Multiple Types Of Maltreatment Research Articles

Characteristics of Elder Abuse Perpetrators by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity of the Abused: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adults may be more vulnerable to elder abuse (EA) due to prior marginalization and trauma, lifelong discrimination, and health disparities. While characteristics of both victims and perpetrators can modify the risk for EA, few studies have focused on perpetrators. This study examined the number and type of perpetrator-victim relationships and perpetrator profiles for EA experienced in the prior year, by abuse type and sexual orientation and gender identity of the abused. Data are from community-dwelling Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging participants aged 65 or older at follow-up 1 (n = 23,466). Heterosexual men and women reported being abused psychologically and physically most often by spouses or partners. Gay and bisexual (GB) men reported being abused psychologically most often by non-family, non-friend “others”. Lesbian and bisexual (LB) women reported psychological and financial abuse most often by siblings or other family members, and physical abuse by non-family, non-friend “others”. Heterosexual women were abused financially most often by their children, and both heterosexual and GB men reported more financial abuse by “others” or friends. Overall, 15% and 5% of participants reported abuse by multiple perpetrators of psychological and financial abuse respectively. LB women experienced more EA overall (18.8%), by multiple perpetrators (31% for psychological abuse, 66.5% for financial abuse) including by their siblings and other family members. These results have important implications for mitigation and preventive measures. They also highlight the need for further research concerning sexual minorities experiencing multiple abuse types and/or abuse by multiple perpetrators.

A Qualitative Exploration of Abuse among Street Children: Nature, Practices and Dysfunctional Laws

The purpose of the study is to discover the abuse among street children and the socioeconomic factors that push kids into a life on the streets and, social and legal insight from street children from densely populated areas of Islamabad such as G-9 Markaz, I-8 Markaz, Rawal town, and Mehar-Abadi. Data collected from 30 street children, parents, and some government officials indicate that poverty, lack of education, Afghan migration, family troubles and economic position, and peer influence are the main factors of street children becoming involved in social evils and sexual activities. They were subjected to multiple types of abuse, such as verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse besides being talented, their surroundings limited their ability. There is a dire need to establish strategies that should be based on ground realities to protect street children from neglect, abuse, and exploitation.

Associations of childhood maltreatment with hypertension in South African women: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesTo examine the associations of childhood maltreatment (CM) with hypertension, and the mediating effects of hypertension risk factors on the associations in South African women, using baseline data of the...

Child and Adolescent Abuse Patterns and Incident Obesity Risk in Young Adulthood

Child abuse is associated with adult obesity. Yet, it is unknown how the developmental timing and combination of abuse types affect this risk. This report examined how distinct child and adolescent abuse patterns were associated with incident obesity in young adulthood. Data came from 7,273 participants in the Growing Up Today Study, a prospective cohort study in the U.S. with 14 waves from 1996 to 2016 (data were analyzed during 2020-2021). An abuse group variable was empirically derived using latent class analysis with indicators for child (before age 11 years) and adolescent (ages 11-17 years) physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Risk ratios for obesity developing during ages 18-30 years were estimated using modified Poisson models. Associations of abuse groups with BMI across ages 18-30 years were then examined using mixed-effects models. All models were stratified by sex. Among women, groups characterized by abuse had higher BMIs entering young adulthood and greater changes in BMI per year across young adulthood. Groups characterized by multiple abuse types and abuse sustained across childhood and adolescence had approximately twice the risk of obesity as that of women in a no/low abuse group. Associations were substantially weaker among men, and only a group characterized by physical and emotional abuse in childhood and adolescence had an elevated obesity risk (risk ratio=1.38; 95% CI=1.04, 1.83). Obesity risk in young adulthood varied by distinct abuse groups for women and less strongly for men. Women who experience complex abuse patterns have the greatest risk of developing obesity in young adulthood.

