Risk Of Assault Research Articles

Online Dating and the Risk of Sexual Assault to College Students

Background: Advances in technology have created different platforms, such as online dating, where college students can meet other people. One serious risk factor of using online dating is the risk of sexual assault. Many sexual predators will use online dating as a method to connect with potential victims who are often vulnerable and trusting.Aim: This paper discusses the risk of sexual assault among college students who use online dating sites. Faculty can be pivotal in educating students on the dangers of online dating and sexual assault. In addition, faculty members are in a position to recognize signs students may be exhibiting after a sexual assault, offer advice, and provide linkage to necessary services.Results: Risk factors of sexual assault are explored in depth, including predatory tactics and the vulnerability specific to college students. Provided are key safety tips for online dating as well as recommendations regarding resources and reporting to law enforcement.Conclusions: Online dating is popular among college students. Educating students in safety factors will enable them to consider the potential dangers and risk of sexual assault. In addition, higher education institutions must consider the needs of students and provide links to resources, support systems and reporting mechanisms.

Lowering the Risk of Sexual Assault: What Campuses Need to Know About Effective Prevention Programming

Numerous media reports, documentaries, public service campaigns, campus safety summits, and scholarly articles have addressed this question in recent years (see Banyard, Plante, & Moynihan, 2004; I...

Relationship Between Sexual Assault and Development of Eating Disorders in Domestic and International College Women [Miami University

One in four women will experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime and 0.3-1% of women will experience anorexia nervosa in their lifetime (Hoek, 2006). Compared to other psychiatric disorders, anorexia has been found to have the highest mortality rate (Morris, 2007). Anorexia nervosa has a mortality rate of 10% (Insel, 2012). Additionally, college women seem to be at great risk for both eating disorders and experiencing sexual assault. While a few studies examine the relationship between eating disorder behavior and sexual assault, it is unclear if this risk is different across year in school and for those who are members of sororities. The objective of this study is to extend the literature by examining some groups who might be at higher or lower risk for both sexual assault and disordered eating. Given the higher rates of eating disorders and sexual assault, college women will be the focus of the current study. An anonymous online survey with census sampling was used to obtain the data for this study. It was only distributed to college students around the ages of 18-22. Data collection is ongoing. It is hypothesized that members of sororities and older students will have higher rates of both behaviors. Interventions can utilize the results of this study to target students who might be at a particularly higher risk. Implications will be discussed.

“If Everyone Else Is Having This Talk With Their Doctor, Why Am I Not Having This Talk With Mine?”: The Experiences of Sexuality and Sexual Health Education of Young Women With Spina Bifida

IntroductionWomen with spina bifida are sexually active, but most never discuss this topic with providers. AimTo determine what women with spina bifida understand about their sexual health, how they learned about it, what questions they have, and their experiences with their sexuality. MethodsFor this qualitative study, women with spina bifida ages 16 and older without marked developmental delay were individually interviewed. 25 women with spina bifida participated (mean age 27.1 years, range 16–52). Interviews were independently coded for themes by 3 reviewers, using Grounded Theory, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Main Outcome MeasuresWe identified overlapping themes regarding the women’s perception and experience of their sexuality and sexual health education. Results17 of the 25 (68%) participants had been or were currently sexually active. 5 themes emerged regarding their understanding of their sexuality and their sexual experiences: (i) being perceived as asexual, (ii) sources for sex education, (iii) need for spina bifida–specific sex education, (iv) impact of spina bifida–specific features on sexual encounters, and (v) perceived relationship between low sexual self-confidence and risk for sexual assault. Clinical ImplicationsWomen with spina bifida are sexual beings, but they are perceived as asexual by providers, which prevents them from getting adequate sexual health education and leaves them with misconceptions and unanswered questions, as well as vulnerable to sexual abuse. Strength & LimitationsThe strengths of this study include the diversity of women interviewed, including their age, severity of disability, and experiences with their sexuality, as well as the ability to reach thematic saturation. The limitation of this study is that most women received treatment at a single Midwestern tertiary referral center in the United States. ConclusionIncluding sexual health discussions in the usual care of women with spina bifida is critical to enhancing their sexual confidence and experience and preventing sexual abuse.Streur CS, Schafer CL, Garcia VP, et al. “If Everyone Else Is Having This Talk With Their Doctor, Why Am I Not Having This Talk With Mine?”: The Experiences of Sexuality and Sexual Health Education of Young Women With Spina Bifida. J Sex Med 2019;16:853–859.

