Factors associated with the notification of violence among Brazilian adolescents: an analysis of SINAN.

This study aims to analyze the trend of the notified violence committed against adolescents from 2015 to 2022 and the association between the victim’s characteristics, abuse, and the perpetrators of violence against adolescents in 2022. It used data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Around 400,000 cases of violence against adolescents were reported. The notifications have been on the rise, except in pandemic years (2020 and 2021). The most frequent victims were girls, the principal place of occurrence was at home, and physical violence was the most common type. Correspondence analysis showed an association between female victims, home as a place of occurrence, psychological violence and threat among male victims, violence on public roads committed by strangers, and use of sharp objects. SINAN becomes a vital instrument for allowing visibility to the topic. Preventing youth violence requires an intersectoral approach.

To describe the temporal trend of notifications of physical, sexual and emotional violence and neglect against children in Brazil between 2011 and 2019. This was an ecological time-series study based on notifications of violence against children aged 0-9 years held on the Brazilian Notifiable Health Conditions Information System. Age-adjusted notification rates were calculated for Brazil as a whole, by national macro-region and by sex. Trends were assessed using Joinpoint Regression. We analyzed 88,820 notifications of physical violence, 87,141 notifications of sexual violence, 52,359 notifications of emotional violence and 166,664 notifications of neglect. A rising trend was identified for notifications of physical, sexual and emotional violence and neglect for Brazil as a whole and for both sexes. Neglect accounted for the highest rate (95.24 notifications per 100,000 children in 2019). The Northeast and Southeast macro-regions had rising trends for all forms of violence. Notifications of physical, sexual and emotional violence and neglect showed rising trends in Brazil in the period studied. Increasing trends in notifications of violence against children highlight the continued need for capacity building in health services, crucial for early detection, effective prevention and coordinated intervention, taking regional variations into account. Notification of violence against children by health services requires greater commitment by health workers. Future studies could combine multiple national databases and surveys to increase the accuracy of rates and trends.

Because a substantial proportion of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence is experienced at a young age, primary prevention of these forms of violence must begin early. Prevention efforts should take into consideration that female sexual violence and stalking victimization is perpetrated predominately by men and that a substantial proportion of male sexual violence and stalking victimization (including rape, unwanted sexual contact, noncontact unwanted sexual experiences, and stalking) also is perpetrated by men. CDC seeks to prevent these forms of violence with strategies that address known risk factors for perpetration and by changing social norms and behaviors by using bystander and other prevention strategies. In addition, primary prevention of intimate partner violence is focused on the promotion of healthy relationship behaviors and other protective factors, with the goal of helping adolescents develop these positive behaviors before their first relationships. The early promotion of healthy relationships while behaviors are still relatively modifiable makes it more likely that young persons can avoid violence in their relationships.

The purposes of this study were to gather descriptive information on male rape victims and to compare male and female victims in regard to victim and assault characteristics and immediate postrape symptoms. Data were analyzed from 74 male and 1,380 female rape victims seen at a hospital-based rape crisis program over an 8-year period. Male and female victims were similar in terms of age, race, and prior victimization, although characteristics of male and female assaults differed somewhat. Specifically, male victims were more likely to have been raped by more than one assailant and by a Caucasian assailant, and were less likely to have been physically harmed. Male victims also were rated as more depressed and hostile immediately postrape than female victims. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Violence experienced in adolescence results in serious damage and suffering to society. This study aims to characterize the profile of violence victims and likely perpetrators of violence against adolescents, as well as to describe the percentage of notifying municipalities according to the federation unit. Cross-sectional study conducted with data on notification of violence against adolescents from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, from 2011 to 2017. The chi-square test was used to assess the statistical significance of the differences between the proportions in the comparison between genders. Proportion ratios for the most frequent types of violence were estimated according to selected variables. The notifications came from 75.4% of all the Brazilian municipalities. Physical violence predominated among males, aged 15-19 years. Psychological violence was predominant among females, between 10 and 14 years old, when perpetrated repeatedly at home by family aggressors. Sexual violence prevailed among females, aged 10 to 14 years old, in the indigenous, black and yellow races/colors, when perpetrated repeatedly at home. Negligence was more common among males, between 10 and 14 years old, when perpetrated repeatedly by family aggressors. Sexual violence occurred predominantly against females and generated significant negative impacts on mental, physical, sexual and reproductive health. Community violence, perpetrated with sharp objects and firearms, were prominent among males and are important risk factors for male over-mortality. Because the problems are complex, addressing them requires intersectoral actions.

