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Stalkers can be violent, and empirical studies have sought to identify factors associated with violence perpetrated by the stalker. Most of these works view physical violence as a homogeneous construct and do not differentiate between moderate and severe violence. The present study aims to identify correlates of nonviolent, moderate, and severe physical violence within an archival sample of 369 domestically violent police incident reports, where stalking behavior was indicated. The incident reports utilized in this study occurred between 2013 and 2017, among intimate or ex-intimate partners. The present study explored 12 independent variables that have yielded mixed findings in previous stalking violence literature, as well as two previously untested factors of nonfatal strangulation and child contact. The police records were coded for severity of physical violence using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale and analyzed using a logistic regression. The regression analysis revealed significant independent associations between the outcome variable of severe physical violence and child contact, history of domestic violence, separation, nonfatal strangulation, jealousy, previous injury, and victim belief of potential harm. These results may help produce pragmatic recommendations for law enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies who seek to identify victims at risk of severe violence, increasing the potential for early intervention and prevention of physical harm. The awareness of factors that are shown to be related to serious physical violence may assist first responders in recognizing which victims may be at risk of serious harm, as well as effectively allocating any appropriate resources to reduce and prevent harm.

Researchers agree that early marriage (EM) and adolescent pregnancy (AP) can form severe risks for women's somatic, mental, and reproductive health, as well as on educational and social status. Yet, less is known about factors that may moderate or mediate these associations. This study examined, first, retrospectively the impacts of EM and AP on self-reported mental and somatic health among multicultural group of women living in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Second task was to analyze whether and how the partner violence would mediate and/or moderate between EM and AP and mental health problems. The participants were 1569 women (16-72 years of age), who reported their age of being married, first pregnancy, and demographic characteristics. They described their mental health status through General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28: depressive, anxiety, social dysfunction, and somatization symptoms) and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; DSM-5). Women's reports of somatic illnesses were classified according to WHO-ICD-10. The revised conflict tactics scale, short form was used as a proxy to partner violence. Women who gave birth at 13-19 years of age reported more anxiety and somatization symptoms than later delivered, and those married younger than 25 showed a higher level of depressive symptoms than later married. Both AP and EM formed a heightened risk for somatic illnesses. The partner violence functioned as a moderator; AP was associated with especially high levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms among women exposed to sexual coercion in their marriage. Non-significant mediation analysis indicates that partner violence did not explain the severe impacts of the AP and EM on women's mental health. Yet, the AP and EM were associated with heightened level of partner violence. Adolescent pregnancy forms a comprehensive mental health risk, and both AP and EM were risks for somatic illnesses, such as cardiovascular problems. The mental health risk of AP further intensified if women experienced sexual coercion in their partnership. Our fundamental work is to abolish these patriarchal phenomena.

Previous research has linked parental corporal punishment and children's problem behaviors, whereas little is known about the effects of fathers' corporal punishment. Moreover, stress-buffering model suggested that parenting practices that are characterized by acceptance, supportive and responsiveness such as inductive reasoning may buffer children against the negative impacts of stressful life events including parental corporal punishment. As such, the current research examined the potential moderating effects of fathers' and mothers' inductive reasoning on the associations between their corporal punishment and children's problem behaviors, and further explored whether the moderating effects of inductive reasoning would be more stronger in same gender dyads (i.e., mother & daughter, father & son) than in mixed gender dyads (i.e., mother & son, father & daughter) within Chinese families. The Chinese version of Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC), the parental inductive reasoning items from the Iowa Youth and Families Project, the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used as the main assessment tools. Utilizing a sample of 675 elementary school-age children and their parents, similar patterns of findings between same gender dyads and mixed gender dyads emerged. Both mothers' and fathers' corporal punishment were directly associated with children's problem behaviors, whereas their inductive reasoning failed to moderate these associations. Findings from the current study suggested that it may be difficult for positive parenting (e.g., inductive reasoning) to counteract the adverse effects that parental harsh discipline (e.g., corporal punishment) has on children adjustment, and it may be more meaningful for intervention programs to focus on decreasing both fathers' and mothers' harsh discipline.

Introduction Dating violence, as well as the broader field of intimate partner violence, has mainly been investigated with two conflict-related questionnaires (Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationship Inventory CADRI, Conflict Tactics Scale CTS). Indeed, the respondents have to report aggressive behaviors that occurred in a context of conflict. Such conflict-related instructions prevent us from investigating violence occurring outside a context of conflict. Objective The aim of the study was to explore whether the use of a conflict-related or a non-conflict-related version of the CADRI could impact dating violence prevalences and scores, and to investigate conceptual issues associated with conflict-related questionnaires. Method A total of 186 participants ranging in age from 16 to 23 years (M = 18.93, SD = 1.52, 64.5% girls) were administered a new version of the CADRI (i.e. with non-conflict related instructions) and then the original version of the CADRI (i.e. with conflict-related instructions). The instrument investigated threatening behaviors, relational, physical, sexual and verbal dating violence. Results For several forms of dating violence, prevalence rates and scores decreased from the non-conflict-related version to the conflict-related version: males showed more frequent drops than females. There were more frequent gender differences for rates and scores on the conflict-related version than on the non-conflict-related version. Conclusion The use of non-conflict-related instructions is an opportunity not to limit the study of dating violence to behaviors occurring during a conflict or an argument. It allows a broader understanding of dating violence beyond any conflict-related instruction.

