Forms Of Interpersonal Violence Research Articles

The questions on violence (FOV) tool for interpersonal violence inquiry in Swedish healthcare settings – evaluation of content validity, face validity and test-retest reliability

BackgroundPrevious research indicates that routine inquiry or screening conducted by healthcare providers may significantly increase the identification of interpersonal violence. There is a lack of comprehensive instruments to routinely assess patients about interpersonal violence and violence against children in the household. The purpose of this study was to assess the content validity, face validity and reliability of the Questions on Violence (FOV) tool, an instrument specifically designed for routine inquiries about interpersonal violence in healthcare settings within the Swedish context.MethodsThe content validity, face validity and reliability of the FOV instrument was assessed through (1) a content validity index with six experts in the field of intimate partner violence, (2) cognitive interviews with nine patients recruited from a primary healthcare facility, and (3) an evaluation of the test-retest reliability based on responses from 37(50.0%) university students. The intraclass correlation coefficient, model 2.1, was calculated to assess the degree of correlation and agreement between the two measurements.ResultsCalculations based on the content validity index indicated that five out of seven items had excellent content validity (≥ 0.78). The average content validity index of included items was 0.88, which is slightly below the recommended threshold for excellent content validity. The results based on the cognitive interviews revealed that participants found the seven items to be relevant and easy to understand. Overall, the participants agreed that the concept of ‘close relationships’ primarily encompassed intimate partners, family members, and close friends. The value of the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.85 (0.77–0.91; CI 95%), indicating good reliability with an interval of good to excellent test-retest reliability.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate that the seven-item FOV instrument has good content and face validity as well as good to excellent test-retest reliability. The current study provides healthcare professionals with a short yet comprehensive instrument for identifying patients who have experienced or perpetrated different forms of interpersonal violence.

Understanding Child Sexual Exploitation Dynamics: Development and Validation of a Taxonomy of Recruitment and Domination Strategies.

Child sexual exploitation is a form of interpersonal violence which involves the use of manipulation, control, and coercion strategies to recruit and dominate minors. This study aimed to develop and validate a taxonomy that identifies, defines, and classifies these abusive strategies. The taxonomy was developed from an extensive literature review and its contents were validated via expert evaluation through a two-round Delphi method with 31 participants. Experts also judged the frequency of each strategy's usage to recruit and dominate the victims in sex trade, sex trafficking, sex tourism, and online sexual exploitation. The taxonomy comprises 20 specific strategies, classified into five categories: isolation, control of personal life, emotional abuse, cognitive manipulation, and behavioral domination. According to the experts, the strategy most frequently used to recruit the minors is "affective enticement", and the strategy that contributes most to the maintenance of the exploitative situation is "instrumentalization of sexuality". Nevertheless, different patterns were found regarding the frequency with which each strategy is used when considering the four manifestations of sexual exploitation separately. Delimiting the abusive strategies commonly perpetrated in child sexual exploitation improves our understanding of this complex phenomenon and could contribute to the development of effective prevention and intervention approaches.

On the Overlap of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Intimate Partner Violence: An Exploratory Examination of Trauma-Related Shame.

Every year, millions of people experience intimate partner violence (IPV) and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), with researchers increasingly discussing the overlap between these two forms of interpersonal violence. However, researchers have not yet used quantitative methods to examine the link between IPV and CSE or to explore potential mechanisms underlying the overlap, including child maltreatment risk factors and psychological mechanisms. One potential mechanism is trauma-related shame, a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder commonly experienced by both victims of CSE and IPV. The current study explores trauma-related shame, childhood maltreatment, and IPV and their associations with CSE using a sample of 174 primarily Black women. Binomial logistic regression is used to analyze the impact of IPV, child abuse and neglect, and trauma-related shame on CSE. Results indicate that IPV and trauma-related shame are both significant predictors of CSE. Implications for future research and the incorporation of shame in trauma-related treatment are discussed.