Injury Patterns and Help-seeking Behavior in Hong Kong Male Intimate Partner Violence Victims

Physical violence in intimate relationships affects men, women, and families worldwide. Although the body of research examining the experiences of male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) has grown, there have been few attempts to synthesize, compare, and contrast findings regarding the prevalence of male and female victimization. We examined research published in the last 10 years to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the prevalence of physical IPV victimization in heterosexual relationships. Our specific aims were to (a) describe the prevalence of physical IPV victimization in industrialized, English-speaking nations; and (b) explore study and sample characteristics that affect prevalence. Literature searches undertaken in three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) identified 750 articles published between 2000 and 2010. We included 249 articles that reported 543 rates of physical IPV victimization in our review: 158 articles reported 318 rates for women, 6 articles reported 8 rates for men, and 85 articles reported 217 rates for both men and women. Most studies were conducted in the United States (k= 213, 85.5%) and almost half (k= 118, 47.4%) measured IPV using a Conflict Tactics Scale-based approach. Unweighted, pooled prevalence estimates were calculated for female and male victimization overall and by sample type, country, measurement time frame, and measurement approach. Across studies, approximately 1 in 4 women (23.1%) and 1 in 5 men (19.3%) experienced physical violence in an intimate relationship, with an overall pooled prevalence estimate of 22.4%. Analyses revealed considerable variability in rates as a function of methodological issues, indicating the need for standardized measurement of IPV.

Introduction. The ongoing war and socio-economic instability in Ukraine have led to an increase in the incidence and severity of violence, accompanied by chronic stress. Survivors of violence often develop psychological disorders (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress) and various psychosomatic symptoms, yet there is a lack of interdisciplinary research on this issue in the Ukrainian context. Aim. To examine the psychosomatic manifestations in adults who have experienced violence during wartime and analyze their relationship with the types of violence, level of life stress, and gender factors. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional survey of 200 respondents was conducted via an anonymous online questionnaire. An author-designed checklist identified exposure to five types of violence (physical, sexual, psychological, economic, and violence by caregivers/educators). Psychological and somatic symptoms were assessed with the SCL-90-R questionnaire, and the level of life stress was measured using the Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n=178, with ≥2 signs of violence) and a control group (n=22, ≤1 sign). Nonparametric group comparisons (Mann-Whitney U test) and Spearman’s correlation analysis were performed with a significance level of p<0.05. Results. Psychological (emotional) violence was the most prevalent (88,5%). The average cumulative life stress score was 197 points, indicating a moderate stress level. The most frequent stressful events included changes in financial status, residence, and living conditions (each reported by 41.7%). According to the SCL-90-R, victims of violence showed a high level of psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints: their mean scores on primary symptom dimensions were substantially above normative values. The most common symptoms were headaches (66.7%), chronic fatigue and impaired concentration (62.5%), as well as muscle tension and chest pain. The violence-exposed group differed significantly from controls: for example, the average Holmes-Rahe stress score in victims was almost three times higher (212 vs 78; p<0.05), and their scores on 8 of 9 SCL-90-R scales were significantly elevated compared to individuals without traumatic experience (p<0.05). Correlation analysis confirmed that different types of violence have specific impacts on psychological symptoms. Notably, economic violence had the strongest association with somatization (ρ=0.37; p<0.05). Sexual violence correlated with a broad range of psychopathological symptoms (significant links with 10 of 12 SCL-90-R indices, especially hostility and anxiety (ρ≈0.26-0.32; p<0.05)). Physical violence also correlated with a broad range of psychopathological symptoms (significant links with 8 of 12 SCL-90-R indices, especially paranoid ideation, anxiety, and the total number of symptoms (ρ≈0.25-0.32; p<0.01). Psychological violence showed a positive correlation with hostility (ρ=0.31) and a weak inverse correlation with phobic anxiety (ρ=-0.15). Violence in the upbringing/education context had only weak associations, mainly with somatization and depression. Women in our sample were considerably more likely than men to have experienced sexual (25% vs 9%) and economic violence (50% vs 32%), whereas men more often reported physical (29% vs 16%) and caregiver-related violence (68% vs 53%). Although women generally constituted a larger proportion of victims, male victims exhibited more pronounced obsessive-compulsive (p=0.026), paranoid (p=0.014), and psychotic symptoms (p=0.028), as well as higher overall distress (GSI; p=0.046) than female victims. Conclusions. This study demonstrates a systemic relationship between the experience of violence and individuals’ psychosomatic health. In the context of war, exposure to violence coupled with chronic environmental stress greatly increases the risk of psychological and somatic exhaustion in survivors. The most pronounced mental health consequences are observed in cases of sexual, physical, and psychological violence. Female and male victims exhibit different response profiles, which necessitates a gender-sensitive approach in psychological care. These findings can be applied to improve violence screening in clinical settings and to develop targeted rehabilitation strategies for affected individuals.

