Crisis Center Research Articles

Crisis jam session celebrates, reviews plans for 988 launch

Shining a light on the life‐saving work of crisis centers and continuing to strengthen the 988 workforce, along with building awareness and understanding of 988, and supporting states, territories and tribes in their 988 implementation efforts, are among the key objectives that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has outlined in its 988 crisis hotline transition efforts, according to a SAMHSA official in the days before the July 16 national rollout.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 2020 In-State Answer Rates, Stratified by Call Volume Rates and Geographic Region.

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article DatapointsFull AccessNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline 2020 In-State Answer Rates, Stratified by Call Volume Rates and Geographic RegionJonathan Purtle, Dr.P.H., M.Sc., Michael A. Lindsey, Ph.D., M.S.W., Ramesh Raghavan, Ph.D., Elizabeth A. Stuart, Ph.D.Jonathan PurtleSearch for more papers by this author, Dr.P.H., M.Sc., Michael A. LindseySearch for more papers by this author, Ph.D., M.S.W., Ramesh RaghavanSearch for more papers by this author, Ph.D., Elizabeth A. StuartSearch for more papers by this author, Ph.D.Published Online:14 Jul 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202200020AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail On July 16, 2022, the number 988 will become the new toll-free dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (the major crisis telephone hotline in the United States) (1). Lifeline calls are initially routed to crisis centers within the caller’s state. If the call cannot be answered in a reasonable amount of time, it is rerouted to an out-of-state crisis center. Answering calls within the same state as the caller is considered to be a best practice because crisis center staff can effectively connect callers to local resources. The “in-state answer rate”—defined as the percentage of Lifeline calls originating from a state that are answered in that state—is a Lifeline quality metric, with 90% being the benchmark goal. This analysis characterized variation across states’ in-state answer rates and assessed associations with rates of Lifeline call volume and geographic region.State-level 2020 data on in-state answer rates and number of Lifeline calls—excluding calls from veterans (state mean=25.0% of calls) and Spanish speakers (state mean=1.4% of calls), because callers from these populations are routed to separate Lifelines—were obtained from publicly available Lifeline reports (2). Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau (3) and Department of Veterans Affairs (4), we estimated the number of nonveteran residents within each state in 2020. We used these data to calculate a rate of Lifeline calls per 1,000 nonveteran state residents. This served as a population size–adjusted measure of demand for Lifeline services.The mean±SD in-state answer rate was 71.3%±19.5%, and the range was 10.0% (Minnesota) to 98.2% (Rhode Island). Only seven states were at or above 90.0%. Mean in-state answer rates by U.S. Census region were as follows: Northeast, 76.1%; West, 76.7%; South, 70.6%; and Midwest, 62.7% (F=1.32). The mean Lifeline call volume rate per 1,000 nonveteran state residents was 5.54±1.33, and the range was 3.75 (Maine) to 11.00 (Alaska). No correlation was found between a state’s in-state answer rate and its Lifeline call volume rate (Spearman correlation=−0.11, Pearson correlation=0.06) (Figure 1).FIGURE 1. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 2020 in-state answer rates and call volume rates for each U.S. stateaa The line is the correlation between in-state answer rate and call volume per 1,000 residents for all 50 states.We found a substantial variation in Lifeline in-state answer rates across states. The absence of an inverse correlation between in-state answer rates and call volume rates suggests that low in-state answer rates are not the result of high demand for Lifeline services. Understanding how to improve in-state answer rates is important because Lifeline call volume is projected to potentially triple following the launch of the new 988 dialing code (5).Department of Public Health Policy and Management, Global Center for Implementation Science, School of Global Public Health (Purtle), McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research (Lindsey), and Silver School of Social Work (Raghavan), New York University, New York City; Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (Stuart).Send correspondence to Dr. Purtle ([email protected]). Tami L. Mark, Ph.D., and Alexander J. Cowell, Ph.D., are editors of this column.The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.References1 Hogan MF, Goldman ML: New opportunities to improve mental health crisis systems. Psychiatr Serv 2021; 72:169–173Link, Google Scholar2 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline State Reports. Rockville, MD, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/lifeline-state-reports/. Accessed Jan 8, 2022Google Scholar3 State Population Totals: 2010–2020. Suitland, MD, US Census Bureau, 2021. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-evaluation-estimates/2010s-state-total.html. Accessed Jan 8, 2022Google Scholar4 National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. Washington, DC, US Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.va.gov/vetdata/veteran_population.asp. Accessed Jan 8, 2022Google Scholar5 988 Appropriations Report. Rockville, MD, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/988-appropriations-report.pdfGoogle Scholar FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byGrowing inequities in mental health crisis services offered to indigent patients in Puerto Rico versus the US states before and after Hurricanes Maria and Irma8 November 2022 | Health Services Research, Vol. 50 Volume 74Issue 2 February 01, 2023Pages 204-205 Metrics KeywordsCrisis interventionSuicide and self-destructive behaviorPublic policy issuesPDF download History Received 9 January 2022 Revised 14 March 2022 Accepted 20 May 2022 Published online 14 July 2022 Published in print 1 February 2023

