Nonviolent Behavior Research Articles

Applying tenets of code of the street to intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization

ABSTRACT While studies testing ‘code of the street’ have generally supported a relationship between it and various forms of violent and non-violent behaviors, including victimization, the theory has not been applied to explain intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization among college students. Recently, scholars have maintained that the code of the street may extend beyond the inner cities and may be applicable in explaining violent behavior by college students. Therefore, the main research question addressed in this study is how applicable, if at all, is tenets of code of the street in explaining intimate partner IPV perpetration and victimization among college students. Using a United States subsample of 4,162 college students contained in the cross-sectional International Dating Violence Study, results from logistic regression models showed that the tenets of code of the street is associated with IPV perpetration and victimization. More importantly, code of the street remains statistically significant even after controlling for well-documented risk markers of IPV. Implications of our findings suggest that intervention and prevention programs aimed at altering code of the street beliefs should reduce IPV perpetration and victimization. Further results, as well as the study’s limitations, are discussed.

Capgras Syndrome with Non-Violent Behaviour Presenting in Postpartum Period: Case Study with Literature Review

Background: Capgras syndrome (CS) is one of the delusional misidentification syndromes (DMS) characterized by the belief by the patient that the close person, usually a close relative or family member is replaced by an imposter who looks physically the same. Since the first case of Capgras syndrome was described in 1923, the published literature is confined to a small number of case reports and a single case series. Capgras syndrome rarely occurs in postpartum period; there are few references in the literature to any of the delusions of misidentification occurring in a post partum period. Moreover, some authors described Capgras syndrome as frequently involving hostility, violence and risk of neglect towards an object of delusional misidentification. Their reports based on single cases report or small case series that may be subject to significant reporting bias. This case outlined here on a female patient affected by Capgras syndrome in post partum period with brief review of the literature. Case presentation: A 32-year-old woman presented to the psychiatric clinic for a delusional belief that newborn had been replaced by another one. Capgras delusion was developed after caesarean section on her 12th postpartum day. The patient was healthy individual whose Capgras syndrome was not linked to any psychiatric or neurological states in the past. Anxiety and depressive symptoms followed progressively without postpartum psychosis. Though she has a fixed belief, which is that her baby was replaced by another one, she did not show any psychotic features or aggression behaviour. Conclusion: In this case report, Capgras syndrome is typically a monothematic delusion (delusion about the baby may have an altered identity or replaced by another one) and is not accompanied by other delusions. Also, it displays the course of anxiety and depression in the period of postpartum period that accompanied with Capgras syndrome. The patient has no postpartum psychosis, only a delusion about the baby replaced by another one. Though her ambivalent emotions toward the baby, the patient did not show any hostility, aggression behaviour or violence and denied thoughts of harming baby.

The Role of Legal Psychology in the Formation of Legal Culture in the Conditions of Military Operations

The article aims to determine the possibilities of improving students' legal culture formation by integrating legal psychology knowledge in times of war. Through testing and a formative experiment, the study confirms the hypothesis that integrating legal psychology positively impacts the formation of students' legal culture in war conditions. Students showed average indicators of legal culture criteria, which proves that young people as subjects of the law may deliberately violate the law and be prone to illegal behaviour, discrimination, etc. Such data indicate that the students under the study may be prone to criminal behaviour under unfavourable conditions, as they have a basic level of knowledge about the legal system, unstable motivation for legal behaviour, fragmented legal competencies, a predominant orientation towards stereotyped, patriarchal values of gender culture, and different types of personal self-determination in the system of patriarchal and egalitarian coordinates. It can be argued that the legal culture formation programme significantly impacts the formation of respect for human rights in the educational environment and reduces the propensity for illegal and non-violent behaviour.

