Incidence Of Assault Research Articles

Does the threat of longer prison terms reduce the incidence of assault?

In a bid to reduce alcohol-related violence, the New South Wales Government recently proposed introducing mandatory minimum prison terms for assault. This article addresses the question of whether the threat of mandatory minimum penalties would reduce the incidence of assault. We exploit an earlier sentencing reform in New South Wales (the introduction of standard non-parole periods) in which longer minimum periods in custody were announced but never actually carried into effect. We use time series structural modelling to see whether assault rates in New South Wales were affected by the threat of more severe penalties. No evidence is found that the threat of longer prison terms had any effect on the incidence of assault in New South Wales. The article discusses the policy implications of this finding and concludes that liquor licensing policy is a more cost-effective policy instrument for dealing with alcohol-related violence than sentencing policy.

Sexual Assault: The Crisis That Blindsided Higher Education

This paper begins by examining the history of university oversight of sexual assault cases and why sexual assault has become such a problem on college and university campuses. Next the paper will examine existing laws that govern how colleges handle sexual assault cases. Subsequently, this article will discuss the loopholes in existing laws that have allowed institutions of higher learning to not only ignore the problem of sexual assault, but also underreport incidents of sexual assault. Current proposed legislation and administrative actions will be explored that attempt to close these loopholes forcing universities to answer for their failure to handle sexual assault cases properly and revamp their existing policies to better protect victims of sexual assault. Finally, the authors provide potential solutions for what is likely the next big crisis in higher education.

Cultural dissonance: ethical considerations from Afghanistan

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) includes ethical decision-making as part of its professional development program. However, the limitations of the CAF professional development program in ethical decision-making become evident when CAF members must deal with coalition members whose ethical norms differ significantly from those of the CAF. A number of recent cases in the Afghanistan mission highlight these limitations. This article examines the ethical dilemmas faced by senior Canadian decision-makers in one such case. When confronted with numerous reports, starting as early as 2005, by members of the CAF to the chain of command of incidents of sexual assault of boys by Afghan forces, senior decision-makers were faced with choices that could fall within a continuum of actions. At one end of the continuum was to take immediate and forceful action based on Canadian values. At the other end was to take no action since the attitude of most coalition partners was to do nothing because they accepted that this practice had been “common” in Afghanistan’s culture. The article discusses the actions of senior Canadian decision-makers in this case and focuses on whether or not the CAF professional development program adequately prepared them for their decision-making role in this type of ethical dilemma.

The Interactive Influence of Prosocial Places, Youth Population, and Poverty on Incidents of Violent Assault

ABSTRACTThe article builds on previous work by Roman and colleagues in order to specify the potential causes for increased incidents of violent assault in areas featuring a high number of prosocial institutions (i.e., schools, recreation centers). Utilizing aspects of routine activity theory and crime pattern theory, the argument is presented that both poverty and youth population will have a conditioning impact on the relationship between the presence of prosocial places and incidence of violent assault. Least squares regression was utilized in order to show that such institutions can serve as generators for offending and/or victimization, and that their location in lower income areas may magnify the problem.

Control, Norms, and Attitudes: Differences Between Students Who Do and Do Not Intervene as Bystanders to Sexual Assault.

Sexual assault is a major concern on the U.S. college campus. Engaging students as pro-social bystanders has become more common as a potentially effective mechanism for reducing the incidence of sexual assault and mitigating the harm of assaults that have already occurred. Understanding the influences of pro-social bystander behavior is imperative to developing effective programs, and the use of an evidence-based theoretical framework can help identify the differences between students who intervene and those who do not when presented with the opportunity. A sample of 815 undergraduate university students completed the Sexual Assault Bystander Behavior Questionnaire, a survey based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) that investigates students' perceived behavioral control to intervene, subjective norms that support intervening, attitudes toward intervening, and intent to intervene in the future. Two-tailed t tests revealed interveners reported significantly greater perceived behavioral control than non-interveners for eight of the 12 intervention behaviors, more supportive subjective norms than non-interveners for seven of the 12 intervention behaviors, more positive attitudes than non-interveners for only one of the 12 intervention behaviors, and greater intent to intervene in the future for six of the 12 intervention behaviors. Differences in the four TPB variables were not consistent for the 12 intervention behaviors. The use of a theoretical framework found to be effective in explaining-and changing-other health-related behaviors, and the inquiry into students' opportunities to intervene to compare against their reported intervention behaviors, is new to this body of literature and contributes to the understanding of the influences of pro-social bystander behavior.