Join Me in My ‘Roadmap’ for APA’s Future

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article From the PresidentFull AccessJoin Me in My ‘Roadmap’ for APA’s FutureRebecca Brendel, M.D., J.D.Rebecca BrendelSearch for more papers by this author, M.D., J.D.Published Online:22 Jun 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2022.07.7.10The joy of being together in person at the New Orleans Annual Meeting in May kicked off my year as president by reinforcing the gifts of connection, community, and our profession and their relevance to my presidential theme of “A Roadmap for the Future.” As we find ourselves now faced with a twin mental health pandemic, how can we apply these gifts to the challenge at hand—ensuring that every American has access to effective, high-quality mental health care?As you may have heard or read in the report on my speech, to do this work we must focus internally on supporting psychiatrists, developing our workforce, and fighting structural stigma that reimburses psychiatrists less than our medical colleagues. These are the reciprocal responsibilities that we accept in recognition of the gift of profession and collegiality. We need to develop and advance policy and structure to advance our goals and fight systems and business practices that prioritize profits over patients, and we must advocate for the communities we serve. Finally, we will have to build critical connections for public engagement to advance health, including mental health. We must connect and stay connected. (Speaking of which, I encourage you to follow me on Twitter through the APA president’s official Twitter account at @Pres_APA.)This month, on July 16, the new nationwide 988 mental health crisis number goes live (see 988 is Coming, But Most Localities Still Not Prepared). With 988, suicide prevention and mental health crisis response will be accessible by a three-digit number, just like the 911 number for medical emergencies that preceded it by half a century. The 988 line will patch into the existing federal national suicide prevention lifeline, which consists of over 200 crisis centers from coast to coast, though many calls are not answered locally. The existing hotline number (1-800-273-TALK [8255]) will also stay live, continuing to field the nearly 2.5 million calls it receives annually from Americans experiencing mental health crisis and suicidality. With rising suicide rates in the United States, record drug overdoses, and Americans increasingly concerned about mental health, any measure to reduce barriers to an emergency mental health response, particularly a simplified three-digit number, is welcomed. But the potential impact of 988 is even greater.The 988 rollout has the potential to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. In the current system, 911 responses all too often include dispatching law enforcement personnel to intervene in mental health crises, especially, but not limited to, those involving behavioral dysregulation. A law enforcement response reinforces an association between crime and mental illness—a false, stigmatizing, and damaging narrative that has played out in harmful ways from erecting barriers to care to false but often persuasive public narratives about mental illness as the etiology of acts of mass violence. APA has joined with other organizations in challenging this narrative especially in light of recent mass shootings. In addition, law enforcement involvement is more likely to result in inequitable rates of legal system entry for Black and other racialized and minoritized individuals compared with other Americans.There is no question that safety is important and that we can provide training to law enforcement personnel to improve the efficacy and de-escalate mental health crisis interventions when they do respond. However, effective mental health crisis response requires more trained responders, community resources, and connections to care. 988 has the potential to go beyond connection to community with funding to support local mental health crisis response services and treatment and to integrate with the existing 911 emergency medical response system.Imagining, designing, and envisioning this constellation of services from crisis to ongoing care along with the integration of medical and mental health care can set a roadmap for the future imbued with connection, community, and visionary psychiatric leadership.Want to be part of the solution? We encourage you to learn more about 988 and what you can do to support 988 implementation in your community (again, see article on page 12 and especially its ending). Finally, thanks to those of you who have volunteered your ideas for the future of psychiatry. I encourage you to keep them coming at [email protected]. Until next month! ■ ISSUES NewArchived

Barriers to Help-Seeking for Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan: Perspectives of Criminal Justice, Social, Health, and Educational Professionals.