After Disclosure: A Research Protocol to Respond to Disclosures of Abuse and Sexual Violence in Research With Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have high lifetime risk of abuse and assault, including sexual violence. As adults with ID participate in research, researchers must be prepared for disclosures of past or current abuse. In collaboration with our state's protective agency, we developed a protocol for responding effectively to disclosures of sexual violence from adult research participants with ID. We completed a literature review clarifying best practices for responding to disclosures of abuse by adults with ID. The literature focused on various professionals but we were unable to find evidence clarifying researchers' roles in responding to sexual violence. Working with our state protective services agency, we adapted these practices to develop protocols and an algorithm for responding to disclosure, as well as materials for participants. Our protocol for abuse reporting considers all members of the research team to be mandated reporters, emphasizes informed consent, and details specific steps for responding to disclosures of abuse in the context of research. It represents a collaboration between academic researchers and community partners. Research participation by people with ID may represent an opportunity for disclosure of past or current abuse, and therefore, it is imperative that researchers are equipped to respond effectively. Policy-level responses to prevent abuse and enable justice are also needed; however, ensuring that researchers respond systematically and effectively to disclosures is crucial to the ethical conduct of research with a vulnerable population. We anticipate that the frequency with which researchers will need to use this protocol will depend on the nature of their research. In practice, we recommend including this protocol as part of the overall study protocol and submitting it for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Future research to test our protocol in the field is recommended.

Perceptions of High-Risk Situations for Sexual Assault: Gender Differences in the U.S. Air Force.

This study explored U.S. Air Force service members' perceptions of high-risk situations for sexual assault victimization. Qualitative data were collected from 52 active duty Airmen, including sexual assault survivors and general population officers and enlisted personnel. Participants were recruited through posted flyers, base-wide e-mail messages, and referrals from the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator's office. Content analysis was used to summarize participants' opinions and experiences. High-risk situations for all Airmen included excessive alcohol use, specific physical settings, and situations associated with work assignments. High-risk situations identified frequently by male and female sexual assault survivors and female (but not male) general population Airmen included power imbalance; isolation in the workplace and social settings; and youth, inexperience, and unfamiliarity with the military environment. Female Airmen identified workplaces with a predominance of men or being one of very few women in a group as a high-risk situation for sexual assault victimization. And female sexual assault survivors identified implicit but unwarranted trust between Airmen as a high-risk situation. This study provides new insight into gender differences in high-risk situations for sexual assault victimization, and the data can help policymakers better prevent sexual assault by appropriately tailoring and timing sexual assault risk reduction training.

SEMIPARAMETRIC ESTIMATION OF CENSORED SPATIAL AUTOREGRESSIVE MODELS

This study considers the estimation of spatial autoregressive models with censored dependent variables, where the spatial autocorrelation exists within the uncensored latent dependent variables. The estimator proposed in this paper is semiparametric, in the sense that the error distribution is not parametrically specified and can be heteroskedastic. Under a median restriction, we show that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. As an empirical illustration, we investigate the determinants of the risk of assault and other violent crimes including injury in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Predictors of Assertive and Nonassertive Styles of Self-Defense Behavior During a Lab-Based Sexual Assault Scenario.

The current study examined how psychological factors influence hypothetical behavioral responses to threat (BRTT). College women (n = 113) with a history of sexual victimization completed a standardized lab-based self-defense scenario. Interpersonal skills, coping style, and assertive and nonassertive BRTT during a prior assault predicted assertive BRTT during the task. The use of nonassertive BRTT during past assaults no longer predicted assertive BRTT during the task when accounting for rape acknowledgment. Findings regarding rape acknowledgment demonstrate the complexity of recovery from sexual assault. Our results highlight interpersonal skills as an intervention target for innovative sexual assault risk reduction interventions.

Longitudinal assessment of heavy alcohol use and incapacitated sexual assault: A cross-lagged analysis

Researchers have argued there are bidirectional associations between heavy alcohol use and sexual assault; however, research in this area is inconclusive due to methodological differences, particularly in study design. The purpose of this study is to clarify the longitudinal associations between heavy alcohol use and incapacitated sexual assault among first-year college women, accounting for hypothesized autoregressive effects within each construct over their first year of college. A sample of 483 women completed regular surveys that assessed a range of health behaviors, including alcohol use and sexual behavior, during their first year of college. We used cross-lagged analyses to examine prospective associations between incapacitated sexual assault and heavy alcohol use (frequency of heavy episodic drinking and peak blood alcohol content). There were significant autoregressive effects, such that women who were engaging in heavier alcohol use as they entered college continued to be heavier alcohol users throughout their first year, and women with a history of assault at college entry were at greater risk for assault during their first year of college. There was a significant cross-lagged effect from precollege incapacitated assault to first-semester alcohol use after controlling for pre-college alcohol use. There were no significant cross-lag paths from alcohol use to subsequent incapacitated assault. Women with a history of incapacitated sexual assault engaged in heavier drinking during their transition to college, but heavy alcohol use did not predict subsequent assault risk.