This study aims to analyze notifications of violence against people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and the associations between the characteristics of victims, the nature of the abuse, and the perpetrators. We collected data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) from 2015 to 2022, totaling 42,621 records. An annual upward trend in notifications was observed, with a decrease during the pandemic year of 2020 and a resurgence in 2021. Physical violence was the most common type, and most victims were Black individuals. Correspondence analysis showed an association between violence resulting from legal interventions involving firearms, with police officers as the perpetrators. Among Black male victims, physical violence with blunt objects was associated with unknown perpetrators, and bars or similar venues were common locations of abuse. For white female victims, recurrent psychological/moral violence, involving threats and physical force, was more likely to involve known perpetrators such as intimate partners or family members and occurred within the home. These varied profiles highlight the need for public policies that address the distinct vulnerabilities within this population.

Recently, there has been an increase in referrals of male victims of sexualassault to interdisciplinary sexual assault centers (SACs). Still, there islimited research on the characteristics of men who refer or are referred to SACsand the services they need. To facilitate the medical, forensic, andpsychological treatment in SACs, a better understanding of male victims isindispensable.The first aim of the study was to analyze the victim and assault characteristicsof male victims at a Dutch SAC, and to compare them to those of female victims.The second aim was to analyze and compare SAC service use between male andfemale victims.The victim characteristics, assault characteristics, and service use of 34 malevictims and 633 female victims were collected in a Dutch SAC.T-tests and chi-square tests were used to analyze differencesbetween male and female victims.No differences between males and females in victim or assault characteristicswere found. Most victims received medical and psychological care, with nodifferences between male and female victims. Female victims were more likely tohave contact with the police, but no differences in reporting or forensicmedical examinations between males and females were found.These findings indicate that SACs can and do provide equal services to male andfemale victims, and that the current services are suitable for male victims aswell. However, a focus on educating and advising male victims about policeinvolvement is advisable.

Experiences of violence may have considerable psychosocial and health implications. A violence screening tool was implemented in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1) to depict the perpetrators' and victims' point of view. The study participants were between 18 and 64 years old (n = 5939). The aim of this article is to assess the percentage of people who experienced physical and psychological violence in the last 12 months or who suffered negative effects on their quality of life as a consequence or who were perpetrators of multiple acts of violence. The characteristics of victims, offenders, and their conflict partners are described. Furthermore, specific constellations of violence experience with regard to health-related quality of life are described. Finally, the association between being a victim of violence and different factors is estimated. In total, 2.7% of women and 4.3% of men reported multiple experiences of physical violence in the last 12 months or having their lives negatively impacted as a consequence of violence. Experience of psychological violence was reported by 18.9% of women and 15.4% of men. Women are more likely than men to be both perpetrator and victim within the family. Men are more likely than women to be both the perpetrator and victim outside of the family environment. Regardless of whether they are the victim or perpetrator of violence, the psychological well-being is significantly worse than those of people who did not experience violence. Experience of violence in childhood and adolescence increases the risk of becoming victim or perpetrator of violence later on in life. The findings presented here describe the psychological and physical experience of violence as one part of violence committed in the whole population. Some prevention advice is also presented.

