Psychological Harm Research Articles

Sexual Offending: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Shame, and Self-Compassion Explain the Variance in Self-Harm and Harm Towards Others?

Research investigating potential pathways from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to later self-harming and offending behaviours has inconsistent findings. Past research, however, has not fully explored the interplay between ACEs and modifiable psychological factors, such as shame and self-compassion. The present study explored the relationship between ACE, shame, and self-compassion to identify their role in explaining the variance in later harm in a sample of individuals who have committed sexual offences. Two hundred and fifty adults incarcerated for sexual offences participated. Multiple Regression and Mediation Analyses were applied to establish if ACE, shame and self-compassion explained the variance in harm and explore potential psychological pathways between ACE and harm, with shame and self-compassion as potential modifiable mediators. ACE, shame and self-compassion explained 55% of self-harm and 52% of psychological and physical harm variance. A more complex relationship was indicated for sexual harm, with only 19% of the variance explained by the model. The study increases our understanding of the relationship between variables and potential modifiable pathways between ACEs and later harming behaviours in a sample of individuals with sexual convictions. These modifiable psychological factors could be targeted to increase resilience, post-traumatic growth and reduce the risk of harm in later life.

“You Have to Take Care of Your Own Mental Status”: Incarcerated Women Seeking Care Within and Beyond Mental Health Treatment

Incarcerated women in the United States commonly experience prison-based mental health treatment. Feminist scholars stress the need to explore how incarcerated women exercise agency while navigating controlling treatment dynamics and how they experience these dynamics in relation to aspects of their selves (e.g., their thoughts and feelings). To explore these dynamics, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 42 incarcerated women in a Midwestern state prison and with life history calendars, elucidated women's treatment encounters over time. Through analysis of these interviews, we contend that women experienced dehumanizing dynamics within treatment, particularly curtailed communication from the staff that silenced women, created unfamiliar selves, and contributed to physical harm and psychological harm. Based on these findings, we conceptualize prison-based mental health treatment as health harm rather than health care. We also found that women responded to controlling dynamics with forms of self-preservation including strategies of treatment decision-making that affirmed their selves, active treatment refusal as self-protection, and forming meaningful connections with others that validated aspects of their selves. Based on women's care-based strategies, further feminist theorizing and practice directions are needed that align with, build upon, and are guided by incarcerated women's varied definitions of care to improve their mental health and well-being.

Women's rights and child abductions under the Hague Convention

AbstractThe Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is a multinational treaty designed to protect children internationally from the harmful effects of parental abduction. The Convention requires a mandatory return of a child who was wrongfully removed or retained outside the country of her habitual residence unless a narrow defense preventing return can be proven. When drafted, it was assumed that most abductors would be non‐custodial parents disappointed by an adverse custody decision in the home country. It is now clear that women have been disproportionately affected because in many, if not most, U.S. cases, the respondents, that is, the parents accused of the abduction, are the children's primary caregivers. When the child's home country is not willing or capable of protecting the mother and the child, they are forced to flee from often near‐lethal danger. Therefore, many cases brought under the Hague Convention involve severe domestic violence. The Hague Convention allows courts to deny the return if it would expose the child to a “grave risk of physical or psychological harm.” Nonetheless, a limited judicial understanding of domestic violence, coupled with societal gender biases, has impeded the application of this defense. Several recent developments discussed in this essay reflect a growing understanding of the lasting traumatic impact of domestic violence on these child victims.

Protocol for a qualitative study exploring the pharmacist’s role in supporting postsecondary students with psychotropic medication management

IntroductionFindings from the National College Health Assessment (2019) stated that anxiety and depression are the most prevalent diagnosed mental illnesses among Canadian postsecondary students with one-fifth of students self-reporting a...