Support for Partisan Violence among the Political Fringe: The Case of Antifa and QAnon Supporters

ABSTRACT Recent surveys have shown that significant numbers of partisans in the United States harbor violent attitudes towards out-party politicians and out-party members. This finding has corresponded with the increased visibility of political fringe groups, such as Antifa on the political left and QAnon on the political right. Fringe groups such as these take ideologically extreme political positions and defy political norms, including prohibitions on political violence. Are partisan supporters of these fringe groups more likely to hold violent political attitudes? Using survey data from the Understanding America Study (UAS), we test whether Antifa supporters and QAnon supporters are more likely to report violent attitudes compared to non-fringe group supporters. We find supporters of both groups are more likely to wish harm towards out-party members, support violent protest, and support various forms of interpersonal violence towards out-party members. The results hold even when controlling for ideological extremity, personality, and affective partisanship.

Mindless to Mindful Parenting? Videofeedback-Enhanced Psychotherapy for Violence-Exposed Mothers and Their Young Children.

This article presents a frequent dilemma of treatment-seeking mothers suffering from complex posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that is related to exposure to maltreatment and other forms of interpersonal violence. Namely, that complex PTSD symptoms, including dissociative states in mothers that are triggered by normative child emotion dysregulation, aggression, and distress during early childhood, hinder the development of a productive psychotherapeutic process in more traditional psychodynamic psychotherapies for mothers and children. The article thus presents clinician-assisted videofeedback exposure (CAVE) that characterizes a recently manualized brief psychotherapy for this population, called CAVE-approach therapy (CAVEAT). CAVEAT can be used on its own or to preface a deeper process using child-parent psychotherapy or other non-videofeedback-enhanced psychodynamic models. A clinical illustration is provided.

Gender-based violence and its long-term impact on women’s mental health in Andalusia (Spain): risk and protective factors

The aim of this research was to examine the relationship between surviving gender-based violence (GBV) and the long-term presence of clinical symptoms and psychological distress. This was a cross-sectional study of 105 women, 54 of whom had experienced GBV more than three years prior to the study. Participants ranged in age from 24 to 73 years old. They were assessed using a semi-structured interview, instruments to assess self-esteem, maladjustment, perceived stress, social support and resilience, and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III). Between-group differences and linear regression analyses were used to determine which variables had the greatest impact on the current psychological health status of women survivors of GBV. We found differences in levels of self-esteem, maladjustment, social support and perceived stress. There were also differences in most of the MCMI-III scales, indicating a pattern of depression and paranoid personality. Experiencing GBV in childhood was found to be predictive of increased pathology and emotional distress. Social support has been shown to be a protective factor for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. GBV should be treated as a distinct form of violence that requires specific treatment, rather than as just another form of interpersonal violence.

Interpersonal Violence, Racial Discrimination, and Mental Health Symptoms Among Adolescents of Color in the Juvenile-Justice System.

The current study examined how interpersonal racial discrimination experiences operate together with other forms of interpersonal violence to contribute to mental health symptoms among justice-involved adolescents of color. Participants were 118 justice-involved adolescents of color aged 14 to 17 (M = 15.77, SD = 1.08; 52.5% male; 77.1% Black/African American) and their mothers. At baseline, adolescents reported on experiences of interpersonal racial discrimination, harsh parenting, teen dating violence, and exposure to interparental physical intimate partner violence. At baseline and the 3-month follow-up assessment, adolescents reported on trauma symptoms, and adolescents and their mothers reported on the adolescents' externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Multivariate multilevel modeling results indicated that interpersonal racial discrimination experiences contributed additively to adolescent mental health symptoms at both the baseline and 3-month follow-up assessments, after accounting for exposure to other forms of interpersonal violence. The current findings highlight the importance of considering adolescents' experiences of interpersonal racial discrimination, together with other forms of interpersonal violence, in work focused on understanding the mental health symptoms of justice-involved adolescents of color.

