyses demonstrated a mid-summer peak for all assault types except for robberies (late summer). All assault types showed a weekend peak (late Saturday or early Sunday). Topographical contours exhibited a peak in July and August on early Sunday for all assaults, however the month varied by the type of assault, with weekend peaks in the spring and winter for IPV. This information can be used in prospective resource planning for management and prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence against women is relatively common, and violence during pregnancy is of special concern due to potential risk of maternal and neonatal complications. Previous studies using diagnostic codes to determine prevalence and health outcomes of violence against women used ICD-9 data and lack a standard of consistency. Data from the 2002 to 2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used to analyze pregnancy-related hospitalizations of women aged 15–49 years. International Classification of Disease, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) was utilized in the NIS until the third quarter of 2015, after which it transitioned to ICD-10-CM format. The exposure was violence against women whereas outcomes included preterm birth, intrauterine fetal demise, miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and gestational diabetes. Temporal trends analyses were performed using Joinpoint regression technique and adjusted survey logistic regression models were conducted to examine the association between exposure and outcomes. Certain sociodemographic characteristics including age 35–49 (2.88/1,000 hospitalizations), non-Hispanic White (2.66/1,000) and non-Hispanic Black (2.61/1,000) racial/ethnic groups, and lowest quartile income (2.91/1,000) were associated with higher prevalence of violence. There was an overall increase in hospitalizations over the study period, the most significant being among non-Hispanic White patients (AAPC 18 percent, 95 percent CI = 10.3, 26.3). When compared to those with no exposure, individuals of all ethnic groups exposed to violence had increased risk of all adverse maternal/fetal outcomes. Higher prevalence of violence was associated with certain sociodemographic characteristics. Disparities in maternal/fetal adverse outcome risk were noted between ethnic groups. Additional studies are needed to ensure accuracy of violence data using diagnostic codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when caustic and corrosive substances such as concentrated sulphuric acid or carbolic acid were easily available. Acid was extremely portable, as bottles and syringes could be successfully concealed in coat and skirt pockets. Throwing, squirting, spraying, or pouring acid was a fairly accurate means of harming specific areas of the body or damaging clothing. Vitriol throwers often deliberately aimed at their victim's face and eyes to ensure permanent facial disfigurement. Most American acid assaults were by lone operators with a very specific target and motivation, and the woman consumed by jealousy and bent on revenge dominated popular understandings of acid crime. Vitriol throwing was a very specific form of female vigilantism in this period, but it was not an exclusively female practice. Most news and crime reports centred on attacks on public streets and in public institutions, which generated intense fear and anxiety and recurring moral panics over public safety in urban-industrial America, particularly when male serial "Jacks" were at large. Overall, the public, press, and courts demonstrated considered antipathy and ambivalence toward vitriol offences, offenders, and victims as illustrated by the controversial Petrie-Rozelle case in 1880s California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary Objective Established literature demonstrates that homeless individuals experience both greater disease burden and risk of experiencing traumatic brain injury (TBI) than the general population. Similarly, shared risk factors for both homelessness and/or TBI may exacerbate the risk of repetitive neurotrauma within homeless populations. Research Design We leveraged a state-wide trauma registry, the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study (PTOS), to characterize 609 patients discharged to homeless (58% TBI, 42% orthopedic injury (OI)) in comparison to 609 randomly sampled adult patients discharged to home. Methods and Procedures We implemented Chi-square tests to examine preexisting health conditions (PECs), hospital course, and injury mechanisms for both patient groups. Main Outcomes and Results Homelessness affects a greater proportion of nonwhite patients, and homeless patients present for care with increased frequencies of psychiatric and substance use PECs, and alcohol-positive TBI. Furthermore, assault impacts a larger proportion of homeless patients, and the window for overnight assault risk resulting in TBI is extended for these patients compared to patients discharged to home. Conclusion Given the shifting conceptualization of TBI as a chronic condition, identifying homeless patients on admission to trauma centers, rather than retrospectively at discharge, can enhance understanding of the challenges facing the homeless as they age with both a complex neurotrauma history and multimorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This register-based study from Sweden examines mortality risks among young male victims of violence. In total, 8722 men aged 18–24 years who spent at least one night in inpatient care after exposure to violence in the years 1992–2005 were compared with 78,702 age-matched men from the general population. Cox regressions showed that men exposed to violence had a >3 times higher risk of all-cause mortality, a >4 times higher risk of suicide, and about a 20 times higher risk of death from later violence. The risk of suicide remained stable during the follow-up, and the risk of all-cause mortality and death from later violence decreased. Abbreviations: NBHW: The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen); Brå: The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by principles of environmental criminology, this study assesses patterns of sexual victimization among young riders of rail-bound public transportation using a sample of 1,122 university students in Stockholm, Sweden. Exploratory data analysis and logistic regression models underlie the methodology of the study. Findings indicate that the physical and social characteristics of transit environments have an impact on the likelihood of sexual victimization after controlling for individual factors. