Severe Forms Of Abuse Research Articles

Childhood Psychological Maltreatment, Mindful Awareness, Self-Transcendence, and Mental Well-Being in Emerging Adults

Psychological maltreatment is a severe form of abuse that can have a significant negative impact on an individual’s mental health and well-being. Examining the factors that reduce the negative effects of child maltreatment on the outcomes can, hence, contribute to the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies, providing resources and support for families, early detection, and education for parents and caregivers. The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of mindful awareness and self-transcendence in the association between childhood psychological maltreatment and mental well-being among Turkish emerging adults. The study sample consisted of 422 emerging adults enrolled in a state university in Türkiye (with 65% of female). Participants ranged in age from 18 to 29 years, with a mean age of 20.94 years ( SD = 1.86). The present study found that psychological maltreatment was not only directly associated with lower levels of mindful awareness and self-transcendence, but also indirectly associated with poorer mental well-being through the mediating effects of these variables. The study suggests that childhood psychological maltreatment is a significant risk factor for mental well-being among emerging adults, and highlights the importance of promoting the development of mindful awareness and self-transcendence in preventions and interventions aimed at improving mental well-being. By cultivating these positive psychology states, emerging adults may be better equipped to overcome the negative effects of psychological maltreatment.

The Psychological Effects of Abuse on Women in Ethiopia

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the forms of abuse, the causes of abuse, physical and the psychological impact of abuse in Ethiopia.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low-cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Results: The results revealed that there exist conceptual and contextual gaps relating to the study on psychological impact of abuse on women in Ethiopia. Preliminary empirical review reveals that several forms of abuse exists in the Ethiopian communities which were due to inequality between men and women, patterns of using violence to resolve conflicts, male authority and control of decision making and transgression of gender roles. 
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Intra-individual theory and social-learning theory may be used to provide insight to the forms of abuse, the causes of abuse, physical and the psychological impact of abuse.

Hope to Despair: Children and Young People’s Lived Experiences of Trafficking Abuse

Abstract Despite the increasing awareness of child trafficking and modern slavery as a growing societal issue, little is known about the direct experiences of children and young people in trafficking situations. This paper contributes to this gap by reporting findings from a qualitative study that was conducted in England with young people who had lived experiences of child trafficking. Drawing on personal testimonies through in-depth interviews, this paper reports how children’s journeys of hope turned into despair. Children realised they were deceived when promises made did not materialise, they were subjected to multiple and severe forms of abuse and became aware they were used, sold and resold for traffickers’ gain. This paper considers how in seemingly powerless situations, some degree of children’s agency was exercised. Various coping mechanisms and tactics were developed as children tried to gain some knowledge and power to survive. This research provides valuable insight into the lived experiences of trafficking abuse, enabling practitioners to understand the dynamics, processes and acts children and young people are exposed to. The findings emphasise the importance of recognising the critical role that connected peers play in the trafficking process in helping others to cope, survive and ultimately escape.

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy as a Cause of Child Abuse

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is a rare form of mental disorder and is known as a particular type of child abuse. MSBP has been described since 1977 as a severe form of abuse with illness falsification or the intentional harming by guardians, mostly mothers. The perpetrator of MSBP may inflict damage to the child directly or indirectly through medical procedures. The perpetrator’s alleged motive is to satisfy her psychological needs, and she has a history of mental illness, mostly, factitious disorder, personality disorder, and somatic disorder. The pathology is not well known; as such, it is difficult for medical personnel to detect it early. In addition, it is hard to be handled effectively by the police and child welfare agencies because of the scarcity of evidence. Therefore, the authors attempt to examine the essential information from early detection and child abuse prevention by analyzing its clinical characteristics and the perpetrator’s characteristics, including alerting signs of MSBP. For this purpose, we focus on the role of nursing staff to detect this unusual cause of child abuse.

An Italian single-center retrospective analysis of 1106 consecutive cases of child and adolescent abuse: key elements of effective practices.

Child and adolescent maltreatment refer to several forms of abuse and neglect, with negative and harmful consequences on children's and adolescents' physical and psychological health. This study aims to provide a wide perspective on child and adolescents maltreatment from a large, public, anti-violence center located in a university hospital (SVSeD, Sexual and Domestic Violence Service) and to suggest models of tailored therapeutic interventions and proposals for effective clinical practice. The sample study was obtained by analyzing 1106 medical records of victims aged 0 to 17 referring to SVSeD for all types of abuse. Our findings confirm that almost in one third (28.2%) of the cases children and adolescents are victims of multiple different types of violence. In our experience, sexual violence plays a leading role (66% of cases), being the most frequent type of child and adolescent abuse. This study confirms that child and adolescent abuse could manifest in many different ways, which are often not so easily detected, as the violence usually occurs inside the family. Institutional educational programs should be implemented to increase the health practitioners' skills and competence for detecting and reporting children and adolescents who are victims of abuse.