What Interventions are Cost Effective in Reducing Violence Against Women? A Scoping Review.

To systematically summarise the recent literature on the cost and cost effectiveness of interventions implemented to reduce violence against women (VAW) and decision frameworks guiding resource allocation. A scoping review of scholarly and grey literature on the cost-effectiveness and/or resource allocation for interventions addressing intimate partner violence (IPV), dating violence and non-partner sexual violence perpetrated against women aged 15 years and over. All settings and contexts were eligible, with papers published in English between 2010 and March 2023 included. Nineteen papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria reporting the cost, cost savings and/or cost effectiveness of 24 interventions to prevent IPV and to a lesser extent, other forms of interpersonal violence. Among the 16 economic evaluation studies reviewed, four types of interventions were cost effective in multiple settings or studies, including community activism (Uganda, Ghana), gender transformative interventions with couples and individuals (Ethiopia, Rwanda), specific justice and law enforcement measures (USA) and a combined personnel training, support, and referral programme in General Practice in the UK. Other interventions were cost effective in a single study or had conflicting evidence. Three remaining papers conducted a partial evaluation or cost appraisal providing limited information on the cost or cost-savings of other implemented interventions. No frameworks on resource allocation for the prevention of VAW were identified. While there is some evidence of cost effectiveness emerging for interventions implemented in specific contexts, overall, we find the recent evidence on costs and cost effectiveness of interventions for the prevention of VAW to be limited. Embedding economic evaluation in future effectiveness trials will build critical evidence needed to inform policy and resource allocation decisions based on the value-for-money of interventions. Modelling the benefits and costs of interventions to better understand the societal impacts of programmes at scale is a further research opportunity.

Investigating the Adequacy of Counterpart Information in Routine Registration of Victims of Interpersonal Violence: A Study in an Emergency Department of Tertiary care Hospital Hyderabad

Objective: To assess the thoroughness of information regarding the counterpart during the routine registration of victims of interpersonal violence in the emergency department. Methodology: A study conducted at the emergency department of Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad and Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, LUMHS Jamshoro from January 2022 to December 2022, spanning a year, documented a total of 700 victims who reported injuries. In accordance with the World Health Organization's definition, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) was identified. Victims were classified as IPV victims if they reported their injuries as resulting from IPV. Data collection was from the emergency department, and only the initial contact for each incident was recorded. Results: A total of 700 victims of violence were recruited, with 474 (67.7%) cases attributed to family violence, 185 (26.4%) cases to community violence, and 41 (5.9%) cases lacking information regarding the source of violence. The majority of violent incidents occurred over weekends (Friday to Sunday) across all categories (p<0.001). Family violence predominantly occurred in domestic settings, while community violence was more common in outdoor areas. Domestic violence was notably prevalent among cases with no available information (p<0.001). Conclusion: The study emphasizes the significance of reliable information about the counterpart in distinguishing between various forms of interpersonal violence, such as family violence and community violence, enabling analysis, monitoring, evaluation, and the formulation of appropriate preventive strategies or interventions against violence.

Screening for Elder Abuse in the Veterans Health Administration: Varied Approaches Across a National Health System.

