Historical Abuse Research Articles

Examining Permanent Contraception for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With Intellectual Developmental Disorder: Ethical, Legal, and Medical Considerations: Clinical Report.

There have been significant advances in the medical and surgical options available for contraception and management of menses for individuals, including those with intellectual developmental disorder. This new statement frames the ethical, legal, and medical issues of permanent contraception in children, adolescents, and young adults with intellectual developmental disorder, emphasizing the importance of utilizing long-acting reversible and minimally invasive treatments, whenever possible. The historical use and abuse of permanent contraception is briefly reviewed, providing the foundation for ongoing ethical and legal considerations, including issues of informed consent. The authors then discuss medical decision-making and patient preferences that should be considered and make recommendations to providers who are contemplating permanent contraception therapies in this population.

Epidemiological features of depression and anxiety among homeless adults with healthcare access problems in London, UK: descriptive cross-sectional analysis.

In England in 2021, an estimated 274 000 people were homeless on a given night. It has long been recognised that physical and mental health of people who are homeless is poorer than for people who are housed. There are few peer-reviewed studies to inform health and social care for depression or anxiety among homeless adults in this setting. To measure the symptoms of depression and anxiety among adults who are homeless and who have difficulty accessing healthcare, and to describe distribution of symptoms across sociodemographic, social vulnerability and health-related characteristics. We completed structured questionnaires with 311 adults who were homeless and who had difficulty accessing healthcare in London, UK, between August and December 2021. We measured anxiety and depression symptoms using the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) score. We compared median PHQ-4 scores across strata of the sociodemographic, social vulnerability and health-related characteristics, and tested for associations using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The median PHQ-4 score was 8 out of 12, and 40.2% had scores suggesting high clinical need. Although PHQ-4 scores were consistently high across a range of socioeconomic, social vulnerability and health-related characteristics, they were positively associated with: young age; food insecurity; recent and historic abuse; joint, bone or muscle problems; and frequency of marijuana use. The most common (60%) barrier to accessing healthcare related to transportation. Adults who are homeless and have difficulty accessing healthcare have high levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. Our findings support consideration of population-level, multisectoral intervention.

The safeguarding capability of adults in Catholic Church ministries: A global perspective

BackgroundIn the wake of historical sexual abuse across the Catholic Church globally, the Church continues to develop policies and processes to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse, including supporting the skills, knowledge, and confidence of members of the Church. ObjectiveWe investigated the safeguarding capabilities of a range of people with different roles within Catholic Church ministries in various countries. Participants and settingOur 184 participants included lay people, religious men and women, school staff, safeguarding officers and tertiary students associated with the Catholic Church. Data were collected across seven different countries. MethodsWe measured the awareness, confidence, attitudes, and knowledge of participants and examined differences between participants in different roles within the Church and different countries through General Linear Models. ResultsWe found varying levels of awareness, confidence, attitudes, and knowledge regarding sexual abuse prevention and safeguarding. We pinpointed the significant differences in three of these domains (confidence, attitudes, and knowledge) both between people with different roles in the church worldwide, but also between the countries from which participants came from. ConclusionsWe found that people in various countries and roles within the Church are at different stages of their safeguarding journey. Some are still understanding their roles (attitudes), some are still learning about how it is operationalised (awareness), and others are acquiring skills that will prepare them for enacting safeguarding policies and practices (confidence).

Historical child sexual abuse cases reported to the police by Indigenous adults in a northern Canadian territory: an exploration of factors affecting the likelihood of charges and convictions