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violent victimization and substance use are higher among sexual minority cisgender women (SMCW) than heterosexual cisgender women. Unknown, however, is how polyvictimization—experiencing multiple types of violent victimization—affects substance use among SMCW. Purpose/Objectives: This study explores the relationship between polyvictimization and substance use among a small sample of SMCW. Methods: An exploratory secondary data analysis was conducted on data from a convenience sample of 115 SMCW currently in relationships (70.4% lesbian, 73.9% non-Hispanic white) via a cross-sectional survey. Lifetime physical, sexual, and crime-related violent victimization were measured via the Trauma History Questionnaire. Past-year substance use was measured via the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10). Mann-Whitney U testing and linear regression modeling were used to examine differences in substance use by victimization status (victimized/non-victimized) and the association between polyvictimization and substance use. Results: Lifetime prevalence of violent victimization was high with 60.9% of the sample reporting at least one type of victimization: 10.4% experienced physical, 22.6% experienced sexual, and 22.6% experienced crime-related violent victimization. Substance use was significantly greater for victimized participants than non-victimized participants. Modeling showed that as violent victimization increased by one unit, substance use scores increased by.30 units. Conclusion/Importance: Preliminary evidence suggests that increase in violent victimization was associated with increased substance use among SMCW. Findings indicate a need for additional confirmatory research with more representative samples and longitudinal data. Behavioral health practitioners are urged to consider the implications of these findings and assess for past cumulative violence and current risk of substance use disorder, to appropriately facilitate treatment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Betrayal traumas have a particularly deleterious effect on mental health. Although social support is a robust predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, it is not clear what factors may impact this relationship among betrayal trauma survivors. Objective: This study sought to describe the association between social support and PTSD symptom severity among survivors of betrayal trauma and examine whether methodological, sample, trauma, and social support characteristics moderated this association. Method: A comprehensive search identified 29 studies that assessed the cross- sectional association between PTSD symptom severity and social support among 6,510 adult betrayal trauma survivors. Results: The average effect size (r = −.25; 95% CI: −.30, −.20) was small to medium, with significant heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 71.86). The association between PTSD and social support was stronger when the trauma was perpetrated by a romantic partner compared to mixed perpetrators, even after accounting for covariates. There was also a significant effect of support type depending on whether the support was provided in the context of trauma disclosure. Specifically, positive reactions to trauma disclosure were not associated with PTSD symptoms whereas general positive social support (not disclosure focused) was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms. Negative reactions to trauma disclosure were associated with more PTSD symptoms. None of the included studies measured general negative social support outside of trauma disclosure. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that social support may be a particularly important buffer against PTSD symptoms when experiencing traumatic betrayal by an intimate partner. Additionally, our results suggest that social support interventions for those experiencing betrayal trauma should focus on reducing negative responses to disclosure and bolstering general satisfaction with social support. A meta-analysis of 29 studies examined the relationship between social support and PTSD symptom severity among survivors of betrayal trauma. Negative reactions to trauma disclosure were associated with more severe PTSD symptoms. Positive reactions to trauma disclosure were not associated with PTSD symptoms. General positive social support was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms. The relationship between social support and PTSD symptom severity was stronger when trauma was perpetrated by a romantic partner compared to mixed perpetrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notions of whiteness, white supremacy and racial hatred such as the recent multiple racist murders by a white supremacist in New Zealand are at the forefront of public consciousness. How do whiteness and racism play out in a clinical and social welfare context? This article illustrates the impact of trauma on a vulnerable young white woman who although was not the direct target of a racist assault was left traumatised by witnessing it. It discusses how initially she sought refuge in a racist solution synonymous with a psychic retreat to her own detriment. Working with such complex, unconscious and bewildering dynamics is extremely challenging for clinicians. It describes the impact of these dynamics on a clinician of colour who attempted to work with this young woman in a child and adolescent mental health service after the family was referred as a consequence of her assaulting her child shortly after witnessing the racist attack. The unconscious responses to trauma and challenges for clinicians and clinician of colour in particular when working with racism in the consulting room are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although experiencing bullying and other forms of assault is associated with adverse physical, emotional, and psychological consequences, the long-term consequences, especially in the aftermath of a severe trauma in adulthood, is not known. This study examined the relationship between history of being bullied and/or assaulted and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among responders to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster. During 2015–2016, a modified life events checklist was administered to responders at Stony Brook WTC Health Program. WTC-related PTSD symptoms were assessed by PTSD checklist (PCL). Longitudinal mixed models examined associations between bullying, other forms of assault, and severity and chronicity of PTSD symptoms. Approximately, 13% of 920 responders had probable WTC-PTSD (PCL≥44). Being bullied in childhood was associated with increased odds of WTC-PTSD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 7.