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Objective: To study eight types of sexual assault among cisgender women, cisgender men and gender minority college students, estimating the prevalence of perpetration by persons of particular gender identities. Participants and Methods: 13,685 sexual assault survivors were surveyed. For each type of sexual assault victimization experienced by cisgender women, cisgender men and gender minorities, prevalence estimates assessed the extent of perpetration by persons of each gender identity. Results: Cisgender men were the most prevalent perpetrators of all types of sexual assault against cisgender women and gender minorities. Cisgender women were the most prevalent perpetrators of five types of sexual assault against cisgender men, with cisgender women and cisgender men being similarly likely to perpetrate three types of sexual assault against cisgender men. Conclusions: Cisgender men perpetrate most sexual assaults against cisgender women and gender minority students; cisgender women and cisgender men perpetrate most sexual assaults against cisgender men students.

Co-located models to address intimate partner violence and sexual violence, such as Family Justice Centers (FJC) and Multi-Agency Model Centers (MAMC), have emerged as promising practices to meet the needs of survivors. Although implementation of FJCs and MAMCs is widespread and supported by a recent increase in funding, little is known about the effectiveness of these models. This systematic review synthesizes and critically analyzes the peer-reviewed and grey literature focused on evaluating FJCs and MAMCs in the United States. A systematic search of terms pertaining to intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and co-located models was conducted using 11 computerized article databases and 15 center and organization websites. Thirteen studies were included in the final sample, most of which were government or agency-initiated reports. Over half of the studies were process evaluations and four were outcome evaluations. Of the outcome evaluations, none included a comparison group and two used a longitudinal design. Overall, the studies largely focused on organizational outcomes as opposed to survivor outcomes. Despite the lack of information pertaining to survivor outcomes, study findings indicated a high degree of provider and survivor satisfaction with co-located models. Although the research on co-located models - such as FJCs and MAMCs - is growing, evidence about the models' impact on survivor outcomes related to safety and well-being is inconclusive. Using methodologically rigorous approaches to evaluation design and data analysis, future research should focus on exploring the relationship between coordination, collaboration, and survivor outcomes., Author(s): Cynthia Fraga Rizo [sup.1] , Tonya Van Deinse [sup.1] , Sophia Durant [sup.1] , Quinny Sanchez Lopez [sup.1] , Alina Mason [sup.1] , Patrick Ryan [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) [...]

Using a statewide survey, this exploratory, cross-sectional study examined 78 domestic violence (DV) service organizations' service delivery practices and perceived challenges to serving Latinx survivors in the context of rurality. Findings showed that DV organizations in rural areas perceived more challenges to delivering culturally appropriate services for Latinx survivors compared to those in other geographic settings even after accounting for client characteristics, service provision characteristics, and community resources. The study finding offers critical insights to ensure and enhance the provision of linguistically and culturally accessible services for rural Latinx survivors of intimate partner violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is an urgent public health concern. Given the dire consequences for exploited youth, growing attention has been focused on the importance of preventing, identifying, and responding to CSEC in school settings. Despite calls for schools to be prepared to identify and respond to CSEC, limited specific guidance is available to prepare and inform school personnel about how to recognize and address CSEC. In this article, we will describe a sample protocol that delineates how schools can respond to CSEC concerns, identifications, and disclosures. Our protocol was created as part of a larger project to develop CSEC awareness and response materials to be used within middle and high schools. It is our intention that this sample protocol will stimulate additional practice, policy, and research attention on how to effectively recognize and address CSEC in schools.

Purpose: A growing subpopulation of intimate partner violence (IPV) victims comprises mothers who have been mandated to services by either the court system or child protective services (CPS). Two human service agencies in the United States developed a 13-week novel intervention to address these women. All participants were assigned to the intervention, which featured group psychoeducation sessions, social events, and childcare. Method: This quasi-experimental study gathered preliminary evidence regarding whether the intervention promoted participants' (N = 70) parenting practices. Specifically, growth curve analyses using hierarchical linear modeling examined outcomes at completion (3 months) and follow-up (6 months). Results: Participants reported statistically significant improvements on key parenting practices at both postintervention time points. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for engaging court- and CPS-involved female IPV survivors in specialized, group-based interventions such as that investigated herein. Future research should investigate similar programs using larger samples and more robust designs.

