Interpersonal Violence Prevention Research Articles

Program Kehamilan

In 2016, at the beginning of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) era, preventable morbidity and mortality rates related to pregnancy remained very high. In the series of reproductive health care, antenatal care (ANC) facilitates important health service functions, including health promotion, premarital and preconception screening, diagnosis, and prevention of disease. Antenatal care in nulliparous women without complications was performed up to 10 times, while in primiparous and multiparous women without complications of pregnancy, ANC examination is recommended to be performed 7 times during the pregnancy period. Premarital screening is an action to prevent health problems in yourself, your spouse or offspring. This examination has several advantages, namely to prevent various diseases in the babies, such as thalassemia, diabetes mellitus, and other diseases. Preconception care aims to prevent and control disease at various stages of life, and a strong public health program is needed which uses a life perspective from infancy through childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Preconception care packages along with evidence-based interventions suggested by the World Health Organization include nutritional conditions; tobacco use; genetic conditions; environmental health; use of vaccines; prevention of interpersonal violence, sexually transmitted infections, drugs use, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Characteristics and behavioral risk factors of firearm-exposed youth in an urban emergency department.

Assessing firearm access among adolescents with behavioral health risk factors is important for the primary prevention of suicide and interpersonal violence. We describe self-reported firearm access and the associated behavioral risk factors and demographic characteristics in a cross-sectional study conducted in the emergency department of an urban pediatric hospital from June 2013 to June 2014. A total of 2258 adolescents received a behavioral health survey to assess access to firearms inside and outside the home, mental health symptoms, and risk behaviors. One of 6 patients in our sample (15%) endorsed access to a firearm. Male gender, lifetime alcohol use, lifetime marijuana use, and lifetime other drug use were associated with access. Participants reporting access were more likely to report clinical levels of lifetime suicidality and depression. The odds of current suicidality were highest in those with 24-h access (OR 2.77 CI 1.73-4.46), compared to those who did not endorse access.

Interpersonal Violence Prevention Considerations for Sexual Minority College Students: Lower Campus Connection, Worse Perceptions of Institutional Support, and more Accurate Understandings of Sexual Consent

While research has established that sexual minority college students are at increased risk for sexual violence and dating violence, less research has explored their attitudes and beliefs related to bystander self-efficacy, perceptions of institutional support, connectedness to the university, or understandings of sexual consent. These attitudes and beliefs are central to violence prevention and intervention programming and are well-researched among heterosexual students. Minority stress theory suggests that sexual minority people may have different attitudes and beliefs about violence due to these experiences with discrimination. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the relationship between victimization, minority stressors, and sexual identity on bystander self-efficacy, perceptions of institutional support, connectedness to the university, and understandings of sexual consent. Using a subsample of the 2016 Multi-College Bystander Efficacy Evaluation data from one university, data from 542 students were analyzed (271 sexual minority students and 271 randomly selected heterosexual students). Regressions indicated that sexual minority students, compared to heterosexual students, had lower feelings of connectedness to the college, less favorable perceptions of institutional support, and more accurate understandings of sexual consent. Victims of sexual assault had more accurate understandings of sexual consent, but this was not a significant predictor of college connectedness or perceptions of institutional support. These findings suggest a need for tailored prevention and intervention programs that address the specific needs of sexual minority students.

Evaluation of a Bystander-Focused Interpersonal Violence Prevention Program with High School Students.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a seven-session, bystander-focused, classroom-delivered curriculum (i.e., Bringing in the Bystander-High School Curriculum [BITB-HSC]) in reducing rates of interpersonal violence among high school students. High schools (N = 26) were randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition. In classrooms in treatment schools, students (n = 1081) completed a baseline survey, participated in the BITB-HSC, and completed an immediate post-test, a short-term post-test (approx. 2months after intervention), and a long-term post-test (approx. 1year after intervention). Youth in control schools (n = 1322) completed surveys at similar time points but did not participate in the BITB-HSC. Participants were 15.8years old on average and largely White (85.1%) and heterosexual (84.5%). Students exposed to the BITB-HSC demonstrated significant short-term changes in victim empathy and bystander barriers/facilitators, and long-term changes in rape myths, media literacy, bystander readiness, and knowledge relative to youth in the control condition. Although the BITB-HSC had little long-term impact on actual bystander behavior, there were reductions in some forms of violence among students in the BITB-HSC condition relative to the control condition. Future research is needed to determine if, for whom, why, and in what contexts (e.g., classroom-based versus school-wide initiatives) bystander-focused violence prevention initiatives reduce violence.