A Next-Gen Real-Time Video Alert System with Machine Learning Sensitivity

Traditional methods of violence detection in public spaces often struggle with low accuracy, limited real-time capabilities, and an inability to handle complex spatiotemporal patterns. They lack the sophistication needed to accurately distinguish between violent and non-violent activities, and their reliance on rule-based systems hinders adaptability to diverse scenarios. Moreover, their communication channels for alerts might be slow and inefficient. Mitigating the pervasive issue of violence within public spaces demands a technologically advanced approach. Addressing this imperative, we present a novel solution encompassing a profound neural network architecture. Our method harmoniously integrates a pre-trained Darknet19 model with both Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, collectively orchestrated to achieve unprecedented efficacy in violence detection and prevention. Our approach commences with the extraction of spatial intricacies, meticulously executed by leveraging the potent capabilities of the Darknet19 model. Subsequently, these extracted spatial features serve as the foundational dataset for training the CNN, which in turn captures and distills essential temporal attributes inherent to the video sequences. These temporal features are then seamlessly channeled into the LSTM component of our architecture, which adeptly discerns and categorizes video-based activities into two distinct classes: manifestations of violence and non-violent behaviors. Validation and verification of our proposed model transpire upon the Fight dataset, resulting in a suite of commendable experimental outcomes. The integration of multi-modal alert dissemination mechanisms further enhances our system's efficacy. Notably, pertinent alerts are expeditiously communicated to relevant law enforcement entities through the synergistic utilization of WhatsApp, Telegram, and e-mail applications. This technologically fortified paradigm promises a transformative leap in curbing violence within public domains, empowering law enforcement agencies with real-time, actionable insights. Moreover, the proposed systems have achieved high accuracy rates of 96%, which is higher than the accuracy achieved by other state-of-the-art models.

Конфликтное поведение сунданских студентов-мусульман: роль идеологии и предполагаемой несправедливости

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>Exploration of the psychological factors of conflict-related action among Sundanese Muslim students in Indonesia. <br><strong>Background. </strong>Religious-based conflicts have been widely examined in various disciplines, attracting responses and factors in every cultural context. <br><strong>Study design. </strong>Study 1 used an indigenous-based survey and was analyzed by thematic analysis. Study 2 examined the role of political ideology and perceived injustice in conflict-related behavior using hierarchical regression analysis. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>Study 1: 224 people (35,7% of men, 64,3% of women) from 18 to 49 years old (<em>M </em>= 20,98; <em>SD</em> = 3,72). Study 2: 494 people (35,6% of men, 64,4% of women) from 17 to 49 years old (<em>M</em> = 20,00; <em>SD</em> = 1,52).<br><strong>Measurements. </strong>Indonesian-language versions of the scales of religious fundamentalism ideology by Muluk and colleagues, violent extremist attitude by Nivette and colleagues, nonviolent direct action by Brown and colleagues, and sensitivity to injustice by Schmitt and colleagues. <br><strong>Results. </strong>Study 1 showed specific patterns of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses. There are differences in the respondents' responses to conflicts between and within religions. These differences are caused by ideology orientation towards religion and perception of injustice towards their groups. Study 2 confirmed Study 1 that religious fundamentalism predicts both violent and nonviolent behavior. Also, perceived injustice of victims moderates the effect of religious fundamentalism to violent behavior. Meanwhile, perceived injustice of perpetrators predicts only nonviolent behavior. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>There is a significant effect of religious-based ideology and perceived injustice on conflict-related behavior in the Sundanese Muslim context.</p>

Preventing bullying of students with special educational needs through dialogic gatherings: a case study in elementary education

Scientific literature has clarified that bullying is a global challenge and students with special educational needs (SEN) are at a higher risk of experiencing it. Educational actions focused on dialogue and interaction as dialogic gatherings (DG) have been widely studied as a successful educational action (SEAs) rooted in egalitarian dialogue that promotes social cohesion. However, its potential to prevent bullying among students with SEN remains to be investigated. This qualitative case study explores the impact of implementing DG in two elementary classrooms and its potential to prevent school violence in a comprehensive school setting (43 students, 10–12 years old, from which 5 had SEN). Classroom observations of DGs and focus groups with teachers and students were conducted. Data analysis indicated that DG effectively contributed to students’ increased awareness regarding the distinction between violent and non-violent relationships, and influenced their personal preferences, guiding them towards non-violent behaviours. Implications for practice highlight the potential of DG to enhance non-violent behaviours among elementary students, which is particularly relevant to ensure students with SEN’s protection and inclusion.