ABSTRACT The current research examined historical child sexual abuse files from a northern Canadian police force, looking at factors pertaining to the offence, the complainant and the suspect, in an area with a large Indigenous population. The dataset analysed represented all reported cases (N = 229) of historical child sexual abuse by Indigenous complainants in the database of the participating force from 2005 to 2019. Analysis of all cases showed charges were more likely in cases with multiple complainants, female complainants and complainants 11–14 years old at the time of the abuse. For cases where charges were laid (n = 135), convictions were slightly more likely in cases with less serious offences. For trial cases (n = 75), multiple complainants, the relationship of suspect to complainant, age of suspect and age difference between complainant and suspect were significantly associated with trial outcome. Ethnicity of suspects showed no relationship to charges or convictions. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This research demonstrates the importance of support for all victims of historical child sexual abuse when navigating the difficult process of disclosing abuse and engaging the criminal justice process. In particular, Indigenous men may need increased access to victim services, given the finding that they are less likely to see charges and convictions at trial for their cases. Continued public education encouraging reporting of child sexual abuse, even for victims of historical crimes, is needed as cases with long delays between offence and report are just as likely to result in charges and convictions as cases with less delay.

Prefiguring the Environmental Justice Movement: the Ecodramaturgy of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (1958) exposed environmental racism and prefigured the tenants of environmental justice by depicting the impacts of poverty and environmental degradation on communities of color. Thirty years before the rise of the current environmental justice movement, Hansberry’s play details the intersectional aims of environmental justice by centering women's experience, by making connections between the health and well-being of women and children, and the larger environment. In this way, an ecodramaturical lens illuminates the power and potential of theatre to inspire civic action. Hansberry’s play stands as a keystone in the rhetorical architecture of the environmental justice movement, which insists that environmental policy must include consideration of where people live, work, play, and worship.  As a historiographic lens, ecodramaturgy can (re)illuminate canonical plays to show their ecological through-lines. Examining the representation of life experience, asking questions about the welfare of bodies, families, and communities affected by racism and economic injustice, ecodramaturgy illuminates canonical plays in new ways, revealing how ideologies of domination and white supremacy that have caused both social and ecological havoc across the land. Rob Nixon (2013) identifies the environmental degradation resulting from longstanding patterns of U.S. imperialism as “slow violence” perpetrated on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities. As the environmental justice movement would argue some 30 years later, Hansberry’s play makes clear that environmental health and social justice are inextricably linked, and that ecological concerns must be understood as intertwined with economic justice as well as gender and racial equity. Below, I examine the way environmental and social justice concerns came together in this hallmark play, revealing a (then) radical ecological viewpoint that the environment is coupled with human health and welfare. I contend that the white supremacy that the Youngers face when they plan to move to a new home not only constitutes systemic environmental racism but reflects and arises out of the historic abuse of land and bodies on which the U.S.extractive economies depend. My analysis traces the subtle ways those legacies infect and damage the day-to-day lives of those who carry the disproportional burdens of that historic abuse. I foreground clues to the ecologies represented on stage, including human bodies and habitat, in order to examine the environmental implications of the Youngers’ struggle and racial and class-based oppression and hierarchies the play represents. Hansberry’s claim to homeplace in the milieu 1950s foreshadows the principles of environmental justice in prescient ways.

Responding to the danger of wrongful conviction for historical sexual abuse: A case for resurrecting abuse of process for delay?

This article examines the potential risk of wrongful conviction for defendants facing historical sexual abuse charges where there is substantial delay. This risk arises from problems with truth-finding based on witness testimony, challenges posed by missing evidence and the increasing erosion of procedural safeguards. This article considers two recent proposals for reform, including first, whether the Court of Appeal should be more prepared to revisit the factual basis of decisions in historical sexual offence appeals; or second, whether there is a need to strengthen procedural safeguards at trial through the doctrine of abuse of process for delay. This article concludes that, whilst there would be advantages to broadening the grounds for appeal, the criminal courts should be more prepared to stay substantially delayed claims for abuse of process where there is missing evidence. The current approach has the potential to be unfair and fails to protect those defendants who are most disadvantaged by delayed claims.