Elder abuse (EA) is common and has devastating health consequences yet is rarely detected by healthcare professionals. While EA screening tools exist, little is known about if and how these tools are implemented in real-world clinical settings. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has experience screening for, and resources to respond to, other forms of interpersonal violence and may provide valuable insights into approaches for EA screening. Describe EA screening practices across a national integrated healthcare system serving a large population of older adults at risk for EA. Survey of all 139 VHA medical centers from January to August 2021. Surveys were completed by the Social Work Chief, or delegate, at each site. The survey assessed the presence and characteristics of EA-specific screening practices as well as general abuse/neglect screening conducted with patients of all ages, including older adults. Follow-up emails were sent to sites that reported screening requesting additional details not included in the initial survey. Overall, 130 sites (94%) responded. Among respondents, 5 (4%) reported screening older adults for EA using a previously published tool, while 6 (5%) reported screening for EA with an unstudied or locally developed tool. Forty-eight percent reported screening patients of all ages for general abuse/neglect using unstudied questions/tools, and 44% reported no EA screening at their site. Characteristics of screening programs (e.g., frequency, clinical setting, provider type) varied widely between sites, as did respondents' understanding of the definition of screening. High variability in screening practices for abuse/neglect and lack of EA-specific screening in a system that has successfully deployed other standardized screening approaches present an important opportunity to standardize and improve EA detection practices. Lessons learned in VHA could help advance the evidence base for EA screening more broadly to increase overall detection rates for EA nationally.

When Athletes Become Victims: The Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Psychopathological Consequences of Interpersonal Violence in Sports

The “Magglingen protocols” and other cases of abuse in sports have attracted public attention to the problem of interpersonal violence against athletes. This article summarizes the scientific literature on the prevalence of different forms of interpersonal violence in sports, on personal, organizational, and cultural risk factors for victimization, and on psychopathological consequences of athlete abuse. In conclusion, recommendations for trauma-informed interdisciplinary prevention and intervention programs are outlined.

Interpersonal violence and suicide risk: Examining buffering effects of school and community connectedness

BackgroundExposure to interpersonal violence is associated with elevated suicide risk. Preventing suicide among high-risk adolescents is most often discussed from a clinical treatment perspective, resulting in a gap in research examining whether school and community connectedness can buffer the relationships between forms of interpersonal violence and suicide risk in clinical samples of adolescents. MethodsBaseline data from 294 adolescents who received substance use treatment were analyzed to help fill this gap in research. Adolescents in this sample were at greater risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors given their histories of substance use disorders and high rates of interpersonal violence, with 57% reporting experiencing at least one form of abuse/violence. Independent variables included lifetime exposure to physical abuse, sexual abuse, and weapon violence; moderators included various measures of school and community connectedness. Multinomial logistic regression models were estimated to examine the main and interaction effects predicting a three-category measure of suicide risk: non-suicidal, suicidal ideation only, and prior suicide attempts. ResultsSexual abuse survivors had the highest predicted probability of a prior suicide attempt when reporting lower levels of teacher support, school-based positive peer interactions, or neighborhood social connection, but at higher levels of these protective factors, their predicted probability was similar to those not exposed to sexual abuse. The same protective pattern was observed for physical abuse survivors with high neighborhood social connection. ConclusionThe buffering effects observed in this study identified dimensions of school and community social connectedness as protective factors for youth exposed to abuse. Although promoting social connectedness is often cited as a universal suicide prevention approach, tailored efforts to enhance connectedness within this population may also be a promising secondary prevention strategy. Thus, in addition to clinical treatment, more emphasis should be placed on systems-level approaches to reducing risk among youth most vulnerable to suicide.

Does Structural Violence by Institutions Enable Revictimization and Lead to Poorer Health Outcomes?-A Public Health Viewpoint.

Although structural violence is known to interact with and reinforce direct violence in the form of interpersonal violence (e.g., intimate partner violence), little debate takes place in public health on how it can lead to revictimization, leading to even poorer health outcomes (including psychological ill health). This viewpoint aims to discuss this issue using examples from empirical studies to elucidate how structural violence (perpetrated through institutions) contributes to revictimization among people who are already suffering direct violence. Public health professionals (and researchers) need to make efforts to theorize and measure structural violence to aid efforts toward the study of how it intersects with interpersonal violence to influence health outcomes. This will ultimately contribute to better prevention and intervention efforts to curb interpersonal violence and improve population health and well-being. In addition, there is a need to include structural violence in the academic curriculum when training future generations of public health professionals. Increased education on structural violence will bring about an awareness of the grave consequences of the potential additional harm that institutions could inflict on the lives of people they should be protecting or care for.