Wise intrusion detection system using fuzzy rough set-based feature extraction and classification algorithms

In recent times, it is critical to give abnormal state security to guarantee protected and successful correspondence of data through the web. Nonetheless, secured information correspondence over the internet or some other system is dependably a tested undertaking because of the risk of interruptions and assaults. Along these lines, intrusion detection systems (IDS) have turned into a key segment in system security. Previously, different methodologies were used for creating interruption in location frameworks. In any case, sadly, any of these frameworks are not totally faultless because of the vulnerability of system activity made by ordinary clients and assailants. Henceforth, the requirement for the advancement of productive IDS has expanded consistently. This work proposes a versatile IDS taking into account fuzzy rough sets for characteristic determination. Also, another fluffy unpleasant set-based nearest neighbourhood grouping is proposed for powerful arrangement of the KDD container dataset. This model uses a biased dataset that has 50:50 normal and attack information rather than the ordinary datasets that have 80:20 normal and attack information. The effectiveness of the proposed IDS is upgraded because of the utilisation of one-sided information. The blend of highlight determination and characterisation utilising biased information set diminishes the false alert rate and builds the identification precision.

The association between workplace violence and physicians' and nurses' job satisfaction in Macau.

BackgroundThis paper describes the association between workplace violence and job satisfaction among physicians and nurses in Macau. Convenience sampling was sourced from six health centers under the Macau Health Bureau.MethodsThis study uses a cross-sectional self-administrative survey. The study used case studies research instruments for workplace violence in the health sector by country (from the ILO, ICN, WHO, PSI), the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and Perceived Stress Scale. The data collection period spanned from August to December, 2014.Data analysisMultiple logistic regression examines levels of intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction in physicians and nurses and significant correlates affecting their job satisfaction.ResultsA total of 720 (14.9% physicians) participants were recruited. 57.2% of participants reported physical and psychological workplace violence in the preceding year. The most common forms of workplace violence were verbal abuse (53.4%), physical assault (16.1%), bullying / harassment (14.2%), sexual harassment (4.6%) and racial harassment (2.6%). Nurses were at a significantly higher risk of physical assault and verbal abuse compared to physicians. Patients, patients’ relatives, and colleagues were the main perpetrators. Worry about WPV, on-call duty and shift work, experience of bullying and verbal abuse and employment sector emerged as significant correlates affecting the intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction of physicians and nurses. Frontline staff, aged 30 and 39, coming from an ethnic minority, and perceived stress were significant correlates affecting nurses’ job satisfaction.ConclusionsWPV remains a significant concern in healthcare settings in Macau. Stakeholders should legally enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards WPV within healthcare workplaces. WPV is detrimental to healthcare professionals’ mental wellbeing, risking irreversible physical and psychological harm for its victims.

Readiness to Help: How Students' Sexual Assault Awareness, Responsibility, and Action Correlate with Bystander Intervention Behavior

Abstract The transtheoretical model of change postulates that behavioral adoption is a result of individuals' readiness to change. Applied to prosocial bystander behavior, having greater sexual assault awareness, prevention responsibility, and action can explain students' readiness to intervene as bystanders. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between students' readiness to help (RTH) and their reported prosocial bystander behavior in five sexual assault risk situations. Data were collected from undergraduate students at a northeastern university (n = 9358) in 2014. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that women's mean scores for RTH subscales of awareness, taking responsibility, and action were significantly greater than men's scores. ANOVA also revealed significant differences between students who did and did not intervene in risk situations, such that those with past prosocial bystander intervention behavior reported significantly greater RTH compared with those who did not in...

Sexual violence among adolescent\xa0girls and young women in Malawi: a cluster-randomized controlled implementation trial of empowerment self-defense training