Childhood Adversity as a predictor of Depression and Suicidality among Adolescents in Calabar, Nigeria

Background Child abuse occurs worldwide and negatively impacts the health, functioning and psychological wellbeing of victims. Its effect on adolescent mental health has been insufficiently explored in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of child abuse on the occurrence of depression and suicidality among Nigerian adolescents. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 327 secondary school students in Calabar, Nigeria. Beck’s depression inventory, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (SF) assessing emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect and physical neglect, and questions on suicidality from the Nigerian version of the Global School-based Student health survey (GSHS) were administered. Results Sexual abuse (41.3%) was the commonest type, followed by physical neglect (38.5%) and physical abuse (30.0%). Over two-thirds (67.3%) had experienced at least one type of abuse. All types of abuse emerged as significant predictors of depression, with physical abuse being the strongest predictor. Also, all abuse types predicted various self-harming behaviours (considering, planning or attempting suicide and deliberate self-harm). There was a stepwise increase in the risk of depression and suicidal behaviour with the experience of more abuse types. All dimensions of abuse were significantly correlated, with the strongest association between physical and emotional neglect. Conclusion Child abuse predicts depression and suicidality and is worse with multiple types of abuse. Public health interventions to prevent childhood trauma and screen for mental disorders in victims should be instituted in Nigeria.

A multi-modal MRI analysis of brain structure and function in relation to OXT methylation in maltreated children and adolescents

Child maltreatment dysregulates the brain’s oxytocinergic system, resulting in dysfunctional attachment patterns. However, how the oxytocinergic system in children who are maltreated (CM) is epigenetically affected remains unknown. We assessed differences in salivary DNA methylation of the gene encoding oxytocin (OXT) between CM (n = 24) and non-CM (n = 31), alongside its impact on brain structures and functions using multi-modal brain imaging (voxel-based morphometry, diffusion tensor imaging, and task and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging). We found that CM showed higher promoter methylation than non-CM, and nine CpG sites were observed to be correlated with each other and grouped into one index (OXTmi). OXTmi was significantly negatively correlated with gray matter volume (GMV) in the left superior parietal lobule (SPL), and with right putamen activation during a rewarding task, but not with white matter structures. Using a random forest regression model, we investigated the sensitive period and type of maltreatment that contributed the most to OXTmi in CM, revealing that they were 5–8 years of age and physical abuse (PA), respectively. However, the presence of PA (PA+) was meant to reflect more severe cases, such as prolonged exposure to multiple types of abuse, than the absence of PA. PA+ was associated with significantly greater functional connectivity between the right putamen set as the seed and the left SPL and the left cerebellum exterior. The results suggest that OXT promoter hypermethylation may lead to the atypical development of reward and visual association structures and functions, thereby potentially worsening clinical aspects raised by traumatic experiences.

The Association of Recurrent and Multiple Types of Abuse with Adverse Mental Health, Substance Use, and Sexual Health Outcomes among Out-of-School Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Cape Town, South Africa.

Although physical and sexual abuse exposure is a well-established risk for poor health, the dimensions of abuse associated with health among socially vulnerable adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) remain underexamined. This article describes associations between combinations of abuse type and timing with mental health, substance use, and sexual risk outcomes among a sample of 499 AGYW (aged 16 to 19) who had left school early and were recruited for a cluster randomized trial in Cape Town, South Africa. Approximately one-third (33.5%; 95% CI: 28.7, 38.6) of participants reported lifetime abuse. Exposure to more than one type of abuse was associated with increased risk of depression (β = 3.92; 95% CI: 2.25, 5.59) and anxiety (β = 3.70; 95% CI: 2.11, 5.28), and greater odds of polydrug use (OR = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.02, 4.34) and substance-impaired sex (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.31, 3.86). Exposure to multiple types of abuse during childhood/early adolescence and again in late adolescence was associated with increased risk of depression (β = 4.65; 95% CI: 3.15, 6.14), anxiety (β = 4.35; 95% CI: 2.70, 6.02), and polydrug use (OR = 2.37; 95% CI: 1.03, 5.73). Findings underscore the need for trauma-informed interventions that reduce mental health, substance use, and sexual risks among AGYW who have experienced multiple forms of abuse and recurrent abuse.