Is the use of performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) in women an issue of concern? The findings from a stakeholder consultation

ObjectivesThere is limited research into the use of performance and image enhancing drugs among women who participate in sport, despite evidence that women do use these substances and experience related harms. The aim of this project is to capture stakeholder perspectives on the current research, policy, and practice landscape in Australia regarding women's performance and image enhancing drug use in regulated and unregulated sport settings. DesignQualitative interviews. MethodsThirty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted online with stakeholders from Australia between September and December 2021. Interviews ranged between 15 and 90 min in duration. Data were imported into the NVivo (Version 12) platform and analysed using thematic analysis. ResultsThirty-two participants (20 females and 12 males) who held a variety of roles (e.g., coach/strength coaches, gym owners, anti-doping agents, athletes) were interviewed. Fourteen participants reported performance and image enhancing drug use. There were four overarching themes generated from the data: ‘participation in untested sports’; ‘environmental factors driving use’; ‘individual rationalisation’; and, ‘the dark side of performance and image enhancing drug use’. ConclusionsPerformance and image enhancing drug use was identified as an issue of concern for women competing in non-elite strength and power-based sports. Of particular concern is the influence of unqualified advice from third parties (i.e., coaches and partners) regarding performance and image enhancing drug use. The environments in which performance and image enhancing drug use occurs can impact individual decisions of women and eventuate in significant and long-lasting physical and psychological harms.

A Liberal Theory of Commodification

Abstract Judging on the basis of standard accounts of commodification, one might reasonably suggest that liberalism intrinsically lacks an adequate theory of commodification. Liberalism, with its commitment to individual choice and to neutrality as regards competing evaluation practices, seems conceptually incapable of identifying or abolishing many significant forms of commodification. This essay aims to refute this claim. It employs a strategy of appealing to the harm principle as grounds for a liberal anti-commodification theory. I claim that we are harmed when we are denied ways to meaningfully engage in certain evaluative practices, ways that depend on evaluations shared with others with whom we stand in meaningful social relationships. Markets can crowd out these shared evaluations, and to this extent cause us psychological harm; this in turn supplies grounds for restrictions on certain markets within a liberal state.

The Role of Customer Relationship Vulnerability in Service Recovery

The effectiveness of service recovery initiatives has primarily been explained by exchange theories implicitly assuming that the customer desires beneficial relationships. The present research extends studies in this tradition by emphasizing the crucial role of the customer’s vulnerability. Drawing on crisis theory, we argue that the effectiveness of service recovery initiatives is contingent on customer relationship vulnerability (CRV), which is defined as a customer predisposition to psychological harm in relationships with service firms. The findings show that a full-service recovery is not always possible among vulnerable customers. We discuss the implications for theory and service management practice.

Demons Only Virgins Can See: Divination with Child-Mediums as a Medieval Type of Clerical Child Abuse

This article examines the use of child-mediums in divination and magic as a specific medieval understanding of child abuse. Medieval authors believed that children were used in this way by learned men, particularly churchmen. They believed the practice was abusive, causing physiological and psychological harm. Many also thought, for different reasons, that it could produce revelations. This topic provided medieval authors with an opportunity to theorise about a specifically clerical form of child abuse, and it is an example of the kind of ritual magic extant in clerics’ own social worlds that fuelled paranoid conspiratorial fantasies, such as witchcraft.

Implementing a constructive struggle approach: Insights from a training program for security forces prior to executing a government evacuation policy in the context of a protracted conflict

AbstractThis article describes the contribution and insights of adopting practices that support a strategy of non‐violent resistance, and a constructive conflict approach (constructive struggle) that endeavors to minimize physical and psychological harm, and prevent escalation that leads to destructive conflict. It describes the exposure of security forces to such practices in the context of the protracted Israeli‐Palestinian conflict. The article demonstrates how interactions attended by high tensions and resistance can be conducted constructively, in contrast with similar situations in the past, when use of force and authority was considered legitimate, even though it frequently resulted in worsened relations between the sides to the conflict. Specifically, the article focuses on the case of a training program that was created for the evacuating forces prior to implementation of the Disengagement Plan. It also describes insights on the complex interactions between the sides (security forces versus settlers), with emphasis on the tools that helped them successfully execute their task, and prevent escalation of the conflict.

