Journal of Interpersonal Violence

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in child maltreatment patterns, particularly due to lockdown measures and the transition to remote education. Despite the heightened risk, reports paradoxically indicate a decline in referrals and notifications related to child abuse during this period. This study seeks to contribute to the literature by assessing the impact of the pandemic on child sexual abuse cases in Turkey, a developing country, through a comparative analysis of pre-pandemic and pandemic-era data. A retrospective analysis was conducted on forensic reports and case records of individuals under the age of 18 who were referred by judicial authorities to forensic medicine units under allegations of sexual abuse. The study encompassed two distinct periods: the pre-pandemic phase (March 2018–August 2019) and the pandemic-related lockdown phase (March 2020–August 2021). Cases from the pandemic period were statistically compared with pre-pandemic cases using SPSS version 27.0. Of the analyzed cases, 63.6% (n = 232) were reported pre-pandemic, whereas 36.4% (n = 133) were reported during the pandemic. A significant increase was observed in victims under 12 years old, whereas cases involving older adolescents (15–17 years) declined (p < .05). Additionally, reports from mandated reporters decreased significantly, while parental reporting increased (p < .05). These findings underscore the necessity of strengthening child protection mechanisms, particularly during crises, to prevent underreporting and ensure timely interventions in future public health emergencies.

We present data on intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization, perpetration, and victim–offender overlap in Germany, focusing on the impact of parental violence. We collected a sample using a register-based procedure where 183 randomly selected municipalities provided the addresses of 12,000 randomly selected men aged 18 to 69. Out of these men, a total N of 1,209 answered questions on their experiences with IPV and parental violence as children. In our sample, lifetime prevalences of IPV victimization ranged from 5.4% (sexual violence) to 39.8% (psychological violence), and 12-month prevalences ranged from 2.8% (digital violence) to 25.1% (coercive control). The sample’s corresponding lifetime prevalences of IPV perpetration ranged between 2.3% (digital violence) and 33.4% (psychological violence). Overall, there was a victim–offender overlap of 39.5%, which was particularly pronounced for non-physical IPV (psychological: 23.6%; coercive control: 20.3%). Offending only was most frequently reported for coercive control (18.4%). Across the different IPV types, victimization was consistently associated with verbal parental violence in childhood. Being victimized by verbal parental violence and witnessing violence between parents were predictive of later being involved in psychological violence as a victim-only or as both a victim and offender. Being a victim of physical parental violence in childhood more than doubled the odds of being a victim–offender of physical IPV, and increased the odds of becoming an offender-only of sexual IPV. These findings suggest that distinguishing clearly between victim and offender is often challenging in IPV research and reaffirm the well-established link between parental violence and IPV in the context of IPV against men.

International Asian and Latina women who are sex trafficking survivors experience a wide spectrum of gender-based violence throughout their life course and suffer from its adverse mental and physical health outcomes. However, there is limited research among this seldom heard population. This study aims to explore poly-victimization patterns of child abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV), client violence, and police violence; and to explore their associations with psychosocial factors. Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, survey data was collected from 95 women from 2019 to 2020. Latent class analysis was used to explore poly-victimization patterns, and chi-square tests were used to examine their bivariate associations with psychosocial factors. Mean age of the sample was 41.6 ± 9.8 years old. Most had limited English proficiency (94.6%). Majority were Asian (76.3%) and had been arrested (75.3%). The prevalence of violence was high: child abuse (62.8%), past-year IPV (10.5%), lifetime sex buyer client violence (71.3%), and lifetime police violence (17.9%). Two distinct classes of poly-victimization were observed: High violence burden class (high likelihood of child abuse, low likelihood of IPV, high likelihood of client violence, and low likelihood of police violence; 55.9%); Moderate violence burden class (low likelihood of child abuse, no likelihood of IPV, medium likelihood of client violence and lower likelihood of police violence; 44.1%). Latina women (p < .001) and those with lower tangible (p = .021) or emotional support (p = .003) were more likely to be in the high violence burden class. Post-traumatic stress disorder was associated with high violence burden class (p = .036). Our findings are among the first to highlight the heterogeneity in poly-victimization experiences within this multiply marginalized group, pointing to the importance of person-centered and trauma-informed approaches in addressing the needs of this population.

Previous research has established that the quality of peer relationships significantly impacts adolescents’ physical and mental health. However, the relationship between peer conflict and cyberbullying perpetration remains insufficiently explored. Based on the General Aggression Model and the General Strain Theory, this study investigates the mediating role of depression and hostile attribution bias in the relationship between peer conflict and cyberbullying perpetration, as well as the moderating role of gender, aiming to offer a new perspective on understanding adolescent cyberbullying perpetration. Employing a two-wave survey design, the study encompassed 900 adolescents (Mage = 13.45, girls = 452), collecting data on peer conflict, depression, hostile attribution bias, and cyberbullying perpetration through self-reported questionnaires. The findings revealed that peer conflict at Time 1 (T1) significantly and positively predicted cyberbullying perpetration at Time 2 (T2). Depression and hostile attribution bias at T2 acted both individually and in a bidirectional chain as mediators between peer conflict at T1 and cyberbullying perpetration at T2. Gender differences were observed in the paths “peer conflict T1 → cyberbullying perpetration T2” and “depression T2 → cyberbullying perpetration T2.” Specifically, compared to girls, boys who experienced peer conflict and depression were more likely to engage in cyberbullying perpetration. These findings not only theoretically expand the application of the General Strain Theory and the General Aggression Model, but also provide practical guidance for the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents.

The way in which parents discuss children’s past emotional events with them is associated with various outcomes in children, such as emotion regulation skills and behavior problems. For children growing up with adverse experiences such as witnessing domestic violence, it is particularly important to understand the link between emotion dialogues and child functioning, because parents’ guidance in dialogues about emotional events may be hampered or suboptimal. Previous studies on parent–child emotion dialogues using the Autobiographical Emotional Events Dialogues (AEED) measure usually focused on composite scores, failing to take into account the various aspects of parent–child emotion dialogues. Therefore, we examined (a) whether a multidimensional structure in the 16 quality rating scales of the AEED can be found in two samples of trauma-exposed and nonexposed parent–child dyads (N = 234, child age 4–13 years), (b) whether the identified dimensions predict child internalizing, externalizing and trauma symptoms. Principal components analyses showed multidimensionality in emotion dialogues with two factors that replicated across samples, labeled sensitive guidance & child cooperation and closure/resolution. Regression analyses showed that closure/resolution predicted fewer internalizing symptoms. When dyads ended dialogues about children feeling sad, scared, or angry in a more constructive way, children showed fewer internalizing symptoms. Sensitive guidance & child cooperation predicted less externalizing and trauma symptoms in children. Our study suggests that the degree of positive closure of a dialogue about negative emotions might be a specific aspect of parent–child emotion dialogue related to child outcomes that might have potential clinical relevance.