Background Child maltreatment disproportionately affects families experiencing poverty and structural discrimination, including African American (AA) families. The generosity of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) may reduce child maltreatment disparities. Objective Our aim is to understand TANF's impact on the mother's perpetration of child maltreatment and whether the effect differs across AA and White mothers. Participants and setting Participants are 2457 primary caregiving mothers participating in waves 3 (2001−2003), 4 (2003–2006), and 5 (2007–2010) of the U.S.-based Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing birth cohort study. Methods We use a difference-in-differences study design to estimate overall and race-specific effects of TANF policies on caregivers' self-report of child neglect and physical and psychological maltreatment measured by the Child-Parent Conflict Tactics Scale. State-level TANF policy exposures include the TANF-to-Poverty Ratio (TPR), maximum cash benefits, time limits, sanctions, diversion payments, and family caps. Results A $100 increase in TANF benefits was associated with a reduction of 1.8 reported physical abuse events (Beta = −1.80, 95% CI (−3.29, −0.31)). Imposing a time limit on TANF receipt was associated with an increase of 2.3 reported physical abuse events (Beta = 2.27, 95% CI (0.04, 4.50)). No significant differences were found for AA mothers versus White mothers. Conclusions and relevance Increasing TANF cash benefits should be prioritized to reduce poverty-related child maltreatment disparities. TANF time limits should be reconsidered.

This chapter features contributions, historical and contemporary, made by sociologists to the study of domestic violence and abuse. Historically, these include fielding the first studies uncovering the nature and extent of domestic violence in the United States, as well as the development of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) – the most widely used measure of physical domestic violence. We touch on the gender symmetry debate (the dispute over whether domestic violence is perpetrated at equal rates by men and women or is more likely to be perpetrated by men against women) and highlight the solution of one sociologist in proposing that there are different types of domestic violence which are tapped by different sampling strategies: situational couple violence and coercive controlling violence. At the contemporary level, the chapter focuses on sociology’s study of how norms (which are shared cultural expectations for behaviour) regarding gender and domestic violence are related to domestic violence, citing examples from around the world. We discuss how inequality, a primary area of study in sociology, conditions experiences with domestic violence. This discussion includes how exploiting inequalities related to gender, race, sexual orientation, and national origin facilitates the use of gaslighting as a type of abuse. We argue that sociology’s focus on how structural inequalities condition individual lived experiences lends itself to the intersectional approach developed by Black feminist scholars and activists, which helps us better understand and design effective prevention and intervention strategies to combat domestic violence across a broad range of identities.

Although the research interest in parenting behaviors of Chinese parents has increased during the past two decades, there remains a lack of an adequate and comprehensive Chinese assessment tool for these parenting behaviors in early childhood. Drawn from two samples of Chinese mothers with young children (i.e., 1- to 4-year-olds), this research addressed this gap by examining the factor structure, reliability, and validity of a Chinese version of the Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Questionnaire (CECPAQ-CV). Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 5-factor model, consisting of 13 micro-dimensions of parenting behaviors, best fitted the data for Sample 1 (N1 = 2179) compared with 1-factor, 2-factor, and 4-factor models. This 5-factor model was further validated with the data for Sample 2 (N2 = 160). Reliability was good. The criterion validity of the CECPAQ-CV was supported by expected relations with maternal parenting stress and child externalizing and internalizing behaviors. The convergent and discriminant validity of the CECPAQ-CV was established with the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale. The results indicate that the CECPAC-CV holds promise as a reliable and valid tool to measure important dimensions of early parenting in China.

This research on adults with a diagnosis of autism is a multidirectional and multistage analysis. It is aimed at reviewing the current knowledge about the disorder as well as taking optimal actions towards social inclusion for people with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder). The research and analysis was facilitated by selecting subjects who have sufficient communication and social skills to be able to participate in the study. The new DSM 5, which now has descriptors of CTS (Conflict Tactics Scale) degrees, was useful for this purpose. Data was gathered by means of personalized forms and methods, with in-depth netnographic (rather than face-to-face) interviews conducted. As no similar research using the netnographic method could be found, a pilot study was initiated, which was then gradually expanded to include a larger number of respondents. This research made it possible to record the views of people with ASD regarding autism and their functioning in society.

This article describes a new instrument that assesses adolescent dating abuse (ADA) victimization and perpetration. The Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA) is a comprehensive instrument that includes items on physical, sexual, and psychological ADA, as well as cyber dating abuse, social control, and invasion of privacy. Data for this study came from a population-based, nationally representative sample of adolescents ages 11 to 21 years old ( N = 1,257). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for the victimization and perpetration versions of the MARSHA, and convergent and divergent validity were assessed using the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI) and the juvenile victimization questionnaire (JVQ), respectively. Results suggest that the MARSHA has good reliability and validity, and that each subscale had good internal consistency. The authors propose that the MARSHA may be a strong alternative to the CADRI or the conflict tactics scale (CTS) because it reflects contemporary forms of abuse, such as online harassment and pressure to send nude selfies, and the nonconsensual dissemination of sexually explicit images.

The main purpose of the present study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Attitudes Scale Towards Violence (Escala de Actitudes hacia la Violencia, EAV) in adolescents. The EAV is a questionnaire devoted to assess attitudes towards violence. Additionally, the relationship between EAV and violence manifestations and depressive symptoms was analyzed. The final sample comprised a total of 1248 students in a cross-sectional survey. The EAV, the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale (M-CTS), and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS) were used. The analysis of the internal structure of the EAV yielded a two-factor structure as the most adequate. The EAV scores showed measurement invariance across gender and age. The McDonald&rsquo, s Omega was 0.862 and 0.872 for the two hypothesized factors. Furthermore, self-reported attitudes towards violence were associated with violence manifestations both as a victim and as a perpetrator and depressive symptoms. These results support that the EAV is a brief and easy tool to assess self-reported violence attitudes in intimate partner relationships in adolescents from the general population. The assessment of these attitudes, and its associations with violence and depressive manifestations, may help us to enhance the possibility of an early identification of adolescents potentially at risk for suffering violence as a victim or as a perpetrator.