Вплив булінгу на стан здоров’я дітей та подолання його наслідків в умовах воєнного стану (огляд літератури)

Purpose - to analyze data from the literature on the characteristics of bullying, its impact on the mental and physical health of children, and ways to overcome and prevent the consequences of this condition during the military invasion of Ukraine. For this, a search in scientometric databases was carried out, and a review of modern domestic and foreign medical literature, periodical publications, and official electronic resources was made. A review of the literature was conducted, which showed that the problems of school bullying and the consequences associated with it worsen not only mental and physical health but also have a negative impact on the quality of education of the younger generation. Bullying statistics regarding the number of completed administrative protocols in Ukrainian schools from 2019 to 2023 are given and analyzed. At the same time, human rights organizations noted that bullying was modified and became latent under martial law. It is emphasized that cases of bullying have a causal relationship with mental and physical health in adulthood. It is noted that starting in 2020, our country and the whole world will be celebrating the International Day of Combating Violence and Bullying at School. Forms of bulling, types of aggression and styles of behavior are described. It was noted that one of the important reasons for the spread of bullying is, unfortunately, its ignoring by adults. It is emphasized that children who differ in some way from others suffer most often from bullying.It is noted that under martial law, school bullying occurs more often in relation to temporarily displaced persons. It is emphasized that solving the problem of school bullying is possible through compliance with the principle of comprehensiveness between the administration of the institution, its employees, and parents. The main actors in the field of violence prevention and countermeasures who provide assistance outside educational institutions are listed. It is noted that the help and prevention of bullying consists of teaching the child to resist victimization. The role of the school nurse in the multidisciplinary medical team in overcoming the problems of school bullying and its consequences is noted. Recommendations for searching for information on organizations dealing with bullying issues on the website of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Ukraine are highlighted. It is emphasized that the most effective actions that contribute to reducing the number of cases of violence in the educational environment are systematic educational activities on non-violent behavior, implementation of high-quality preventive programs, and the promotion of anti-bullying policies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Violent and Unethical Non-Violent Abuse of Faith and Ethnoreligious Sentiments in Southeast Europe: Religious Peace-Building?

The article presents a theoretical and conceptual examination of religious violent and unethical non-violent behaviors, ethnopolitical and clerical synergism, and religious peace-building capacity. I argue that the phenomenon of religious/ethnic violent and non-violent interchangeability adopted by national political unethical behavior has adverse consequences on the post-Yugoslav social behavior and reconciliation process; religions should be a moral peace-building agency. The multiethnic/multireligious socialist Yugoslav society has been violently transformed into influential ethical and clerical cultures, producing antagonistic ethnonational societies sustaining pastoralism as potent identity manifestations of the social capital. War-period visual violence and emotions influenced violent behavior and policy within the discourse "our vs. their sacred ethnic land," creating an unbearable ease of creating fear and motivating violent antagonism and war crimes. The post-war antagonistic media rhetoric, visual antagonism, and abuse of faith adversely impact peaceful coexistence. Ethnic, religious, ideological, and political contextual factors are challenging to generate in post-conflict, divided Balkan societies. Fear of others, religiously distinct, is a category that's difficult to determine and prevent. Western-Balkan societies possess victimological and political mythical conventions, honoring ethnoreligious war victories, defeats, and agonies, maintaining hostility and revenge discourse. Historically, religions were misused to justify violence and maintain non-violence, unethical sociopolitical order, and negative peace. The ideologies of religious superiority intertwine with intensely dominant national perceptions, so belonging to the Serb, Croat, or Bosniak people is equated with Orthodoxy, Catholicism, or Islam. This entanglement is the groundwork for despondency and a hostile peace climate. Current clerical and ethnopolitical policies lead further away from conflict transformation, directing toward the renewal of monotheistic spirituality, cognition, and violence. Political involvement affects "authentic" religion. We should engage in all-inclusive theological and consensus approaches to demonstrate that religions are peace-building agencies, retrieving and revitalizing authentic morality criteria. Religious sentiments mobilize people more rapidly than other identities.

Impact of a participatory action approach to virtue promotion among early adolescents

ABSTRACT Research on interventions that aim to cultivate character strengths, or virtues, has been conducted primarily among highly resourced, predominantly White communities, and the interventions have been developed to reflect the values of those communities. The purpose of this study was to use a participatory action research approach to develop a virtue intervention focused on addressing the community-identified problem of violence in a predominantly Black community, and to test its effectiveness in a pilot study. Participants were 37 youth (M age = 12.1 years old; 97% Black) who attended summer programs in two sites (on intervention, one control condition). Participants in the intervention group had greater increases in effective nonviolent behavior than participants in the comparison group according to teacher report. Overall, the results of this pilot test suggest it is possible to build a feasible, attractive, evidence-based intervention to promote character strengths using participatory action research.