Sexual misconduct perpetrated by faculty/staff in higher education can have severe and long-lasting impacts. This study reports on a survey of 1,768 current and former students in U.K. higher education carried out in 2018, of whom 734 had experienced at least one incident of sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct was measured by questions on sexual conduct from faculty/staff that aimed to establish whether a sexualized environment existed rather than asking whether behaviors were unwanted. Within this sample, 734 had experienced a sexualized environment from faculty/staff. They were asked to self-assess the impacts this had on them, and 34% reported that they had been negatively impacted by this conduct. The most common impacts were loss of self-confidence; mental health problems; professional relations being damaged; loss of confidence in academic work; and avoiding parts of campus, each experienced by 14% to 18% of this sample. Items that measured academic disengagement such as missing contact hours or dropping/changing a module were also impactful for a minority of respondents, in line with existing literature. The article discusses two impacts that are underexplored in previous research on sexual misconduct in academia: the ability to network; and self-confidence. First, our study indicates that there are significant impacts of sexual misconduct on students’ ability to network and build professional relationships. However, existing studies on this topic have not discussed sexual misconduct as a barrier to networking. Second, the study reveals that, among this sample, loss of confidence was the most common impact of being subjected to sexual misconduct. This supports Gill and Orgad’s theorization of the “confidence culture,” a trend among popular and corporate gender equality discourses that exhorts women to develop their confidence, obscuring the structural reasons for women’s lower confidence; our findings show that sexual misconduct is one of these reasons.

Gender-based violence, understood as the most extreme expression of asymmetric power relations based on gender, aims primarily to perpetuate inequalities, acting as a significant obstacle to progress toward equality. The psychological gender-based violence manifests as a prelude to a complex scenario of abuse within and outside heterosexual partner relationships and emerges as the main strategy of abusers to exert their system of dominance. In rural areas, this type of violence takes on specific nuances, conditioned by demographic, familial, and socioeconomic factors. The aim of this study is to analyze how the rural context influences in this case, shedding light on the needs, proposals, and opportunities for intervention and prevention in these territories. To achieve this, a qualitative study is presented, based on in-depth interviews and discussion groups with women who have experienced psychological gender-based violence and specialists in gender-based violence of Spain (N = 27). The results show the sociocultural difficulties that arise in rural environments related to psychological gender-based violence, affecting the experience and impact on women, further intensifying their concealment. The social pressure and stigma associated with disclosing situations of gender-based violence are more prominent due to close relationships and the small size of the population. These factors represent significant barriers that discourage women from taking the step to seek help or report. The support network formed by the community, feminist associations, and specialized professionals can be of vital importance and can make a significant difference in the recovery of victims and in the cessation of gender-based violence in these contexts. There is an urgent need to incorporate the assessment of psychological risk into evaluation tools, inter-institutional coordination, and support programs adapted to rural reality.

Public perceptions of intimate partner homicide victims are influenced by how the news media frames incidents, often perpetuating gendered stereotypes. In particular, research has found that victim blaming is common in the reporting of intimate partner homicide. However, the way the public engages with news media has changed, as social media platforms allow audiences to engage in news creation by posting comments. Despite this shift, limited research has examined the impact of gender and media frames on victim blaming comments. This study used an experimental vignette design to examine whether victim blaming comments made by Australian survey respondents (n = 537) were influenced by the gender of the offender/victim pair and the framing of a media report, controlling for respondents’ media usage, attitudes, and demographics. Survey respondents were randomly assigned to one of four vignettes presenting a news report on an intimate partner homicide, which varied by the gender of the offender/victim and media frame (victim blaming/bad offender). Respondents were asked to leave a comment as if they were on a social media platform. Analyses revealed that respondents more commonly blamed the victim where there were female offender/male victim pairs compared to male offender/female victim pairs. Respondents also more commonly blamed the victim when there was a victim blaming frame compared to a bad offender frame. Finally, the analyses showed an interactive effect of the gender of the offender/victim pair and the media frame on respondents’ comments. Respondents were more likely to blame victims when the victim was male (female offender) and there was a victim blaming frame. The insights from this study have significant implications for policy and practice. Specifically, there is a need for enhanced training and resources for media professionals, as well as the creation of safer online communities through effective comment moderation.

Individuals facing intimate partner problems (IPP) often experience mental health issues, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Immigration status may increase risk due to the stress of acculturation and barriers to health care affecting immigrants. This study aims to identify patterns of risk factors among immigrants who died by suicide while experiencing IPP and explore variations in patterns by sociodemographic characteristics and suicide contexts. Data includes 17 waves of the NVDRS from 2003 to 2019, which includes 3,177 immigrants facing IPP. Latent class analysis identified distinct groups based on their mental health status, substance use, and treatment history preceding suicide. Variations by demographic and suicidal contexts across groups were subsequently analyzed. Three-class solutions emerged: the group with reports of mental health problems (MH; 26.6%), the group with alcohol problems and substance use (AS; 6.5%), and the group that had neither (minor problems, MIN; 66.9%). The MH group comprised more females, Asians, and individuals with a college education, while the AS group had more males, Hispanics, and individuals with a high school education or less. The MH group tended to use poisoning as a suicide method more, whereas the MIN group used firearms more. The MH group also exhibited the highest prevalence of suicide attempts. In addition, the MH and AS groups had a history of suicidal thoughts and disclosed their suicidal ideation more than the MIN group. These findings underscore the distinct risk factors experienced by immigrants with IPP, associated with their demographic and suicidal event characteristics precipitating their suicidality, suggesting opportunities for targeted prevention efforts to mitigate such suicides.

In Victoria, Australia, children who are reported to authorities to have experienced very recent sexual assault routinely undergo a forensic medical examination and receive psychosocial care. There is very little known about how children and their families experience this process and whether current practices are meeting their needs. This study seeks to understand these experiences by undertaking a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 10 children/young people (aged between 4 and 16) and 8 mothers (n = 18). The study draws on constructivist grounded theory methodology and incorporates the contextual-embedded perspective of the clinician/researcher. The study identified three stages participants navigated in the hours following the assault: (a) reaching out for help, (b) hospital processes and procedures, and (c) discharge. Nested within these stages, five key themes emerged: confusion, distress, and minimization when reporting; valuing a caring presence; feeling exposed, vulnerable, and ashamed; being lost in space and time; and going home alone. The need for a sensitive, trauma-informed, accessible, and consistent response to acute sexual assault is discussed; one that acknowledges the experiences and centralizes the priorities and psychosocial needs of the child and their family.