Recognizing the continuum of opportunities for third parties to prevent and respond to sexual assault and dating violence on a college campus

A framework proposed by McMahon and Banyard outlines the opportunities college students have to engage in prosocial helping behaviors before, during or after an incident of sexual assault or dating abuse. To build on this framework, this study (i) used confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the proposed framework and (ii) examined the correlates associated with student behaviors along a continuum of opportunities to prevent or respond to these types of crimes in a college setting. The structural equation model results demonstrated that there are different factors associated with whether students engaged in behaviors to prevent sexual assault or dating abuse, whether they engaged in prosocial behaviors after an incident of violence or whether they intervened in risky situations involving alcohol. Observing others engage in similar prosocial behaviors was the most consistent predictor. Past victimization and respondent sex were also associated with different types of interventions. Practical implications of these findings are addressed.

Anti-rape Culture

This essay, written for the Kansas Law Review Symposium on Campus Sexual Assault, critically analyzes “anti-rape culture” ― a set of empirical claims about rape’s prevalence, causes, and effects and a set of normative ideas about sex, gender, and institutional authority ― which has heralded a new era of discipline, in all senses of the word, on college campuses. In the past few years, publicity about the campus rape crisis has created widespread anxiety, despite the fact that incidents of sexual assault have generally declined and one-in-four-type statistics have been around for decades. The recent surge of interest is due less to an escalation of rape culture than to a new found anti-rape culture ― a distinctly feminist rape intolerance. Feminist political activism is normally ground for progressive rejoicing and, indeed, society should be rape intolerant. However, here, one might wonder whether feminism has reincarnated as a single-issue movement that centers on punishing sex ranging from violent to ambiguous and embraces illiberal positions and institutions. The essay focuses on the costs of anti-rape culture’s construction of the status quo as one in which at least a quarter of college women will be brutalized by a sexual predator and left traumatized, possibly for life. In addition to creating the risk that the sex that college women inevitably have is a minefield of mental distress, the rhetorical strategy has other costs, including punitive over-correction, bureaucratic management of students stripped of their subjectivity, and speech restrictions. In the end, the essay counsels reformers to be cautious lest their commendable concern for safety and equality creates a culture in which drunken sex is ruinous to women, administrative power distributes burdens randomly, or worse, to marginalized men, and silence is the norm in an area desperate for open discussion.

Alcohol policy research: putting together a global evidence base

Alcohol policy research: putting together a global evidence base

Risk of sexual, physical and verbal assaults on men who have sex with men and female sex workers in coastal Kenya.

Violence toward MSM and female sex workers (FSW) is associated with HIV risk, and its prevention is prioritized in international HIV/AIDS policy. Sociodemographic and behavioural data derived from HIV risk and follow-up cohorts including MSM and FSW in coastal Kenya between 2005 and 2014 was used to estimate the risk of rape, physical assault and verbal abuse, and to assess associations between first occurrence of assault with individual and recent behavioural factors. Incidence of first reported rape was similar for MSM [3.9, confidence interval (CI) 3.1-5.0 per 100 person-years (pyrs)] and FSW (4.8 CI 3.5-6.4 per 100 pyrs), P = 0.22. Incidence of first reported physical and verbal assault was higher for FSW than MSM (21.1 versus 12.9 per 100 pyrs, P = 0.14 and 51.3 versus 30.9 per 100 pyrs, P = 0.03 respectively). Recent alcohol use was associated with reporting of all forms of assault by MSM [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.8, CI 0.9-3.5] and FSW (AOR 4.4, CI 1.41-14.0), as was recent sale of sex for MSM (AOR 2.0, CI 1.1-3.8). Exclusive sex with men, active sex work, and group sex were also specifically associated with reporting rape for MSM. Perpetrators of sexual and verbal assault were usually unknown, whilst perpetrators of physical violence toward FSW were usually regular sexual partners. MSM and FSW experienced a similarly high incidence of sexual assault in coastal Kenya, in addition to physical and verbal assault. Current national policies focus heavily on gender-based violence against women and young girls, but need to be inclusive of MSM and FSW.

The impact of situational context on assault completion: the moderating role of relational distance

Intimacy between two disputants provides insulation against the occurrence of violence. However, once violence becomes a viable option for conflict resolution, intimacy may exacerbate incident outcomes. Furthermore, because of the emotional intensity, relationally close assailants may be less attuned to the situational characteristics, a known predictor of incident outcomes such as injury. This study explores the role of relational distance as a determinant of the completion (versus the attempt or threat) of non-sexual assault, as well as a potential moderator of the relationship between situational characteristics and assault completion. The analysis uses 35,616 incidents of non-sexual assault from the National Crime Victimization Survey (1992–2008). A logistic regression model of assault completion is estimated, with attention devoted to the influence of relational distance, demographic, and situational characteristics. A heteroscedastic logistic regression model is then estimated, including product terms between the regressors and an indicator for whether the assailant was relationally distant (versus relationally close). Relational distance is strongly and inversely related to the likelihood of assault completion. Furthermore, 10 of 12 situational characteristics (e.g. bystander presence use of a weapon) are significantly more strongly correlated with assault completion in incidents where the victim and assailant(s) are relationally distant.