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.12–25.34), adjusted for demographics, other stressors, and WTC exposures. PTSD odds decreased over time among those not bullied (aOR 0.82; 95% CI: 0.73–0.92), but not among victims. Experiencing physical, sexual, or verbal assaults during adulthood also had a significant association with WTC-PTSD (aOR 4.64; 95% CI: 1.98–10.92). Findings suggest being bullied in childhood and/or assaulted in adulthood can increase PTSD risk and progression after mass trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the relative risk of the multiple forms of violence against women as well as the incidence and co-occurrence rates of self-reported childhood sexual assault (CSA), childhood physical assault (CPA), intimate partner violence (IPV), and witnessing family violence. The sample included 1,069 female undergraduates who completed measures of childhood trauma exposure (CPA, CSA, and exposure to family violence) and IPV victimization. Fifty-four percent of women in the sample experienced one or more forms of violence. Nearly 30% of participants reported IPV, 23% reported witnessing violence as a child, 13% reported experiencing CPA, and 11% reported experiencing CSA. Regarding co-occurrence, 31% experienced only one form of violence, 16% reported two forms, 6% reported three forms, and just over 1% of the sample reported experiencing all four forms of violence. For all forms of violence, the relative risk of experiencing another form of violence was significant at p <.0001, with witnessing violence and CPA being associated with the highest risks. This study highlights the importance of more carefully describing the violence experiences of participants used in violence research and accounting for poly-victimization in explanatory models of these forms of aggression and abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on gender differences and delay of disclosure of child sexual abuse is inconclusive; some research has found that male victims are more likely to delay disclosure than female victims, while other studies have found no gender difference. The present archival study investigated this inconsistency by examining factors that interact with delay. Judicial outcomes of child sexual abuse cases were coded (N = 4237) for variables related to the offense, the complainant-accused relationship, and court proceedings. Males and females differed with respect to delay only when the relationship between the complainant and the accused was established in the community (e.g., sports coach) or was a stranger to the child. When the accused was a parent, other relative, or a non-relative connected to the child through the family, there was no difference in delay between males and females. Further, males were more vulnerable in the community, as evidenced by a higher proportion of accused community members with male than female complainants, even though males represented fewer than 25% of cases in the database. These findings may help explain inconsistencies in gender differences in delayed disclosure. Implications regarding education about child sexual abuse are discussed, with a focus on male victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than two decades, there has been a concerted effort in Albuquerque Public School District (APS) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA to educate adults about LGBTQ students and the need for advocacy so that these students have the same access to education as other students in a safe and respectful environment. Populations within the district that have received less attention include students who identify as transgender and gender non-conforming. This manuscript describe APS's work with transgender and gender nonconforming students and the use of the American Institutes for Research's Improving Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes for LGBT Youth Action Planning Tool, as a means to evaluate the district's plan and activities, which led to an administrative directive regarding non-discrimination based upon gender identity and expression. The information here is offered as a resource to other school districts to learn from our successes and challenges, and perhaps to undertake similar work in their own school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the victimization of college students has gained substantial ground in the past several years. A considerable amount of research has focused on predicting victimization among college women, with few studies focusing exclusively on college men. The current study utilized a large sample of college students to expand the literature on victimization among college men. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was examined as a risk factor for experiencing physical and verbal assault victimization within the lifestyles/routine activities context. The results indicated that college men with ADHD experienced assault at significantly higher rates than college men without ADHD. Additionally, ADHD was a significant predictor of both types of assault once other lifestyle and routine activity variables were controlled for statistically. Implications and suggestions for prevention on college and university campuses are discussed along with further research avenues and risk factor inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mosh pit is a unique crowd formation where audience members dance aggressively to engage with the music, the performers and each other. However, in this space, Australian punks may experience violations of bodily integrity. Multiple levels and types of transgression occur, as members break with mosh pit ethics by engaging in unwanted and unlawful sexual and physical violence. This case study provides an example of how group normative behaviour is confounded in liminal spaces - how transgression within such spaces undermines the supposed freedom experienced by its participants. Whilst the mosh pit is perceived to be a site governed by its own particular ethics, some defy these in word and practice. The rules of engagement are ambiguous, and offenders are able to rationalise their harms through neutralisation techniques and the diffusion of blame and responsibility. The consequence is that more often than not, offenders can use the unique physical nature of the mosh pit to execute personal vendettas and engage in intentional violence such as 'crowd killing' and sexual assault, with little social and legal consequence. Moreover, a certain culture of denial permeates participant responses to these issues. Throughout it all, the violence occurring has a decidedly masculine basis, reflecting overarching gender differences in interpersonal violence generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how the associations between tavern proximity, tavern density and area unit socio-economic status with assault occurrence vary in a temporal sense. Using New Zealand Police data specifying the day, time and location of assaults in 2016 and Ministry of Justice data specifying the location of on-licenced taverns, we construct logistic regression models to determine how well tavern proximity, tavern density and socio-economic status predict the occurrence of assaults at peak (Fri 22:00-Sat 03:00 and Sat 22:00-Sun 03:00) and off-peak times. An equal-sized sample of traffic generators (public venues whose primary function is not the sale of alcohol) is constructed and similar procedures applied. We find that tavern proximity