Children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) can experience negative social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes. A growing body of research has examined the relationship between intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and IPV exposure. We systematically reviewed the literature for research exploring this relationship and found a limited number of studies meeting inclusion criteria (N = 11). Over half (64%) identified a significant relationship between IPV and IDD, although the cross-sectional methodologies of the majority of studies (82%) prevented the ability to ascertain directionality. Further, the studies defined and measured IPV and IDD in various ways. Some studies were limited by poor external validity and small sample sizes. More research is needed to understand the intersection between IPV exposure and IDD.

Each year, millions of children in the United States are exposed to intimate partner violence. Although the body of research on these children and factors that enhance their resiliency is growing, little is known about children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have also been exposed to intimate partner violence. This knowledge gap is notable given the prevalence of intellectual and development disabilities among children, as well as the numerous challenges facing these children and their families (e.g., medical and behavioral challenges, parenting stress, and financial burden). Informed by prior research and our practice experience, this commentary highlights information for service providers working with families experiencing both intimate partner violence and intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to providing an overview of children's exposure to intimate partner violence and an overview of intellectual and developmental disabilities, the commentary summarizes the limited research exploring the intersection between these two issues and offers recommendations for enhancing research and practice. Recommendations center on the importance of training, wrap-around and tailored services, community partnerships, and intervention research focused on survivors and their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities., Author(s): Cynthia Fraga Rizo [sup.1], Irang Kim [sup.2], Sarah Dababnah [sup.2], Nicole Garbarino [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.10698.36, 0000000122483208, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, [...]

Although there has been increased attention to campus sexual and relationship violence (SRV) because of Title IX and the #MeToo movement, much of that attention has focused on victimization of cisgender heterosexual women. This scoping review uncovers information from empirical studies on what is known about LGBTQ+ (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and nonbinary) students' experiences of campus SRV. Using rigorous scoping review methods (i.e., searches of 15 databases, searches of expert websites, hand searching, reference harvesting, and forward citation chaining), we identified 60 documents published since 2000 that contained findings from empirical studies related to LGBTQ+ students and SRV on U.S. college and university campuses. Through content analysis, we summarized findings around five key themes: (1) extent and types of victimization, (2) negative outcomes, (3) knowledge of and attitudes about SRV, (4) perspectives on SRV services and prevention education programs, and (5) recommendations from study authors based on their findings. Implications for research, practice, and policy based on these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service providers are increasingly asked to identify individuals who are experiencing trafficking and to connect them with resources and support. Nonetheless, identification is complicated by the reality that those who are experiencing trafficking may rarely self-identify, and providers may fail to identify individuals who are experiencing trafficking due to lack of guidance on how to screen for trafficking capably and sensitively. With the aim of guiding practice, we undertook a scoping review to search for and synthesize trafficking screening tools and response protocols. Following the PRISMA extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), we located 22 screening tools contained in 26 sources. We included any documents that described or tested human trafficking screening tools, screening or identification protocols, response protocols, or guidelines that were published in any year. All documents were abstracted using a standardized form. Key findings showed that most tools were developed by practice-based and non-governmental organizations located in the U.S. and were administered in the U.S. Few screening tools have been rigorously evaluated. The common types of screening questions and prompts included (a) work conditions; (b) living conditions; (c) physical health; (d) travel, immigration, and movement; (e) appearance and presentation; (f) mental health, trauma, and substance abuse; (g) associations and possessions; and (h) arrests and prior involvement with law enforcement. We were not able to locate specific response protocols that provided step-by-step guidance. Nonetheless, the review revealed available practice-based and research-based evidence to help inform guidance concerning how screening and identification of human trafficking may be administered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports findings of a mixed-methods study exploring the role that substances play in the lives of service-mandated female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). The study sample consists of 22 women who had completed a court- and/or child protective services (CPS)-mandated IPV parenting program. Quantitative results reveal moderate levels of current substance use and higher levels of past substance use. Qualitative analyses yield three key areas of participants' perspectives of substances and violence: (a) role of participants' substance use, including coping and partner influence; (b) role of partner's substance use, including severity and substance preferences; and (c) relationship between substance use and IPV, including effects on safety and IPV frequency and severity. We find victimization is a function of a partner's-rather than a victim's-substance use. Future programming should focus on the overlapping risk factors between substance use and IPV., Author(s): Jennifer E. O'Brien[sup.1] , Dania Ermentrout[sup.1] , Cynthia Fraga Rizo[sup.1] , Wen Li[sup.1] , Rebecca J. Macy[sup.1] , Sarah Dababnah[sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) School of Social Work, University of [...]