BackgroundGlobally, sexual violence is prevalent, particularly for adolescent women. This cluster-randomized controlled implementation trial examines empowerment self-defense (ESD) for sexual assault risk reduction among school-age women in Malawi.MethodsThe unit of randomization and analysis was the school (n = 141). Intervention participants received a 12-h intervention over 6 weeks, with refreshers. Primary outcomes were past-year prevalence and incident rate of sexual violence. Secondary outcomes included confidence, self-defense knowledge, and, for those victimized, violence disclosure. Interaction effects on outcomes were evaluated with Poisson models with school-correlated robust variance estimates for risk ratios and incident rate ratios (baseline n = 6644, follow-up n = 4278).ResultsPast-year sexual assault prevalence was reduced among intervention students (risk ratio [RR] 0.68, 95% CI 0.56, 0.82), but not control students (interaction effect p < 0.001). Significant increases in self-defense knowledge were observed solely among intervention students (RR 3.33, 95% CI 2.76, 4.02; interaction effect p < 0.001). Significant changes in sexual violence prevalence and knowledge were observed for both primary and secondary students. Favorable reductions were also observed in sexual violence incident rate among students overall (interaction effect p = 0.01).ConclusionsThis intervention reduced sexual violence victimization in both primary and secondary school settings. Results support the effectiveness of ESD to address sexual violence, and approach the elimination of violence against women and girls set forth with Sustainable Development Goal #5. Implementation within the education system can enable sustainability and reach.Trial registrationPan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR201702002028911. Registered 09 February 2017. Retrospectively registered.

Does sex education before college protect students from sexual assault in college?

PurposeCollege-bound young people experience sexual assault, both before and after they enter college. This study examines historical risk factors (experiences and exposures that occurred prior to college) for penetrative sexual assault (PSA) victimization since entering college.MethodsA cross-sectional study, including an online population-based quantitiative survey with undergraduate students was conducted in spring 2016. Bivariate analyses and multivariable regressions examined risk and protective factors associated with ever experiencing PSA since entering college. Concurrently-collected in-depth ethnographic interviews with 151 students were reviewed for information related to factors identified in the survey.ResultsIn bivariate analyses, multiple historical factors were significantly associated with PSA in college including adverse childhood experiences and having experienced unwanted sexual contact before college (for women) and initiation of alcohol, marijuana, and sexual behaviors before age 18. Significant independent risk factors for college PSA included female gender, experiencing unwanted sexual contact before college, first oral sex before age 18, and “hooking up” (e.g., causual sex or sex outside a committed partnership) in high school. Receipt of school-based sex education promoting refusal skills before age 18 was an independent protective factor; abstinence-only instruction was not. In the ethnographic interviews, students reported variable experiences with sex education before college; many reported it was awkward and poorly delivered.ConclusionsMultiple experiences and exposures prior to college influenced the risk of penetrative sexual assault in college. Pre-college comprehensive sexuality education, including skills-based training in refusing unwanted sex, may be an effective strategy for preventing sexual assault in college. Sexual assault prevention needs to begin earlier; successful prevention before college should complement prevention efforts once students enter college.

Injury in the transgender population: What the trauma surgeon needs to know

Gender dysphoria, or the distress caused by the incongruence between a person's assigned and experienced gender, can lead to significant psychosocial sequelae and increased risk of suicide (>40% of this population) and assault (>60% of this population). With an estimated 25 million transgender individuals worldwide and increased access to care for the transgender population, trauma surgeons are more likely to care for patients who completed or are in the process of medical gender transition. As transgender health is rarely taught in medical education, knowledge of the unique health care needs and possible alterations in anatomy is critical to appropriately and optimally treat transgender trauma victims. Considerations of cross-gender hormones and alterations of the craniofacial, laryngeal, chest, and genital systems are offered in this review. Further research on the optimal treatment mechanisms for transgender patients is needed.

Violence in persons with and without psychosis in the Czech Republic: risk and protective factors.

PurposeTo prevent violence among persons with psychosis, further knowledge of the correlates and risk factors is needed. These risk factors may vary by nation.Patients and methodsThis study examined factors associated with violent assaults in 158 patients with psychosis and in a matched control sample of 158 adults without psychosis in the Czech Republic. Participants completed interviews and questionnaires to confirm diagnoses, report on aggressive behavior, current and past victimization, and substance use. Additional information was collected from collateral informants and clinical files. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify factors that were independently associated with committing an assault in past 6 months.ResultsThe presence of a psychotic disorder was associated with an increased risk of assaults (OR =3.80; 95% CI 2.060–7.014). Additional risk factors in persons with and without psychosis included recent physical victimization (OR =7.09; 95% CI 3.922–12.819), childhood maltreatment (OR =3.15; 95% CI 1.877–5.271), the level of drug use (OR =1.13; 95% CI 1.063–1.197), and the level of alcohol use (OR =1.04; 95% CI 1.000–1.084). Increasing age (OR =0.96; 95% CI 0.942–0.978) and employment (OR =0.30; 95% CI 0.166–0.540) were protective factors. Except for drug use, which appeared to have greater effect on violence in the group without psychosis, there were no major differences between patients and controls in these risk and protective factors. To our knowledge, this is the first published comparison of assault predictors between schizophrenia patients and matched controls.ConclusionRecent physical victimization was the strongest predictor of assaults. Our findings are consistent with the emerging empirical evidence pointing to the very important role of victimization in eliciting violent behavior by the victims. Some current prediction instruments may underestimate the risk of violent behavior as they take little account of current victimization. Although psychosis per se elevates the risk of violence, other risk and protective factors for violence in persons with psychosis and comparison group are largely similar.