and tavern density are stronger predictors of assault occurrence at peak, compared to off-peak, times. Conversely, socio-economic status is a better predictor of assault occurrence at off-peak times. We also find that whilst tavern proximity and density are stronger predictors of assault occurrence relative to traffic generator proximity and density at peak times, the opposite is true at off-peak times. These results suggest that in order to minimise alcohol-related harm, there is a need for policy-makers to take into account the temporal nature of these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates and synthesizes qualitative evidence addressing factors affecting a child’s decision to disclose an experience of sexual abuse. Childhood sexual abuse is a devastating crime, with long-term negative impacts. Understanding the factors that affect a child’s decision to disclose is vital. Disclosure enables access to support and protection, both therapeutically and legally. A systematic review was conducted focusing on factors affecting a child’s decision to disclose an experience of sexual abuse. Seven studies were identified, quality appraisal undertaken, and meta-ethnography used to synthesize the studies. Six new super-ordinate themes were developed: Fear of what will happen; Others’ reactions: fear of disbelief; Emotions and impact of the abuse; An opportunity to tell; Concern for self and others; and Feelings toward the abuser. Themes indicated the importance of support, structure, and opportunity to facilitate disclosure and should be utilized by agencies to develop practices that facilitate disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues of force and excessive force remain prominent in policing in most jurisdictions. This study addresses the relationship between officer gender and force-related allegations, and adds to the growing literature on women in policing and strategies to reduce police-citizen conflict. The study utilised six years of Queensland police data from 2007/2008 to 2012/2013 involving 4974 force-related complaint files and 11,493 allegations, to explore gender patterns while also considering rank, length of service, age, sub-type of allegation, and complaint outcomes. The main finding was that females made up 26% of employed officers, but only 16% of officers receiving complaints and 15% of officers subject to specific allegations. In addition, females had significantly fewer repeat complaints, fewer single subject officer complaints, and complaints against females reduced more quickly with length of service. The findings support the case for significant benefits from improved female representation in policing. At the same time, the paper includes a number of qualifiers regarding support for female officers and optimal management of use of force training and procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though an association exists between sexual trauma and adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), not all adolescents with a sexual assault history develop STBs. The present study examined whether carrier status of the DRD4 VNTR polymorphism (DRD4 L vs. DRD4S) moderated the relationship between sexual trauma and STBs in a sample of psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. A total of 76 psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents provided saliva samples for genotyping procedures and completed assessment measures. Using hierarchical regression analyses, results indicated that DRD4 L carriers with a sexual trauma history reported significantly more severe suicidal ideation than DRD4S homozygotes. There was no interaction evident for the prediction of suicide attempts. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide preliminary support for synergistic effects of sexual trauma, DRD4, and severity of SI in adolescents. Further studies of the relationship between sexual trauma, DRD4, and STBs utilizing larger samples are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the risk factors, outcomes and service implications of violence-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) for individuals and their informal caregivers. It mentions that violence is an international public health issue resulting in premature death, disability and injury. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) that TBI is one of the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Tonic immobility is a set of involuntary motor responses elicited under conditions of extreme fear and perceived inescapability, and it is one type of peritraumatic distress reported by survivors of child sexual abuse. Experiencing tonic immobility during child sexual abuse is associated with increased risk for developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, although less is known about relations between tonic immobility and other established risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder. We investigated posttraumatic cognitions as a potential mediator of the relations between peritraumatic fear, perceptions of inescapability, tonic immobility, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Specifically, we tested posttraumatic negative beliefs about the self, the world, and self-blame as pathways that might increase risk for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in child sexual abuse survivors who had experienced tonic immobility. Forty-six women with a history of unwanted childhood sexual contact completed questionnaires measuring peritraumatic tonic immobility, posttraumatic cognitions, and current posttraumatic stress symptoms. Negative beliefs about the self independently mediated the relation between peritraumatic perceptions of inescapability and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, but the data did not support similar path model for the physical symptoms of tonic immobility and post-traumatic stress disorder. We discuss ways in which treatment of survivors and future research on CSA can benefit from attention to the impact of peritraumatic distress on posttraumatic beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘code of the street’ is a theoretical framework concerning violent interaction. Its enactment on the street can be seen as illustrating a hegemonic masculinity. The typical setting where the code is pervasive is in disadvantaged urban communities. Those in thrall to the code's localised retaliatory edicts are usually young working-class males. Understandably, given the code's origins in the US ghetto, it is a US criminological research tradition which has stimulated the terms of this framework. Although European scholars have pursued theorising violence by recourse to the code, Scotland has not been studied, and the qualitative study reported here aims to remedy this. Based on these data, a behavioural code is evident in Scotland sharing characteristics with Anderson's original contribution, despite differences in terms of chronology