Recent Violence Research Articles

School level and urbanicity differences in drilled plans for evacuation, lockdown, and shelter-in-place scenarios: A national analysis

The purpose of this article was to determine the degree to which differences were present in drilled school safety plans by school level and urbanicity for the 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 school years. Data from a national survey were analyzed. As such, a causal-comparative or ex post facto research design was present. Inferential statistical analyses of nationwide survey data revealed the presence of statistically significant differences in the incidence of drilled school safety plans. Elementary schools were fourth less likely to perform shelter-in-place drills than were high schools. More than three times as many schools located within a suburb performed lockdown drills at a more significant rate than schools in rural settings. Given the recent school violence tragedies, implications for all schools having written plans and, more importantly, having drilled their students and teachers in those plans are present. Recommendations for future research studies were discussed.

Depiction of Caste Annihilation and Class Abrogation in Mulk Raj Anand’s UNTOUCHABLE and COOLIE

Since civilization has started caste system based on profession not by birth. Later on it turns into a power game and the whole human society were divided into four varnas. Manusmriti, widely regarded to be the important and authoritative book on Hindu law and dating back to at least 1000 years before Christ was born ‘‘acknowledges and justifies the caste system as the basis of order and regularity of society .’’(Web ) The caste divides Hindu into four main categories – Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Many believe that the groups originated from Brahma , The Hindu God of Creation. They are classified according to occupation and determine access to wealth , power and privilege. In recent years Violence has become a common phenomenon in India. It has engulfed the entire political, social, economic, cultural and even our personal lives. Violence of social justice and caste discriminations of complex characters have added additional burden to our society whereas we Indians have been specially advised to practice “non-violence”. The growing trend in violence thus provokes us to talk about non-violence and identify the roots of violence in India. Caste Violence is perhaps one of the most hazardous forms of violence in India. It often intermingles with the most political, social, cultural, and class atrocity. So caste discriminations and atrocities against the socially weaker sections with age- old traditional and unconventional norms deserve a careful historical investigation. Indian Caste system is the most widely discussed subject all over the world. Caste system is a social evil in which the higher caste people exploits and persecutes the lower caste people and forced them to live sub-human lives like beasts. This paper is based on caste and vulgarism of ‘Untouchable’ and ‘Coolie’ poignantly portrayed by M R Anand. It is an attempt to explore its origin, nature, gravity, and deprivation.

ÓBITO POR AVC EM VÍTIMA SUSPEITA DE ESTUPRO: UM RELATO DE CASO

Introduction: Rape is a recurring crime in the Brazilian context. The police investigation on this felony requires the performance of forensic sexology, which, through the examination of the corpus delicti, is able to provide evidence about this heinous crime. The objective of the present study is to report a case of a death by stroke in a victim of suspected rape. Material and method: This is a qualitative and descriptive clinical case study, whose data collection took place through analysis of the expert report coming from the Thanatology Nucleus of the Legal Medicine Coordination of the Forensic Expertise of Canindé. Resultados: Female victim, 64 years old, brown, referred to the service for suspicious death, with a history of possible rape confessed by her son. On examination, voluminous intracranial bleeding and absence of apparent signs of trauma and recent sexual violence or sexual intercourse were evidenced. The analysis of material from vaginal and rectal swabs found only the presence of genetic material from the victim himself. Discussion: Upon expert examination, the suspicion of rape by the victim’s son was ruled out, demanding an analysis of the suspect’s psychological state, in order to justify his implausible confession. In addition, it was found that the victim’s death resulted from a hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusion: Thus, the forensic examination of forensic evidence is relevant, which contributes to the clarification of suspected cases and to the reliability of epidemiological data regarding rape. Keywords: Rape, Legal Medicine, Stroke.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Suicidal Behaviour.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Suicidal Behaviour.

Co-Occurring Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: The Influence of Early Life Experiences of Abuse.

Little is known about co-occurring intimate partner violence (IPV) against women and child abuse within families in humanitarian settings. Baseline data from 203 couples in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were analyzed to assess associations between childhood experiences of abuse with present co-occurring violence. Over half of women (56.1%) and men (50.5%) reported co-occurring violence. Adjusted models demonstrate experiencing physical abuse as a child was associated with greatest odds of recent co-occurring violence while witnessing parental IPV had mixed influence. Programmatic approaches focused on reducing early childhood violence may be promising to prevent both IPV and child abuse.