Perspectives of young cannabis users within the Nigerian policy context: The paradox of criminalization as a deterrence strategy

ABSTRACTBackground: The use of cannabis is criminalized in Nigeria and punitive law enforcement is the primary drug control strategy. Young cannabis users conceal use because of stigma, criminal identity and social ostracism. This qualitative study explored young people’s perspectives about how criminalization affects the use of cannabis in Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: Focus groups and interviews were conducted among 39 cannabis users aged 16–21 years recruited using snowball sampling. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Most interviewees did not view the criminal identity associated with cannabis use as a deterrent to use; they considered it a risk that could be mitigated by concealment of use. Reinforcement from social networks, personal meanings and dependence on cannabis for daily functioning sustained the decision to continue cannabis use despite associated risks. Female cannabis users who faced additional vulnerabilities addressed the risk of assault by clandestinely obtaining cannabis through third parties. The “criminal” stereotype from the negative societal perception about users as criminals which often resulted in stigma and lost opportunities paradoxically appeared to reinforce cannabis use among male users.Conclusion: A non-judgmental participatory approach is needed to contextualize their needs, inform health promotion and empower them to seek help.

A Brief Computer-Based Sexual Assault Risk Reduction Program: A Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy Pilot Study.

Sexual victimization among college women is a common problem, necessitating the development of risk reduction programs that are both effective and acceptable to this population. Computer-based programs may be a cost- and time-effective option. This pilot study sought to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a computer-based risk reduction program. A total of 136 collegiate women were randomly assigned to receive either a computer-based risk reduction program or an educational program about campus resources (active control condition). Measures included predicted use of resistance techniques, risk detection, and acceptability of the program. No participants dropped out of the study, and acceptability ratings were generally high. Women reported learning new material from the program, preferring the computer-based program to large-group programs, and believing that other undergraduate women would benefit from the program. Furthermore, women reported they did not experience significant emotional disturbance due to the material. In addition, postintervention, the risk reduction program group had significantly better risk detection compared with the control group. The control group evidenced a reduction in predicted use of assertive resistance between pre- and postintervention assessments, while the risk reduction program group did not. Given preliminary support for the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a brief, computerized risk reduction program, further research on computerized, online risk reduction programs, such as the one in this study, appears warranted.

Reducing Heavy Episodic Drinking, Incapacitation, and Alcohol-Induced Blackouts: Secondary Outcomes of a Web-Based Combined Alcohol Use and Sexual Assault Risk Reduction Intervention.

Heavy episodic drinking, alcohol-induced blackouts, and incapacitation are associated with sexual assault among college women. Therefore, reducing heavy episodic drinking, alcohol-induced blackouts, and incapacitation among college women may reduce sexual assault victimization risk. The current study examined the indirect effect of a combined alcohol use and sexual assault risk reduction program on sexual assault severity through heavy episodic drinking, alcohol-induced blackouts, and incapacitation ( n = 264). An alcohol use reduction program, sexual assault risk reduction program, and combined alcohol use and sexual assault risk reduction program were compared with a control condition. The sexual assault risk reduction content reduced alcohol-induced blackouts and incapacitation, and the combined alcohol use and sexual assault risk reduction program reduced alcohol-induced blackouts. Only incapacitation was associated with reduced sexual assault severity at follow-up. Reducing incapacitation and alcohol-induced blackouts is possible with a brief, web-based intervention, and reducing incapacitation may be one viable strategy within larger sexual assault prevention programming efforts.

White Female Bystanders' Responses to a Black Woman at Risk for Sexual Assault: Positive Effects of Intergroup Contact.

Although much research suggests that intergroup contact reduces prejudice, less research has examined the effects of contact on prosocial intergroup bystander behaviors. The current study examined mediators between White undergraduate women's (N = 139) contact with racial/ethnic minority group members and their intent to help a Black woman at risk for sexual assault. As expected, White women who had more frequent and higher quality contact reported greater intent to intervene. Results showed that the effect of quality intergroup contact was mediated by diversity beliefs, or the attitude that cultural heterogeneity leads to favorable outcomes. These results suggest that promoting high-quality opportunities for intergroup contact and education regarding cultural diversity could promote the safety of racially and ethnically diverse students on predominantly White campuses.