Motivated to compete but not to care: The fundamental social motives of risk-taking behaviors

Based on the evolutionary framework of risk-taking, the present study aims to examine how the fundamental social motives relate to health risks, interpersonal risks and deviant non-violent behaviors as a function of sex and across different life stages of transitioning to adulthood. A total of 1370 Spanish adolescents and young individuals participated in the survey study. The results showed that status-seeking and kin care (family) were the principal social motives related to risk-taking behaviors. Specifically, status-seeking acted as a promoting factor of risk-taking behaviors, while kin care (family) exerted the opposite effect. Therefore, the results in general demonstrate the significant role of the fundamental social motives on risk-taking behaviors. The impact of sex and age group on the relationship between social motives and risk-taking behaviors is discussed.

Violence Detection in Real-Life Audio Signals Using Lightweight Deep Neural Networks

The automatic detection of violent behavior in acoustic data has become an important research area due to its growing application potential in various surveillance and behavior monitoring tasks where it causes fewer privacy issues than video. In this paper, we propose two deep learning approaches of different characteristics to classify speech data containing violent behavior against data that only includes patterns of non-violent behavior. The first approach is based on conventional deep neural networks, while the second approach uses lightweight deep neural networks. Both utilize Mel-spectrogram images of speech signals as input to fine-tuned models. Our best lightweight model's classification accuracy is about 8% better than the previous state-of-the-art result using the same benchmark data. Lightweight models have fewer parameters and require fewer computing resources than conventional deep models. This can be an important advantage when being deployed on mobile or edge devices.

Aggressiveness in the dreams of drug-naïve and clonazepam-treated patients with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder

BackgroundAlthough aggressive dream content is considered a distinctive feature of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) and patients often report violent dreams during medical interviews, nonviolent behaviors (eating, drinking, urinating) and pleasant actions (e.g laughing, singing, dancing) or simply elemental, jerky limb movements are frequently observed during video-polysomnography. As a first-line pharmacological treatment, clonazepam has been shown to reduce motor symptoms during REM sleep, but its effect on dream content remains unclear. Here, we aimed to prospectively assess the dream content of individuals with drug-naïve isolated RBD (iRBD) and iRBD patients treated with clonazepam. MethodsThirteen (12 Male, 1 Female; age 65.38 ± 10.95) iRBD patients treated with clonazepam (iRBD-T), eleven (9 M, 2 F; age 68.90 ± 6.8) drug-naïve patients (iRBD-NT) and twelve (8 M, 1 F; age 63.33 ± 12.88) healthy control subjects of comparable age kept a dream diary over a 3-week period. Dream content analysis was conducted according to the Hall and Van de Castle method (HVdC). The Threat Simulation Scale (TSS) was employed to assess the frequency of threatening contents. ResultsA total of 214 dream reports were collected. No significant differences were found in the frequency of threatening dream contents between the iRBD subsamples and healthy control subjects (p = 0.732). The HVdC analysis detected higher levels of Friendliness in iRBD patients compared to the control group (p = 0.036). Increased levels of Aggressiveness were only observed when differentiating dreams in which dream enactment behaviors (DEB) were present compared to dreams without DEBs, both in the iRBD-T group (p = 0.007) and the iRBD-NT group (p = 0.012). ConclusionOur study shows no difference in the frequency of violent or threatening dreams in drug-naïve iRBD patients, clonazepam-treated iRBD patients and healthy control individuals. Aggressiveness is more frequent when DEBs are reported, suggesting motor disinhibition could require sufficiently dramatic and emotionally intense dreams, independent of clonazepam treatment.