Overview of Violence against Nursing Staff in Saudi Arabia: Simple Review Article

Nurses are the primary care givers in hospitals and are more likely to encounter violence because of the amount of time spent in direct patient care. This study aimed to explore recent workplace violence literature against nurses in Saudi Arabia in terms of prevalence, precipitating factors and recommendations for prevention. PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, EBSCO, SCOPUS, Wiley, and Cochrane Library were searched. Study articles were screened by title and abstract then a full-text assessment was implemented. Violence against nurses could be in various forms of aggression and bullying that often manifests as verbal abuse, physical abuse, and emotional torture, which is cruel, rude, vindictive, humiliating and/or offensive. It is a public health and legal problem. Nurses are most of the healthcare workforce in Saudi Arabia, and more likely to encounter violence. Violence against nurses impairs job performance after the incident. It also reduces job satisfaction and may compel nurses to leave their job. Perpetrators are found to be patients, relatives, and co-workers. Improving health security system and increasing staffing and their training on proper dealing with violence are highly recommended. Also, enforcing rules and regulations is an important demand to control and prevent violence against health care workers.

SOCIOECONOMIC CAUSES OF YOUTH VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION IN PAKISTAN

Youth violence and aggression are complicated and have diversified attributes in various countries. Youth violence and aggression in developing countries have increased generally, but it is noticed more rapidly in Pakistan. The recent increasein youth violence and aggression in Pakistan has awakened a widespread concern about personal safety and property insecurity. Statistically, Pakistan saw 853 fatalities (up from 600 last year) and 1,690 injuries directly due to violent incidents in 2021, a 42% increase over the previous year. In Pakistani society, youth has been primarily involved in brutal criminal acts with the change in social aspects, such as economic conditions, illiteracy, prevalent violence, family environment, customs, and traditions, which indicates an alarming situation in the country. The deprivations, desires, burdens, and lack of the respective needs turn youth into a criminal in the expression to release an outburst.

Elucidating the relations between adverse childhood experiences, age of exposure to adversity, and adult posttraumatic stress symptom severity in pregnant women

BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are typically assessed within two subscales: child maltreatment (CM) and household dysfunction (HD). More research is needed about how the CM and HD subscales differentially contribute to adult posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), accounting for additional adversities. Objective, participants, and settingIn a sample of 137 pregnant women exposed to recent intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States, this study aimed to (1) explore the contributions of ACEs subscales to pregnant women's PTSS severity, (2) examine the inclusion of the witnessing IPV ACE in the CM subscale, and (3) contextualize the contributions of the ACEs subscales to women's PTSS by examining the moderating effect of age of first ACE exposure. MethodsThe study used linear, multiple, and hierarchical regression analyses and the Hotelling-Williams test. ResultsThe CM subscale predicted pregnant women's PTSS significantly better than the HD subscale, controlling for past-year IPV (t(134) = 2.69, p = .008). Adding the witnessing IPV ACE to the CM subscale did not significantly improve the subscale's prediction of PTSS (ΔR2 = 0.07, p = .290). Age of first exposure did not significantly moderate the effects of the CM (β = 0.12, p = .140) or HD (β = −0.10, p = .238) ACEs subscales on PTSS. ConclusionsResults suggest that for pregnant women exposed to high levels of trauma, polyvictimization and particularly experiencing multiple types of CM have stronger predictive validity for PTSS than HD. Cumulative victimization may be more influential than age of exposure to adversity.

Prevalence and Social-Structural Correlates of Gender-Based Violence Against Women Living With HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada.

Violence experienced by cisgender (cis) and gender minority women living with HIV is known to be high. More work is needed to better understand how to support women living with HIV who have experienced violence. The objectives of this study are therefore to identify the prevalence and correlates of violence by any perpetrator among women living with HIV in a Canadian setting. Data were drawn from 9 years (January, 2010 to February, 2019) of a longitudinal community-based open cohort study of 350+ cis and trans women living with HIV who were living and/or accessed care in Metro Vancouver, Canada (Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS: Women's Longitudinal Needs Assessment "SHAWNA"). Participants completed baseline and biannual follow-up interviews. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were performed to identify correlates of recent (last 6 months) violence (physical and/or sexual) by any perpetrator. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) are presented. At baseline, prevalence of violence was high: 95.5% (recent = 19.4%) of participants reported lifetime physical and/or sexual violence, 94.8% (recent = 17.9%) reported lifetime physical violence, and 84.5% (recent = 5.7%) reported lifetime sexual violence. In multivariable logistic regression with GEE, the following variables were associated with higher odds of recent physical/sexual violence: youth (<30 years) (AOR: 1.60, 95% CI [1.15, 2.22]), recent unstable housing/homelessness (AOR: 1.96, 95% CI [1.30, 2.97]), recent food insecurity (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI [1.13, 2.17]), recent incarceration (AOR: 1.85, 95% CI [1.18, 2.91]), recent opioid use (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI [1.04, 1.82]), recent stimulant use (AOR: 2.48, 95% CI [1.72, 3.56]), and lifetime HIV status disclosure without consent (AOR: 1.59, 95% CI [1.13, 2.24]). Trauma- and violence-informed (TVI) policies that include a focus on confidentiality and safe disclosure practices should be integrated into existing housing, incarceration, and harm reduction programs, and HIV care and practice for women living with HIV. Programs and policies that address high levels of violence remain critical.