Objectives Childhood adversity has been linked with later victimization of young and middle-aged adults, but few studies have shown persistence of this effect among elders, especially outside of North America. This research examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and elder abuse among older adults aged 60 years and over in Malaysia. Design Cross sectional data were collected via face-to-face interview from June to August 2019. Setting Eight government community health clinics in Kuala Pilah, a district in Negeri Sembilan state approximately 100km from Malaysian capital city Kuala Lumpur. Participants Older adults aged 60 years and above (N = 1984; Mean age 69.2, range 60–93 years) attending all eight government health clinics in the district were recruited for a face-to-face interview about health and well-being. Measurement The Adverse Childhood Experience International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) were utilized to estimate childhood adversity and elder abuse respectively. Results Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between the number of cumulative ACEs and elder abuse. Compared to older adults with no self-reported adversity, those reporting three ACEs (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.84,3.87) or four or more ACEs (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.16, 2.48) had higher risk of any elder abuse occurrence since age 60 years. The effect was most prominent for financial and psychological elder abuse. The associations persisted in multivariate logistic regression models after adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors. Conclusion Early life adversities were significantly associated with victimization of older adults. Social and emotional support to address elder abuse should recognize that, for some men and women, there is a possibility that vulnerability to maltreatment persisted throughout their life course.

Background The experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) is stressful. One objective way to monitor it is to assess victims’ stress response by measuring the concentration of their salivary cortisol, the major stress hormone released by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Objective We investigated how the IPV experienced by women in Cameroon affects their stress levels and those of their children. Method We recruited 50 mother–child dyads exposed to IPV and a control group of 25 mother–child dyads. All mothers completed questionnaires, including the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale to assess IPV, the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale, to assess their psychological resources. Mothers were asked to collect 3 saliva samples from themselves and 3 from their children on a single weekday: immediately after waking up, 30 minutes after waking up, and 45 minutes after waking up. The total cortisol secretion over the first hour after awakening was determined by calculating the area under the curve with respect to the ground (AUCg). Results Mothers exposed to IPV exhibited higher total post-awakening cortisol concentrations compared with those in the control group. However, no significant difference was found between exposed and non-exposed children. In addition, higher IPV, specifically injuries, was significantly and positively associated with greater AUCg among mothers exhibiting lower self-esteem. When self-esteem was high, however, no significant effect of IPV on AUCg was observed. Conclusions Of particular clinical significance is that self-esteem can modulate the stress levels of women exposed to IPV, a valuable insight into the development of effective psychosocial interventions to support IPV victims in sub-Saharan Africa., HIGHLIGHTS Victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience extreme stress through elevated cortisol levels. Our results showed that higher cortisol levels was associated with lower self-esteem and a lower sense of coherence, thus implying that self-esteem may serve as a moderator.

ObjectiveTo determine the association of prenatal exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) with birth weight as a continuous variable among term births in a Nigerian population.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingMother–child pairs recruited when their newborns were brought for BCG or other vaccines shortly after birth at the Child Welfare Clinic of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, Nigeria.Participants293 women with term birth infants.Main exposure and outcome measuresEmotional, physical and sexual IPV were measured postnatally by interview using the Conflict Tactics Scale. Birth weight in grams was the main outcome measure. Linear regression, with adjustment for covariates, was used to estimate associations between birth weight and exposure to the presence, and frequency, of IPV.ResultsSixty-seven per cent of mothers experienced at least one of the three forms of IPV during pregnancy. Relative to the 33% of women with no prenatal exposure to any form of IPV, we observed a reduction in birth weight of 94 g (95% CI: −202 to 15) for prenatal exposure to emotional IPV, 162 g (95% CI −267 to −58) for physical IPV and 139 g (95% CI −248 to −30) for sexual IPV. The combination of all three forms of IPV was associated with a 223 g reduction in birth weight (95% CI −368 to −77). Increasing occurrences of each of the three types of IPV were associated with greater reductions in birth weight. For physical IPV, relative to no exposure to any form of IPV, birth weight was lower by 112 g (95% CI −219 to −4) with 1–5 instances and 380 g (95% CI −553 to −206) for >5 instances over the pregnancy.ConclusionsMaternal exposure to IPV was associated with shifting of the birth weight distribution among term newborns. A dose–response relationship was observed between frequency of IPV and birth weight.

Background: Domestic violence is considered as one of the most common social problems, which can affect the quality of life of women. The problem of preventing and controlling this problem, especially during pregnancy, is one of the basic challenges of health systems. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of counseling based on conflict solution on the rate of violence and quality of life of pregnant women at risk of domestic violence. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial on 90 pregnant women, who were selected from maternity wards in health center number three in Zanjan city. Women who had inclusion criteria based on the domestic violence conflict tactics scale (CTS-2) selected using convenience sampling and randomly divided into two groups of intervention (45 people) and control (45 people) with a blocked randomization method. The intervention group received six counseling sessions with a solution-focused approach and the control group received no intervention. Study tool included demographic and reproductive questionnaires CTS- 2 and short form health survey (SF-36); which completed at baseline and six weeks follow-up in both groups. The results were analyzed by nonparametric ANCOVA using SPSS and R soft wares.Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the physical violence (P=0.001), psychological violence (P=0.001), and sexual violence (P=0.001) in the intervention group compared to the control group at six weeks follow- up. There were significant improvements in negotiation scores in the intervention group (P˂0.001). Moreover, there were significant differences in the quality of life scores (P=0.001), vitality (p=0.003), psychological health (p=0.004), bodily pain (p=0.014), physical functioning (p=0.023), and social functioning (p=0.019) between the two groups at the follow- up period.Conclusion: According to the result, individual counseling based on a solution-based approach reduces the amount of domestic violence and increases the quality of life of pregnant women at risk of violence.Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT2017040628352N4. Date of registration: August 20th 2017.