An Integrated Public Health Approach to Interpersonal Violence and Suicide Prevention and Response.

Violence is a leading source of morbidity and mortality in the United States. In this article, we suggest a public health framework for preventing community violence, intimate partner violence and sexual violence, and suicide as key forms of interpersonal and self-directed violence. These types of violence often co-occur and share common risk and protective factors. The gender, racial/ethnic, and age-related disparities in violence risk can be understood through an intersectionality framework that considers the multiple simultaneous identities of people at risk. Important opportunities for cross-cutting interventions exist, and intervention strategies should be examined for potential effectiveness on multiple forms of violence through rigorous evaluation. Existing evidence-based approaches should be taken to scale for maximum impact. By seeking to influence the policy and normative context of violence as much as individual behavior, public health can work with the education system, criminal justice system, and other sectors to address the public health burden of interpersonal violence and suicide.

"I really want people to use our work to be safe"…Using participatory research to develop a safety intervention for adults with intellectual disability.

People with intellectual disability experience disproportionately high rates of interpersonal violence (IPV) due, in part, to disability-related risks that often can be minimized through targeted intervention. In this article, we describe using an academic and community participatory research approach to develop and test the feasibility of an accessible IPV prevention program for people with intellectual disability. The Safety Class, which is an interactive, structured, eight-session, weekly face-to-face group program, was found feasible for implementation in an efficacy study. Working in partnership with the intellectual disability community through all phases of the project helps ensure the relevance, inclusion, and accessibility of The Safety Class.

Risk factors for interpersonal violence: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Interpersonal violence is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The strength and population effect of modifiable risk factors for interpersonal violence, and the quality of the research evidence is not known.AimsWe aimed to examine the strength and population effect of modifiable risk factors for interpersonal violence, and the quality and reproducibility of the research evidence. We conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of risk factors for interpersonal violence. A systematic search was conducted to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses in general population samples. Effect sizes were extracted, converted into odds ratios and synthesised, and population attributable risk fractions (PAF) were calculated. Quality analyses were performed, including of small study effects, adjustment for confounders and heterogeneity. Secondary analyses for aggression, intimate partner violence and homicide were conducted, and systematic reviews (without meta-analyses) were summarised. We identified 22 meta-analyses reporting on risk factors for interpersonal violence. Neuropsychiatric disorders were among the strongest in relative and absolute terms. The neuropsychiatric risk factor that had the largest effect at a population level were substance use disorders, with a PAF of 14.8% (95% CI 9.0-21.6%), and the most important historical factor was witnessing or being a victim of violence in childhood (PAF = 12.2%, 95% CI 6.5-17.4%). There was evidence of small study effects and large heterogeneity. National strategies for the prevention of interpersonal violence may need to review policies concerning the identification and treatment of modifiable risk factors.Declarations of interestJ.R.G. is an NIHR Senior Investigator. The views expressed within this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Protecting Adolescents in Low- And Middle-Income Countries from Interpersonal Violence (PRO YOUTH TRIAL): Study Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the Strengthening Families Programme 10-14 (“Familias Fuertes”) in Panama