A surprisingly consistent finding from the global health literature on physical intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) indicates that women self-report greater agreement with statements justifying IPVAW than men. This pattern has been interpreted as evidence of women’s internalization of inequitable gender norms and used to support the development of intervention programs that target harmful beliefs about the acceptability of IPVAW among men and women. Here, we propose an alternative explanation that apparent gender differences in the acceptance of IPVAW reflect an artifact of social desirability bias. To investigate this proposition, we utilize attitudinal data on IPVAW from 317 married couples in Northwestern, Tanzania, combining a conventional self-report measure and a novel indirect wife-reported measure of men’s attitudes, which we suggest represent a more accurate representation of men’s true beliefs. Consistent with prior studies, comparisons of self-reported beliefs indicate that women report greater acceptance of IPVAW than men. However, the direction of this difference is reversed when men’s beliefs are measured using indirect wife-reported estimates, with men accepting IPVAW more than women. Our results provide a parsimonious explanation to a widely reported, but paradoxical, finding in the IPVAW literature, and highlight the inadequacies of self-report data in research on sensitive topics. We suggest that future studies of IPVAW more strongly weigh the relevance of social desirability bias and invest in the continued development of indirect and mixed-methods designs in the measure of IPVAW attitudes and behavior.

The phenomenon of bullying/victimization affects millions of students globally and is associated with enduring consequences and internalizing problems for all the participants. Drawing upon Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, this study examines the moderating effects of individual attributes (gender and educational stage) and environmental factors (social support size and social support satisfaction) on the relationship between self-efficacy and bullying/victimization involvement, to address a pervasive issue in schools. The sample consists of 1,178 Greek students, from the fifth and sixth grades of primary school and the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades of secondary school. Students completed measures of bullying/victimization, self-efficacy, and social support. Present findings suggest that both individual attributes and environmental factors may influence the relationship between self-efficacy and bullying involvement. Moreover, social support was found to have differential moderating effects for bullying and victimization, highlighting the importance of quality relationships in school. The implications of these findings are significant for educators, policymakers, and researchers alike. Understanding the moderating effects of gender, educational stage, and social support on the relationship between self-efficacy and bullying/victimization involvement can inform the design of targeted interventions.

We examine peer violence trajectories among a purposive sample of urban poor adolescents over 3 years in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Shanghai, China, and Bandar Lampung, Denpasar, and Semarang, Indonesia. We examine peer violence experiences over time and seek to understand the relationship between gender norm perceptions and personal agency on peer violence experiences. A longitudinal (wave 1–3) panel was used from the three study sites outlined above (n = 6,660). Adolescents were purposefully selected if they were 10 to 14 years old at wave 1 and living in urban poor communities. A repeated measure latent class analysis was used to parameterize peer violence experiences over time. Next, we conducted multinomial logistic regression models to examine the relationship between gender norms perceptions and agency (personal attribute of empowerment) with peer violence class membership. A five-class model was best fitting across all sites with four consistent classes: “low peer violence” (experienced by most); “declining violence”; “peaks in middle”; and “consistently high violence.” In the three cities in Indonesia and Kinshasa, DRC, there was an “increasing violence” class, and in Shanghai, China, there was a “high emotional victimization” class. In general, more endorsement of unequal gender norms and higher agency were associated with greater relative risk of any violence victimization and/or perpetration versus the low violence class membership. However, associations between gender norm perceptions and agency on peer violence trajectories differed within and between sites. These results compel programs to understand and address the underlying beliefs that promote peer violence. Longitudinal trends of chronic offenders extenuate the need to include family- and community-level interventions to prevent and mitigate the effects of peer violence. Additionally, there is a need to address social and structural determinants such as gender and power to promote lifelong health free of injury and violence.

Psychological abuse within intimate relationships is a highly prevalent subtype of intimate partner violence (IPV) that is frequently associated with other types of IPV such as sexual or physical violence. Psychological abuse can cause enduring harm, including the loss of agency and self-belief, and entrapment in a relationship. Previous measures of psychological abuse have been characterized by inconsistencies in conceptualization and measurement contributing to problems in identifying its prevalence, impact, and patterns. To address many of the existing challenges and gaps, we developed a new measure of psychological abuse, building upon scale development work to date, and in consultation with lived experience and academic experts. A sample of 765 adult women in Australia completed our survey of 31 psychologically abusive behaviors to establish reliability and validity evidence for a new measure of psychological abuse victimization and impact. Exploratory factor analysis generated a scale comprising 20 items and four factors—Severe Psychological Abuse, Coercive Emotional Abuse, Restrictive Isolating Abuse, and Financial Abuse—with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.73 to 0.85 and overall explained variance of 57.2%. Exhibiting evidence of validity and reliability, the Psychological Abuse in Relationships Scale is a contemporary, concise, and comprehensive measure of psychological IPV that will improve the ability of researchers to identify this common and harmful type of abuse.

There is very little research on the relationship between interpersonal adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms in later adulthood in China. This study examines gender differences in the relationships between childhood physical abuse, bullying victimization, witnessing domestic violence, and depressive symptoms in Chinese middle-aged and older adults, controlling for self-rated physical health and sociodemographic characteristics.

The study was based on a nationally representative sample of 4,775 males and 5,596 females aged 45 and older collected through the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Childhood adversity indicators in the 2014 Life History Survey were merged with the harmonized 2018 CHARLS dataset. Structural equation modeling was conducted for males and females simultaneously.

Physical abuse was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms for either males or females. However, bullying victimization was significantly associated with depressive symptoms for both males and females. This association was stronger for males compared to females, but the gender difference was not statistically significant. Additionally, witnessing domestic violence had a significant association with depressive symptoms for both males and females, with a stronger association for females but this gender difference also was not statistically significant.

Being bullied and witnessing domestic violence were still influential in middle and late life. To provide more effective prevention and interventions, further investigations are needed regarding the mechanisms behind the significant relationships and to explore why childhood physical abuse was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms among these Chinese participants.

This paper uses a descriptive behavioral analysis to present a study of the offending behavior of 34 serial rapists. All offenders were males adjudicated for committing sexual assaults upon two or more victims. Since no experimental control was feasible to be applied, an individual data analysis of the information contained in the offenders’ case files is made. The fundamental procedure consists of (a) categorizing and representing the behaviors performed by offenders and victims; (b) calculating different linear estimation indexes; (c) representing the distribution of the offenders’ behavioral topographies; and (d) calculating the asymmetry index of such distribution. Results mainly show that (a) offenders’ behavior was flexible and developed novel topographies as the number of victims enlarged; and (b) the most aversive events for offenders were screaming and the appearance of unknown people during the attacks. Implications for prevention and treatment as well as for criminal profiling are discussed.