The purpose of this study was to (a) explore the prevalence of, and gender differences in, self-reported physical, sexual, and psychological violence perpetration in dating relationships (i.e., not married or engaged), (b) evaluate the factorial validity of the Power Perceptions and Power Satisfaction Questionnaire in dating relationships, and (c) document the mediating role of power satisfaction in the associations between power perception and physical, sexual, and psychological dating violence perpetration. College students ( N = 812) completed the Power Perceptions and Power Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Psychological Aggression, Physical Assault, and Sexual Coercion subscales of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. Gender differences emerged in the prevalence of physical (43.0% for women and 35.0% for men) and sexual violence (25.0% for women and 41.8% for men) but not psychological violence (80.1% for women and 75.5% for men). Exploratory factor and parallel analyses yielded two subscales of power perceptions and power satisfaction, which explained 40.56% of the variance. Mediation analyses revealed that college students who perceived lower relationship power were more dissatisfied with that relationship power and, in turn, perpetrated more physical, sexual, and psychological violence against their partners. The mediation effects were evident in both women and men. The implications of the current findings for future research and mental health professionals at colleges are outlined.

Background Children who grow in settings where parenting is harsh tend to develop a response tendency that may give rise to a chronic pro-inflammatory state. Thus, we aimed to identify if experiencing abuse triggers an increase in the child high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in a population birth cohort, Generation XXI. Methods At cohort participants age of 7 years, information on parents’ disciplinary practices was collected by trained interviewers using the Conflict Tactics Scale Parent-Child version. Venous blood samples were obtained after overnight fast and hs-CRP was quantified. Results Of 4175 participants, 44.0% of children reported low frequency of physical violence, 50.1% reported frequent but not severe physical violence, 5.3% reported frequent and severe physical violence, and 0.6% children reported parental extreme physical violence. Higher levels of hs-CRP were observed among children who reported the highest grade of violence severity (58.3%). After adjustment for child's sex, age and parental education, the increasing grade of violence severity increased the odds of higher hs-CRP levels. Limitations No significant increase in the levels of hs-CRP was found in children exposed to less severe violence. However that does not mean that those forms of violence have no impact on health in the long-term period. Also, the cross-sectional nature of the study prevents us from concluding the directionality of the effects, although we provided theoretical arguments for the proposed pathway. Conclusions Children physically abused by their parent(s) present heightened inflammation levels. Thus, our results show that stressful events may impact inflammatory processes even at very early ages. This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education under the projects “BioAdversity: How childhood social adversity shapes health: The biology of social adversity” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016838; Reference FCT info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/9471 - RIDTI/PTDC/DTP-EPI/1687/2014/PT), “HIneC: When do health inequalities start? Understanding the impact of childhood social adversity on health trajectories from birth to early adolescence” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029567; Reference: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/9471 - RIDTI/info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/9471 - RIDTI/PTDC/SAU-PUB/29567/2017/PT017/PT). It is also supported by the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (Reference info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB/04750/2020/PT), Administração Regional de Saúde Norte (Regional Department of Ministry of Health) and Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; PhD Grant info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/POR_NORTE/SFRH/BD/108742/2015/PT (to SS) co-funded by FCT and the Human Capital Operational Programme (POCH/FSE Program); FCT Investigator contracts info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/CEEC IND 2017/CEECIND/01516/2017/CP1406/CT0001/PT (to SF) and info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/Investigador FCT/IF/01060/2015/CP1319/CT0001/PT (to ACS).

Relationship continuity and social learning theories provide support for parent-to-child aggression as one potential explanatory factor for dating abuse (DA); however, empirical results are mixed across studies as to the strength of this association. This meta-analysis sought to estimate the overall size of this effect among adolescent and young adult samples and investigate potential moderating factors including sample and measurement variables. Records were identified using a computerized search of databases with several keywords. Peer-reviewed journal articles and dissertations were included if they measured both parent-to-child aggression and DA perpetration and/or victimization among adolescents (aged 12–18) or young adults (aged 18–29). Sixty-six records met inclusion criteria, yielding 370 unique effect sizes for the relation between parent-to-child aggression and DA across 94 unique samples. As hypothesized, there was a small-to-medium effect size between parent-to-child aggression and subsequent DA during both adolescence and young adulthood. The strength of these findings was consistent across DA outcome (perpetration and victimization) and both physical and psychological forms, youth and parent gender, and youth age. Stronger associations were found when the gender of the parental aggressor was undefined compared to either a defined paternal or maternal aggressor. Records using the Conflict Tactics Scale to measure both parent-to-child aggression and DA yielded stronger associations compared to sources that used different measures, but single informant versus multiple informants did not yield any differences.