Comparing Mobility and Spatial Pathways in the Hourly Prediction of Violent Crime

Much research has documented the contagiousness of violence. Some of this work has focused on contagiousness as operationalized by the spread across geographical space, while other work has examined the spread within social networks. While the latter body of work struggles with incomplete network data, the former constitutes a theoretical mismatch with how violence should spread. Theory instead strongly suggests that violence contagion should diffuse through everyday mobility networks rather than just adjacently through geographical space. Beyond contagion itself, I argue that neighborhoods connected through mobility networks should serve as useful short-term sensors in predicting imminent violence because these sets of residents tend to experience shared environmental exposures, which may induce synchrony in the likelihood of violence. I explore this topic and these relationships using violent crime data from the three largest U.S. cities: New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Using two-way fixed effects models, I test whether or not violence in mobility-connected alter neighborhoods in the preceding hour predicts violence in an ego neighborhood in the next hour. Across all three jurisdictions, I find that recent violence in the neighborhoods to which a neighborhood is connected through mobility ties can strongly predict that neighborhood’s odds of subsequent violence. Furthermore, spatial proximity has no significant effect on the likelihood of violent crime after controlling for mobility ties. I conclude by arguing that mobility patterns are an important pathway in the prediction of violence.

Actively Addressing Systemic Racism Using a Behavioral Community Approach

Recent police brutality and related violence against Black people, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, has further evidenced the disproportionate impact of systemic racism in our institutions and across society. In the United States, the alarming mortality rates for Black people due to police violence and COVID-19 related deaths are clear demonstrations of inequities within a long history of disparate outcomes. In understanding systemic racism, it is essential to consider how it is embedded within society and across socio-ecological levels. The Social-Ecological Model (SEM) is used to examine conditions within the environment that maintain systemic racism, including within our field and discipline. A behavioral-community approach for examining racism aids in determining points of intervention across multiple ecological levels that may contribute to behavior change, including with behaviorists. The science of behavior is well-suited to help examine the contingencies governing behaviors within and across systems, which is pivotal for addressing operant behaviors to influence long-term behavior change. This paper calls on the behavioral community to address systemic racism within our environments and systems of influence to contribute to a more equitable community. Systemic racism, including within the context of anti-Blackness, is examined by considering behavior change strategies that can be supported by behaviorists across socio-ecological levels. Tools for collaborative action are provided to support behaviorists in demonstrating the skills needed across a continuum of behaviors from allyship to anti-racism to actively address systemic racism.

Music and Incitement to Violence: Anti-Muslim Hate Music in Burma/Myanmar

Abstract This article examines a corpus of Burmese-language anti-Muslim hate songs archived on YouTube. Burma/Myanmar is the site of recent genocidal violence perpetrated against Muslims, and these songs are part of the hate speech campaign that undergirds this violence. Using the definition of incitement articulated by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the article shows that the lyrics of these songs constitute incitement to violence. Further, the comments written by YouTube listeners provide evidence that the songs provoke additional dehumanizing speech. The songs and their creators are therefore complicit in the recent violent persecution of Muslims in Myanmar.

A systematic review of Yazidi children and adolescents reveals high rates of mental and psychiatric disorders after the ISIS invasion in 2014