Rape culture in higher education is a term used to describe an environment in which sexual violence is accepted or tolerated as part of campus life. Prior exploration of rape culture has largely focused on sexual violence among and against students, although limited work has examined perspectives of university employees. This qualitative study sought to further identify cultural norms and beliefs in college settings which college students and employees suggest increase or reduce the risk of sexual violence on campus. In addition, the current study expands prior work by including perspectives from multiple stakeholders in the campus community: students, faculty, and staff. Our analysis included four focus groups (total N = 35, including 17 students and 18 faculty and staff) from one university in the Northeastern United States. Each group had 2 facilitators, 8 to 10 participants, and lasted approximately 1 hr. Audio recordings of the focus groups were transcribed and analyzed through thematic analysis. Three main themes and several subthemes were identified: cultural risk factors for sexual violence (substance use, misogyny, dismissal/silence, institutional indifference), expanding accountability (bringing perpetrators to justice, holding individuals and institutions tasked with stopping sexual violence accountable, and holding peers liable for their behavior), and stigma reduction (activism and clear disclosure channels for community members). Findings have implications for future research and for prevention and response efforts around sexual violence on higher education campuses. This work highlights the role of all types of community members in shaping campus culture and specific strategies that may contribute to the demolition of rape culture.

Bullying is a social and health problem that requires appropriate interventions based on valid and fair evaluations of bullying experiences. The validity of interpretations of bullying victimization scores can be compromised by measurement artifacts or biases that may arise during the assessment process. Boys’ and girls’ bullying experiences could lead to differences in their response processes when they answer the bullying scale items and compromise validity if such differences come from measurement artifacts. The study is intended to illustrate how to obtain validity evidence of response processes for the Students’ Experience of Being Bullied Scale from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 Student Questionnaire and test measurement invariance across gender by latent class analysis (LCA). The sample was taken from the PISA 2018 study and consisted of 11,599 Spanish high school students (50.3% female, 49.7% male). Response patterns were examined through LCA. Four profiles were found: (a) Not Bullied, (b) Bullied (All Types), (c) Relational Bullying, and (d) Potential Friendly Teasing. Measurement invariance across gender was analyzed by a multigroup LCA. LCA results do not guarantee equivalence of measurements. Class prevalence per group and a multinomial logistic regression were calculated to further examine gender differences across latent classes. Boys were more likely to belong to the Bullied (All Types) class and the Potential Friendly Teasing class, whereas girls were more likely to belong to the Relational Bullying class. These findings illustrate the possibilities LCA can offer to provide validity evidence of response processes and suggest that different bullying experiences of girls and boys could compromise the fairness and validity of comparative interpretations of test scores, which is an important issue to address to develop bias-free classroom interventions.

Many universities have implemented bystander training programs to prevent relationship violence and sexual assault. Such programs encourage students to engage in behaviors to prevent interpersonal violence (i.e., bystander behaviors) if they witness situations that seem likely to escalate to violence. Bystander behaviors, however, often result in consequences, both positive and negative, for those who engage in them. Measures of consequences of bystander behaviors are starting to appear in the literature, but there is limited psychometric information for these measures. The current study examined psychometric properties of the General Outcomes of Bystander Actions Scale (GOBAS) by (a) attempting to replicate the original two-factor structure of the scale and (b) evaluating its criterion validity by examining its relation to future bystander behaviors. First-year undergraduate students (N = 730) were recruited into the study in 2016. Students completed the GOBAS at baseline. Students also completed a measure of bystander behaviors at baseline and at a 2-month follow-up assessment. Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the two-factor structure of the GOBAS only when items were scored dichotomously. Unexpectedly, after controlling for baseline bystander behaviors and other established correlates of bystander behaviors, negative consequences were related to more frequent bystander behaviors at the 2-month follow-up, while positive consequences were not. Findings support the two-factor structure of the GOBAS when items measure the occurrence of consequences. The findings, however, raise questions about the role of consequences in predicting future bystander behaviors.

The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of various forms of verbal sexual abuse among students in higher education. Specifically, the study seeks to explore the linguistic features and types of utterances used in verbal sexual abuse and to examine how male and female students perceive such abuse. A mixed-methods design was employed, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative component involved the use of discourse analysis to analyze texts, pictures, and symbols containing instances of verbal sexual abuse. Meanwhile, the quantitative component employed a survey approach to understand how students in higher education perceive such abuse. Data were collected from 30 students who had experienced verbal sexual abuse through both spoken words and social media. In addition, a survey was conducted among 317 students in Indonesia to collect data on their responses to different forms of verbal sexual abuse. The findings of the study suggest that verbal sexual abuse experienced by students can be classified into three forms: vulgar discussions, sexual gestures, and seductive whistles, with vulgar discussions being the most prevalent form of such abuse. The perpetrators of verbal sexual abuse were found to employ specific linguistic features and symbols. The study also revealed that perpetrators of verbal sexual abuse most frequently used assertive and expressive utterances. In addition, the study highlighted significant differences in the perceptions of male and female students concerning verbal sexual abuse. The study’s findings have potential implications, particularly in the development of programs aimed at preventing verbal sexual abuse among students in higher education settings. A deeper understanding of the various forms of verbal sexual abuse can help raise students’ awareness and concerns about avoiding such behavior.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a growing public health concern, with longitudinal studies linking it to a range of negative outcomes, including psychological distress and poor academic achievements. While the trauma model has been applied to other addictive behaviors, little is known about the relationship between childhood trauma, trauma-related symptoms, and IGD symptoms. This preliminary study investigated whether childhood betrayal trauma would have a stronger relationship with IGD symptoms than non-betrayal trauma and whether IGD symptoms would be associated with interpersonal stress and trauma-related symptoms. A regionally diverse, predominantly female sample of English-speaking young adults aged 18 to 24 (N = 283) completed validated standardized measures. We found that IGD symptoms were associated with childhood non-betrayal trauma (β = .225, p < .001) and interpersonal stress (β = .214, p < .001) but not with childhood betrayal trauma and post-traumatic and dissociative symptoms. While the results should be interpreted with caution because of the limitations of this study, it extends the application of the trauma model of addiction to the context of IGD. Our study underscores the universal importance of child protection and early interventions for childhood trauma survivors in the prevention of addictive behaviors.