Rape Myth Adherence Among Campus Law Enforcement Officers

Campus police agencies are often the first, if not only, responders to sexual assault incidents occurring on college campuses. Little is known, however, regarding the attitudinal dispositions of these officers, specifically their acceptance of rape myths and the effect this has on case processing. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by examining attitudes toward and perceptions of sexual assault among a sample of campus law enforcement officers in Texas. This was done through the administration of a short survey to a sample of campus law enforcement officers prior to their attendance at a sexual assault-focused training, as well as all campus police chiefs via the Internet. Survey items inquired about officers’ careers in law enforcement, contact with victims, and perceptions of sexual assault. Results suggest that officers’ adherence to rape myths is strongly related to their perceptions of campus sexual assault incidents and their attitudes toward victims. Suggestions for future research and policy are offered.

Facilitating police recording of the alcohol-related characteristics of assault incidents: A stepped wedge implementation trial.

Introduction and AimsEnforcement of liquor licensing laws is limited by inadequate police information systems. This study aimed to: (i) determine the effectiveness of an intervention in facilitating police recording of the alcohol consumption characteristics of people involved in assaults; and (ii) describe such characteristics by geographic area and setting of alcohol consumption.Design and MethodsA stepped wedge trial was conducted across New South Wales, Australia. An intervention to facilitate police recording of alcohol consumption information for people involved in incidents was implemented. For people involved in an assault the proportion for which alcohol consumption information was recorded was assessed. The proportion of assaults that were alcohol related, the proportions of people that consumed alcohol prior to the assault, were intoxicated, and had consumed alcohol in various settings, are described.ResultsPost‐intervention, alcohol consumption information was recorded for 85–100% of people involved in an assault incident. The proportion of incidents recorded as alcohol‐related increased significantly (26–44.5%; P < 0.0001). The proportion of assaults classified as alcohol related was significantly greater in regional/rural areas (50–47%) than in metropolitan areas (38%). More people in metropolitan areas (54%) consumed alcohol on licensed premises prior to an assault than in regional/rural areas (39–42%), with approximately 70% of persons intoxicated regardless of setting of alcohol consumption. Twenty per cent of premises accounted for 60% of assaults linked to licensed premises.Discussion and ConclusionsThe intervention was effective in enhancing the recording of alcohol‐related information for assault incidents. Such information could enhance targeted policing of liquor licensing laws. [Wiggers JH, Hacker A, Kingsland M, Lecathelinais C, Tindall J, Bowman JA, Wolfenden L. Facilitating police recording of the alcohol‐related characteristics of assault incidents: A stepped wedge implementation trial. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;00:000–000]

When Will Students Intervene? Differences in Students' Intent to Intervene in a Spectrum of Sexual Assault Situations

Abstract The recent shift in sexual assault prevention programming aims to engage college students as prosocial bystanders. Bystanders to sexual assault have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the incidence of sexual assault on the college campus, in addition to reducing the harm of one that has already occurred. Given the spectrum of sexual assault situations students have the opportunity to witness, it is important to know how students' intent to intervene varies between the different prosocial bystander behaviors. A sample of 815 undergraduate students completed the Sexual Assault Bystander Behavior Questionnaire in the fall of 2014. Students reported significantly greater intent to intervene with the potential or actual victim compared to the potential or actual perpetrator. Females reported significantly greater intent to intervene with both the potential or actual victims and perpetrators compared to males. Both males and females reported the greatest intent to perform postassault interven...

Characteristics associated with sexual assaults at mass gatherings

IntroductionSexual assault is disturbingly common, yet little is known about those occurring at mass gatherings, defined as a group of people congregated for a common purpose. Our objectives were to...

A Review of Sexual Assault Information on College Web Sites.

This article presents a comprehensive review of information available on campus Web sites at all four-year colleges and universities in New Jersey. This study used a descriptive, content analysis methodology with a sample that consisted of 28 college and university Web pages. To evaluate the Web sites, ecological approaches were rated with a checklist created to document the presence and extent of information about sexual assault, including five key areas: (1) general information about sexual assault, (2) the availability of services for students, (3) information about how to report an incident of sexual assault, (4) whether there was a department exclusively dedicated to the school's response to sexual assault, and (5) information about the existence of a policy prohibiting sexual assault on campus. Almost all of the schools provided policies and information about services for students. However, the comprehensiveness of the information and the ease of finding it varied greatly by campus. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for social workers and those responding to survivors of sexual assault on a college campus.