Domestic violence (DV) is a significant concern within China. Currently, there are few standardized measurement tools to gauge Chinese stakeholders’ perceptions and beliefs concerning DV. This research sought to validate tools to be used with such stakeholders. Factor analyses were utilized on cross-sectional, survey data from a purposive sample of 683 Chinese DV professionals working in four institutions in Guangdong. Analyses developed three scales for measuring DV Definitions, DV Attitudes, and DV Policing. The development of these scales is beneficial to advance the already growing research related to DV in China in ways that are relevant to the Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence (DV) represents a significant public health concern in the United States, including among Latinx populations. Despite the negative consequences associated with experiencing DV, research has shown that Latinx DV survivors may be less likely than others to utilize important services. One potential barrier is cultural competence (CC) in the provision of services specific to Latinx survivors among DV organizations. Thus, a beneficial addition to the field of DV service provision for such survivors is a better understanding and measurement of CC for this unique population. The exploratory, cross-sectional study herein presents the development and evaluation of a novel instrument for measuring the CC of DV organizations. Exploratory factor analysis was used on a purposive sample of 76 organizations in North Carolina who completed a comprehensive survey on their characteristics, practices, norms, and values. Psychometric results found best support for a 29-item, 4-factor bifactor model with both a general CC factor as well as three sub-factors. The general scale was named "General Cultural Competence," while the three sub-scales were named "Organizational Values and Procedures," "Latinx Knowledge and Inclusion," and "Latinx DV Knowledge." The final measure also demonstrated convergent validity with key organizational characteristics. Overall, higher CC scores were associated with organizations having more DV services in Spanish, a higher percentage of staff attending CC training, a higher percentage of staff attending Latinx service provision training, and a medium or greater presence in the Latinx community, and a moderate or stronger relationship with the Latinx community. The development of this measure is particularly useful in addressing knowledge gaps regarding the measurement of CC for Latinx DV services. Implications have importance for both the measurement of organizational CC and the scope of the measure's associations with organizational, provider, and client outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging vulnerable populations in research is a critical focus for researchers seeking to find ways to improve safety and well-being for broader populations. Vulnerabilities often co-occur, meaning that individuals may experience vulnerabilities in multiple facets of their life (e.g., victim of abuse and mental health diagnoses). Unfortunately, many vulnerable populations remain underinvestigated due to difficulty reaching, engaging, and safely including such populations in research. While most researchers assert the importance of including vulnerable populations in research, few actively and successfully recruit them. Many vulnerable populations are understandably weary of research participation. Victims and survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) are one such vulnerable population, in that identification may incur substantial risk for DMST victim's physical safety and well-being. In addition, DMST victims and survivors often experience co-occurring vulnerabilities including substance use, histories of abuse, delinquency, and poor mental health. Accordingly, they are notoriously difficult to recruit for research participation. The current paper uses a detailed case example to describe the recruitment and retention strategies used by one researcher to promote DMST survivor research participation. A candid account of challenges, successes, and lessons learned is offered in service of building methodological techniques for recruitment that both honor participant experiences while championing methodological rigor. Findings detail the importance of trust and a trauma-informed approach to qualitative data collection and analysis. Authors include specific strategies to promote comfort and candor amid traumatic response in ways that may empower research participants. A detailed discussion of how such strategies may be adapted for vulnerable populations beyond DMST victims and survivors is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study eight types of sexual assault among cisgender women, cisgender men and gender minority college students, estimating the prevalence of perpetration by persons of particular gender identities. Participants and Methods: 13,685 sexual assault survivors were surveyed. For each type of sexual assault victimization experienced by cisgender women, cisgender men and gender minorities, prevalence estimates assessed the extent of perpetration by persons of each gender identity. Results: Cisgender men were the most prevalent perpetrators of all types of sexual assault against cisgender women and gender minorities. Cisgender women were the most prevalent perpetrators of five types of sexual assault against cisgender men, with cisgender women and cisgender men being similarly likely to perpetrate three types of sexual assault against cisgender men. Conclusions: Cisgender men perpetrate most sexual assaults against cisgender women and gender minority students; cisgender women and cisgender men perpetrate most sexual assaults against cisgender men students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topic: This scoping review investigated research regarding the magnitude of minor sex trafficking (domestic minor sex trafficking and/or commercial sexual exploitation of children) in the United States, summarizing estimates, methodologies, and strengths and weaknesses of the studies. Method: Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, peer-reviewed articles and the gray literature were accessed via databases searches, reference harvesting, and expert advice. Articles were included if they provided a count or prevalence