Human trafficking, encompassing sex trafficking and forced labor, is a global issue often linked with intimate partner violence (IPV). Existing support systems for these vulnerable populations remain insufficient. This study explores the pivotal role of salon professionals within communities as trusted figures, aiming to develop targeted programs that empower them to prevent and respond to violence among their clients effectively. Written responses from 334 salon professionals across Indiana who completed a web-based survey were analyzed for demographic data, experiences with violence victims, and preferences for intervention training. Thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses provided nuanced insights into professionals’ perspectives on intervention strategies and direct encounters with violence victims. Narrative analysis revealed four main themes: salon professionals’ encounters with victims of IPV, salon professionals’ encounters with victims of sex trafficking, proposed intervention strategies, including awareness campaigns and partnerships with support organizations, and strong support for mandatory training to enhance their ability to assist victims effectively. Findings indicate high awareness among participants of encountering victims of IPV (91.3%) and sex trafficking (88.3%) in their salons. Professionals demonstrated varied approaches to identifying and intervening with victims, highlighting the need for enhanced communication and intervention skills training. Participants overwhelmingly supported mandatory training initiatives, emphasizing the importance of creating safe environments and collaborating with law enforcement and support organizations to assist victims effectively. Salon professionals are crucial frontline responders in identifying and addressing violence, advocating for enhanced training in communication and client assistance protocols. Collaboration with law enforcement and community organizations is essential for effective victim support. Implementing these insights into policy can empower salon professionals to enhance client safety and strengthen societal responses to violence and exploitation, necessitating stakeholder action to support these recommendations.

Interpersonal violence (IV) in adulthood seems to be related to alcoholism and smoking. However, whether it reflects differently by gender and the frequency of exposure to these outcomes remains largely unexplored, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate associations of acute and chronic IV exposure (physical, psychological, and sexual) with binge drinking and smoking, separately for men and women adults. Cross-sectional study, enrolled 72.597 participants, aged 18 to 64, from the Brazilian National Health Survey (NHS). The explanatory variables of interest were physical, sexual, and psychological exposure to IV in the last 12 months, whether once or some/many times. The dependent variables were binge drinking and smoking. The magnitudes of associations and their confidence Interval of 95% between each exposure and outcome were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance. Sequential adjustments were made for age, race/skin color, marital status and sexual orientation, education, and income. After adjustment for all covariates, men exposed to physical, psychological (both once or some/many times), and sexual violence (only once) were associated with binge drinking and smoking (p < .05). Further, women exposed to any form of violence, whether once or some/many times, were associated with binge drinking (p < .05). However, remained related to smoking women exposed to physical (both once or some/many times) and psychological violence (only some/many times) (p < .05). Interestingly, any frequency of sexual violence remained not associated with smoking. Women’s higher exposure to violence is strongly linked to binge drinking, particularly in cases of physical and psychological violence. Men exposed to violence also exhibit significant associations with binge drinking and smoking. These findings emphasize the complex interplay of gender, violence, and public health challenges in Brazil.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive global issue that disproportionately impacts women with disabilities, yet remains underexplored in many contexts. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of IPV among poor disabled women in Egypt, aiming to identify the key factors contributing to their heightened vulnerability. Specifically, it addresses the following questions: What are the prevalence rates of IPV in this population? Which sociodemographic and psychological factors influence IPV? How do relationship dynamics shape IPV risk among disabled women? Using data from the 2020 Survey of Violence Against Disabled Women in Egypt, conducted by the National Council for Women in collaboration with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics and the United Nations Population Fund, the study analyzes a stratified random sample of 3,144 ever-married disabled women aged 18 years and older from diverse regions of Egypt. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were applied to identify significant predictors of IPV. The findings reveal that IPV risk is influenced by sociodemographic factors (e.g., geographical region, educational level, employment status), the onset and type of disability, psychological factors (e.g., self-esteem, self-confidence, fear of the husband, acceptance of violence), and relationship dynamics (e.g., dependency, controlling behaviors, financial control). Women with hearing impairments and those whose disabilities began in childhood or youth were found to face particularly high risks of IPV. Additionally, fear of the husband, acceptance of beating, controlling behaviors, and financial control were identified as strong predictors of IPV across all groups. This study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policies to protect disabled women in Egypt. Recommendations include the development of accessible services, culturally sensitive educational campaigns, and efforts to challenge societal norms that normalize violence. Such measures are critical for mitigating IPV and supporting disabled women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Mounting evidence suggests that gun violence occurring within a community can affect community members even when they do not experience it firsthand. Building on this expanded view of exposure, the present study examined the effects of environmental exposure to gun violence—that is, living or attending school within 1,300 m of a past-year firearm homicide occurrence—on adolescents’ problem behaviors (delinquent, externalizing, and internalizing behaviors) using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study merged with information on firearm homicide incidents from the Gun Violence Archive (N = 3,086; girls: N = 1,504; Black/white/Latinx/other: N = 525/1,547/773/241). Employing propensity score matching methods, we estimated the average effects of environmental gun violence exposure on adolescents’ problem behaviors and assessed heterogeneity in these effects across subgroups of youth with different exposure probabilities (low, moderate, and high). While average effects were not observed, environmental gun violence exposure was associated with increased delinquent (but not externalizing) behavior among adolescents, particularly girls, with low risk of exposure and decreased internalizing behavior among adolescents with low and moderate risk of exposure. These findings highlight the importance of investigating the differential impacts of gun violence exposure across subgroups with varying pre-exposure risks. Adolescents at relatively low risk of exposure may benefit from supportive services to address behavior problems in the aftermath of gun violence; though, resources for adolescents with elevated pre-exposure risks remain vital for redressing broader inequities that contribute to gun violence in the first place.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is pervasive and has several negative consequences. However, IPV victims mostly do not disclose their victimization experiences to law enforcement agencies, and this attitude largely hinders their ability to receive needed treatment. The main purpose of the current study was to examine factors that impact IPV victims’ decisions to call the police about their victimization. Using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (1992–2022), we specifically explored the influence of relationships, weapon usage, and injuries on women’s disclosure of IPV victimization. A total sample of 476 cases was analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results from our analysis showed that injuries sustained and respondents’ ethnic background predicted reporting of IPV. Also important were the place of occurrence and frequency of incidents. Specifically, victimizations that resulted in injuries that occurred within the victim’s city and happened less than 10 times were significant predictors of the likelihood of reporting to the police. In addition, women who identified as Hispanic were more likely to report their victimization to police compared to those who identified as non-Hispanic. Policy implications of these findings include programs that address the underlying conditions of non-disclosure of IPV to increase reporting among women.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant issue in young adult relationships, with immediate and long-term health and well-being consequences. The factors contributing to IPV are complex and span from the level of individual neurobiology to the wider socioecological system. The interplay across these domains in predicting IPV has been understudied. We, therefore, aimed to examine the factors contributing to IPV risk among young adults, adopting a holistic approach considering direct and indirect contributions of socioecological influences in a cohort of high-risk subjects. Data were from a longitudinal birth cohort established in 1991 comparing the developmental trajectories of individuals prenatally exposed to substances including cocaine and nonexposed individuals. Using data from a subsample of 206 participants followed between 2010 and 2020, we implemented path analysis to examine direct and indirect pathways between prenatal drug exposure (PDE) and young adult IPV. We considered the contributions of childhood maltreatment, maternal education, ethnicity, early adolescent substance use, and late adolescent executive function. Sex-specific effects were also explored. There were no significant direct or indirect associations between PDE and IPV. There was evidence of an indirect effect of low maternal education on IPV via effects on early adolescent substance use and subsequent effects on executive function in late adolescence. There was tentative evidence of an effect of ethnicity on IPV risk and of sex differences in the pathways contributing to IPV risk among males and females. We highlight the importance of executive function in young adult IPV risk and suggest considering maternal education and early adolescent substance use as additional contributors to IPV risk. Preventing IPV among young adults may involve enhancing executive functioning and preventing early substance misuse. When examining pathways contributing to IPV risk, it is necessary to adopt a framework integrating the wider socioecological environment.