When Race Matters: Black Men and Authority Figures

ABSTRACT Following the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arberry, and Breonna Taylor, Black folks sought refuge within its community to experience collective healing and demand justice. A 2020 study reported that Black students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) experienced racial microaggressions one to six times within 6 months time affirming the necessity for spaces that center the learning and development of Black students, like historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This article explores the impact of racism on Black men’s engagement with campus authority. The historic abuse Black men have faced by authority figures could have a direct impact on how they engage authority on campus. This study sought to identify if there were any significant mean differences in the likelihood of Black men engaging with Black authority figures versus White authority figures. An online survey collected data from 400 Black men assessing their preference in engagement with authority based on race. Analysis found a higher likelihood of engagement with Black authority rather than White authority regardless of the role they held on campus. This finding dispels the myth that Black men tend to be more disengaged from their academic pursuits and causes institutions to reflect on how representation effects students’ willingness to engage. With Black educators making up 60% of faculty at HBCUs, HBCUs can serve as havens for Black men to find a village and safely engage in their academic experience.

Redress, memorials and activism: can heritage be activism?

ABSTRACT The focus of this article is Ireland. Activism has been crucial in exposing historical institutional abuse in different institutions, organisations and contexts. Inquiries set up to investigate abuse have recommended memorials as an element of redress. This article explores what types of memorialisation survivors regard as appropriate, and why. Two responses are considered: (1) state and (2) ‘bottom-up’ unofficial. The article highlights that survivors are rarely active participants in co-creating and implementing state responses. The concept of ‘authorised heritage discourse’ (AHD) is used to shed light on whose knowledge is prioritised, who are deemed the experts and who decides what heritage is. The article contributes to this theorisation by proposing a new concept, ‘activist heritage’, and examines its potential to create spaces and unlock transformative dynamics that empower survivors. Then, using Justice for Magdalene Research’s (JFMR) virtual memorial museum as a case study of ‘activist heritage’, the article shows that in the absence of state or national forms of recognition, JFMR provides a corrective to AHD. It acts as a counter-narrative in the struggle over memory to state and church ‘forgetting’, ignoring and minimising institutional abuse. The role, benefits and outcomes for survivors of such ‘bottom-up’ memorialisation is assessed.

Historical abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions: an ex ante evaluation of institutional and non-institutional response procedures

Historical abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions: an ex ante evaluation of institutional and non-institutional response procedures

A qualitative study understanding immigrant Latinas, violence, and available mental health care.

Women from Latin American countries experience high levels of psychological and physical abuse and violence. Immigrant Latina women are often subjected to a patriarchal system in both family and government, which has resulted in a variety of complex and far-reaching outcomes. This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of immigrant Latina women who were exposed to violence, as well as their access to mental health care. This study used 20 interviews with immigrant Latina women from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico who had accessed mental health services in California. The primary themes that emerged from analysis of the data included motivating factors for seeking services (e.g., motherhood, community, hope, and mental health needs), barriers to accessing services (e.g., fatalism, marianismo, stigma, finances, language barriers, threats, abuse, and systemic insensitivity), and treatment and solutions (e.g., empathy, advocacy, and community approaches). These results appeared to be indicative of the importance of addressing sociopolitical, historical, and cultural trauma as an imperative component of effective treatment. In this context, the authors explore liberation psychology, a concept and approach that promotes social justice values and emphasizes the empowerment of immigrant Latina women in clinical practice. It is recommended that the historical sociocultural abuse of immigrant Latina women be thoughtfully considered and discussed in the therapeutic process to create lasting psychological change. Future research, policy efforts, and program development, including psychotherapeutic treatment modalities, should focus specifically on marginalized groups facing barriers to mental health care in order to increase access and effectiveness of treatment.

Recurrence plot image and GoogLeNet based historical abuse backtrace for li-ion batteries