Background Violence in close relationships is a global public health problem and there is a need to implement therapeutic programs designed to help individuals who voluntarily seek help to reduce recurrent intimate partner violence. The effectiveness of such interventions in this population remains inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural group therapy (CBGT) vs mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group therapy in reducing violent behavior amongst individuals who are violent in intimate partnerships and who voluntarily seek help. Methods One hundred forty four participants were randomized using an internet-based computer system. Nineteen withdrew after randomization and 125 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention condition (CBGT, n = 67) or the comparator condition (MBSR, n = 58). The intervention condition involved two individual sessions followed by 15 cognitive-behavioural group therapy sessions. The comparator condition included one individual session before and after 8 mindfulness-based group sessions. Participants (N = 125) and their relationship partners (n = 56) completed assessments at baseline, and at three, six, nine and twelve months’ follow-up. The pre-defined primary outcome was reported physical, psychological or sexual violence and physical injury as measured by the revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). Results The intent-to-treat analyses were based on 125 male participants (intervention group n = 67; comparator group n = 58). Fifty-six female partners provided collateral information. Baseline risk estimate in the CBGT-group was .85 (.74–.92), and .88 (.76–.94) in the MBSR-group for physical violence. At 12-months’ follow-up a substantial reduction was found in both groups (CBGT: .08 (.03–.18); MBSR: .19 (.11–.32)). Conclusion Results provide support for the efficacy of both the cognitive-behavioural group therapy and the mindfulness-based stress reduction group therapy in reducing intimate partner violent behavior in men voluntarily seeking treatment. Trial registration NCT01653860, registered July 2012.

Child maltreatment is an international public health problem. The aftermath can appear in multiple aspects of individual health and development, including decreased physical and emotional function, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide attempts. However, there is lack of evidence regarding the quality of life of maltreated children. This study aims to examine the association between children’s maltreatment experience and their quality of life. This study employed a cross-sectional design and surveyed 1,093 primary school children (including migrant children and nonmigrant children) in Shanghai, China. The Parent–Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC) and Pediatrics Quality of Life Inventory were used to measure children’s experiences of child maltreatment and their quality of life. Corporal punishment (89.47%) was the most prevalent form of child maltreatment, followed by physical assault (80.21%), psychological abuse (65.00%), and neglect (52.26%). Children’s migration status was not associated with their quality of life; however, social capital factors were all associated with increased levels of quality of life. Children’s victimization experience, including severe to very severe physical assault (β = −3.34/−3.80, p < .001), psychological assault (β = −3.74, p < .001), corporal punishment (β = −2.46, p < .01), and neglect (β = −4.31, p < .001), was associated with their decreased quality of life. The results show that child maltreatment threatens the quality of life of children. There is a need for developing effective interventions to prevent child maltreatment and reduce the adverse outcomes among children with maltreatment experiences.

Abstract Aims Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important risk factor for perinatal depression (PND). But IPV's impact on the natural prognosis of PND symptoms is not well understood. We tested two hypotheses: (1) pregnant women with IPV experiences will exhibit more severe PND symptoms than women without IPV experience; (2) IPV experience will impede the recovery prognosis of PND. We also explored the contribution of IPV to PND comparing with other risk factors. Method The sample is comprised of 813 pregnant women followed through perinatal period in Hunan, China. We assessed IPV experience using items from the Short Form of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2S), and PND symptoms via the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPSD). We conducted Linear Mixed-effects Model to compare the trajectories of PND symptoms between victims and non-victims and a multistage Generalised Estimating Equations Model to explore salient factors on the trajectory of PND symptoms. Results There were 90 participants (11.07%) who reported IPV experience in the past 12 months. With respect to physical, psychological and sexual violence, the prevalence was 4.55% (37/813), 9.23% (75/813) and 2.34% (19/813). Victims reported more severe PND symptoms (t = 5.30, p < 0.01) and slower decreasing slope of trajectories (t = 28.89, p < 0.01). The PND trajectory was associated with IPV experience (OR = 3.78; 95% CI 1.39–10.26), social support (OR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.88–0.97), positive coping strategies (OR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.80–0.91), negative coping strategies (OR = 1.25; 95% CI 1.14–1.37) and monthly income of $0.15–$298.36 (compared to no income, OR = 0.0075; 95% CI 0.00052–0.11). Conclusions The findings suggest the reported prevalence of IPV is lower in Hunan than most of the previous studies during perinatal period in other provinces of China, and IPV victimisation is associated with increased severity and slowed prognosis of PND symptoms. Future studies that screen for victimisation and establish its explicit mechanism to the poorer prognosis of PND symptoms would benefit the prevention and treatment of PND.

This chapter examines IPV research based on community samples of adults as well as studies of college students and adolescents, and sexual minorities. Much of this research utilizes the Conflict Tactics Scale to measure intimate partner violence (IPV). The CTS measures how often people use various forms of physical aggression toward their partners. Much reported IPV has been found to consist of relatively mild forms of “violence.” These studies consistently indicate the women as well as men use all forms of IPV, as do sexual minorities. Although studies based on CTS-like measures often report that women are more likely than men to perpetrate IPV, newer studies focusing on more serious violence do indicate that men are more often perpetrators, and the women are more often victimized by IPV. Samples drawn from general populations systematically indicate that the majority of couples use no physical violence at all. Rates of psychological or emotional aggression are higher than those for physical IPV, although both forms of IPV are correlated. Reasons for violence include anger and jealousy for both men and women. Being intoxicated from alcohol or drugs is another commonly identified motive. Research on the impact of IPV on victims indicates that IPV can be associated with a large variety of physical and mental health problems.

Chapter 2 focusses on the dominant methodologies for producing knowledge about intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA), before offering a discussion and justification of the innovative methodology adopted for the mixed-methods Coral Project research. We argue that it is necessary to trouble, or queer, both the reproduction of simplistic binaries of male/female and victim/perpetrator and the invisibility of LGB and/or T+ people in the mainstream heteronormative, cisnormative IPVA literature. In particular, we critique the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) and emphasise the importance of capturing the contexts in which violence and ‘abusive’ behaviours are experienced and used. We demonstrate how our Coral Project methodology, which employed both an LGB and/or T+ population survey and follow-up qualitative interviews, sought to overcome some of the limitations of existing approaches. We explain the approach that we took to recruit as diverse a sample as we could, as well as the ethical and safety considerations that this research necessitated. Paving the way for the analysis which follows, we illustrate how the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data can trouble simplistic readings of quantitative data.