Childhood and Adult Sexual Violence Exposures as Predictors of PTSD, Dissociation, and Substance Use in Women in Jail

ABSTRACT Women involved in the criminal legal system report high rates of interpersonal violence, particularly sexual violence, and mental health problems. Although existing research has linked experiences of interpersonal violence to multiple negative mental health outcomes, few researchers have examined concurrent psychopathology as an outcome of child and adult sexual violence in system-involved women. The purpose of this study was to examine child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sexual violence, while controlling for other forms of interpersonal violence, as predictors of current symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD), substance use disorder (SUD), and dissociation in women in jail in the Mountain West. Randomly selected participants (N = 146) completed clinician-administered measures of trauma histories and mental health symptoms. The majority of the women (73%) reported experiences of CSA and about half reported experiences of adult sexual violence. Over half of the women reported symptoms consistent with current probable PTSD, about 20% reported dissociation symptoms in a clinical range, and over 70% met criteria for a SUD in the past year. The proposed model was tested with path analysis. CSA significantly predicted current symptoms of PTSD while adult sexual violence exposure predicted symptoms of SUD and dissociation. These results illustrate the high rates of sexual violence exposure as well as the complexity of mental health needs associated with these exposures in system-involved women. Findings highlight the need to comprehensively assess incarcerated women’s trauma exposure and psychological distress to better meet the needs of this population.

Reproductive Autonomy in Appalachia: An Investigation into Perceived Contraceptive Pressure.

The reproductive autonomy of persons who can give birth can be impeded through forms of interpersonal violence and coercion. Moreover, macro-level factors (e.g., poverty, discrimination, community violence, legislative policies) may impede the reproductive autonomy of entire communities. This study investigates a form of violence we term perceived contraceptive pressure in Appalachia, an understudied region of the Eastern U.S., regarding reproductive health and decision-making. Through targeted Meta advertising, participants (N = 632) residing in Appalachian zip codes completed an online survey on reproductive health. The focus of this study was to investigate the prevalence of perceived contraceptive pressure, who was at increased risk of experiencing pressure, and the source(s) of perceived pressure. Binomial regressions were conducted on three different dependent variables: perceived pressure to be sterilized, perceived pressure to use birth control, and perceived pressure not to use birth control. Approximately half of all respondents (49.5%) reported experiencing at least one type of pressure targeting contraceptive decision-making. The most prevalent source of perceived pressure to use birth control was from the healthcare provider (67.4%), and the most prevalent source of perceived pressure not to use birth control was the respondent's partner (51.1%). Recommendations for providers serving clients in the Appalachian region include pursuing education regarding contraceptive pressure at the individual level and macro-level. In addition, Appalachian residents may benefit from educational programming on reproductive autonomy, healthy relationships, and how to navigate pressure in relationships.

Sexual Violence Perpetration Against Intimate Partners: Current Progress and Future Directions.

The literature on sexual violence perpetration against an intimate partner is reviewed and synthesized. Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is compared to other forms of interpersonal violence, and the heterogeneity of perpetrators is explored through an examination of proposed taxonomies. This review also addresses the applicability of existing risk assessment tools to IPSV perpetrators and identifies criminogenic needs of particular relevance to IPSV. Recent research suggests the perpetration of IPSV is heterogeneous in nature, and individuals who perpetrate IPSV present with criminogenic needs consistent with exclusively sexual and violent offenders. There is support for existing risk tools to predict recidivism, but they may not encompass all relevant risk factors specific to IPSV offending. Commonality exists with other forms of interpersonal violence; however, the literature indicates that IPSV is complex and does not wholly resemble other sexual or violent offenses. Although further study is needed to fully understand IPSV perpetration, best practices in risk assessment and rehabilitation should employ tools that capture criminogenic needs.