BackgroundInterpersonal violence can significantly reduce adolescents’ opportunities for becoming happy and healthy adults. Central America is the most violent region in the world and it is estimated that adolescents are involved in 82% of all homicides in this region. Family skills training programmes have been designed to prevent interpersonal violence in adolescents. Several studies in high-income countries suggest they are effective. However, there are no published trials assessing effectiveness of these programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of the Strengthening Families Programme 10–14 (SFP 10–14 or “Familias Fuertes”) in Panama, a LMIC in Central America. An embedded process evaluation will examine the extent to which the intervention is delivered as intended, variation across trial sites, influences on implementation and intervention-context interactions. Cost-effectiveness will also be assessed.MethodsThis is a cluster randomised controlled trial. The 28 townships with the highest homicide rates in Panama will be randomly allocated to implementation of SFP 10–14 alongside services-as-usual or to services-as-usual only. Approximately 30 families will be recruited in each township, a total sample of 840 families. Families will be assessed at baseline, approximately eight weeks after baseline (i.e. post intervention), six months and 12 months after. The primary outcome measure will be the parent reported externalising subscale of the Child Behaviour Checklist at T3 (i.e., which is approximately 12 months after baseline). For the process evaluation, recruitment, attendance, fidelity and receipt will be measured. Qualitative interviews with facilitators, trainers, parents and adolescents will explore barriers/facilitators to implementation and intervention receipt. For the cost-effectiveness analysis, service use information will be gathered from parents and adolescents with a three-month recall period. Costs and consequences associated with implementation of the intervention will be identified.DiscussionThis trial will be the first to evaluate SFP 10–14 in a LMIC. Results have the potential to guide public policies for the prevention of interpersonal violence in Central America and beyond.Trial registrationISRCTN Registry, 14023111. Registered on 13 July 2017.

Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response on College and University Campuses: Opportunities for Faculty Leadership

Over the past decade, considerable and increasing attention has been paid to the high prevalence of sexual and intimate partner violence, stalking, and sexual harassment (i.e., interpersonal violence) on college and university campuses. Consequences of these victimizations are vast and long-lasting. Given the potential impact of dynamic changes in federal guidance on how to address interpersonal violence on campuses, it is even more critical for faculty from many different disciplines focused on anti-violence research and practice to be involved in efforts to intervene with and prevent such violence. In this commentary, we outline opportunities for faculty leadership in the areas of research, teaching, and service based on available research in these areas as well as our collective experiences as members of academia (e.g., students, former students, faculty) and former intimate partner violence and sexual assault service providers. Additionally, we discuss challenges that may arise for faculty (e.g., fixed-term faculty, adjunct faculty, pre-tenure assistant professors, tenured professors) taking on such leadership opportunities, such as increased workload and emotional labor, and make recommendations to help mitigate these challenges.

Building the Child Safety Collaborative Innovation and Improvement Network: How does it work and what is it achieving?

ObjectiveThis study investigated whether the Child Safety Collaborative Innovation and Improvement Network (CS CoIIN) framework could be applied in the field of injury and violence prevention to reduce fatalities, hospitalizations...

Midfacial fractures: A retrospective etiological study over a 10-year period in Western Romanian population.

Midfacial fractures are extremely important oral and maxillofacial problems because they take varied forms and are frequently accompanied by major long-term esthetic or functional complications. Their etiology and epidemiology vary significantly in the literature, and the main causes are varied by population. The aim of this study is to identify the main traumatic etiology of midfacial fractures, along with the main categories of affected patients in our geographical area, in order to establish the need for measures that can prevent fractures in the future. We conducted a retrospective study over a 10-year period in 379 patients. Data were extracted from the patients' charts, and the following variables were taken into consideration: sex, age, environment of origin, education level, and traumatic etiology. Midfacial fractures most frequently affected the 20-29 years age group (31.93%), male sex (n = 333, 87.86%, M:F = 7.23:1), patients from urban areas (n = 206, 54.35%), and patients without education (46.70%). The most frequent etiology was interpersonal violence (44.85%), followed by fall trauma (16.62%) and road traffic accidents (15.30%). Statistical correlations evidenced that urban environment favors midfacial fractures caused by interpersonal violence and road traffic accidents or sports injuries, while in rural areas, domestic accidents and animal attacks are predominant (P = 0.000). The overwhelming incidence of interpersonal violence in our population is currently a major public health problem. Implementing laws and initiating national programs for the prevention of interpersonal violence would lead to a considerable reduction of midfacial fractures in the Western Romanian population.