Research with survivors of domestic violence (DV) suggests that most do not seek supportive services from formal organizations. The purpose of this study is to understand the structural and legal barriers that prevent survivors of DV from seeking help in Kyrgyzstan from the perspectives of professionals within the areas of law enforcement, judicial system, social, health, and educational sectors working directly with survivors. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews and 8 focus groups with 83 professionals who are employed as domestic violence or legal advocates, psychologists, healthcare providers, educators, and law enforcement officials who had worked with the survivors of DV in their current positions. We analyzed the data using a multistep strategy derived from grounded theory methods. The findings of the study highlighted six structural barriers: (1) financial dependence on the abuser, (2) stigma and shame of seeking help, (3) few crisis centers and rigid acceptance criteria for temporary protection, (4) the normalization and societal acceptance of abuse, (5) a lack of property rights for women, and (6) distrust of formal services. The participants indicated five legal barriers, including the following: (1) insufficient sanctions for abusers, (2) unclear provisions and inadequate enforcement of law, (3) a low likelihood of prosecution, (4) poor procedures, stereotypes of survivors, and revictimization during investigations, and (5) protection for abusers who work in positions of power. The structural and legal barriers that survivors face when seeking help are formidable challenges that will require extensive support from professionals working in the fields of criminal justice, social work, and public health. Findings suggest that both short-term and longer-term interventions that require sustainability of prevention efforts are necessary to address barriers to help-seeking identified in the study.

Impact of Sexual Assault Survivor Identity on Patient Care in the Emergency Department.

Interactions between emergency department (ED) staff and sexual assault (SA) survivors can be a source of retraumatization for survivors, increasing their risk of posttraumatic stress and decreasing utilization of longitudinal medical care. Little is known about nationwide trends in ED staff attitudes and behaviors toward survivors, including the impact of survivor identity. We conducted a survey to determine if survivor identity influenced ED staff behaviors. A nationwide survey of SA patient advocates was conducted between June and August 2021. Advocates are volunteers or staff dispatched from rape crisis centers to support survivors during ED care. Advocates participated in an online survey to determine the frequency of observing six potentially retraumatizing provider attitudes and behaviors. Adaptive questioning was used to explore the impact of survivor identity on each attitude or behavior and which identity groups were more likely to be affected. Three hundred fifteen advocates responded to the survey. Less than 10% indicated that ED staff often or always convey disbelief or blame to survivors. Almost 75% of advocates indicated that they often or always observe ED staff showing empathy to survivors. Disparities were found in provider attitudes. Over 75% of advocates observed that survivors' mental health status or substance use impacted conveyed belief from providers. Patients who were intoxicated when assaulted, had psychiatric disorders, were Black, Hispanic/LatinX, or indigenous, or were not cis-females were more likely to experience disbelief. Patients who were white and/or cis-gender females were more likely to be pressured by ED staff to complete the forensic exam and/or report to the police. Our study documents disparities in ED staff behavior towards SA survivors according to survivor identity. Given that post-assault ED interactions are critical turning points in survivors' future medical processes, disparities in ED care may be linked to larger disparities in healing from trauma.

The Body in Crisis: A Health Needs Assessment among Female Survivors of Interpersonal Violence.