and cultural setting. The study contributes to our knowledge of the life histories and personal theorisations of young offenders whose trajectories are arguably entrapped by forms of retaliatory justice and performances of a ‘protest’ type of marginalised masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new trend has emerged in print advertisements by which women’s bodies are literally morphed into objects. This study begins to explore this phenomenon by examining the effects of viewing these types of advertisements on attitudes toward rape and violence, as well as rape likelihood. In addition, this study examined the degree to which moral disengagement and dehumanization influences rape likelihood through rape myth acceptance. Three hundred eighty participants viewed 1 of 3 conditions—control, sexual objectification of women, or women as objects—and then filled out a number of questionnaires to assess their rape myth acceptance, acceptance of interpersonal violence, rape likelihood, and moral disengagement. Results indicated that although viewing sexually objectified women in advertising did not increase any of the dependent variables for individuals in the experimental conditions compared to the control condition, there was a main effect of sex for several dependent measures, as well as a full mediation of moral disengagement and rape likelihood by rape myth acceptance in male participants. These findings suggest that education aimed at correcting men’s endorsement of rape myths might be a key pathway to decreasing rape likelihood. Despite these conclusions, this study’s primary limitation was that it was conducted with collegiate participants with an unequal gender distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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This study examined sexual risk behaviors and sexual refusal assertiveness in relationship to child sexual abuse, emotion dysregulation, and adult sexual revictimization. Path analyses of 1,094 survivors who had sex in the past year were done to examine sexual risk behavior and sexual refusal assertiveness mediational pathways by which child sexual abuse severity and emotion dysregulation may affect revictimization over one year in adult female sexual assault survivors. Exchanging sex for money and sexual refusal assertiveness were significantly associated with emotion dysregulation, whereas exchanging sex for money, and not sexual refusal assertiveness, was only significantly related to child sexual abuse severity. Both exchanging sex for money and sex refusal assertiveness mediated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and adult sexual revictimization. Exchanging sex for money mediated the child sexual abuse severity-revictimization relationship. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering both risky and protective sexual behaviors in research and prevention programming that address sexual revictimization in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher crime rates theoretically deter walking, yet empirical analyses show mixed results. It is hypothesized that more walking occurs in low-income, high-density municipalities that have higher crime rates. Gender, car ownership and relative wealth may also moderate associations between crime and walking. A statewide New Jersey survey (n = 673) of walking was linked to crime and census data. Women were more likely to walk for exercise, but less likely as crime rose. Carless households and wealthier respondents did more non-discretionary walking, but walked less in municipalities with higher crime rates. Poorer, high-density municipalities have higher crime rates and more walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2014, Case Study 8, a public hearing of the national Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse focused on John Ellis's experience both of the Catholic Church's Towards Healing protocol and of litigation. This article outlines some aspects of these avenues of seeking redress following John's abuse by a priest as a child. It also discusses the challenges involved in the development of what some church lawyers have come to refer to as 'the Ellis Process': an alternative, extrajudicial process for seeking redress for survivors of church-related abuse. This process, advocated by John and Nicola Ellis, aims to afford survivors of church-based sexual abuse greater autonomy, responsiveness and satisfaction in seeking redress from the Church in a way that is restorative of dignity, agency, connection, and hope of recovery. Redress that is meaningful may be both financial and non-financial. John Ellis's adverse experiences of the 'in-house' church process and then litigation, point to the need to develop new redress processes: processes not tainted by past attitudes and consequent failures; processes that can provide a form of victim advocacy to alleviate the power imbalance and the sense of futility that many victims, including John, have experienced in pursuing a complaint of sexual abuse against a religious or other powerful institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mortality from external causes, of all kinds, is an important component of overall mortality on a global basis. However, these deaths, like others in Africa and Asia, are often not counted or documented on an individual basis. Overviews of the state of external cause mortality in Africa and Asia are therefore based on uncertain information. The INDEPTH Network maintains longitudinal surveillance, including cause of death, at population sites across Africa and Asia, which offers important opportunities to document external cause mortality at the population level across a range of settings. Objective: To describe patterns of mortality from external causes at INDEPTH Network sites across Africa and Asia, according to the WHO 2012 verbal autopsy (VA) cause categories. Design: All deaths at INDEPTH sites are routinely registered and followed up with VA interviews. For this study, VA archives were transformed into the WHO 2012 VA standard format and processed using the InterVA-4 model to assign cause of death. Routine surveillance data also provide person-time denominators for mortality rates. Results: A total of 5,884 deaths due to external causes were documented over 11,828,253 person-years. Approximately one-quarter of those deaths were to children younger than 15 years. Causes of death were dominated by childhood drowning in Bangladesh, and by transport-related deaths and intentional injuries elsewhere. Detailed mortality rates are presented by cause of death, age group, and sex. Conclusions: The patterns of external cause mortality found here generally corresponded with expectations and other sources of information, but they fill some important gaps in population-based mortality data. They provide an important source of information to inform potentially preventive intervention designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Prior research endorsed the establishment of sexual assault centres in the Netherlands because of the potential benefit for victims' mental recovery. In 2012, the first Dutch sexual assault centre was founded at the University Medical Center Utrecht. The aim of the centre is to provide 24/7 coordinated and integrated services (i.e., medical, forensic, and psychological) in one location. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to describe demographic, background, and assault characteristics of victims seen at the centre within one week post-assault, and their use of post-assault services in order to improve current services. METHOD: From January 2012 to September 2013, prospective data of 108 patients were collected. To describe the population included, frequency counts and proportions were generated for categorical variables. RESULTS: The mean age was 21.3 years (SD=9.8). Most victims were female (91.7%). A large proportion of victims reported background characteristics known to increase the risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and revictimisation such as prior sexual abuse (32.4%), pre-existing use of mental health services (45.4%), and not living with both biological parents (61.7%). Most patients (88.9%) consulted the centre within 72 hours post-assault. The uptake of services was high: 82.4% received emergency medical care, 61.7% underwent a forensic-medical exam, 34% reported to the police, and 82.4% utilised psychological services. CONCLUSION: To prevent revictimisation and PTSD, current psychological services could be improved with immediate trauma-focused treatments. Current forensic services may be improved with the use of standard top to toe forensic-medical examinations for both children and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The reason for this review is the lack of data on the management of physical abused children in Africa. The primary goal of the first part is to outline the management of physical child abuse in (South) Africa and provide suggestions for other governments in Africa on which to base their management of physical child abuse, at both governmental and hospital management level. The main aim of the second part is to outline the extent of the problem as seen at the Red Cross Memorial Children's Hospital (RCH) in Cape Town. Material and Methods: The National Library of Medicine's PubMed database was searched for articles specifically about the management of physical child abuse. Hospital data were analysed in two phases: one addressed various types of assault in order to assess the number of patients admitted to the trauma unit of RCH between 1991 and 2009, and the other to identify all children with suspected non-accidental injury (NAI) presenting to the trauma unit at RCH from January 2008 until December 2010. Results: Information on physical abuse of children in Africa in the English scientific literature remains disappointing with only two articles focusing on its management. RCH data for the period 1991-2009 recorded a total number of 6415 children hospitalised with injuries following assault, who accounted for 4·2% of all trauma admissions. Types of abuse included assault with a blunt or sharp instrument, rape/sexual assault and human bite wounds. Over the last 2 decades, there has been a minor decline in the number of cases of severe abuse requiring admission; admissions for other injuries have remained stable. More detailed analysis of hospital data for 2008-2010, found that boys were far more commonly assaulted than girls (70·5% vs 29·5%). Physical abuse appeared to be the most common cause of abuse; 89·9% of all boys and 60·5% of all girls presented after physical abuse. Conclusion: In order to eradicate child abuse, awareness of it has to be promoted in the community at large. Because the types of child abuse vary between countries, each requires its own research in order to develop a policy tailored to their particular requirements. In summary, an increased focus on the prevention of violence against children is urgently needed in order to curb the increasing trend of assaults on children. As the causes and risk factors for violence against children vary, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral co-operation and collaboration will be required. It is hoped that this report will help raise awareness among health-care practitioners of NAI and its complexities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on legal and psychological theory of blame, the present study evaluates psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Blame Scale (PBS; Rayburn, Mendoza, & Davison, 2003) across crimes of varying severity (i.e., misdemeanor assault, felony assault, and murder) and motivation (gay hate crime victim versus heterosexual victim perceived as gay). Results revealed support for a single-factor model of perceptions of perpetrator blame in a panel of jury-eligible community members. Perceptions of blame in this study moderated the impact of crime motivation on the sentencing decision. Results are discussed with regard to legal and psychological perspectives of blame in a jury research paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Alcohol is frequently related to interpersonal aggression, but information regarding the role of alcohol consumption by victims of severe aggression is however lacking. In order to better understand the dynamic of victimization, we investigated contextual, facilitator, and psychological impact variables related to victimization in a French sample composed of 1,033 females aged 18-74 years. The participants were recruited using quota sampling methodology, and responses were measured using Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewer. A logistic regression was conducted using a backward elimination procedure to identify the significant predictors of blows and wounds suffered in the past 24 months. The results indicated that victims, relative to nonvictims, did binge drink significantly more often, had a higher aggression trait, and had experienced more social hardships in the past. The study's limitations are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Girls suspected or convicted of assaults make up an increasing proportion of juvenile arrests and court caseloads. There is indication that changes in domestic violence arrest policies, school handling of student rules infractions, and practices of charging youth for assaults rather than status offenses account for these trends. To determine whether girls were treated more harshly for assaults after these policies changed, the present study compared the probabilities of conviction and institutionalization, net of the effect of self-reported attacks on persons, for 1980 and 2000. Data were from the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1979 and 1997 cohorts. Girls experienced a unique increase in the probabilities of justice system involvement that was