Revisiting the rationale of mandatory masking

In this perspective, we review the evidence for the efficacy of face masks to reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, specifically severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and consider the value of mandating universal mask wearing against the widespread negative impacts that have been associated with such measures. Before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it was considered that there was little to no benefit in healthy people wearing masks as prophylaxis against becoming infected or as unwitting vectors of viral transmission. This accepted policy was hastily reversed early on in the pandemic, when districts and countries throughout the world imposed stringent masking mandates. Now, more than three years since the start of the pandemic, the amassed studies that have investigated the use of masks to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (or other pathogens) have led to conclusions that are largely inconsistent and contradictory. There is no statistically significant or unambiguous scientific evidence to justify mandatory masking for general, healthy populations with the intention of lessening the viral spread. Even if mask wearing could potentially reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in individual cases, this needs to be balanced against the physical, psychological and social harms associated with forced mask wearing, not to mention the negative impact of innumerable disposed masks entering our fragile environment. Given the lack of unequivocal scientific proof that masks have any effect on reducing transmission, together with the evident harms to people and the environment through the use of masks, it is our opinion that the mandatory use of face masks in the general population is unjustifiable and must be abandoned in future pandemic countermeasures policies.

Children of extremist parents: Insights from a specialized clinical team.

Data on children who grow up with parents adhering to violent extremism is scant. This makes it extremely delicate to inform policies and clinical services to protect such children from potential physical and psychological harm. This paper explores the predicament of children whose caretakers were referred to a specialized clinical team in Montreal (Canada) because of concerns about risks or actual involvement in violent extremism processes. This paper uses a mixed methods concurrent triangulation design. Quantitative data was obtained through a file review (2016-2020). Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and a focus group with the team practitioners. Clinicians reported the presence of stereotypes in the health and social services network frequently representing religious extremist parents as potentially dangerous or having inappropriate parenting skills while minimizing the perception of risk for parents adhering to political extremism. Children displayed high levels of psychological distress, mainly related to family separation, parental psychopathology, and conflicts of loyalty stemming from familial or social alienation. Training practitioners to be aware of their own personal and institutional bias may help them to understand the predicament of extremist parents' children and implement systemic, trauma and attachment informed interventions.

Conditional Probability of Challenging Behavior in a Juvenile Justice Facility: Analysis by Days of Week and Time of Day

ABSTRACT In the United States, overhalf a million delinquency cases are opened annually. Of those cases, an estimated 26% involve detention in some manner. Adolescents who have been adjudicated delinquent are detained based on their display of illegal behavior. This repertoire, which includes illegal behavior, may give rise to challenging behavior while residing in the detention facility. Moreover, challenging behavior displayed by adolescents in detention facilities often gives rise to severe consequences including physical or psychological harm, facility instability, increased duration of detention, and parole denial. The present study is a descriptive assessment of behavioral data collected by dormitory staff at a juvenile residential treatment facility. We used conditional probabilities and statistical analyses to identify conditional events that predict increased likelihood of challenging behavior (e.g. days of the week, time of day). The findings may allow clinicians and administrators within the facility to allocate resources strategically to prevent and respond to challenging behavior effectively. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Estimating the association between Facebook adoption and well-being in 72 countries.

Social media's potential effects on well-being have received considerable research interest, but much of past work is hampered by an exclusive focus on demographics in the Global North and inaccurate self-reports of social media engagement. We describe associations linking 72 countries' Facebook adoption to the well-being of 946 798 individuals from 2008 to 2019. We found no evidence suggesting that the global penetration of social media is associated with widespread psychological harm: Facebook adoption predicted life satisfaction and positive experiences positively, and negative experiences negatively, both between countries and within countries over time. Nevertheless, the observed associations were small and did not reach a conventional 97.5% one-sided credibility threshold in all cases. Facebook adoption predicted aspects of well-being more positively for younger individuals, but country-specific results were mixed. To move beyond studying aggregates and to better understand social media's roles in people's lives, and their potential causal effects, we need more transparent collaborative research between independent scientists and the technology industry.