When women who experience violence seek social services, they are looking to meet immediate needs: shelter, safety, and support. Seeking assistance as part of a crisis may inadvertently detract attention away from other critical needs. Literature illustrates the emotional and physical effects of violence on women's bodies, as well as their long-term health. While health may present as an urgent need in cases of serious injury, it is often overlooked in crisis-oriented service delivery systems. This study explored the experience with violence, health status, and holistic healthcare needs among women accessing interpersonal violence services in Texas. A tablet-based survey was conducted at a family justice center, rape crisis center, and emergency shelter among women (N = 99) in Fort Worth, Texas. Survey questions assessed the participants' demographic information, health status, health needs, healthcare utilization, barriers to accessing healthcare, and experience with interpersonal violence among participating women. Two-thirds of the sample reported suffering injuries from victimization experiences. More than half of the sample (62%) reported they went to the emergency room at least one time in the last 6months, with 11 women reported staying five or more nights in the hospital in the last 6months. Participants described urgent (e.g., advised by healthcare provider, too serious for a clinic) and non-urgent (e.g., not having another source of care, closest provider) reasons for using the emergency room. Roughly, half of the sample (50%) reported having at least three chronic conditions. This study illustrated that women seeking interpersonal violence related (IPV) services have multiple unmet needs and lack adequate access to physical and mental health care. Since the majority of the sample was living in poverty, there are multiple costs and investments in the participants' health that were forgone for their survival. This study provides data in support of the development of health-related services for IPV survivors.

Differential Experiences of Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Intimate Partner Violence Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults.

Various forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) are unfortunately common amongst adults in the United States, and these rates are devastatingly higher for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals than for the general population. However, the TGD population is not monolithic, and is diverse regarding gender, sexual orientation, age, race/ethnicity, urbanicity, and other sociodemographic categories. This study uses data from the 2018 Michigan Trans Health Survey to explore these within group differences regarding sexual, physical, and emotional forms of IPV using chi-square tests of independence and logistic regressions. Chi square tests of independence found homelessness had significant associations across all outcome variables: "ever experienced physical violence from a partner," "ever experienced forced sex from a partner," "ever been threatened to be outed by a partner," and "ever had gender belittled by a partner." Gender identity and sexual orientation had significant associations with "ever experienced forced sex from a partner," "ever been threatened to be outed by a partner," and "ever had gender belittled by a partner." Urbanicity showed a significant association with "ever being threatened to be outed by a partner." In the logistic regressions, age indicated significantly higher likelihood of IPV physical IPV with each year of age; experiences of homelessness were significantly related to likelihood for all outcomes variables. Gender and sexual orientation were also significant across the models, with differing levels of likeliness depending on identities. Findings demonstrate a need for TGD inclusive programming, and specifically programs that target TGD persons who are older, report additional genders (meaning, multiple identities and/or identities besides transfeminine, transmasculine, or nonbinary), queer sexual orientations, and who are/have experienced homelessness. Programs are needed both in the realms of intimate partner violence prevention work and social services that support survivors of violence, such as mental health clinics, rape crisis centers, and shelters.

Analysis of domestic and international experience in the field of social support for young single mothers

This article analyzes the measures taken in our country and a number of foreign countries in the direction of social support for single young mothers. Social support for single mothers, including young ones, should be one of the points of family policy of each state, since young mothers are not able to cope with financial, moral and other situations arising from the birth of an illegitimate child on their own. The study of the process of social support for such mothers also determines the urgent need for preventive work on the problems of early pregnancy, motherhood in adolescence, social orphanhood. The main purpose of the article is to compare the work on social support for single mothers in our country, to determine effective measures for the implementation of work in this direction. The research method of the article is the analysis of materials of domestic and foreign scientific research, question- naires, official statistical indicators of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Plan- ning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The study interviewed 33 young single mothers tem- porarily residing in the «Mother’s House» and other crisis centers. In the article, in parallel with providing financial support to young mothers, a comparative analysis of work in Kazakhstan, Russia, France, Norway, the USA, Japan, China and a number of other countries is carried out in solving issues of social orientation: psychological support, stabilization of the psycho- emotional state, adaptation to the environment and others. The results of the analysis of social support for pregnant girls and young single mothers show that help is needed and the need to solve the problem in the social work system, as a result, measures to prevent this problem are presented. Key words: young single mothers, early pregnancy, abortion, social support, social adaptation.