A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Interpersonal Violence Prevention Programs Focused on Males.

Exceptionally high levels of interpersonal violence have triggered a call by many experts for the need to determine effective ways to address the onset and effects of exposure to interpersonal violence. The specific aim of this study was to identify and draw on existing promising practices to make a more informed decision on strategies to develop a contextually relevant intervention that focused on the promotion of positive forms of masculinity to create safety and peace. This study used a qualitative meta-synthesis (QMS) technique to integrate and interpret findings from various intervention studies that focused on males and/or gender. An in-depth literature search yielded a total of 827 papers that met the search criteria. After removal of duplicates, abstract review, and review of the full texts, the subsequent sample for this meta-synthesis included 12 intervention programs and 23 studies. This QMS revealed the value of a comprehensive approach, using multiple strategies, employing participatory and interactive methods, and promoting social mobilization to address interpersonal violence. The promotion of positive forms of masculinity as an interpersonal violence prevention strategy is a much-needed, relatively untapped approach to generating safety and peace for both males and females.

Mentoring Pediatric Victims of Interpersonal Violence Reduces Recidivism.

Pediatric interpersonal violence is a public health crisis resulting in morbidity and mortality and recidivism. St. Louis City and surrounding areas have the highest rates of youth interpersonal violence nationally. St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH) Social Work in conjunction with Pediatric Emergency Medicine established a novel emergency department (ED)-initiated program to determine whether co-location of services followed by outpatient mentoring reduced the rate of morbidity, mortality, and recidivism in youths experiencing interpersonal violence. SLCH developed the "Empowering Youth Through Interpersonal Violence Prevention Program," co-locating initial social work services and emergency medical services in the pediatric ED. Youths, ages 8 to 17 years, presenting for interpersonal violence were approached for immediate social work counseling and subsequent individualized outpatient mentoring, developed from national best practices and model programs. A prospective 2:1 randomized, controlled pilot study assessing for youth morbidity, mortality, and recidivism was conducted for program service feasibility from 2012 to 2014. The study was followed by a 1-year retrospective analysis of program service integration as a hospital standard-of-care evaluating the same outcome measures. Of the 24 youths who participated in the pilot study and received the intervention, there was a 4% rate of morbidity and recidivism. Conversely, there was a 3.4% rate of mortality, 6.7% rate of morbidity, and 11.8% recidivism rate in those who refused to participate in services. EYIPP was offered as a service from 2014 to 2015 and 57 youths participated with a 3.5% rate of both morbidity and recidivism. During this time, 78 eligible youths declined services with a 1.1% rate of morbidity, and 2.3% recidivism rate. This novelprogram reduces recidivism, morbidity, and mortality in youths presenting to SLCH for interpersonal violence-related injuries suggesting that co-location of social services in the ED, followed by individualized mentoring may be important for engagement.

A model for evaluating academic research centers: Case study of the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center

ObjectivesTo provide one model for evaluating academic research centers, given their vital role in addressing public health issues. MethodsA theoretical framework is described for a comprehensive evaluation plan for research centers. This framework is applied to one specific center by describing the center’s Logic Model and Evaluation Plan, including a sample of the center’s activities. ResultsFormative and summative evaluation information is summarized. In addition, a summary of outcomes is provided: improved practice and policy; reduction of risk factors and increase in protective factors; reduction of interpersonal youth violence in the community; and national prototype for prevention of interpersonal youth violence. ConclusionsResearch centers are important mechanisms to advance science and improve people’s quality of life. Because of their more infrastructure-intensive and comprehensive approach, they also require substantial resources for success, and thus, also require careful accountability. It is therefore important to comprehensively evaluate these centers. As provided herein, a more systematic and structured approach utilizing logic models, an evaluation plan, and successful processes can provide research centers with a functionally useful method in their evaluation.