Intergenerational Trauma Transmission? Test of Cellular Aging in Mothers Exposed to Sexual Abuse and Their Children

Exposure to maltreatment during childhood can lead to increased risk for poor health outcomes in adulthood. Child maltreatment and later poor health may be linked by premature biological aging. We tested whether childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with telomere length (TL) in adult females. We further tested the hypothesis of intergenerational transmission of trauma by measuring TL in both CSA-exposed and non-exposed mothers and their children. TL was measured in a subset of participants and their children from a prospective-longitudinal cohort study of sexually abused females and a demographically matched comparison group. Linear regression models were used to test for associations between CSA-exposure and age-adjusted TL in females (N=108, mean age 36.3 years). Multilevel linear models were used to test the intergenerational effect of maternal-CSA exposure on age-adjusted TL in their children (N=124 children mean age 10.5 years across 61 mothers). CSA-exposure was not associated with TL in females. Replicating previous work in this area, maternal TL and sex were significant predictors of child TL in all models tested. Longer maternal TL predicted longer TL in children, and female children had longer TL than male children. Maternal-CSA exposure did not predict TL in children. This finding is in line with some previous results on CSA and TL measured in adulthood. Previous significant results associating child maltreatment with shorter TL in adulthood may be capturing a population of individuals exposed to either multiple types of maltreatment or maltreatment in childhood with concurrent TL measurements.

Elder abuse: Nationwide findings among community-dwelling Malaysian older persons.

Elder abuse is a significant public health problem. This study aims to estimate its prevalence and associated factors, using representative national Malaysian data. A nationwide population-based survey involving 3977 community-dwelling older persons aged ≥60 years was conducted via face-to-face interview, of whom 3466 older persons were eligible for screening using a locally validated tool. Elder abuse was defined as any one occurrence of neglect, financial, psychological, physical or sexual abuse perpetrated by someone in a position of trust that was experienced in the past 12 months. About 9.0% of older persons in Malaysia have experienced elder abuse in the past 12 months, with neglect being the commonest type experienced (7.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.54, 10.07). There is no significant difference by age group and geographical location. Males (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.7; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.60), poorer social support (aOR 5.0; 95% CI: 2.25, 11.22), dependency in activities of daily living (aOR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.23, 3.44) and a previous history of abuse (aOR 10.1; 95% CI: 4.50, 22.86) show higher odds of experiencing elder abuse. Almost 5% of abused older persons reported experiencing multiple types of abuse. Reporting is low at 19.3% with none reporting to healthcare personnel. The prevalence of elder abuse in this study is lower than global estimates, but similar to local studies. Preventive measures and programs are crucial to overcoming elder abuse and need to be carried out at multiple levels - the individual, community, healthcare and other stakeholders. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 85-91.

To SPB or not to SPB? A mixed methods analysis of self-protective behaviours to prevent repeat victimisation from cyber abuse

This paper presents the findings from a mixed-methods examination of self-protective behaviours (SPBs) adopted by victims of cyber abuse from the rational choice perspective. The data from a sample of the U.S. adults (N = 746), members of an online opt-in panel, were analysed to first distinguish the types of SPBs adopted by victims of cyber abuse using a thematic analysis of open-ended responses. We then identified the factors associated with an increased likelihood of adopting SPBs and the specific identified types of SPBs using logistic regression with Bayesian variable selection and a stochastic search algorithm. Of the six identified types of SPBs, adjusting privacy settings was the most commonly reported response, and improving security (e.g. changing passwords, etc.) was the least common SPB. Older victims who reported higher than the average perceived impact from victimisation, were abused by a stranger and experienced either surveillance of their online activities or multiple types of abuse, were significantly more likely to adopt an SPB. Our findings inform strategies for both Internet user education and for preventing cyber abuse victimisation.

Resilience and post-traumatic growth following late life polyvictimization: A scoping review

Late life polyvictimization occurs when an older adult experiences multiple types of abuse, including elder abuse, either simultaneously or sequentially, and impacts roughly 1 in 4 elder abuse cases. Although the effects of late life polyvictimization can include mental and physical health disorders, some older adults demonstrate post-traumatic growth following trauma both earlier and later in life. However, to date, our understanding of resilience and post-traumatic growth following lifelong trauma and late life polyvictimization has not been systematically explored. As such, the current scoping review examines resilience, post traumatic growth, and mental health in late life. Although sparse, identified articles did provide significant links between resilience, post-traumatic growth, and PTSD in late life in line with the resilience portfolio framework. Recommendations and guidelines to guide future research are discussed.