replicated only for Black males. The increase was magnified for Black girls. Additional research is needed to better connect specific policies to drawing selected subgroups more deeply into the justice system and on the consequences for affected youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: The eruption of Al-Aqsa Intifada created a war situation in Palestine, increasing the number of firearms injuries caused by occupying Israeli forces as well as disabling head injuries. No data were available to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and other health organizations on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Palestine. This study, therefore, sought to determine the causes and outcomes of TBI in patients who were admitted to three hospitals in Nablus, Palestine. Research design: Retrospective review of medical records and contacts with patients and/or caregivers. Methods and procedures: The medical records of patients who were diagnosed with TBI ( n == 312) and admitted to any one of the three hospitals in 2006 and 2007 were reviewed. Data were also obtained from follow-up home visits and telephone calls with consenting patients and/or caregivers. Main outcomes and results: The major causes of TBI were assault (33%%), falls (32.1%%), road traffic crashes (29.8%%) and impacts from heavy objects (3.2%%). Gunshot wounds are a major cause of head injury in Palestine. Conclusions: The study shows that assault with firearms is the most frequent cause of TBI in this population and that patients with head injuries due to assault have poorer outcomes at discharge than those injured in other ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine if communities in Nunavut that prohibit the importation of alcoholic beverages have less violence relative to communities that allow alcohol importation. Study design. A retrospective cross-sectional study based on community-level records of violent crimes known to the police. Methods. Violence was measured using community-level records of homicide, assault and sexual assault as reported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 23 communities in Nunavut for the years 1986 to 2006. Crude-rate comparisons were made between wet communities (which allow alcohol importation) and dry communities (which prohibit alcohol importation) and contrasted with national rates for context. Results. Wet communities in Nunavut recorded rates of violent crime that were higher than the rates recorded by dry communities. Relative to dry communities, wet communities' overall sexual assault rate was 1.48 (95% CI=1.38-1.60) times higher, the serious assault rate was 2.10 (95% CI=1.88-2.35) times higher and the homicide rate was 2.88 (95% CI=1.18-8.84) times higher. Although safer than wet communities, dry communities reported rates of violence that were higher than national rates including a serious assault rate that was double the national rate (3.25 per 1,000 vs. 1.44 per 1,000) and a sexual assault rate that was at least seven times as high as the national rate (7.58 per 1,000 vs. 0.88 per 1,000). Conclusions. As elsewhere in the Arctic, communities in Nunavut that prohibited alcohol were less violent than those that allowed alcohol importation. Even with prohibition, dry communities recorded rates of violence much greater than the national average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents trends in expressive crimes in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania from 1993 to 2000 and examines how demographic, socio-economic, land use, and institutional factors relate to their geography in 2000. Geographical Information System (GIS) and spatial regression models are employed in the study, which make use of country regions as the unit of analysis. Issues concerning crime data availability and quality are discussed. While police official statistics show a significant rise in rates of expressive crime in the Baltic countries during the 1990s (with the exception of homicide), victimization crime surveys indicate that there have been no significant changes in crime levels and composition. Results also show that indicators of regions' social structure, such as divorce rate, more strongly predict the variation of 2000's expressive crime ratios than other indicators, such as land use and economic covariates. Most of these covariates function in ways which are predicted by Western literature on crime geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relying upon a content analysis of one specific type of medium to which young people are exposed beginning at an early age, on a regular basis, and for many years (i.e., animated cartoons), the present study examines what types of messages are provided about violence that takes the form of simple assault. Results indicate that assault is fairly prevalent in cartoons and that this prevalence has diminished over time. Most of the time. cartoons show assaults to "land" on their intended victims, but having done so, to cause few if any adverse effects. Moreover, assaults rarely backfire on the perpetrators. Anger, revenge, and inherent mean-spiritedness are the most common reasons implied for why characters commit acts of violent assault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) persons in New Zealand are highly vulnerable to bullying, although bullying appears to have evolved from physical to primarily verbal abuse. Data from the Lavender Islands national study of 2,269 LGBs in New Zealand suggest that coming out early as LGB appears associated with lower levels of educational attainment, which in turn is associated with bullying and verbal assault. LGBs with higher educational attainment are more satisfied with an LGB identity than those with lower educational attainment. The data suggest that the consequences of bullying and assault may be longer term and more far-reaching than even the psychological challenges found in the literature. Consequences may include lower lifelong levels of satisfaction with an LGB identity, and an early coming out "penalty" in education. Quantitative data are supported by the unprompted narratives of respondents who expressed difficulties within the high school environment. The study also found relatively high levels of teacher discrimination and verbal assault reported by high educational attainers. In general, LGB educational attainers may perhaps be more appropriately called "educational survivors." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Past research has determined that fear of violence is often "irrational" in relation to the actual level of risk presented. This has been found to exacerbate the negative effects of exposure to work-related violence. Aims This study investigates fear of assault in relation to exposure to challenging behaviour. The extent to which a social psychological model of fear of assault can be generalised to care staff working with individuals with intellectual disability (ID) was tested and the validity of the instruments used was assessed. Method A total of 87 care staff took part in a questionnaire-based study carried out in two separate and distinct organisations providing residential services to individuals with ID. In one service, staff exposure to challenging behaviour was high, with many clients having a forensic history, and in the other, staff exposure to challenging behaviour was low. Results According to one measure, care staff exposed to high levels of challenging behaviour were more fearful about work-related violence. However, no difference was found between the groups on the second measure. Regression analyses indicated some support for the generalisability of dimensions of the model of fear of assault in explaining feelings of unsafety. Conclusions This study suggests that fear of assault may be an important factor when trying to understand care staff responses to challenging behaviour. However, the equivocal nature of the results raises questions about the validity of existing methods of assessing this fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that clients occasionally threaten or assault their therapists. No studies to date have attempted to Systematically measure client aggression by transgender patients towards clinicians. One of the major questions of this study was to determine if clients with gender dysphoria have greater levels of aggression towards therapists than non-gender dysphoric clients. One hundred and fourteen professional therapists who are members of the Harry Benjamin Inter- national Gender Dysphoria Association responded to a questionnaire that addressed aggression by both transgender and non-transgender clients. Transgender clients were shown to commit significantly less acts of aggression than did non-transgendered clients (p = 0.0094). Within the relatively small subgroup of transgender clients that did commit acts of aggression, male-to-female transgender clients were significantly more likely to do so than female-to-male clients (p = 0.002). While the transgendered client undergoes significant suffering in violating inviolable gender boundaries, this suffering, in general, does not translate into acting out behaviors directed towards their therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggression towards health care staff has become the focus for research as well as for government intervention. Negative effects upon staff and organizations have been established, yet few detailed explanations are offered for this aggression, and none represents the patient's perspective. This paper presents a model from the patient's perspective that takes account of situational variables, while also focusing upon patient cognitions. It also considers physiological responses related to arousal that might underpin aggression in an anxiety-provoking situation. In a previous study the frequency with which aggression was preceded by some anxiety-provoking event and the extent to which assailants displayed diminished cognitive processing were established; these were incorporated into the model. Increased anxiety commonly experienced by patients can have a negative effect upon cognitive processing. Anxiety generates a hyper-vigilance for threatening stimuli, induces selective attentional bias for threat, and causes a narrowing of attention, thus reducing cues and information upon which to make accurate appraisals and attributions. With such impairments, patients may make negative rather than positive attributions regarding actions of staff, which are frequently anxiety provoking. Thus, patients perceive staff behaviour as threatening rather than benign, and in the absence of positive attributions it will invoke an aggressive response. What health care staff perceive as aggression may be seen by patients as a defence against perceived attack. Changes in policy that take this into account may reduce future aggressive incidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The aim of the study was to look at staff practices when patients had been sexually assaulted, and to look at their emotions around an event that normally causes outrage amongst those who deal with it. METHODS A 16-item, five-point questionnaire was supplied to all medical and nursing staff working on five wards of a psychiatric inpatient unit. Demographic details of respondents and their work experience of sexual assault (defined as all forms of sexual touching without consent, including rape) were also noted. There were four additional questions inviting a free text response. Two questions were posed about inpatient sexuality in general, and two about sexual assault. RESULTS Staff generally agreed about what action should be taken in cases of sexual assault and, except for anger, experienced low levels of negative emotions when dealing with cases amongst patients. However, weariness was a key emotion, correlating with post held, levels of anger, depression, and likelihood of helping the patients inform the police. Consultants were the most weary professional group. Free text written responses revealed widespread concern amongst staff that women inpatients forming sexual relationships are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and that staff will be blamed in the event of sexual assault. CONCLUSION Policy documents should specifically address issues around staff intervention in inpatients' sexual lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a summary of a book in Swedish on the development of crime (that is, violence and theft) and punishment in Sweden in a historical perspective. The data stem mostly from conviction statistics. Following a discussion of the reliability of conviction statistics, trends in these statistics are described and various criminological explanations for these trends are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent review of the literature (Stewart, 1996) suggests that persons who have experienced a traumatic event are more likely to develop problematic patterns of alcohol and drug use. This is particularly true of persons who have experienced combat, a physical/ sexual assault, or a severe disaster. Because of the nature of the traumas examined, few studies have included men and women. Similarly, few studies have directly compared persons experiencing different numbers or types of traumas. This study examined these issues in a sample of college students, many of whom had experienced a traumatic event. Use of alcohol or other drugs was unrelated to the number or type of traumatic event experienced by the participants. However, it was related to sex. Men reported using significantly more alcohol and drugs than women. Level of alcohol use was related to location where they preferred to drink, levels of extroversion, neuroticism, and lie-scale scores. Findings will be discussed in terms of recommendations for therapists working in college counseling centers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]