Systematic Review of Research and Interventions With Frequent Callers to Suicide Prevention Helplines and Crisis Centers.

Background: Helplines worldwide have frequent callers who may occupy a large proportion of call volume. Therapeutic gain from frequent calling has been questioned. We conducted this review to identify the characteristics of frequent callers and to compile recommendations about how best to help them. Method: Using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) standards, we searched for all empirical research in English and French from inception to May, 2020 in PubMed, PsycInfo, and the CRISE library. Results: We identified 738 manuscripts and retained 27 for analyses. Nine provided no definition of frequent callers; nine mixed frequent callers with repeat callers (>1 calls); nine concerned frequent callers (≥8 calls/month). The limited data suggest frequent callers are similar to other callers and often experience mental health problems, loneliness, and suicide risk. From recommendations in all 27 studies, we identified 10 suggestions to better manage and help frequent callers that merit validation. Limitations: The small number of empirical investigations and the diversity of their goals and methodologies limit generalizations. Although recommendations for helping callers may have face validity, empirical data on their effectiveness are scarce. Conclusion: Rather than focusing on reducing call frequency, we should empirically evaluate the benefits of interventions for frequent callers with different calling patterns, characteristics, and reasons for calling.

Online Media to Address Violence against Women during COVID-19 Pandemic

This research aims to identify obstacles and analyze the strategic solution taken by the Public Relations of Rifka Annisa’s Women Crisis Center in utilizing online media platforms to address violence against women during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Yogyakarta. This research uses the qualitative case study method through observation and in-depth interviews at the Public Relations division of Rifka Annisa. Crisis Management and New Media concepts are used to analyze strategies in addressing the problem. The research results reveal that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered the rise of violence against women. Social restriction during the pandemic is an obstacle for Rifka Annisa in reaching the violence victims and the wider community. Rifka Annisa shifts their usual face-to-face counseling programs for violence victims to online counseling programs. Similarly, they use online media platforms to advocate for public awareness, where they selectively select the online media type that suits the character of the target audience.

Design and testing booking application for private doctors’ practices to support disaster management

During the pandemic or natural disaster, people will be dispersed and locked down in their own homes or crisis centres. During these times, people are still in need of access to healthcare. While general healthcare would be provided by the government during these times, certain people within the population will need access to specialised doctors, especially children, the elderly and people who have prior or long-term diseases. During a disaster, people may not have access to these services. Therefore, a simple technology that lets them book an appointment with these specialised doctors will be designed in this research. This booking application, will be able to back up the general healthcare when it is overwhelmed, especially during a disaster. This research was carried out using qualitative research. The data collection was conducted using interview and observation. These primary data are then coded according to the general themes. The data is then used to create a usable design for the booking application prototype, using User-Centred Design as its method. After the prototype was created successfully, it was then tested for its usability with its potential users. 6 people from 3 user groups agreed to be respondents for the usability testing. Using think aloud protocols, it was found that on average 4 out of 6 people found the prototype usable and suitable for their jobs.

Assessing the factorial validity and the internal reliability of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ); PTSD and complex PTSD among survivors of sexual violence in Ireland.

To assess the factorial validity and internal reliability of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) among a treatment-seeking sample of survivors of sexual violence in Ireland. In addition, to assess the diagnostic rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) among the samples. Participants were adult survivors of sexual violence (N = 114) in receipt of therapeutic support at the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. The ITQ was utilised to measure PTSD and CPTSD symptoms and confirmatory factor analysis was employed to assess the factorial validity of the ITQ. Composite reliability was employed to assess the internal reliability of the ITQ scale scores. The confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that a six-factor correlated model and a two-factor higher model were good representations of the latent structure of the ITQ, both models are consistent with the conceptualisation of CPTSD. All ITQ subscales possessed satisfactory internal reliability except for the affective dysregulation subscale. Of the sample, 56.1% met the criteria for CPTSD and 20.2% met the criteria for PTSD. The ITQ captured a distinction between PTSD and CPTSD symptoms and produced reliable scores within the sample, but replication with a larger sample size is required. In addition, the study findings demonstrated that CPTSD was relatively common among those seeking psychological support following sexual violence.