Indonesian Legal Compliance with International Human Rights Law on Female Genital Mutilation

The absence of a law that strictly prohibits female genital mutilation in Indonesia has increased the number of women and girls victimized by this practice. While some communities may justify female genital mutilation as a religious practice, there is no religious justification for this, and neither is Islam, the dominant religion in Indonesia. The United Nations has defined female genital mutilation as a harmful practice that can cause physical and psychological harm to women and girls. Moreover, it is also closely linked with violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief. This qualitative research uses a normative approach by analyzing Indonesian laws related to female genital mutilation and its compatibility with international human rights legal obligations. This research describes Indonesia's role in preventing, addressing, and protecting women and girls who have undergone female genital mutilation. The results show that Indonesian laws on female genital mutilation do not comply with international human rights laws, which prohibit all types of female genital mutilation practices. This research suggests that the Indonesian government should take all measures to eliminate the practice of female genital mutilation through legal action, creating binding and gender-perspective regulations and policies. Eliminating female genital mutilation will contribute to achieving gender equality and women's empowerment in Indonesia, as the country's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Protection and Recovery Efforts Against Victims of Domestic Violence Especially Children and Women

Domestic violence is a distressing criminal offense that can result in severe legal repercussions, including imprisonment, as well as profound and lasting effects on its victims. This pervasive issue often involves one family member inflicting harm on another within the confines of their own home. Discussing domestic violence is no longer a societal taboo, as awareness has grown about the importance of addressing and preventing such cases. The motives behind domestic violence are complex, stemming from issues like relationship disharmony, financial strain, poor communication, and more. These underlying factors can trigger a range of abusive behaviors, leading to physical, emotional, and psychological harm for the victims. These abuses can manifest directly or indirectly, through threats, manipulation, or physical violence. The consequences of domestic violence are not limited to the short term; they can have enduring effects on the victims' lives. Physically, victims can sustain injuries that may require medical attention, while the emotional and psychological scars can linger, affecting self-esteem, mental health, and overall well-being. It is crucial to address this issue through legal means, support, and education to break the cycle of domestic violence and protect its victims.

The resource team: A case study of a solitary confinement reform in Oregon.

The continued use of solitary confinement has sparked international public health and human rights criticisms and concerns. This carceral practice has been linked repeatedly to a range of serious psychological harms among incarcerated persons. Vulnerabilities to harm are especially dire for persons with preexisting serious mental illness ("SMI"), a group that is overrepresented in solitary confinement units. Although there have been numerous calls for the practice to be significantly reformed, curtailed, and ended altogether, few strategies exist to minimize its use for people with SMI and histories of violence against themselves or others. This case study describes the "Oregon Resource Team" (ORT), a pilot project adapted from a Norwegian officer-led, interdisciplinary team-based approach to reduce isolation and improve outcomes for incarcerated persons with SMI and histories of trauma, self-injury, and violence against others. We describe the ORT's innovative approach, the characteristics and experiences of incarcerated people who participated in it, its reported impact on the behavior, health, and well-being of incarcerated persons and correctional staff, and ways to optimize its effectiveness and expand its use.

Parents' Perceptions of Children's and Adolescents' Use of Electronic Devices to Promote Physical Activity: Systematic Review of Qualitative Evidence.

The use of physical activity (PA) electronic devices offers a unique opportunity to engage children and adolescents in PA. For this age group (2-17 years), parents play a key role in promoting healthy lifestyles and regulating the use of electronic devices. Therefore, parents' perceptions of the use of electronic devices for PA in children and adolescents are critical for efficient intervention. The aim of this qualitative systematic review was to improve the understanding of parents' perceptions of the use of electronic devices for PA in children and adolescents. A systematic search of electronic databases (Medline/PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Scopus, OpenGrey, and Deep Blue) was conducted. Studies from inception (2010) to May 2022 were identified. Qualitative studies on the perceptions of healthy children's and adolescents' (aged 2-17 years) parents regarding PA interventions performed on electronic devices were included according to the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group Guidance Series and the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) statement. The Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument was used for methodological validity. In total, 18 studies with 410 parents, mostly mothers, were included. Parents' perceptions were grouped into 4 categories: usefulness, advantages, general perceptions (electronic devices for health promotion, preferences for real-life PA, and concerns), and acceptability (barriers and facilitators) of electronic devices for PA. Parents perceived electronic devices as useful for increasing PA, learning new skills, and increasing motivation for PA and valued those devices that promoted socialization and family and peer bonding. In terms of general perceptions, parents had positive attitudes toward PA electronic devices; however, they preferred outdoor and real-life PA, especially for preschoolers and children. Concerns, such as physical and psychological harm, addiction, conflicts, and compliance difficulties, were found. Facilitators were identified as ease of use, appropriate feedback, promotion of socialization, and motivational strategies, such as rewards, challenges, and attractiveness. Barriers, such as discomfort, price, and difficulties in using or understanding electronic devices, were also identified. For older children and adolescents, parents were more concerned about high levels of screen time and setting limits on electronic devices and therefore preferred PA electronic devices rather than traditional ones. Overall, the participants had positive attitudes toward electronic devices for PA and perceived them as an effective way to promote PA in children and adolescents. They also perceived several benefits of using electronic devices, such as health promotion, increased awareness and motivation, and socialization, as well as barriers, facilitators, and age differences. The results of this study could provide researchers with insights into designing more effective, age-appropriate PA electronic devices for children and adolescents and improving adherence to their use. PROSPERO CRD42021292340; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=292340.