Scripting Sexual Consent: Internalized Traditional Sexual Scripts and Sexual Consent Expectancies Among College Students

College students are at a relatively high risk for both sexual assault victimization and perpetration, and understanding sexual consent is imperative to reduce the incidence of sexual assault. Informed by the interactionist perspective of feminist theory, we surveyed 447 undergraduate students to identify factors associated with heterosexual college students' expectancies related to sexual consent. Women who believed in sexual stereotypes and endorsed music that degrades women were less likely than other women to expect to engage in healthy negotiation of sexual consent. Men who were confident that they could avoid perpetrating nonsexual, physical interpersonal violence were statistically more likely to report practicing healthy negotiation of sexual consent. These results indicate that it is important for practitioners to consider individuals' sexual stereotypes in the prevention of interpersonal sexual violence.

Global research priorities for interpersonal violence prevention: a modified Delphi study.

ObjectiveTo establish global research priorities for interpersonal violence prevention using a systematic approach.MethodsResearch priorities were identified in a three-round process involving two surveys. In round 1, 95 global experts in violence prevention proposed research questions to be ranked in round 2. Questions were collated and organized according to the four-step public health approach to violence prevention. In round 2, 280 international experts ranked the importance of research in the four steps, and the various substeps, of the public health approach. In round 3, 131 international experts ranked the importance of detailed research questions on the public health step awarded the highest priority in round 2.FindingsIn round 2, “developing, implementing and evaluating interventions” was the step of the public health approach awarded the highest priority for four of the six types of violence considered (i.e. child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, armed violence and sexual violence) but not for youth violence or elder abuse. In contrast, “scaling up interventions and evaluating their cost–effectiveness” was ranked lowest for all types of violence. In round 3, research into “developing, implementing and evaluating interventions” that addressed parenting or laws to regulate the use of firearms was awarded the highest priority. The key limitations of the study were response and attrition rates among survey respondents. However, these rates were in line with similar priority-setting exercises.ConclusionThese findings suggest it is premature to scale up violence prevention interventions. Developing and evaluating smaller-scale interventions should be the funding priority.

The role of religious leaders in anti-Apartheid mobilisation: implications for violence prevention in contemporary South Africa

ABSTRACTThis study examines how South African religious leaders mobilised spiritual capacity and religious assets to resist and fight against state and structural violence during the 1970s and 1980s. Document analysis and qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with six key informants who were directly or indirectly involved in an interfaith Peace March in 1989 in Cape Town. Our analysis was aimed at identifying and understanding the factors, which enabled individuals from diverse religious backgrounds to work together to combat the Apartheid state and structural violence, drawing out possible roles for interfaith leadership within the prevention of direct violence in South Africa. The analysis shows that interfaith leadership was enacted as five kinds of performances: of safety in sacred spaces, solidarity and community, non-violence, voice and representation, and humanitarian relief and healing. These performances relied on specific religious assets, spiritual capacity and psychological and interpersonal qualities characteristic of transformative leaders. In conclusion, we offer some suggestions for how interfaith leadership alongside other social actors may contribute to the prevention of interpersonal violence.

Community perceptions of risk factors for interpersonal violence in townships in Cape Town, South Africa: A focus group study

ABSTRACTInterpersonal violence is a major contributor to the burden of disease globally, and in South Africa, it is the leading cause of injury. There is an emerging consensus that the development of actionable policy and effective prevention strategies for interpersonal violence requires an understanding of the contextual matters that elevate risk for interpersonal violence. The objective of this study was to explore community perceptions of risks for interpersonal violence in five townships in Cape Town, South Africa, with high rates of violence. Focus group discussions were conducted with community members to identify key factors in that contributed to being either a perpetrator or victim of interpersonal violence. The ecological framework was used to classify the risk factors as occurring at individual, relationship, community or society levels. Some of the risk factors identified included alcohol abuse, poverty, informality of settlements and cultural norms. Differences in how each of these risk factors are expressed and experienced in the five communities are also elucidated. This approach enabled the collection of contextual community-based data that can complement conventional surveillance data in the development of relevant community-level strategies for interpersonal violence prevention.