Failures of Li-ion batteries (LiBs) are generally ascribed to the side reactions of internal damages, which are usually induced by abuses like mechanical destruction, electrical overload, or thermal overheating. In this setting, a systematic scheme is proposed to backtrack the historical abuses suffered by LiBs based on the Recurrence Plot (RCP) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). First, the voltage correlation of the cells in a series pack is quantified to reflect their state consistency. Then, resorting to the RCP transformation, the time series of voltage correlation is picturized as images that deliver the indicative textures of cross-temporal autocorrelation. In order to analyze the abuse characterizing ability of the RCP images, an unsupervised classification test is conducted on the images using hierarchical clustering, and, as expected, the images show favorable separability and damage correspondences, Finally, leveraging the power of CNN in the extraction and fusion of multiscale features, the multilayer GoogLeNet is introduced to process the RCP images, thereby providing qualitative and graded judgments on the historical abuses of LiBs. Moreover, various abusive operations are inflicted on LiB cells to acquire a realistic dataset. Experimental verification suggests that the proposed scheme can provide accurate and reliable recognition and estimation results on abuse type and intensity, with accuracy rates up to 77.3 % and 75.4 %, respectively.

On the Challenge of Historicizing Violence: Conflicts in State Redress for Historical Abuse of Children in Out-of-home Care

On the Challenge of Historicizing Violence: Conflicts in State Redress for Historical Abuse of Children in Out-of-home Care

The Influence of Racism in Healthcare: COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Black Mothers in Chicago.

Black mothers and children experience significant health disparities in the USA. These health disparities have been attributed, in part, to experiencing racism in healthcare. This study aimed to explore how experiences of healthcare discrimination and mistreatment experienced by Black mothers may influence COVID-19 vaccine beliefs and decision-making for themselves and their families. From April 2021 to November 2021, we conducted 50 semi-structured interviews among Chicago residents. Ten participants self-identified as female and with reported children; these data were extracted from the larger sample for data analysis. Interview content included perceptions and experiences with the COVID-19 vaccine and experiences with healthcare discrimination, mistreatment, and medical mistrust. Interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim and coded using the MAXQDA 2022 qualitative software. Themes were identified using a team-based thematic analysis to understand how experiences of racism in healthcare may influence COVID-19 vaccine decision-making. Four themes were generated from the data: (1) experiences of healthcare discrimination and mistreatment, (2) distrust and fears of experimentation, (3) the influence of discrimination and distrust on COVID-19 vaccine decision-making, and (4) overcoming vaccine hesitancy. The results of this study highlight the current literature; Black mothers experience racism and discrimination in healthcare when seeking care for themselves and their children. It is evident in their stories that medical racism and historical medical abuse influence vaccine decision-making. Therefore, healthcare and public health initiatives should be intentional in addressing past and present racism in healthcare to improve vaccine distrust.

Acts of contrition: Forgiveness and effective intergroup apologies for historical institutional abuse

This article examines some of the complexities of the apology–forgiveness nexus within the context of intergroup apologies by church and state for historical institutional abuse (HIA). Drawing on primary research conducted in Ireland, North and South, including the voices of a sample of victims/survivors, it argues that effective intergroup apologies for HIA and the extent to which they might elicit forgiveness among victimized communities are impacted by a range of factors including (1) leader apologies and the ‘normative dilution effect’; (2) the lack of emotion and remorse; and (3) in the case of church apologies in particular, the use of religious rhetoric and ritual. The analysis ultimately suggests that while ‘pure’ forgiveness may not be possible in this specific context, effective intergroup apologies for HIA, delivered in a collective, public context, which have the potential to promote forgiveness among victims/survivors, are those which closely approximate the relational dimensions of private, interpersonal apologies. This entails demonstrating emotion; humility; proximity to historical wrongdoing; connectivity with victims/survivors; and the commitment to non-recurrence.

Adults with learning disabilities’ experiences of disclosing abuse, who access community learning disability teams, in Southeast England, UK