proportion estimate of trafficked or at-risk minors across or within a region of the United States. Six empirical studies, published from 1999 to 2017, were included in the review. Results: Included studies produced count estimates (n = 3) or prevalence proportion estimates (n = 3) for youth at risk of minor sex trafficking (n = 2) or reporting victimization (n = 5). Studies examined sex trafficking risk and victimization in different geographical areas, including across the United States (n = 2), in New York City (n = 1), and in Ohio (n = 1). Further, several studies focused on particular populations, such as street and shelter youths (n = 1) and adjudicated males (n = 1). Sampling methodologies of reviewed estimates included traditional random sampling (n = 1), nationally representative sampling (n = 2), convenience sampling (n = 1), respondent-driven sampling (n = 1), purposive sampling (n = 1), and use of census data (n = 2). Conclusion: Little research has estimated the prevalence of minor sex trafficking in the United States. The existing studies examine different areas and populations and use different categories to estimate the problem. The estimates reviewed here should be cited cautiously. Future research is needed on this important topic, including methodologies to produce more representative estimates of this hard-to-reach population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated 13 domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault agency directors' perspectives regarding Nigerian immigrants' experiences of violence, DV-related service needs, and best strategies for providing those needs. Directors across five U.S. states were surveyed. Descriptive analyses showed the most common DV types were controlling behavior and cultural/traditional. The most important DV support needs were informational, informal, and legal. Formal support from DV agencies, support groups, and law enforcement was rated the most helpful strategies. Participants wanted to learn more about Nigerian immigrants' DV experiences. Findings highlight implications for the development of Nigerian-specific DV services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates women who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) experience both more frequent and more severe IPV victimization. However, the IPV field needs additional research to understand the complex relationship between various forms of IPV victimization (e.g., psychological, physical, sexual) and IPV perpetration by women. In particular, the field needs a better understanding of the unique interplay of various forms of IPV victimization and perpetration among female system-involved survivors (i.e., female survivors involved with child protective services and/or the court system and mandated to services). Such understanding would aid extant efforts to ensure that mandated services address the experiences and meet the needs of these system-involved women. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted an exploratory, secondary data analysis using cross-sectional baseline data collected as part of a larger evaluation study of a psychoeducational therapeutic IPV and parenting program for system-involved IPV survivors mandated to services (N = 73). Results from multiple regression analyses revealed that both psychological and physical IPV victimization were uniquely associated with the perpetration of psychological and physical abuse by system-involved female IPV survivors. Furthermore, our examination of the interaction between physical and psychological victimization and its impact on perpetration revealed that higher levels of both physical and psychological IPV victimization were associated with significantly higher levels of psychological perpetration (p <.01) and increased likelihood of physical perpetration (p <.05). Results are discussed in the context of service provision within systems, agencies, and programs targeting system-involved women mandated to services for IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors are much more likely to experience housing insecurity or homelessness than those who have not experienced IPV. However, little comprehensive research has evaluated the effectiveness of interventions used to address IPV survivors' housing insecurity. To address this knowledge gap, our team conducted a systematic review guided by three questions: (a) What are current interventions for addressing IPV survivors' housing needs? (b) What are the methodological strengths and limitations of the research evaluating those interventions? (c) How effective are the identified interventions? We identified potentially relevant peer-reviewed and gray literature using variations of predetermined search terms and four search methods. Twelve articles met inclusion criteria. Accordingly, this study showed that there is an overall dearth of research concerning interventions that address IPV survivors' housing insecurity and needs. Shelter is the most commonly assessed and available housing intervention for IPV survivors, but only limited empirical evaluation is available of shelter effectiveness. In addition, findings indicate both traditional shelter services and innovative interventions (e.g., rapid rehousing, flexible funding) would benefit from rigorous evaluation including examining survivor and situation characteristics contributing to housing strategy effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is an urgent public health concern. Given the dire consequences for exploited youth, growing attention has been focused on the importance of preventing, identifying, and responding to CSEC in school settings. Despite calls for schools to be prepared to identify and respond to CSEC, limited specific guidance is available to prepare and inform school personnel about how to recognize and address CSEC. In this article, we will describe a sample protocol that delineates how schools can respond to CSEC concerns, identifications, and disclosures. Our protocol was created as part of a larger project to develop CSEC awareness and response materials to be used within middle and high schools. It is our intention that this sample protocol will stimulate additional practice, policy, and research attention on how to effectively recognize and address CSEC in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]