Serious Assault Victim and Incident Characteristics Associated With Police Notification and Treatment in Emergency Rooms in Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas

Two common sources of violence rates are police data and hospital data on injuries. It is unclear, however, if violence rates calculated using these sources have the same meaning across location types like rural, suburban, and urban areas. We know that characteristics of assault victims and incidents are associated with whether or not the victim reports the incident to the police. If community type moderates this help-seeking behavior—for example, if the impact of sex, age, race, victim–offender relationship, or injury severity on reporting to the police or being treated in an emergency room (ER) is different in rural relative to urban areas—then this selection bias is problematic for comparisons across location type and for including different location types in the same sample. The goal of this study was to determine which victim and incident characteristics are associated with police notification and ER treatment and to see if these characteristics are the same across rural, suburban, and urban areas. We used National Crime Victimization Survey data on reporting serious assaults to the police and being treated in an ER as a result of a serious assault. Results revealed that (1) police notification is much more likely to occur than ER treatment, (2) a majority of victim and incident characteristics are significantly associated with police notification, (3) few victim and incident characteristics are significantly associated with ER treatment, and (4) there is only chance moderation by location type. Findings suggest that both police and hospital data on serious assaults can be used to make comparisons across rural, suburban, and urban communities without being limited by disproportionate inclusion or exclusion of incidents associated with victim and incident characteristics. However, comparisons between the two data sources should be made with caution due to the different victim and incident characteristics associated with police notification and ER treatment.

Empowering College Women to Resist Rape

Incidence of sexual assault on female university students is about 20% to 25% during 4 years of attendance (with highest rates during the first 2 years). Researchers assessed the efficacy of a four-session program to reduce attempted and completed acts of sexual assault. The program, conducted at three Canadian universities, included instruction in how to assess sexual assault risk with male …

School Size and Incidents of Violence among Texas Middle Schools

&lt;p&gt;Although many studies have been conducted regarding (a) school violence in middle schools and (b) the size of schools, to date, no researcher appears to have examined the role that the size of the middle school plays in determining incidents of violence specifically fighting, assaults, and aggravated assaults. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the incidents of school violence, specifically fighting, assaults, and aggravated assaults, and the size of middle schools in the state of Texas for 3 school years. All 842 middle schools in Texas were included in this study. Compared to small schools, medium schools, and large schools, very small schools had a statistically significantly lower proportion of students involved in assaults, proportion of students involved in aggravated assaults, proportion of incidents of assaults, and proportion of incidents of aggravated assaults. Further, very small schools had a statistically significantly lower proportion of students involved in fights and proportion of incidents of fights than did large schools. A trend emerged across the 4 school sizes for all 6 indicators of school violence, which, in every case, reflected a sharp increase from very small schools to small schools—peaking at small schools. Thus, very small schools appear to be at a greater advantage than are other types of schools with respect to incidents of school violence. Implications of the findings are discussed.&lt;/p&gt;

Characterizing Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Subtypes and Treatment Engagement of Victims at a Hospital-Based Rape Treatment Center.

Variation among existing studies in labeling, defining, identifying, and subtyping cases of suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) poses challenges to integrating research findings for public health purposes. This descriptive study addressed methodological issues of nomenclature and DFSA operational definitions to improve case identification and was designed to distinguish assault subtypes. We studied a 2-year ethnically diverse cohort of 390 patients who presented acutely to an urban rape treatment center (RTC). We abstracted data from RTC medical and mental health records via chart review. Assault incidence rates; engagement into medical, forensic, and mental health services; injury sustained; and weapon use were calculated separately for assault subtypes and compared. DFSA accounted for over half of the total sexual assault (SA) cases. Involuntary DFSA (in which an incapacitating substance was administered to victims without their knowledge or against their will) increased from 25% to 33% of cases over the 2-year period. DFSA victims presented sooner, and more often attended medical follow-up and psychotherapy than non-DFSA victims. Incidence rates indicated increasing risk for young males. These findings indicate that DFSA continues to be a growing and complex phenomenon and suggest that DFSA victims have greater service needs. The field would benefit from innovations to address symptomatology arising from this novel type of trauma and the unique risks and needs of male victims, as well as underscoring the ongoing need for DFSA-specific prevention efforts for both victims and perpetrators.

Combining Primary Prevention and Risk Reduction Approaches in Sexual Assault Protection Programming

Objective: The object of this study is to extend prior evaluations of Elemental, a sexual assault protection program that combines primary prevention and risk reduction strategies within a single program. Participants and Methods: During 2012 and 2013, program group and control group students completed pretest, posttest, and 6-week and 6-month follow-up surveys assessing sexual attitudes and knowledge as well as experiences with assault. Results: The results reinforce previous findings that Elemental is effective in reducing sexual assault risk. Program effects were both direct, in that participation was associated with lower risk of assault, and mediated, in that participation impacted attitudes and beliefs that are empirically linked to risk of later assault. Conclusions: By combining both primary prevention and risk reduction approaches, Elemental is not only effective at reducing incidences of assault, it is also consistent with a number of recent recommendations for directions in sexual assault prevention programming.