Radical Feminism and Androcide in Nawal El Saadawi’s Woman at Point Zero

Woman at Point Zero, by Nawal El Saadawi, has been neglected by African feminist commentary, probably because of its radicalism. 20th-century African feminisms, under different names and descriptions, generally advocated a moderate approach to gender relations, refusing to exclude or stigmatize men. However, a change is underway in the attitudes of younger African feminists, especially in South Africa, as the recent #MenAreTrash and #AmINext hashtags and protests about rape culture have demonstrated. The protagonist of Saadawi’s novel, Firdaus, who discovers her true vocation in the action of killing a man, matches and outstrips the anger of these younger feminists. So radical is Woman at Point Zero that it appears to advocate androcide as a response to patriarchy, which, to Firdaus, represents multiple types of abuse and injustice, including capitalism. This paper explores degrees of feminist radicalism as well as developments in African feminist thought, before considering Woman at Point Zero as an example of the radical extreme whose time may have come. The novel exists, if not as a provocation to direct action, at least as a terrible warning to men – and members of other genders – and hence as a trigger of radical change.

“They Threatened to Call Immigration”: Challenges Faced by Civil Protection Order Applicants and Respondents

The current study seeks to better understand the challenges faced by immigrant applicants and respondents as they enter the civil court system for the purpose of obtaining protection orders. Structured observations of protection order hearings in a civil court are analyzed and include cases in which immigration-related issues were discussed. Through qualitative data analysis, three themes emerged. These include (1) threats of parental kidnapping and child abduction across country borders; (2) concerns over legal immigration documents; and (3) worries and/or threats of deportation. Findings suggest that battered immigrant victims have an acute vulnerability to experiencing multiple types of abuse. Implications for future research directions, policy recommendations, and strategies for improving the experiences of battered immigrants within the civil court system are also discussed.

Flagpoling: Inter‐provincial Mobility of International Migrants within Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program

AbstractThe temporary foreign worker programme (TFWP) is widely used in many sectors in Canada. Research on the TFWP in Canada has documented multiple types of abuse within the programme, often related to worker lack of access to citizenship and social benefits. Less is known about how mobile and often precarious migrant workers are able to navigate negative, challenging situations identified within the Canadian literature. Flagpoling, a process used by international migrants in Canada to gain mobility in situations where their movement may be constrained, is not talked about in the mobilities and labour agency literature. Drawing from a case study of migrant workers in Atlantic Canada's seafood processing plants, this paper pulls together the mobilities, labour agency and precarity literature to explore how migrant workers are able to extradite themselves from workplaces that are less than ideal and better position themselves towards gaining citizenship status.

Recognition, telling and getting help with abuse and neglect: Young people's perspectives

An understanding of children's perspectives on telling about abuse and neglect has potential to boost children's access to services. The literature on disclosure has mostly focused on child sexual abuse with many studies based on adult survivors' accounts of their childhoods. However, disclosure is one part of a wider process which also includes how children recognise abuse and experience services. This paper presents findings from a thematic analysis of 30 interviews with children and young people who had experienced multiple types of abuse and neglect. A conceptual framework for understanding how children and young people recognise and tell about abuse and neglect and what they think of the help they receive is presented. The framework is used to present case studies tracing the processes of recognition, telling and help over time, in relation to multiple problems of abuse. Implications for professional practice are discussed.

Elder Abuse Characteristics Based on Calls to the National Center on Elder Abuse Resource Line.

Characterizing the types of elder abuse and identifying the characteristics of perpetrators are critically important. This study examined the types of elder abuse reported to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) resource line. Calls were coded with regard to whether abuse was reported, types of abuse alleged, whether multiple abuse subtypes occurred, and who perpetrated the alleged abuse. Of the 1,939 calls, 818 (42.2%) alleged abuse, with financial abuse being the most commonly reported (449 calls, 54.9%). A subset of calls identified multiple abuse types (188, 23.0%) and multiple abusers (149, 18.2%). Physical abuse was most likely to co-occur with another abuse type (61/93 calls, 65.6%). Family members were the most commonly identified perpetrators (309 calls, 46.8%). This study reports the characteristics of elder abuse from a unique source of frontline data, the NCEA resource line. Findings point to the importance of supportive resources for elder abuse victims and loved ones.