"We Grew Up in This Movement": A Conversation between Salamishah Tillet and Scheherazade Tillet

Abstract: Writer and activist Salamishah Tillet and photographer and organizer Scheherazade Tillet engaged in a lively and in-depth conversation about their work to end sexual violence before and beyond #MeToo. In 2003, the Tillet sisters founded A Long Walk Home, a nonprofit that empowers young people to use art to end violence against girls and women. Yet their actual organizing work began five years earlier when Scheherazade, at twenty years old, began documenting Salamishah's healing after being sexually assaulted in college. From 1998 to 2013, Scheherazade took thousands of images, many of which became the spine of Story Of A Rape Survivor ( SOARS ), a performance that the Tillet sisters created and toured with a cast of Black women singers, dancers, and actors at rape crisis centers and college campuses over two decades. Some of those photographs are included here, along with others from the performances, to provide a visual archive of the innovative artistic process and the unique political intervention of SOARS from its very beginning.

“One Stop Crisis Centres” for the Redress of Sexual Offenses in India: Addressing Gaps between Policy, Execution, and Implementation

AbstractWomen in India have perpetually been the victims of sexual offenses. The data of the National Crime Records Bureau suggests that such offenses against women are prevalent in almost every part of the country. The year 2013 marked major reforms to the legal and judicial structure for addressing these sexual offenses against female victims. It was felt that special support agencies should be established under one roof to administer every kind of assistance these victims require. Victims should not be mandated to run from pillar to post seeking justice from various agencies and institutions; rather, assistance should be made available to them at one location. To aid and assist the victims of sexual offenses, the Justice Usha Mehra Commission of Inquiry1 was constituted by India's central government just after the horrific gang rape of a medical student in Delhi in 2012. The Commission recommended the establishment of One Stop Crisis Centres (OSCCs) to help victims of sexual offenses with their legal battles against their offenders. But a primary question has loomed about the effectiveness of such Centres on the ground level, given the lack of resources in our criminal justice enforcement system and a strained policing mechanism.This article deliberates on the fundamental contours of roles and responsibilities to be performed by the OSCCs and deep dives into the investigation of factors presumably responsible for their less-than-desirable output, if any.

Sociological analysis of a modern young family's problems

The article examines the problems that young families face today on the basis of the theoretical analysis and analysis of empirical data. The relevance of the scientific research is due, firstly, to demographic processes associated, among other things, with a high level of divorces, and secondly, the crisis of the traditional form of a family, the transformation of the system of spiritual and social values, the formation of attitudes towards egocentrism and consumerism. The purpose of the research to identify and characterize the problems of a modern young family. The object of the research is a young family, the subject is the problems of a modern young family. During the study, the method of questionnaire [n=120] and expert survey has been used. Experts from the Orlovsky Crisis Center in the city of Orel (10 people) acted as experts. The study has showed that some of the problems faced by a modern young family are objective, others are objective-subjective. The authors have identified four groups of problems of a young family: the first group consists of problems conditioned by financial situation of a family, the second - problems of a communicative nature, the third - socio-psychological problems and the fourth - problems associated with the personal characteristics of young spouses. The authors note that spiritual and moral education, which includes the formation of family values, is a basic condition for preserving not only a young family, but also the family as a social institution.

How to recognize violence and prevent it

The article highlights the problem of violence and its consequences for the psychological development of the individual, analyzes the principles of working with victims of domestic violence. Violence has probably always been a part of human existence. Its various manifestations can be seen in all corners of the world. Only recently has special attention been paid to this issue. The topic of violence and aggression has become one of the most relevant since the end of the 20th century. The topic of domestic violence is gradually beginning to be discussed, mainly thanks to the efforts of women's public organizations, specialists in the field of gender and social studies. Under public pressure, active state aid to crisis centers and shelters for women who have survived violence began. In our country, the problem of domestic violence began to be paid attention to quite recently. The number of scientific studies examining marriage in relation to violence and child abuse is limited. International attention to the problem of domestic violence is highlighted by numerous discussions at UN congresses on women's issues.