Health Inequalities and Cognate Inequities in American Society; Racism, Neoliberalism, and Freedom from Indignity

The paper re-examines neoliberal societies' essential characteristics and dignity exposition, arguing that racial injustice represents and inaugurates a systemic culmination. By proceeding with the theoretical framework of neoliberalism's impact on inequality, the study presents racism and its relevance in health and cognate inequalities and association to human security- freedom from indignity. Racial inequality in health and cognate inequities can not be transformed unless the power of neoliberalism is simultaneously contested. The COVID-19 has exposed the adverse effects of a system that has dominated and disproportionately impacted racialized US communities. It has refined confirmation of long-standing structural variations pointing out inadequate policies, budget discrepancies, jeopardizing human security conceptualization. Thus, opening ground for a neoliberalism reversal within the alternative hybrid order. The phenomenon's roots and current issues lie in the realization of capitalism, the morphology of the nation-state, and the generative order of colonialism. The unequal access and comprehensive discrimination make a paradoxical paradigm that the affluent US society is less prosperous. With an ideal approach to skepticism and confusion regarding critical race theory, the legal history, doctrinal race development, and the International Convention on Racial Discrimination, a contemporary racial foundation needs to be developed, reaffirmed, improved, and protected to incorporate the democratic content of the US's principles of legal equality. A rational approach to assess the social welfare system is to examine its significant impact on poverty and racial discrimination. The moral criterion and compulsory economic logic of direct financial benefits associated with poverty policies require considerable determination. The right to health is a fundamental precondition for achieving freedom from indignity contributing to non-violent behavior, legalism, and community improvement. The consolidation of wealth and power in one society could be ground for racial and other exclusivist discourses, and the improper system of governance and, ultimately, society become. Institutional racism, whether implicit or explicit, is often unnoticed or disregarded. Ethnic sensitivity, empowerment, and cultural competence should constitute anti-racism tools of liberation policies to constitute a dignified culture of equality and equity.

Evangelical Belief and Nonviolent Behavior in Chilean Inmates

This study examines whether religious beliefs motivate nonviolent behavior and lower rates of recidivism among Chilean inmates. We collected data through in-depth interviews with 174 inmates using open and close-ended questions. The research used a proportional random sample to select participants, principal component analysis to identify similarities and differences between groups, and content analysis to examine answers to the open-ended interview questions. Its findings indicate that evangelical inmates in Chilean prisons are less violent, more likely to follow internal jail regulations, and more cooperative with professionals and officials. This study contributes to the literature because there was no previous evidence in Chile that religious association, religious conviction, or a desire to change criminal behavior is instrumental to achieving better security during inmates’ stays in prison. The results also demonstrate that the presence of a peer group, with its emotional support and provision of a daily routine, is fundamental if inmates are to successfully handle their anxiety and be less violent.

Early Adolescents' Social Goals in Peer Conflict Situations: A Mixed Methods Study.

Identification of goals is a key social-cognitive process that guides whether adolescents engage in aggressive or nonviolent behavior during social conflicts. This study investigated early adolescents' goals in response to hypothetical social conflict situations involving close friends and peers. Participants (n = 160; Mage = 12.7, 53% female) were 7th graders from two urban and one rural middle school. On average, participants identified 2.5 goals for each situation. Qualitative analysis using a grounded theory approach identified nine themes representing the goals generated by participants: instrumental-control, relationship maintenance, maintain image and reputation/self-defense, conflict avoidance, seek more information, revenge, tension reduction, moral, and stay out of trouble. Quantitative analysis indicated that female participants identified more goals than male participants, but there were few differences in their types of goals. There were few differences across school sites. The findings highlight the variety of social goals specific to the developmental period of early adolescence.

Who Are the Stalkers in Hong Kong? Examining Stalking Perpetration Behaviors and Motives of Young Adults.

Information on the stalking perpetration dynamics of young male and female adults in Asian countries is scarce, particularly in relation to stalkers’ offending characteristics, perpetration behaviors, motives, and other violent and nonviolent behaviors. This study compares the stalking perpetration dynamics (i.e., offending characteristics, lifetime stalking perpetration behaviors and motives, and other violent and nonviolent behaviors) of young male and female adults in Hong Kong. Of the 2496 participants, recruited from all eight public and two private universities in Hong Kong, 45 participants (1.8%; mean age = 22.84 years) reported stalking perpetration during their lifetimes (33 males (mean age = 22.56 years) and 12 females (mean age = 23.58 years)). Significantly more males than females reported that they had engaged in stalking perpetration in the past 12 months. In general, participants most frequently perpetrated surveillance-oriented stalking behaviors, followed by approach-oriented stalking behaviors and intimidation- and aggression-oriented stalking behaviors. Significantly more females than males reported to have threatened to harm or kill their victims. Additionally, significantly more females than males reported “the victim caught me doing something” as their motive for stalking. The findings of our study provide useful information for prioritization during criminal investigations. Increased understanding of the stalking perpetration dynamics of males and females will help the police and threat assessment professionals to formulate their investigation and management plans.