Objective: In Chile, between 7 and 24% of young people claim to be victims of physical violence in their romantic relationships, but there is a lack of validated questionnaires to measure these behaviors and research in this area is still limited. Due to this fact, adapting and validating the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS; Straus, 1979 ; Straus et al., 1996 ) with multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in this paper; afterword, it aims to analyze the violence involvement within the young couples (dating violence) in Chile, and its association with the perceived quality of the relationship. Method: 1283 university students participated (69.1% women; 30.9% men; mean age = 21.94; s.d. = 1.871). Results: A bi-factorial model of the CTS (moderate vs severe behaviors) with sex invariance among the youth population in Chile was confirmed. Between 15 and 25% of involvement in moderate violence was pointed out; these behaviors have high percentages of reciprocity and are occasional. The negative quality variables such as imbalance of power or conflicts are related to higher rates of involvement in violence, but not the positive quality variables such as communication. Conclusions: this paper represents a novel contribution for Dating Violence analysis in the Latin American context; it establishes a validated and invariance measure for analyzing Dating Violence with Chilean youth population, and pointed out high rates of involvement on this violent behaviors. Its value for the development of precautionary policies and suitable intervention has to be considered.

Marital violence is a worldwide issue that affects several economic, racial and ethnic groups. Assuming that the marital violence dynamics is interactive, this study aims to identify the predicting variables of the phenomenon, through the perspective of the Theory of Schemas by Jeffrey Young. This way, the importance of experiences within the family of origin as well as the Early Maladaptive Schemas predicting marital physical violence between men and women were investigated. There was a sample made up of 181 men and 181 women and the instruments applied for data collection were: Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S3) and Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). The analysis of the results was carried out through multiple regression analysis with the stepwise methodology. The results show that the defectiveness/shame schema in both men and women and the mistrust/abuse schema in men are predicting variables of the violence committed against the spouse. A longer adjustment in mothers was considered the protective variable of violent behaviors among women. Regarding the victimization of the violence, the defectiveness/shame schema in both men and women and the Mistrust/Abuse schema in men are predicting variables of the violence suffered in the intimate relationships. More functionality in the decision-making styles of mothers was identified as a violencevictimization protector among women. The outcome of this study amplifies the discussion on the variables which can identify the marital violence phenomenon, consolidating the importance of the Early Maladaptive Schemas in the marital violence. A violência conjugal é uma problemática mundial que abrange diferentes classes econômicas, raças e etnias. Partindo-se do pressuposto de que a dinâmica conjugal violenta é um fenômeno complexo e interacional, o presente estudo se propõe a identificar variáveis preditoras do fenômeno, utilizando a perspectiva da Teoria dos Esquemas de Jeffrey Young. Sendo assim, foi investigado o poder das experiências na família de origem e dos Esquemas Iniciais Desadaptativos como preditores da violência física cometida e sofrida na relação conjugal conforme o sexo. A amostra foi constituída por 181 homens e 181 mulheres e os instrumentos utilizados para a coleta de dados foram: Young Schema Quetionnaire (YSQ-S3), e Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). A análise dos resultados foi realizada através de análise de regressão múltipla com método stepwise. Os resultados indicaram que o esquema de defectividade/vergonha das mulheres e dos homens e o esquema de desconfiança/abuso dos homens são variáveis preditoras da violência física cometida contra o cônjuge. O maior ajustamento materno foi considerado a variável protetiva de comportamentos violentos cometidos pelas mulheres. Em relação à vitimização da violência, os esquemas de desconfiança/abuso das mulheres e dos homens, assim como o esquema de defectividade/vergonha dos homens foram identificados como preditores de violência física sofrida nos relacionamentos íntimos. A maior funcionalidade do estilo de decisão materno foi identificada como protetor de vitimização de violência para as mulheres. Os achados ampliam a discussão sobre as variáveis que podem explicar o fenômeno da violência conjugal, consolidando a importância da avaliação dos Esquemas Iniciais Desadaptativos em situação de violência conjugal. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

We give a short overview of feminist perspectives on the use of evidence in policy making, covering both empirical and conceptual work. We present the case of the Conflict Tactics Scale, a measure of interpersonal violence that is both widely used and heavily criticised in work on violence between intimate partners. We examine this case to illustrate the way that feminist advocacy and research organisations use gender informed theory to counter positivist narratives about intimate partner violence. In doing so, we show that the evidence-based policy approach, even when considered as principle or ideal, frames the policy-making process as “objective”, and in doing so ignores the gendered contexts in which knowledge is produced, used and translated into policy and implementation. By examining feminist approaches to this case study, we can learn from feminist advocate researchers the importance of context, normative arguments and the politicisation of evidence in policymaking and implementation.

Objective We investigated the prevalence and risk factors of physically abusive behaviors (PhAB) and psychologically abusive behaviors (PsAB) towards people with dementia (PWD) in family caregivers, and compared their prevalences between East Asian and Western countries. Methods We estimated the prevalence and risk factors of PhAB and PsAB in 467 Korean pairs of community-dwelling PWD and their primary family caregivers. We evaluated abusive behaviors using the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale. In addition, we compared the prevalence of abusive behaviors between Asian and Western countries through a meta-analysis on 12 studies including the current one. Results More than a half of the caregivers reported PsAB and about one out of seven caregivers admitted PhAB within past three months. PsAB and PhAB were slightly more prevalent in East Asian countries than in Western countries. Non-Alzheimer type and moderate to severe behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia were associated with the risk of PhAB but not with the risk of PsAB. Severe care burden and low income were associated with the risk of PhAB and PsAB. Conclusion PhAB and PsAB were as prevalent in the family caregivers of PWD in Asian countries including Korea as in Western countries. Prevention strategies should be implemented according to the type of abusive behaviors.