The current discourse in the field of intimate partner violence is based mostly on the expectation that violence terminates the relationship and the partners separate to reconstruct their lives. This expectation is based on an either/or paradigm, which appears problematic given the reality of couples struggling with staying or leaving. This article examined the meanings couples attributed to remaining in their marital relationship following intimate partner violence and the efforts invested in rehabilitating the relationship. The study is based on 24 interviews with 12 couples who stayed together and had been free of physical violence for at least one year. Each partner was interviewed separately, which allowed them the freedom to develop their narrative. Descriptive phenomenological analysis revealed three key stages of the decision-making process: (a) a separation and reassessment stage, when personal identities were reexamined and a decision was made to attempt to reconstruct the marriage; (b) a new contract for the relationship was negotiated based on taking responsibility and undergoing mutually agreed-upon individual changes through therapy; and (c) resumption of living together, implementing and evaluating the contract negotiated about the joint life. The process is not linear and involves contradictions and paradoxes. The discussion conceptualizes staying together as a dialectic process between opposing forces: fear vs. hope, connectedness vs. individuality, and couple identity (“we-ness”) vs. the need for selfhood. The issue of the legitimacy of couples with IPV history to live together needs to be considered. Intervention must balance between empowering the couple by providing choices and examining possible risks arising from the process

Coercive control (CC) is a severe and relentless form of domestic abuse whereby perpetrators often directly target and undermine women’s relationships with their children. A “conspiracy of silence” can surround the abuse, with mothers and children not speaking to each other about what has happened, which has been described as negatively impacting the mother–child relationship. Our understanding of how mothers experience conversations with their children about their shared experiences of CC is limited. The current study, therefore, aimed to explore: (a) mothers’ experiences of their relationships with their children in the context of CC, and (b) mothers’ experiences of talking with their children about the CC. Eleven interviews were conducted between July and November 2023 with mothers who had experienced CC who had been separated from the perpetrator/father for at least 1 year. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five group experiential statements were constructed, with 12 group-level subthemes. Two group experiential statements pertained to women’s experiences of the mother–child relationship, one to how women experienced conversations about the abuse as positive for the mother–child relationship, and two to the facilitators and barriers that women experienced when navigating these conversations. The findings are discussed in relation to four key implications: the importance of joint mother–child interventions; the need for education and training for professionals; education in schools; and urgent reform to UK family courts.

Bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence is widely acknowledged for its detrimental effects on mental health and loneliness in young adulthood. However, the influence of onset time when bullying happens (in primary and/or secondary school) and of distinct forms of bullying remain underexplored. The study aims to explore the associations between seven forms of victimization (being teased or called nasty names; rumor spreading; physical harm; threat; property damage; robbery; social exclusion) during university students’ primary and secondary school years and their current mental health and loneliness in China. A total of 684 university students (mean age = 19.05, SD = 1.56) completed Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire, which involves recollection of bullying victimization during primary and secondary school years. Stable victim (those who experienced bullying victimization during both primary and secondary school years) was most strongly associated with current higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. Different forms of bullying victimization in primary and secondary school years were independently associated with mental health and loneliness. Specifically, rumor spreading in secondary school strongly predicted depression, anxiety, and stress, while social exclusion in primary school was closely linked to depression, anxiety, and loneliness. These findings underscore the long-term psychological impact of various forms of bullying victimization experienced in primary and secondary school years and highlight the importance of targeted interventions that address specific types of bullying in primary and secondary school years to mitigate their enduring effects on mental health in young adulthood.

The present study examined the frequency and content of implicit questions asked to 6- to 17-year-olds during cross-examinations (N = 122) of children in child sexual assault trials and analyzed how often they rebutted these questions. Through qualitative content analysis, we found that defense attorneys most commonly asked children implicit questions about: ulterior motives, coaching, being untruthful, missing disclosure opportunities, having poor memory, and other credibility issues. Implicit questions were posed in 63% of cases, with children rebutting only 11% of implied inquiries. We observed no significant correlations between the age of children testifying and the overall frequency of implicit questions or rebuttals. However, age differences were found based on the content of the questions; younger children (aged 6–12) were more frequently subjected to implicit inquiries about coaching, whereas teenaged adolescents (aged 13–17) faced more questions related to truthfulness and credibility issues. In conclusion, children were frequently asked implicit questions that implied credibility concerns, which may be difficult for children to understand. Furthermore, defense attorneys change the focus of the content of their implicit questions depending on the age of the child testifying.

Experience and exposure to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are reported worldwide across various age groups. However, little is known about resilience and its associated factors, such as anger management and social integration, among the victims of IPV at universities in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Tanzania. We employed a cross-sectional design to examine 276 students (41.7% female; M_{Age range} = 22–24 years, SD_{Age range} = .695) randomly chosen from a university in Tanzania. Descriptive results showed a high prevalence of IPV among university students, with over 91% (M = 44.40, SD = 59.546, Range: 1–396) reporting having experienced at least one instance of IPV in the past year. Likewise, students reported a high mean score for resilience and social integration, yet a lower mean score for anger management. Findings of a hierarchical linear regression model revealed a good model fit at step 1 (adj. R² = .047, F (2, 248) = 7.189, p < .001; Cohen’s f² = .050) and step 2 (adj. R² = .055, F (3, 247)  = 5.884, p = .002; Cohen’s f² = .060) with greater social integration and improved anger management both significantly associated with resilience at step 1 and step 2 (p < .05). IPV victimization was not a significant moderator on the association of social integration and anger management with resilience (p > .05). The model-independent variables accounted for 26% of the variability in the association with resilience. Our findings reveal the prevalence of IPV victimization in the understudied population of university students and settings in Tanzania. We recommend a review of existing policies to eradicate IPV within the university community and to familiarize individuals with the available psychosocial support services for IPV victims, thereby protecting them from potential psychological and academic risks of victimization.