Resident-to-Resident Aggression in Long-Term Care: Analysis of Structured and Unstructured Data From the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2003-2016.

Aging adults are at risk for multiple types of abuse including emotional, sexual, or physical abuse. Adults in skilled nursing or assisted living facilities might be particularly vulnerable to injury, including fatal injury resulting from incidents of resident-to-resident aggression (RRA). The purpose of this research is to report findings from the multistate National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) related to fatal RRA incidents between years 2003 and 2016. We analyzed structured categorical data and unstructured narrative data on 101 identified fatal RRA incidents among individuals aged 65+. Findings included that victims average 16 years older than exhibitors and dementia diagnoses are present in most cases. Qualitative analysis revealed that events are described as both unexpected and preventable. Training to improve long-term care staff recognition and reporting of RRA events may potentially improve prevention and provide more accurate trend data. NVDRS data provide a useful source to follow trends in fatal RRA going forward.

Characteristics of Different Types of Childhood Violence and the Risk of Revictimization.

This study investigates the relationship between the characteristics of different types of childhood violence and adult victimization using two waves of data from a community telephone survey (T1) and a follow-up survey, including 505 cases and 506 controls, aged 17-35 years (T2). The logistic regression analyses showed that exposure to childhood abuse, regardless of type, was associated with adult victimization. Exposure to multiple types of abuse, victimization both in childhood and in young adulthood, and recency of abuse increased these odds. Our findings emphasize the importance of assessing multiple forms of violence when studying revictimization. Practitioners working with children and young adults should be attentive to the number of victimization types experienced and recent victimization to prevent further abuse.

The Effect of Multiple Types of Intimate Partner Violence on Maternal Criminal Justice Involvement.

Although men make up a large majority of the U.S. incarcerated population, in recent years, incarceration rates have increased faster for women. As a result, scholarship has increasingly sought to hone in on the causes and correlates of women's criminal behavior and criminal justice involvement. One factor that has been consistently found to be associated with criminal behavior and criminal justice involvement is exposure to intimate partner violence. This existing scholarship has largely focused on physical and sexual abuse and has not examined whether exposure to multiple types of abuse places women at a particularly great risk for criminal justice involvement. In this study, we begin to address these gaps by examining two questions: (a) is there an independent association between different types of intimate partner violence (physical, sexual, emotional, and economic) and a mother's risk of experiencing criminal justice involvement; and (b) is the exposure to multiple types of intimate partner violence particularly detrimental to mothers? To address these questions, we use longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and logistic regression models. First, we find evidence that mothers who have experienced any abuse type are at greater risk of criminal justice involvement. Second, once co-occurrence of abuse types is accounted for, only physical and economic abuse are independently associated with a greater risk of criminal justice involvement. Third, we find that being exposed to multiple types of intimate partner violence places women at particularly great risk for criminal justice involvement. These findings point to the need for criminal justice actors to take intimate partner violence into account when they are making decisions that impact women. These results also highlight the importance of legal advocacy for domestic violence counselors in their work with women.

Older adults' emotional reactions to elder abuse: Individual and victimisation determinants.

Elder abuse has been gaining public, state, and scientific attention for the past 40years, but research focusing on emotional reactions of older adults to victimisation is still scarce. The study describes the emotions and feelings of older adults who experienced abuse in a community setting, and the association between these emotions and individual or abuse characteristics. The cross-sectional study comprises 510 older adults who were identified and referred by four institutions. Participants answered a questionnaire on elder abuse experiences, including the emotion or feeling brought out by the act of abuse that was perceived to be the most serious. Fear and sadness comprised 67.1% of all provided responses. Emotional reactions were associated with functional status, the presence of depressive symptoms, relationship with the perpetrator and, to a limited degree, to the experience of multiple types of abuse. The most significant and meaningful variable was the relationship with the perpetrator. This study demonstrates that older adults present very similar patterns of emotional reactions, but individual characteristics and the established relationship with the perpetrator might mediate the emotional response. Implications for prevention and intervention of elder abuse are discussed.