Recent debates surrounding intimate partner violence (IPV) have focused on its gender symmetry and gender-oriented nature. These debates center on findings from various data sources, like victimization or self-reported surveys and police-based reports. Data by Statistics Canada, from 1999 to 2014, has shown that the prevalence of IPV is similar for male and female victims, except for sexual assaults. However, there has been a paucity of studies on the severity and risk factors of IPV against men by female partners. Thus, this paper examines the severity of and risk factors for physical IPV against heterosexual men in Canada using the General Social Survey (Victimization) data of 2014. This study revealed that there is a symmetry in the experiences of physical violence between male and female victims. This study also revealed that male victims experience more severe violence than female victims. Using binary logistic regression analysis, years of dwelling together, the victim’s age, childhood victimization, and marijuana use were found to predict physical IPV against heterosexual men. This paper concludes with suggestions about how these predicting factors can be used to identify male victims and the need for a more inclusive approach toward addressing IPV, which should include male victims.

Objective: to identify the prevalence of interpersonal and self-inflicted violence in older adults in the state of Espírito Santo and its association with victim and aggression characteristics. Method: this is a cross-sectional study with data on notifications of elder abuse registered in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil between 2011 and 2018 in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Violence nature (interpersonal or self-inflicted) and victim and aggression characteristics were assessed. Multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson regression with robust variance. The association was presented by Prevalence Ratio (PR) and 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI). Results: the prevalence of interpersonal violence was 85.0% (95%CI: 83.3-86.5), and of self-inflicted violence was 15.0% (95%CI: 13.5-16.7). Interpersonal elder abuse was associated with higher prevalence in female victims, aged 80 years or older, black/brown and without disability/disorder, with repetition history, with suspected use of alcohol, outside the residence, in urban areas and motivated by intolerances. On the other hand, self-inflicted violence among older adults was more prevalent in male victims, aged 60 to 69 years, white, with disabilities/disorders, when aggression occurred at home, without repetition history, without suspicion of alcohol use, in rural areas and without intolerance. Conclusion: Victim and aggression characteristics influence the occurrence of interpersonal and self-inflicted violence in older adults.

Domestic violence is a widespread problem affecting individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Peritraumatic distress is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems among victims, but research on men's experiences is limited. We analyzed data from 48 physical domestic violence victims (16 males and 32 females) to compare their levels of peritraumatic distress and negative emotions, and to examine the types of aggressors they faced. We used descriptives to summarize sample characteristics and Peritraumatic Distress Inventory scores and used statistical tests such as Mann-Whitney U, Shapiro-Wilk, Levene's test, contingency tables, and chi-square to investigate differences and associations between variables. Female victims of domestic violence had significantly higher scores on the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory than male victims and experienced significantly higher levels of negative emotions than male victims, including impotence/inability to react, sadness, anger/frustration, loss of control, fear, guilt, and shame. Husbands and domestic partners were the most frequent aggressors against female victims, while wives and ex-wives were the most frequent aggressors against male victims. In addition, partners were found to be the most frequent type of aggressor in the sample. Descriptive statistics, box plots, and scatter plots were used to provide a clear picture of the sample characteristics. Female victims of domestic violence reported higher levels of peritraumatic distress and negative emotions compared to men victims. Partners were the most frequent type of aggressor in the sample.

The objective was to determine the prevalence of interpersonal violence between 2015 and 2019, based on notifications from the Unified Health System (SUS). This is an ecological study with metadata from SINAN/DATASUS on notifications of violence over a period of 05 years. A total of 1,534,146 cases of violence were reported in several categories: physical violence; psychological violence; neglect/abandonment; sexual violence; torture; financial/economic violence; Child labor; legal intervention; trafficking in persons; and other types of violence. The main victims of violence were women (77.55%), white (40.40%), with incomplete higher education (13.93%), single (38.08%) and heterosexual (50.15%). Violence was characterized by sexism as the main motivation (8.88%), with physical violence being the most prevalent (60.78%). As for the means of aggression, force/body beating (42.98%) was the most used against the victim. The majority profile of the aggressor was male (54.54%), adult (45.52%), victim's spouse (13.61), not alcoholic (43.41%). These results demonstrate the importance of preventing violence, especially in the home environment, perpetrated by intimate partners, family members and acquaintances of the victim. The study provides, to date, one of the largest samples of interpersonal violence reported by health professionals in Brazil.