BackgroundThere is a high prevalence of abuse experienced by the learning disability (LD) population, with a clear impact of abuse on individuals. Several theoretical frameworks support the importance of disclosure in the recovery process, with regards to shifting self-blame and guilt and creating new narratives for these experiences. The key facilitators and barriers to disclosure and responses received have been studied for individuals without LDs, however there is a paucity of research in this topic area for the LD population.Rapid reviewA rapid review of the experiences health and social care professionals working with adults with LDs who have been abused highlighted variability in the care provided to this cohort. This was due to differences in the implementation of policy and procedures, the influence of relationships between professionals, service users and their families, perceptions of LDs, and clinicians’ own knowledge and thresholds, and confidence in their clinical expertise.Aim and methodThe aim of the empirical study was therefore to explore adults with LDs ‘ experiences of disclosing abuse. Semi structured interviews were conducted remotely, due to Covid-19, with five participants with LDs who had experienced historical abuse, and were open to Community Learning Disability Teams (CLDTs) in Southeast England, UK. A reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.Results and conclusionsFour themes were generated ‘Abuse is discovered not disclosed’, ‘Exposure of the abuse triggers a set response’, ‘Carrying the burden of what happened’ and ‘Finding a way out’, under the overarching theme of ‘The Journey of Disclosure’. The themes suggested disclosure occurred on a non-liner timeline, not at one timepoint, with abuse not being disclosed but identified by others, a lack of power and control over the process for participants and the importance of accessing the right support. Facilitators and barriers were identified, some unique to those with LDs, such as the influence of clinicians’ knowledge, or lack of, not only about abuse but also LD on the identification of abuse e.g. the role of diagnostic overshadowing, and the potential additional complexity of relationships for adults with LDs. Other facilitators and barriers were in line with previous research for those without LDs, such as trust, being listened to and believed. Several areas for future research are highlighted, such as the experiences of adults with LDs who may have different communication abilities e.g. use of augmented technology, adults with LDs from Black and Asian racialised communities who experiences of abuse and disclosure may be different, and further exploration of the experiences of disclosing specific types of abuse. The clinical and policy implications are discussed, such as reinforcing the need for professionals to receive training in the area of supporting individuals with LDs to disclose abuse and responding appropriately.

Can archives lie?

A nefarious plot of forgery and fame that shocked the world in 1996.[1] A hidden tunnel of dubious origin that baffled Kingston’s historical experts in 2009.[2] But how could the world of British counterfeiting possibly collide with Kingston’s local mysteries? For Queen’s annual I@Q Conference, I would love to present a research poster answering just that. The key to both cases lies in the importance of archival evidence to uncover misinformation both large and small. In the modern day, historians are constantly surrounded with conflicting arguments and many have relied on archival evidence to settle debates and quell misinformation. But are archives always reliable? Can archives lie? To best address these questions, my poster would engage with both the theoretical aspect of archival diplomacy and the practical side. It would expand upon the key examples mentioned previously and analyse the historical use and abuse of archives in the name of stopping misinformation. Therefore, such a poster would be significant because it would explore the ambivalent position of the archival record and expose the dangers of archival manipulation at an international level. A tale of ingenuity, the case of the Staffordshire art forgeries revolved around the infiltration of leading archives and planting of false documents to bolster the legitimacy of counterfeit paintings.[3] The uncovering of such a plot shocked artists and archivists alike and suddenly cast doubt on the reliability of the archival record. On a much smaller scale, a similar archival debate was battled out in Kingston with intriguing results. [1]Rodney G.S Carter, “Tainted Archives: Art, Archives, and Authenticity,” Archivaria 63, no.1 (2007), 75-86. [2]Rodney Carter, email message to author, February 14, 2023. [3] Carter, “Tainted Archives,” 79-80.

Domestic abuse and violence reporting by service users of an online sexually transmitted infection testing service, during the Coronavirus-19 pandemic.

Following increased rates of domestic abuse/violence (DAV) reporting during the pandemic, London's online sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing service (Sexual Health London, SHL) introduced routine DAV enquiry and directed survivors to supportive online information. SHL evaluated this adaptation. SHL's database identified the first individuals that ordered a test-kit between 17.8.21-28.2.22 and triggered questions disclosing DAV. SHL clinicians only contacted these individuals if positive/abnormal STI results required communicating. Within these interactions DAV was opportunistically discussed and further counselling/support offered. 3846/231460 (1.7%) service users triggered DAV question(s). The first 202 individuals were: median age 28yrs (18-73yrs); 66% (134/202) female; 72% (145/202) heterosexual; 75% (152/202) UK born. 27% (55/202) reported physical/emotional abuse, 81% (164/202) coercive control, and 22% (45/202) sexual abuse. 26% (52/202) had never visited a clinic. Telephonic discussion occurred with 10% (20/202) individuals: 10/20 accepted counselling/signposting; 2/20 referred to independent DAV advocate, 6/20 stated historic abuse, 2/20 mistakenly triggered, 2/10 declined support or disengaged. Of 29% (58/202) individuals that ordered another e-kit, 38% disclosed ongoing DAV and 9% sexual assault. 1.7% e-service users reported DAV. Telephonic DAV discussion was accepted by 80% individuals contacted. Despite providing online support 38% experienced ongoing/escalating abuse. Further engagement and support for DAV survivors using e-services is required.