Background and objectives: Yazidi people are a minority group of Kurds that frequently lives in the Sinjar district in Iraq. The Yazidis have been persecuted for centuries, including the most recent ISIS violence, genocide, enslavement, and forced migration, all of which had a significant impact on their mental health. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine mental and psychological health problems among Yazidi children and adolescents following the ISIS invasion of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Methods: The PRISMA protocol was used to conduct a systematic review of the literature. Using related keywords, 182 publications were identified on PubMed and Google Scholar. Finally, 5 full articles were included for data extraction. Inclusion criteria were English papers that studied Yazidi mental and psychiatric disorders in Yazidi children and adolescents, regardless of date or gender. However, research on Yazidi adult mental health and general physical health and brief reports were excluded. Results: The initial search result found 182 articles; 83 were evaluated for eligibility, with 5 studies meeting full eligibility criteria and being included in the current systematic review. According to the results, Yazidi children and adolescents have suffered from a variety of mental and psychological disorders as a result of the recent traumatic events, which mostly occurred after the ISIS invasion in 2014. The most prevalent are posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, anxiety, and other mental and psychiatric problems. Conclusion: Yazidi children and adolescents experienced serious traumatic events, including war trauma, as well as substantial migration and resettlement-related stress. These exposures increased the risk of developing mental health problems, including depression, PTSD, anxieties, and behavioral and comorbid mental and psychological problems which are prevalent among them.

From the Editor

From the Editor

Sexual Assault Climate Surveys: Methodological Issues and Innovations, Introduction to the Special Edition

ABSTRACT Decades of research demonstrate the widespread nature of campus sexual violence and its negative impact on students’ well-being. Attention to the issue has increased significantly over the last several years with a focus on the responsibility of institutions of higher education to both respond to and prevent campus sexual violence. A key recommendation from multiple entities is the use of campus climate surveys, to help more accurately ascertain students’ victimization experiences, perceptions of the institution’s response, attitudes related to sexual violence, awareness of resources, and more. The recent Violence against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 mandates the use of climate surveys for all institutions receiving federal funds. The science of constructing, implementing, and using campus climate surveys has evolved over recent years but there still remain several methodological issues. Social workers have an important role to play in the administration, analysis, and interpretation of campus climate surveys, and the work is aligned with the values expressed in the Social Work Code of Ethics and the Grand Challenge to Build Healthy Relationships to End Violence. This introduction describes the articles included in this special issue that will help advance our knowledge related to the measurement of forms of victimization that occur on college campuses, increase the usability and inclusivity of campus climate data, and ultimately, serve to inform the development of innovative intervention and prevention initiatives.

Prevalence and Correlates of Firearm Access Among Post-9/11 US Women Veterans Using Reproductive Healthcare: a Cross-Sectional Survey

BackgroundSuicide rates have increased among women Veterans, with increased use of firearms as the method. Addressing suicide risk in this population requires understanding the prevalence and correlates of firearm access in healthcare settings frequented by women Veterans.ObjectivesCharacterize the prevalence and correlates of firearm ownership and storage practices among women Veterans using Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reproductive healthcare (RHC) services.DesignCross-sectional national survey conducted in 2018–2019 (17.9% response rate).ParticipantsPost-9/11 women Veterans using RHC (n=350).Main MeasuresVA Military Sexual Trauma Screen, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Hurt/Insult/Threaten/Scream, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale screener, self-reported firearm access.Key Results38.0% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 32.9, 43.3) of participants reported personally owning firearms, and 38.9% (95% CI: 33.7, 44.2) reported other household members owned firearms. Among those with firearms in or around their homes, 17.8% (95% CI: 12.3, 24.4) and 21.9% (95% CI: 15.9, 28.9) reported all were unsafely stored (loaded or unlocked, respectively). Women who experienced recent intimate partner violence were less likely to report personally owning firearms (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR]=0.75; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.996). Those who experienced military sexual harassment (APR=1.46; 95% CI=1.09, 1.96), were married (APR=1.74; 95% CI: 1.33, 2.27), or lived with other adult(s) (APR=6.26; 95% CI: 2.87, 13.63) were more likely to report having household firearms owned by someone else. Storing firearms loaded was more prevalent among women with lifetime (APR=1.47; 95% CI=1.03, 2.08) or past-month (APR=1.69; 95% CI=1.15, 2.48) suicidal ideation and less likely among those with other adult(s) in the home (unadjusted PR=0.62; 95% CI=0.43, 0.91). Those with parenting responsibilities (APR=0.61; 95% CI=0.38, 0.97) were less likely to store firearms unlocked.ConclusionsFirearm access is prevalent among post-9/11 women Veterans using VA RHC. Interpersonal factors may be important determinants of firearm access in this population. Safe firearm storage initiatives are needed among women Veterans using RHC, particularly for those with suicidal ideation.