Background Potentially harmful behaviour (PHB) by caregivers is detrimental to the physical and psychological well-being of care recipients. In Japan, few studies have investigated caregivers' PHB towards dementia patients. This study examined PHB in family caregivers of dementia patients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and identified factors related to PHB. Methods Following primary consultations at an elderly psychiatric patient department, we enrolled 133 pairs of dementia patients and their family caregivers. We assessed PHB using the Japanese version of the modified Conflict Tactics Scale. We defined the presence of PHB as two or more points (PHB frequency of 'sometimes' or more) on at least one indicator of the modified Conflict Tactics Scale. We investigated the prevalence of PHB in relation to the clinical characteristics of the patients and their family caregivers. We evaluated BPSD using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and caregiver burden using the eight-item Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. Results Of the family caregivers, 48.9% showed PHB. Multivariate analysis identified the following association with PHB: caregiver's Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview total score (odds ratio [OR], 1.09 per unit increase; 95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.02-1.16), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory scores for patient irritability (OR, 1.22 per unit increase; 95%CI, 1.06-1.40), appetite/eating disorders (OR, 1.41 per unit increase; 95%CI = 1.08-1.84) and daughters-in-law caregivers (OR, 0.17, 95%CI, 0.05-0.57). Conclusions Specific BPSD symptoms could contribute to the expression of PHB. In addition to decreasing caregiver burden, more intensive treatment and care strategies are required to manage individual symptoms.

In rural South Africa, pregnant HIV-infected women report high rates of psychological (55%) and physical (20%) intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV increases the risk of infant developmental delays. Such delays may have negative socioemotional and cognitive outcomes throughout the lifespan. This paper assesses the relationship between IPV and infant development in rural South Africa. The present investigation was a cross-sectional add-on follow-up designed retrospectively. A randomly selected sub-sample of mothers from the main randomized controlled trial (n = 72) were asked to participate with their infants at 12 months of age; all women invited agreed to participate. Women were 18.35 ± 5.47 weeks pregnant; demographics, HIV disclosure status, and pre- and postnatal IPV measured via the Conflict Tactics Scale during pregnancy at baseline and 12 months post-partum were assessed. Infant HIV serostatus and developmental functioning at 12 months of age were assessed. Women were a mean age of 29 ± 2 years. One third had completed at least 12 years of education and had a monthly income of ~ US$76. At 12 months post-partum, 6% of infants tested HIV seropositive. Postnatal physical IPV was associated with delays in cognitive and receptive language development p < 0.05, but only in unadjusted analyses. This study identified an association between early IPV exposure and infant cognitive and receptive communication delays. Given the small sample size, findings support replication. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm temporal order and identify appropriate timing for interventions in HIV-exposed infants.

Recent studies have shown that couples’ reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) are not necessarily consistent. This study investigated the associations between patterns of partner victimization and perpetration reports and health and perceived wellbeing. Using household survey data from a probabilistic urban sample of adults aged 25 to 50 years and their partners, we identified 1,467 heterosexual pairs who completed the modified Japanese version of the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 Short Form. We classified responses into four categories: congruent report of no IPV, incongruent respondent victimization report, incongruent partner perpetration report, and congruent report of IPV. We used analysis of covariance to compare physical and mental health (measured by the SF-8 Health Survey Questionnaire) and life satisfaction among the four groups. The results showed that 22.4% of respondents were involved in IPV, and approximately 75% of them had incongruent reports. Compared with congruent reports of no IPV, respondents with an incongruent victimization report and an incongruent partner perpetration report scored significantly lower on physical health (−0.96, p = .03 and −1.16, p = .04, respectively). Those with an incongruent victimization report and congruent report of IPV had lower mental health scores (−2.32, p = .00 and −2.21, p = .00, respectively) and lower life satisfaction (−0.32, p = .00 and −0.21, p = .01, respectively). The results indicated that the respondent’s victimization report was associated with worse mental health regardless of their partner’s perpetration report, and physical health was worse only in cases with incongruent reports. Cases with a partner perpetration report but no respondent victimization report showed worse physical health but no negative effects on mental health and perceived wellbeing. These results indicate that research and practice regarding IPV should consider both partners’ experiences of violence when assessing the impact of health and wellbeing on victims.

Child maltreatment (CM) is associated with negative outcomes for young children across several areas of functioning. Given limitations in measuring different types of CM using substantiated abuse reports, other assessments may be helpful to inform identification and intervention efforts, such as self-report measures. The Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC) is a parent-report measure that provides information regarding the presence and severity of parenting behaviors related to CM subtypes, including physical and psychological abuse. The current study examines the factor structure of the CTSPC as well as its convergent validity with a behavioral observation measure, the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS). Pre-treatment archival data for 110 parent-child dyads with a substantiated physical abuse incident who were court-mandated to receive treatment as part of a larger study were used. Results demonstrated that a four-factor model best described the structure of the CTSPC, contrary to the theoretically-proposed structure of the measure. Reports on the CTSPC scales were also associated with several parent behaviors measured by the DPICS. Possible areas of improvement for the scale were provided. The current study has implications for further psychometric development of the CTSPC as well as its future use as a measure of parenting behaviors related to abuse.

Many services and interventions focus on assisting separated families experiencing high conflict. Yet, little research has focussed on identifying and distinguishing levels of conflict. This research tested reliability and validity of an Index based on assessing 15 dimensions of conflict typical of high conflict in separation. Seventy-seven mothers and 47 fathers receiving services from family courts or social service agencies were assessed by two raters for inter-rater reliability. Internal consistency was high, with Cronbach's alpha = 0.94 (mothers) and 0.96 (fathers). Inter-rater reliability was high, with ICC = 0.85 (mothers) and 0.83 (fathers). Preliminary evidence of validity was found comparing scores on the index to scores on the Conflict Tactics Scale and the Ahron's Quality of Coparenting Communication Scale.