Interpersonal violence against athletes

Abstract. The mediatization of several high-profile cases of sexual abuse in sports has sensitized a larger public for the problem of interpersonal violence against athletes. This article provides an overview of what is already known on the prevalence of different forms of interpersonal violence in sports, associated personal, organizational and cultural risk factors, and the psychopathological consequences of interpersonal violence. Throughout the article, areas where more research is needed are highlighted. It is concluded that evidence-based psychiatric and psychotherapeutic prevention, intervention and care programs that are tailored to the specific needs of athletes are needed to safeguard mental health in sports.

Nonconsensual Distribution of Sexually Explicit Images Within a Context of Coercive Control: Frequency, Characteristics, and Associations with Other Forms of Victimization.

The present study examined the frequency and characteristics of nonconsensual distribution of sexually explicit images (NCD) among undergraduates (n = 496) and its co-occurrence with other forms of interpersonal violence (e.g., physical, sexual, and psychological abuse). Overall, 17.34% of participants reported NCD victimization; most were women (90.70%). Women who reported NCD from current/former partners (71.79%), compared to non-romantic acquaintances, reported more additional interpersonal violence from the same perpetrator and marginally higher threats of NCD, but were no more likely to receive NCD demands. NCD appears to occur within a pattern of elevated violence; prevention and intervention efforts are needed.

Elevated trauma exposure and mental health burden among men who have sex with men in Vietnam.

The purpose of this study was to characterize trauma exposure and mental health burden among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Participants comprise 100 HIV-positive and 98 high-risk, HIV-negative MSM, ranging from 18 to 29 years of age. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Traumatic Events Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and PTSD Symptom Scale. A subset of participants (n = 12) were also interviewed to evaluate community perception of the prevalence, causation, and available treatment options for mental health issues within the MSM community in Vietnam. In our sample, 23.2% reported having experienced moderate-to-severe childhood physical abuse; 18.7% physical neglect; 13.6% emotional abuse; 11.1% emotional neglect; and 26.8% sexual abuse. Such trauma exposure continued into adulthood and manifested most commonly in the form of interpersonal violence. Approximately 37.4% of the sample met the criteria for probable PTSD; 26.8% for moderate-to-severe depression; and 20.2% for moderate-to-severe anxiety. Neither exposure nor mental health burden differed by serostatus. Linear regression revealed that childhood emotional abuse was the only sub-type of trauma significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. The majority of interviewees believed that mental health burden was higher among MSM relative to the general population and attributed this to their vulnerability to interpersonal violence and lack of available coping resources. However, few believed that these mental health issues warranted clinical attention, and only one participant was able to identify a mental health service provider. Our findings suggest that trauma exposure and mental health burden are prevalent among MSM, irrespective of serostatus, and much higher than what has been previously reported among the general population in Vietnam.

Neuropathological Changes in the Brains of Suicide Killers.

Background: Homicide combined with subsequent suicide of the perpetrator is a particular form of interpersonal violence and, at the same time, a manifestation of extreme aggression directed against oneself. Despite the relatively well-described individual acts of homicide and suicide, both in terms of psychopathology and law, acts of homicide and subsequent suicide committed by the same person are not well-studied phenomena. The importance of emotional factors, including the influence of mental state deviations (psychopathology), on this phenomenon, is discussed in the literature, but still there is relatively little data with which to attempt neuropathological assessments of the brains of suicide killers. This paper is dedicated to the issue based on the neuropathological studies performed. Methods: We analyzed a group of murder–suicides using histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. Results: The results of our research indicate the presence of neurodegenerative changes including multiple deposits of ß-amyloid in the form of senile/amyloid plaques and perivascular diffuse plaques. Conclusions: Neurodegenerative changes found in the analyzed brains of suicide killers may provide an interesting starting point for a number of analyses. The presence of neurodegenerative changes at such a young age in some murderers may suggest preclinical lesions that affect cognitive functions and are associated with depressed moods.