Governing Through (An Exclusive) Community: Limitations of State Conceptualisations of ‘the Community’ in Domestic Violence Policies

In response to growing evidence that cultural values and behaviours are key drivers of men’s use of domestic violence against women, states across the globe are increasingly implementing prevention policies aimed at mobilising cultural change within the community. Through an examination of one Australian state’s recent and significant domestic violence policy reform, we demonstrate that, although state-led efforts to change community culture hold merit, they can also be undermined by exclusive constructions of the community. As a result, efforts to change community culture exclude the very group whose values and behaviours are most problematic: men who perpetrate domestic violence. We argue that broadening conceptualisations of community is of critical importance for policies seeking to change community culture. Such conceptualisations must necessarily include men who perpetrate domestic violence, as theirs are the values and behaviours that most urgently require change.

Sexual Relationship Power Equity Is Associated With Consistent Condom Use and Fewer Experiences of Recent Violence Among Women Living With HIV in Canada.

Sexual relationship power (SRP) inequities, including having a controlling partner, have not been widely examined among women living with HIV (WLWH). We measured the prevalence and key outcomes of relationship control among WLWH in Canada. Baseline data from WLWH (≥16 years), reporting consensual sex in the last month enrolled in a Canadian community-collaborative cohort study in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, included the relationship control SRP subscale by Pulerwitz (2000). Scale scores were dichotomized into medium/low (score = 1-2.82) vs. high relationship control (score = 2.82-4), and high scores indicate greater SRP equity. Cronbach's alpha assessed scale reliability. Bivariate analyses compared women with high vs. medium/low relationship control. Crude and adjusted multinomial regression examined associations between relationship control and condom use [consistent (ref), inconsistent, or never]; any sexual, physical, and/or emotional violence; and physical and/or sexual violence [never (ref), recent (≤3 months ago), and previous (>3 months ago)]. Overall, 473 sexually active WLWH (33% of cohort), median age = 39 (IQR = 33-46) years, 81% on antiretroviral therapy, and 78% with viral loads <50 copies/mL were included. The subscale demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92). WLWH with high relationship control (80%) were more likely ( P < 0.05) to be in a relationship, have no children, have greater resilience, and report less sociostructural inequities. In adjusted models, high relationship control was associated with lower odds of inconsistent vs. consistent condom use [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.39 (95% confidence interval: 0.18 to 0.85)], any recent violence [aOR: 0.14 (0.04-0.47)] as well as recent physical and/or sexual [aOR : 0.05 (0.02-0.17)] but not previous violence (vs. never). Prioritizing relationship equity and support for WLWH is critical for addressing violence and promoting positive health outcomes.

Safety over privacy: Family violence, information sharing and mental health care.

This article aims to provide an update on information sharing practices in mental health services, in light of recent inter-sectoral family violence reforms in Victoria. We hope that this article will help increase familiarity with this contemporary best practice and improve clinician confidence in its application. We use three case scenarios to illustrate the application of these relatively new family violence frameworks in mental health services, with a focus on approaches to information sharing. The duty to respect the privacy of patients and their families sometimes comes into conflict with the duty to protect patients and their families from the risk of harm. Our case scenarios highlight situations where these conflicting duties need to be weighed and balanced, among other ethical considerations. Mental health services have an ethical and legal responsibility to share information where it will enhance the safety of victim survivors of family violence, whether they are the primary client of the service or not.

Exposure to interpersonal stigma enhances the effectiveness of a culturally adapted personalized normative feedback alcohol intervention for sexual minority women

Stigma-related stress and inflated perceptions of substance use norms are positioned in the literature as theoretically distinct explanations for disproportionate substance use among sexual minorities. As research has yet to examine how these variables may interact in an intervention context, this study examined the impact of recent experiences with violence and harassment due to sexual minority status (i.e., interpersonal stigma exposure) on the effectiveness of a culturally adapted personalized normative feedback intervention for lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women. A sub-sample of 499 moderate-to-heavy drinking LBQ women were randomized to receive personalized normative feedback (PNF) on alcohol use or control topics within a broader digital competition designed to challenge negative LBQ stereotypes. At baseline, recent interpersonal stigma exposure strengthened the relationship between perceived LBQ alcohol-related norms and participants’ own alcohol-related behaviors (i.e., consumption and consequences). At follow-up, 3 months later, recent interpersonal stigma exposure moderated the effectiveness of alcohol PNF with substantially less drinking and consequences among participants in the treatment condition reporting recent violence or harassment due to sexual minority status, relative to those reporting no such experiences. Underscoring the utility of PNF for LBQ women and potentially other heavy drinking stigmatized populations, findings suggest that a greater tendency to conform to over-estimated ingroup drinking norms may be another way in which minority status-based violence and harassment contributes to alcohol consumption in stigmatized populations.