Objective: Although many scholars have questioned, on a logical basis, the validity of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) to adequately measure intimate partner violence (IPV), relatively few critiques have used extensive empirical data gathered specifically for this purpose. This research analyzed these types of data to investigate an important mechanism of potential validity problems, IPV misreporting, by adding context questions to determine whether participants endorsed (as if actual IPV) accidents or other acts that neither party took seriously. The objective was to determine not only the extent to which this form of overreporting occurs but also how males and females differed in misreporting patterns. Method: Students from 1 U.S. and 1 Australian university (Total N = 1,758) completed a computer-administered survey. Multilevel logistic regression subsequently assessed the degree to which several factors predicted whether participants overreported CTS items. Results: Of the 1,174 event endorsements, 22.1% were classified as overreports. Whether males or females were more prone to overreporting, however, differed across event type, sample, age, relationship status, perpetration versus victimization, and current versus former partnerships. There were statistically significant interactions between gender and many of these factors. Among the most important of the findings was that males were more likely to overreport victimizations by female partners, whereas females were more likely to overreport perpetrations against male partners. Conclusions: The magnitude and intricate gendered nature of the overreporting problem imply that overreporting is a substantial problem, having the potential to negatively affect scale validity and thus the testing of partner-violence theories.

In the present investigation we consider and explain an apparent paradox in the measurement of corporal punishment with the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-PC): How can it have poor internal consistency and still be reliable? The CTS-PC was administered to a community sample of 453 opposite sex couples who were parents of 3- to 7-year-old children. Internal consistency was marginal, yet item response theory analyses revealed that reliability rose sharply with increasing corporal punishment, exceeding .80 in the upper ranges of the construct. The results suggest that the CTS-PC Corporal Punishment subscale reliably discriminates among parents who report average to high corporal punishment (64% of mothers and 56% of fathers in the present sample), despite low overall internal consistency. These results have straightforward implications for the use and reporting of the scale. (PsycINFO Database Record

Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the first post¬partum year and its predictive factors in an urban area of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 398 women with a healthy infant aged 12 months were examined using revised Conflict Tactics Scale (the CTS2) to determine the prevalence of IPV. The data were collected at the public health centers in Tabriz (from October 2015 to April 2016). The predictors were determined using multivariate binary logistic regression. Results: More than half of the women (58%) reported experience of one or more instances of any form of IPV, namely, psychological, physical, sexual, and/or injury and one-third of them reported physical and/or sexual IPV in the first postpartum year. Reported prevalence of each form of IPV were as follows: psychological aggression (54%), physical assault (21%), sexual coercion (21%), and injury (13%). Predictor factors of overall IPV were: woman aged less than 30 years (adjusted odds ratio 2.0 [95% CI: 1.3 to 3.3]), unplanned pregnancy (1.6 [1.03 to 2.6]), husband disappointment about their baby’s gender [1.9 (1.1 to 3.2)], and inability to fully meet the husband’s sexual expectations (1.6 [1.03 to 2.4]). Conclusions: The IPV during postpartum is very common. Therefore, it is recommended to implement IPV screening programs and effective strategies for IPV prevention in the health care settings for newly delivered women emphasizing on the high risk for the women

Childhood Experiences of Adolescents in Boarding Schools. A Comparison with Adolescents in Residential Care and with the General Population Various studies indicate that students in boarding schools experience a lot of violence during their accommodation. However, it is not proved whether adolescents in boarding schools are also a burdensome group regarding early childhood experiences such as neglect and abuse. The aim of the study was to find out more about the experiences of adolescents in boarding schools and to determine whether there are differences between adolescents in residential care and between the general population. Furthermore, it should be examined whether boys and girls differ in their experiences. In the study, adolescents of boarding schools and of residential care all over Germany, starting at the age of 15 (n = 322), were asked regarding physical and emotional neglect/abuse, light/severe parent violence, negative/positive educational behavior of the parents. The results show that students in boarding schools were less likely to be affected by childhood maltreatment and more likely to have experienced positive parental behavior compared to children in residential care. Compared to the general population, students in boarding schools were more often and more severely affected by parental violence. Moreover, girls had experienced parental violence more often than boys. The results indicate that in boarding schools there is a need for support offers for adolescents with a history of violent experiences and that the risk group should be identified directly at the admission to the school.

Background: No nation is untouched by domestic violence, and it is well-known that domestic violence has serious impact on women's health and well-being. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of domestic violence and injuries owing to domestic violence among currently married women. Materials and Methods: This was a community-based, cross-sectional study conducted in the rural and urban areas of Haryana. In total, 880 currently married females of the reproductive age group were interviewed using the Women's Questionnaire (used in National Family Health Survey-3) which is according to the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale. Results: Totally, 37% of the females had ever experienced domestic violence and 28.9% currently experienced domestic violence. All types of violence (except sexual violence) were significantly more common in the rural area than the urban area. Injuries owing to domestic violence were reported by more than half (55.4%) of the women. Among spousal violence, emotional violence was the most common type of violence followed by physical violence. Only 0.1% and 4.5% of females had ever initiated physical and emotional violence respectively, against their husbands, and in rest of the cases, it was the husband who initiated violence. Conclusion: Awareness regarding domestic violence needs to be made, and law enforcement regarding it needs to be made stringent. Rehabilitation of victims of domestic/spousal violence should also be considered on priority.