‘But then again, in the end, I decided to apply for redress’: stories of ambivalence from survivors of institutional abuse

ABSTRACT Historical abuse of children in institutional settings has increasingly been recognized as a serious issue requiring redress and reparations for survivors. This article explores the experiences of survivors of institutional childhood abuse, when they decide to apply for redress. Norwegian redress programmes are part of an international wave of survivor remedy and compensation. There is a lack of research on survivors’ experiences in this area. Data for this study were derived from qualitative interviews with 11 claimants (aged 27 to 70) of redress programmes in Norway. When we explored how our research participants experienced advocating for and applying for redress programmes, we saw that the process leading up to the decision to apply was characterized by ambivalence. By applying the theoretical concept of ‘victim capital’, we investigated the experiences and rationale of participants’ ambivalence during this decision process. Findings showed their ambivalence was centred around four themes: i) uncertainty of victim position, ii) doubt about responsibility, iii) scepticism about personal and interpersonal resources, and iv) hesitancy regarding monetary payments. As survivors seem to go through exhausting personal and social processes before even deciding to apply, we argue that information about programmes needs to be extensive, and that support during the process should be comprehensive.

Historical Gendered Institutional Violence: A Research Agenda for Criminologists

This article considers the phenomenon of historical gendered institutional harm, examining the widespread incarceration of women and girls in Ireland through the decades following independence in 1922. In this period, thousands of women and girls were confined in a network of sites including Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. The article considers the responses to this history, focusing on those fields which concern themselves with matters of “wrongdoing” and “harm,” responses grounded in law and legalism. We explore both the utility and the limits of these approaches before proposing a criminological research agenda which draws on the centrality of the state in the perpetration of gendered violence. Although Ireland has become a by-word as a case of historical institutional abuse internationally, it remains remarkably understudied by criminologists. The article explores how the Irish example can speak to the discipline of criminology by forcing us to reimagine how we conceive of gendered harms and state-perpetrated harms.

Police interviews with adult reporters of historical child sexual abuse: Exploring the link between verbal rapport and information obtained

BackgroundPolice officers and academics agree that rapport is important when interviewing victims and witnesses, although previous research has found that officers do not always engage in rapport-building behaviours during interviews. Interviews with complainants reporting historical child sexual abuse may be key to police investigations, as physical or corroborating evidence is often not available. ObjectiveThis research explored the possible effect of verbal rapport-building behaviour on the elicitation of investigation-relevant details in historical child sexual abuse victim interviews. Participants and settingA sample of interviews (N = 44) with adults reporting historical child sexual abuse in a northern Canadian territory with a large Indigenous population was examined. MethodsInterviews were evaluated for interviewer verbal rapport-building behaviours, using a framework derived from Tickle-Degnen and Rosenthal's three domain model of rapport. Interviews were also coded for details given by the interviewee. ResultsResults showed that verbal rapport was significantly positively correlated with both total details (r = 0.621, p < .001) and abuse relevant details (r = 0.518, p < .001). Chronological Rapport Maps were piloted, to show the use of rapport behaviours over the course of interviews, and the possible effect over time of these behaviours on information yield. ConclusionsThe results show that information yield is higher when more rapport behaviours are demonstrated and both parties work together harmoniously, even after a long delay. Further research is needed on the experience of police interviews for Indigenous complainants.