Restrictions of establishing social bonds among the children deprived from parental care (on the case of children sheltered at the crisis centre)

The article reflects the circumstances accompanying the process of child deprivation from parental care, which limits or restricts the formation of stable and fundamental social bonds. Particularly, the article illustrates the findings of the study among 29 children deprived of parental care, who were sheltered at the Crisis Center for the period of 2019-2021. The findings of the study are interpreted in the context of social relations by T. Parsons, T. Hirschi, and J. Chris. The study showed that positions, approaches, and aspirations of establishing and maintaining social bonds by children are conditioned due to: 1) the child deprivation from parental care; 2) the nature of the action of becoming deprived of care, 3) decision making on child’s placement. The study also tackles the impacts of other accompanying circumstances within the discussed context.

Connecting survivors to therapeutic support and criminal justice through informal reporting options: an analysis of sexual violence reports made to a digital reporting tool in Australia

ABSTRACT This article analyses the content of 483 reports of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and various forms of sexual harassment, made to a digital reporting tool (DRT) developed by a rape crisis centre in Melbourne, Australia. These written digital reports were made in a confidential and informal capacity, with all de-identified reports distributed to relevant policing jurisdictions to support intelligence gathering. Based on an analysis of the de-identified reports, this article suggests the DRT functioned as an important gateway in connecting survivors with appropriate therapeutic support when disclosing sexual violence and had a demonstrable capacity to provide the police with information for intelligence gathering. There was also scope for survivors to make formal reports should they wish to do so. However, further research with police, sexual violence support services and survivors is needed to develop a full understanding of the potential of informal sexual violence reporting options.

The Effectiveness of HERO Training to Improve the Engagement of Disaster Volunteers

The future development of CCeU ULM needs to consider the nature of volunteers who do not want to continue to be in the organization. Therefore, retaining volunteers to continue to be actively involved and contribute to the organization is a challenge in itself. This study aims to empirically test the "HERO" training (Hope, Efficacy, Resiliency, Optimism) to increase the engagement of disaster volunteers. The instrument used to measure psychological capital is adapted from Cetin and Basim (2012), namely Psychological Capital Scale (R= 0.941). The scale used to measure the Work Engagement of Crisis Center Unit ULM volunteers was (R= 0.935). The respondents of this study were 53 members of the ULM Crisis Center Unit, divided into men and women, with criteria for 18-25 years. This research is a quasi-experimental study with a non-randomized one-group pre-test post-test design. Statistical analysis showed 0.699 >, 0.699 < 0.05, so it can conclude that there is no significant effect of HERO training on the work engagement of CCU FK ULM members. It means that other antecedents can lead to one's work engagement.

Family Psychoeducation Therapy to Improve Family's Ability to Care for Victims of Sexual Abuse


 Background: Sexual abuse is increasingly occurring but it is difficult to detect. Victims and their families usually do not want to reveal the sexual abuse clearly, complicates intervention efforts. The most incidents of sexual abuse occurred in children and adolescents, which is called child sexual abuse. Aim This study was conducted to analyze the effect of Family Psychoeducation (FPE) therapy on family’s ability to care for children who experienced sexual abuse (post sexual abuse) in the working area of Women's Crisis Center (WCC), Jombang Regency, East Java. Method: This study utilized pre-experimental design with one group pretest-posttest design; using one treatment group, with observations conducted to the group before and after treatment. The population in this study were all families with children who experienced sexual abuse with a total of 133 respondents. By using simple random sampling technique, 100 samples were obtained. The measuring instrument used was a questionnaire on both variables. Data processing was carried out by editing, coding, scoring, and tabulating, while data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. Results: Results obtained p value = 0.000 (<0.005), indicating that H1 was accepted. It means that there was an effect of Family Psychoeducation (FPE) therapy on the family's ability to care for children who experienced sexual abuse (post sexual abuse) in the working area of Women's Crisis Center, Jombang Regency. Conclusion: This study concludes that the most common case of sexual abuse is sexual violence. The results show that there is an effect of family psychoeducation (FPE) therapy on the family’s ability to care for children who experienced sexual abuse (post sexual abuse).