Enforced silence or mindful non-violent action? Everyday peace and South Korean victims of civilian massacres in the Korean War

ABSTRACT This article examines why victims of violence pursue and justify non-violent forms of life in post-conflict environments. While previous scholars tend to explain that victims’ daily mechanism is marked by their silence and avoidance of violent confrontation to have a secure life, this study elaborates victims’ accounts of such actions when they should live together with their perpetrating enemies in the same place. Investigating victims’ narratives in the South Korean context as an example, this study found that victims perform non-violent behaviours as a survival strategy to avoid social stigma and further victimization. Moreover, they adopt ethical considerations to cultivate the moral self and envisage social change. Given the research findings, this study concludes that victims’ daily behaviours have the quality of everyday peace, in that they demonstrate reactive and proactive responses with both practical and moral considerations of their adversaries and the suppressive social structure.

Stalking Perpetration in Hong Kong: Exploring the Stalker-Victim Relationship

ABSTRACT Little is known about stalking perpetration in the Asian context. This study examines the dynamics of stalking perpetration (i.e., offending characteristics, perpetration behaviors, motives, and other violent and nonviolent behaviors) among adults in Hong Kong by stalker-victim relationship (i.e., ex-intimate partner, non-intimate non-stranger, and stranger). Using a large sample of university students (N = 2,496) aged 18–40, the lifetime prevalence rate of stalking perpetration was 1.8% (n = 45; 3% males [n = 33], 0.9% females [n = 12]). Relative to non-stranger stalkers, significantly more stranger stalkers self-reported that they had stalked in the preceding month, and reported shorter stalking durations. A number of significant differences were found between different stalker-victim relational groups (i.e., ex-intimate partner vs. non-intimate non-stranger, and non-stranger vs. stranger) in stalking perpetration behaviors and motives. Relative to those who stalked a non-intimate non-stranger, significantly more ex-intimate stalkers reported that they had attacked/attempted to attack their victim’s pet. Conversely, stranger stalkers were more likely than non-stranger stalkers to have attacked/attempted to attack their victim or a friend or coworker of the victim. The findings may offer some Hong Kong-specific insights for police and threat assessment professionals when formulating investigation and management plans.

Teacher and administrator perceptions of peace education in Milwaukee (US) Catholic schools

ABSTRACT Often intersecting with systemic inequity and injustice, young people’s exposure to community violence has been linked to a myriad of developmental impacts. A growing literature demonstrates the potential of peace education programs to promote resilient and prosocial outcomes for these individuals. Still, more work can be done to understand underlying mechanisms and implementation challenges to support these young people and build cultures of peace through education more effectively. In this article, we detail the theoretical foundation, context, and socioecological model for Marquette University Center for Peacemaking’s Peace Works program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, before presenting the results of focus groups with teachers and administrators where it was implemented. The conversations touched on how teachers and administrators perceive of the implementation of this peace education program, what impacts they observe in students and school culture, and obstacles to promoting peace in students, schools, and broader communities through this approach. Overall, we aim to contribute to understandings of peace education in violent urban contexts by offering a model built on a theoretical focus on nonviolent communication and behavior and a socioecological model for transformative change, as well as lessons from the program’s implementation.

Migrants’ Sexual Violence in the Mediterranean Region: A Regional Analysis

Migration in the Mediterranean region has increased greatly during the last years. Reports and studies reveal that violence and injuries among refugees and migrants is a common occurrence in the WHO Europe Region. Available literature indicates that sexual violence incidents take place: (a) during the migratory journey to the host country, (b) while in detention centers, (c) once migrants have reached their destination, and (d) during the period in which a woman is subject of trafficking. This manuscript explores how sexual violence against refugee/immigrant women is presented in the international literature; a narrative review of the literature was conducted on the phenomenon of migration in the Mediterranean area, and specifically on sexual violence of migrant women. In order to face the challenges faced by migrant women victims of sexual violence, the following policies are suggested by international literature: (a) offer emergency medical and health care to sexual violence survivors, which is usually relatively limited, (b) offer mental health care and psychological support for sexual violence when planning services to provide clinical care, and (c) work towards the aim of transforming norms and values in order to promote gender equality and support non-violent behaviours.