A Review of Existing Studies Reporting the Negative Effects of Alcohol Access and Positive Effects of Alcohol Control Policies on Interpersonal Violence.

Alcohol consumption often leads to elevated rates of violence yet alcohol access policies continue to relax across the globe. Our review establishes the extent alcohol policy can moderate violent crime through alcohol availability restrictions. Results were informed from comprehensive selection of peer-reviewed journals from 1950 to October 2015. Our search identified 87 relevant studies on alcohol access and violence conducted across 12 countries. Seventeen studies included quasi-control design, and 23 conducted intervention analysis. Seventy-one (82%) reported a significant relationship between alcohol access and violent offenses. Alcohol outlet studies reported the greatest percentage of significant results (93%), with trading hours (63%), and alcohol price following (58%). Results from baseline studies indicated the effectiveness of increasing the price of commonly consumed alcohol, restricting the hours of alcohol trading, and limiting the number of alcohol outlets per region to prevent violent offenses. Unclear are the effects of tax reductions, restriction of on-premises re-entry, and different outlet types on violent crime. Further, the generalization of statistics over broad areas and the low number of control/intervention studies poses some concern for confounding or correlated effects on study results, and amount of information for local-level prevention of interpersonal violence. Future studies should focus on gathering longitudinal data, validating models, limiting crime data to peak drinking days and times, and wherever possible collecting the joint distribution between violent crime, intoxication, and place. A greater uptake of local-level analysis will benefit studies comparing the influence of multiple alcohol establishment types by relating the location of a crime to establishment proximity. Despite, some uncertainties particular studies showed that even modest policy changes, such as 1% increases in alcohol price, 1 h changes to closing times, and limiting establishment densities to <25 outlets per postal code substantively reduce violent crime.

Brief interventions for reducing violence: a rapid review of evaluations and recommendations

BackgroundInterpersonal violence among young men is a major public health problem in Scotland, UK. Treatment for violent injury might represent a teachable moment to provide a brief intervention for reducing violence. To inform development of such an intervention, a review was undertaken to examine existing models of brief intervention, and to assess evidence of their effect. MethodsWe searched three databases (Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and PsycINFO) for articles published in English before March 11, 2013, using the following criteria: violence (Violen* OR Agress* OR Assault* OR Homicide OR Murder OR GBH OR Grievous Bodily Harm OR ABH OR Actual Bodily Harm), intervention (Interven* OR Program* OR Initiative), intervention length (Brief OR Rapid OR Short), and sex of participants (Male* OR man OR boy* OR men). After removal of duplicates, 553 articles were retrieved. Titles and abstracts were independently appraised with prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria by three authors resulting in 50 full texts. Articles were most commonly excluded for describing interventions that were group-based or part of a long-term programme. Full texts were reviewed by the first author, identifying eight distinct brief interventions for reducing violence. FindingsThe key findings of the review included: the use of brief motivational interviewing for engaging with at-risk participants; the value of social norms approaches for correcting peer norm misperceptions; the benefit of working with victims of violence in medical settings (particularly oral and maxillofacial surgeries); the importance of addressing alcohol in violent encounters; the advantages of computer-therapist hybrid models of delivery; and the need for adequate follow-up evaluation as part of a randomised controlled trial. InterpretationThe review was a valuable exercise in assessing the existence of brief interventions for reducing violence and summarising their key characteristics. It was, however, constrained by the potentially overly restrictive search criteria, which limited the number of included interventions and follow-up data for some interventions, thereby preventing assessment of effectiveness. Nonetheless, brief interventions are potentially useful in the prevention of interpersonal violence among young men. The findings of the review will inform the development of a brief intervention for reducing violence with young men in Scotland who have sustained injuries through interpersonal violence. FundingViolence Reduction Unit (Police Scotland).