“Slurs against masculinity” are insults that directly target a man’s traditional, heterosexual masculinity. Research has shown that men perceive these insults to be particularly offensive and likely to provoke physically aggressive responses (Saucier et al., 2015). We conducted two studies online with adult male participants (Study 1 N = 144 (84% White, mean age = 29.71, SD = 8.85) and Study 2 N = 168 (74% White, mean age = 33.04, SD = 10.05)) to replicate and extend that past research by examining if “slurs against masculinity” are perceived to more directly threaten a targeted man’s masculinity than do insults of other types (an outcome not tested in that past research), leading to greater expected physically aggressive responses. Across our two studies, participants rated various insults that targeted different aspects of the targeted man for how threatening the insults would be to the targeted man’s masculinity and how likely they would be to provoke an aggressive response from the targeted man. We replicated and extended past research by showing that insults that target a man’s masculinity directly (i.e., insults that are homophobic, feminine, or challenge a man’s bravery) are perceived as more directly threatening to a targeted man’s masculinity and more likely to provoke physically aggressive responses compared to insults that target a man’s personality, intelligence, or physical attributes. Further, we demonstrated that higher levels of individual differences in adherence to masculine honor beliefs are associated with greater perceptions that insults of all types are directly threatening to a targeted man’s masculinity and likely to provoke physically aggressive responses from the targeted man. This research contributes to the understanding of the relationships between masculine honor beliefs and reactions to insults and may help explain the foundations for insult-related aggression.

Bystander intervention (BI) is an approach that has been used widely for addressing sexual and dating violence and has more recently been extended to other settings and types of harm, including workplace mistreatment. Understanding more about the opportunity to intervene—including the types of observed behaviors, who is observing them, and the frequency and breadth of those observations—is an important step to help inform the development of workplace BI programs. As such, the current study involved an anonymous online survey about observing workplace mistreatment, distributed by Qualtrics panel service to adult employees in workplaces throughout the United States (n = 1,484). A total of 64.5% of participants indicated that they witnessed at least one type of mistreatment behavior against a work colleague within the past 12 months, and almost two-thirds of the behaviors were observed more than once. Most behaviors were observed in-person at work and were predominantly seen and seen/heard about. Employees who were nonbinary gender, had an advanced degree, were younger, and were shift workers were more likely to witness mistreatment. The findings indicate that witnessing mistreatment is common and that employees observe multiple and co-occurring behaviors, which suggests that BI strategies need to be multifaceted. The results also suggest that BI training should acknowledge people’s social identity, work status, type of position, and access to power, while also being accompanied by good organizational responses and structures.

The analysis of gender-based violence (hereafter, GBV) in adolescence is essential because love ideals are formed at this stage, as well as a modus operandi that can be normalized. This study aimed to assess the joint influence of cisheteronormativity, including gender stereotypes, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia, as well as racism and ageism, on attitudes toward GBV. For this purpose, a correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted in which 1,062 Spanish adolescents from Compulsory Secondary Education (ISCED 3) participated, representing the reference population. Of them, 49.9% identified as a girl, 48.6% as a boy, and 1.2% with other gender identity options. Their mean age was 15.25 years. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted, revealing that, for both girls and boys, students who express greater support for GBV also manifest significantly more homophobic and transphobic attitudes, as well as more racial prejudice and more hostile ageism. In addition, in the case of girls, those who are more instrumental also express greater acceptance of GBV. In the case of boys, older boys and less benevolent sexist boys also express greater support for GBV. These variables explain 27.7% of the variance in attitudes toward GBV in girls and 36.1% in boys. The results show the need to implement a critical, queer, and intersectional pedagogy in schools that would contribute to the understanding and prevention of violence from a problematizing perspective, attending to the role of differential gender socialization in the formation of interconnected prejudices that conjointly produce discourses and practices of otherness and violence among adolescents.

Depression is a known risk after trauma exposure, but the nature of the trauma plays a role in the risk. Traumas that involve interpersonal aggression tend to be associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Identifying factors that influence the relationship between event type and depression may aid in the identification of modifiable risk factors to improve mental health outcomes in survivors of interpersonal aggression. This study proposes that the link between traumas involving interpersonal violence and greater depression symptoms may be partially explained by greater maladaptive cognitions after experiences of interpersonal aggression compared to other types of trauma. Traumas involving interpersonal violence may contribute to more negative posttraumatic beliefs compared to traumas that do not involve interpersonal violence, thereby contributing to higher distress. The current study examined the relationships among trauma type, posttraumatic cognitions, and depression symptoms in a sample of 408 patients seeking mental health treatment after trauma exposure. Consistent with hypotheses, patients seeking treatment after a trauma involving interpersonal aggression had higher depression scores than patients seeking treatment after traumas that did not include interpersonal aggression. Further, posttraumatic cognitions partially mediated the relationship between event type and depression symptoms. These results suggest that identifying maladaptive thinking patterns may be especially important after experiences of interpersonal violence in the prevention and treatment of depression.

One of the most significant economic impacts of sexual and dating violence across the lifespan is housing insecurity and homelessness. However, research on the association between housing instability and interpersonal violence among college students is limited. As such, the purpose of this study is to better understand the association between sexual and dating violence victimization and housing security among college students using data from a campus climate assessment administered on two campuses of a large, urban public university in the northeast. To reduce response burden there were rotating survey modules used so participants were assigned to either the sexual violence (n = 2,672) or dating violence (n = 1,645) module. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between sexual violence victimization or dating violence victimization since coming to college and past year housing insecurity among college students and which types of housing insecurity were associated with sexual violence victimization. Student-survivors who experienced sexual violence had 2.5 times greater odds of experiencing housing insecurity compared to students who had not experienced sexual violence since coming to the university. Similarly, students who experienced physical or psychological dating violence since entering college had four times greater odds respectively of experiencing housing insecurity compared to students who did not experience dating violence. Campus and community-based services for college students are impactful at addressing academic and safety concerns and should incorporate supportive services related to housing.