Factors Associated with Intimate Partner Violence among Married Women.

Intimate partner violence refers to any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in the relationship. Various factors such as alcohol or substance abuse, history of violence in family, extra marital affair, educational status, socio-economic status, decision making power, and established gender role are linked with Intimate partner violence. This study aims to identify the prevalence of different forms of intimate partner violence and its associated factors among married women in Shankharapur municipality of Kathmandu District. A concurrent triangulation design was used. Quantitative data were collected from 602 married females while qualitative data was collected from 11 participants. Multivariate logistic regression was done using Stata MP13 version. Thematic analysis was done for qualitative data. Triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative findings waere done. The prevalence of Intimate partner violence was found to be 22.1%. After logistic regression, it was found that women's involvement in community groups had lower odds (AOR 0.67, 95%CI 0.6-0.7) of IPV as compared to those who were not involved in community groups. Additionally, findings from the qualitative study showed female being victims of different forms of violence. Still, Female are the sufferers of violence behind the closed doors and mitigation strategies should have to be adopted from different levels of government to control intimate partner violence.

The harassment of parliamentarians and judicial officers: a South Australian perspective

An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to the members of the South Australian parliament and judiciary. Data was analysed to determine whether there were meaningful differences between parliamentarians and judicial officers in their experiences as victims of harassment. Responses were received from 28% of all members surveyed with 96% of participants reporting at least one form of harassment. Parliamentarians reported a higher prevalence of more serious forms of harassment relative to judicial officers. Parliamentarians reported experiencing harassment in both private and professional contexts whereas judicial officers almost exclusively experienced harassment in a professional context. Harassment caused significant psychological harm and social disruption across both cohorts. There were minor differences in the sources of help utilised by both cohorts; however, judicial officers reported greater satisfaction with help received relative to parliamentarians. The majority of respondents were in favour of receiving advice from a specialised service to mitigate future harassment behaviour.

개업상담자 다중역할 스트레스 척도 개발 및 타당화

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the compositional concept of multiple-role stress of practicing counselor and to develop and validate a scale that reflects this.
 Methods This study was conducted through a review of relevant literature and scale development research. Preliminary items were selected through an open-ended survey and content validity was verified through expert consultation. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 228 practicing counselors to develop the scale. To validate the developed scale, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on 240 practicing counselors from a new sample. The scale was verified for convergent validity, discriminant validity, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability.
 Results Firstly, a practicing counselor multiple-role stress scale was developed through exploratory factor analysis, which consisted of 6 factors and 25 items. The subscales of the scale were role overload - counselor (6 items), role overload - owner (3 items), role conflict - counselor (6 items), role conflict - owner (3 items), role ambiguity - owner (4 items), and role ambiguity - counselor (3 items). The 6 factors explained 64.55% of the total variance. Secondly, the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the structure of the 6 factors was adequate, as the fit indices were acceptable. Thirdly, the scale was found to have acceptable levels of convergent validity, discriminant validity, concurrent validity, and test-retest reliability.
 Conclusions This study is significant in that it identified the compositional concept of multiple-role stress of practicing counselors and developed and validated a tool to measure it. The practicing counselor multiple-role stress scale can be used as a tool to improve and prevent psychological harm for practicing counselors, and contribute to enhancing the quality of counseling services.