Young adults provide sexual services, acts, or materials for pay or financial compensation (SSAMP), which include in-person (e.g., contact), virtual (e.g., videos), and material (e.g., underwear) forms. Whether and how university students provide SSAMP in the United States is not well understood primarily because of a lack of survey-based research using methodologically rigorous measures in university contexts. Therefore, we sought to understand the characteristics of and conditions under which undergraduate and graduate students provide SSAMP. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of students at a public, Midwestern university. Participants were 875 undergraduate and graduate students (M_age = 21.88 years [SD = 4.77]); 57.4% cisgender women; 64.1% white). We conducted a descriptive analysis using a multi-item SSAMP measure to assess acts, reasons, compensations, harm-reduction strategies, and perceived health, violence, interpersonal, and financial consequences of SSAMP. The 120 students (13.7% of the sample) who reported any SSAMP were more likely to be first-generation university students, trans or nonbinary, LGBQ+, disabled, and reported difficulty meeting basic needs. Among those who provided SSAMP, 42% reported being personally empowered but about a third reported doing so to please someone and/or because they were pressured in a way that they could not say no, most commonly by an intimate partner. Half reported receiving compensation for basic needs. Students reported using harm-reduction strategies to provide SSAMP and experiencing diverse consequences such as increased self-esteem or confidence (27.6%), discovering aspects of sexuality (26.5%), worse mental health (25.5%), difficulty dating (25.3%), feeling fetishized (23.5%), and unwanted sexual contact (22.3%). To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a nuanced understanding of SSAMP among university students using multi-item survey measures. Future research should replicate in different university contexts and conduct longitudinal research to better inform harm-reducing practices and policies.

Physical assault of women at the intersection of race/ethnicity and physical disability is not well studied. This study seeks to assess the prevalence of physical assault-related emergency department or hospital visits among women with physical disabilities during different stages of the perinatal period, stratified by racial/ethnic background. This study used 1998–2020 data from the Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System. Unique singleton deliveries were classified into 10 cohorts by combining maternal physical disability status (yes/no) and racial/ethnic background (White, Black, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander [API], and American Indian/Alaska Native [AIAN]); nondisabled White mothers served as referent. Outcomes assessed were the presence of assaults up to 1 year before conception, during pregnancy, and up to 1 year postpartum. Compared to nondisabled White mothers, Black, Latinx, and AIAN mothers with physical disabilities were at the highest risk and experienced 16.0, 12.0, and 12.0 times the risk, respectively, of preconception assault; 15.3, 12.7, and 11.6 times the risk of prenatal assault; and 9.0, 8.2, and 9.3 times the risk of postpartum assault (p < .001 for all risk ratios). Adjusting for sociodemographic differences between groups reduced the magnitude of disparities, but Black, Latinx, and AIAN mothers with physical disabilities remained at greatest risk among all cohorts. Women with physical disabilities from minoritized racial/ethnic backgrounds experienced compounded risk of perinatal violence, with risks exceeding those of nondisabled women in the same racial/ethnic groups as well as White women with physical disabilities. Violence against women with physical disabilities, especially during pregnancy, is a major and ongoing public health crisis. Urgent needs include screening and outreach efforts to Black, Latinx, and AIAN mothers with physical disabilities.

Gaslighting (manipulating perceptions and thoughts) is associated with worse health outcomes in adults, yet little is known about the association between gaslighting and other established domains of dating violence (i.e., cyber, verbal, physical, and sexual) nor the unique contribution of gaslighting to worse mental health in adolescents (ages 13–18 years).

Drawing data from the Healthy Minds 2 study (high school), we examined the prevalence, correlation with other domains of dating violence, and an association between gaslighting and mental health symptoms (depression and anxiety) in 374 adolescents (36.9% male, 52.1% female, 11.0% nonbinary or another gender identity; average age = 15.68 years, 1.21 years standard deviation) who had reported dating in the prior year. Poisson multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the association between exposure to dating violence domains and anxiety and depressive symptoms.

One in four adolescent daters reported gaslighting in the past year. When accounting for established domains of dating violence (physical, sexual, verbal, and cyber), age, gender, and school of attendance, gaslighting victimization was associated with greater self-reported anxiety (incident rate ratio = 1.125, p < .01) and depressive symptoms (incident rate ratio = 1.121, p < .01).

Gaslighting is a prevalent behavior in adolescent dating relationships. It is significantly associated with worse adolescent mental health. Increased research and incorporation into surveillance, prevention, and intervention activities are critical to reducing the harm posed by gaslighting in adolescent romantic relationships.

Problem alcohol use is prevalent among women who experience male-perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV). However, the pathways by which this occurs remain poorly understood and understudied among African American women. This study sought to examine context-specific social and psychological mediators of this association. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we tested a conceptual framework predicting problem alcohol use within 3 months of experiencing physical and/or sexual IPV. The sample included 508 young African American women (median age 21, interquartile range 19–22 years). A modified SEM met prespecified global and local fit index criteria. The model identified four indirect paths from IPV to problem alcohol use. Three of the paths were through the endorsement of drinking contexts: negative coping, social drinking, and intimate drinking. Negative coping and social drinking emerged as the most salient pathways (β = .431, 95% CI [0.107, 0.754]; β = .472 [0.103, 0.841], respectively). A fourth path operated via depressive symptomatology and negative coping. The model predictors explained 35% of the variance in problem alcohol use; findings were consistent with full mediation of IPV and problem drinking. These findings increase the understanding of problem alcohol use among African American women who experience IPV and identify modifiable context-specific risk factors for problem alcohol use. Interventions to reduce problem drinking could incorporate trauma-informed counseling, as part of integrated IPV and substance use care, to reduce depressive symptomatology and enhance drinking refusal skills in response to situational drinking.

Transgender (trans) people comprise about 2 million members of the U.S. population. While these communities are blueprints for culture and liberation, they face an acute threat of interpersonal violence, including domestic violence (DV) by intimate partners and family. Trans people are especially susceptible to polyvictimization: experiencing multiple types of violence, often across multiple settings. Furthermore, the negative impacts of violence are often compounded by institutional discrimination when seeking help, or sanctuary harm. For trans survivors of DV, it is crucial that researchers understand group differences in sanctuary harm during help-seeking—differences not only by identity and other biographical traits but also by sanctuary harm experiences in other institutional settings (e.g., healthcare, legal services). To explore associations between these factors, the current study presents a secondary analysis of data from the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey, a large sample of trans and gender nonconforming adults living in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Two binary logistic regressions model the relationship between several biographical and sanctuary harm predictors, and the study outcome of anti-trans sanctuary harm in DV services. Results indicate that sanctuary harm in four other settings—ambulance/emergency medical technician, mental health clinic, drug treatment program, and legal services—significantly predicts the same type of victimization in a DV services context. Some biographical factors were also significant: being more visibly nonconforming, being marginally housed, and ever engaging in sex work were all associated with higher odds of the dependent variable. Study limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications for comprehensive and intersectional DV services are discussed.