Building Support Networks 25 Years After Beijing: The Case of Women Domestic Workers in Ethiopia and Tanzania

abstract In view of the Beijing +25 celebration, I draw upon ethnographic research in Ethiopia and Tanzania to examine various forms of action mobilised by governments and formal and informal women’s labour movements for the improvement of domestic workers’ rights. Domestic work is one of the most important sources of employment for women in both countries. Yet the lack of adequate protection leaves domestic workers open to several forms of abuse and exploitation. Various activists are lobbying governments for the improvement of domestic workers’ conditions in terms of payment, enforcement of written contracts, access to social protection, and the right to a safe work environment. Labour activists are currently advocating for the ratification of the ILO Convention No. 189 ‘Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers’. In particular, they mobilise support networks at local, regional, national and international level, and emphasise the need for domestic workers themselves to be on the frontline. Despite their efforts, they face many challenges in organising domestic workers, and there is little awareness of their actions among domestic workers themselves; much remains to be done to achieve significant advances in the rights of domestic workers. The article argues that in the absence of institutional social protection, domestic workers’ mobilisation of other strategies of action outside of formal channels, such as neighborhood interactions and informal gatherings which work as sources of emotional, practical and material support, are also important in the advancing of domestic workers’ rights. It is argued that both formal and informal approaches have relevance for academic research and activists who seek to foster new solutions to achieve improvements in domestic workers’ rights.

Clinical Course and Clinical Features in MDD Patients: General and Specific Role of Subtypes of Childhood Trauma

Our study focused on childhood emotional neglect and several forms of abuse (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional) and the diagnosis and clinical courses of disease in Chinese adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), including MDD with anxiety, with suicidality, and with other presentations. MDD and other clinical presentations were determined with the American Psychiatric Association’s (2000) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) and subtypes of trauma were assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (95 patients and 94 comparisons). Patients with MDD and suicidality scored higher on childhood emotional abuse and neglect than other MDD patients. Both emotional abuse and physical abuse correlated with a younger age of onset and more relapses of MDD. General linear modeling also showed that controlling for demographic variables, emotional and physical abuse predicted more MDD relapses. Overall, childhood trauma was correlated with a MDD diagnosis, the role of specific types of trauma in the clinical courses of MDD varied.

Sanksi terhadap Penyalahgunaan Pemakaian Listrik di Wilayah Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) Rayon Kuta

The relationship between PT. PLN (Persero) and the electricity user is a selling and purchasing whose provisions are set forth in an agreement called Surat Perjanjian Jual Beli Tenaga Listrik (SPJBTL). Based on the occurring phenomenon, the problem of abuse of electricity usage, especially that occurred in the last three years in the service area of PLN Rayon Kuta, is extremely detrimental to the state in this case the PLN. This study reveals the factors that lead to misuse of electricity usage and the application of sanctions against misuse of electricity in the PT. PLN (Persero) Rayon Kuta with empirical legal research. The abuse of the electricity in Kuta and its surrounding areas are motivated by several factors including ignorance, intention, external customer and customer negligence. From some of the physical evidence found by T2 P2TL PT. PLN (Persero) Kuta rayon, several forms of abuse of electricity consumption can be categorized, among others such as affect power barriers, measurement, and wild connection outside the measurement. In the case of the settlement of the abuse of the electricity usage, PLN uses the legal basis of the regulation of directors of PT. PLN (Persero) Number: 088-Z.P / DIR / 2016 concerning the Controlling of Electricity Usage. To minimize the occurrence of abuse of electricity usage, it is necessary to optimize socialization related to the right and safe electricity usage by PLN in cooperation with other related parties such as university level education, environment or village apparatus and especially in Bali the PT. PLN should cooperate with the management or kelian (the leader of a customary group of community called banjar) under certain mechanism. The application of sanctions to PLN customers or users who are found to be abusing the use of electricity need to consider the legal benefit, especially those found to violate Category IV in order to make the process of settlement through the legal sphere to create a deterrent effect so that in the future similar incidents affecting the state losses and other public losses as electricity users can be reduced or minimized.

The role of the nurse in detecting elder abuse and neglect: current perspectives

The role of the nurse in detecting elder abuse and neglect: current perspectives Amanda Phelan School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Abstract: As global populations age, it is imperative that nurses have a knowledge base on the topic of elder abuse. Elder abuse can occur in any environment, but is most prevalent in the community setting. Older people may experience either a single type of abuse or several forms of abuse concurrently. It is also important that abuse at an institutional and societal level is recognized and addressed. Nurses have a responsibility to identify when abuse may be perpetrated and to assess the context, ensuring appropriate responses are undertaken. A knowledge of barriers to disclosure is also essential, as well as ensuring that the voice of the older person is prioritized in case management. In doing so, nurses have the ability to both prevent and provide early intervention to safeguard older people. Keywords: elder abuse, ageism, human rights, screening, nurse’s role

Male Sexual Interest In and Offending Against Children: The Abused-Abuser Hypothesis

ABSTRACTAn association between experiences of sexual abuse in one’s childhood (ECSA), and sexual offending against children in adult age has been established in several studies. The aim of the present study was to further elucidate this link. First, we explored whether ECSA predicted different types of adult sexual offending against children hands-on, child pornography offenders, and perpetrators with both types of offenses( = mixed offenders). Mixed offenders reported more ECSA than child sexual abuse offenders (CSA) and child pornography offenders (CP). Furthermore, the aim was to explore whether ECSA and childhood maltreatment were risk factors for adult sexual interest in minors. Emotional abuse was associated with sexual interest in below-16-year-olds. However, we did not find an additive effect of having experienced several forms of abuse in childhood on adult sexual interest in below-16-year-olds.

Rapid assessment of “eve teasing” (sexual harassment) of young women during the commute to college In India

Many countries have taken action in recent times to address harassment in the work place and violence in the home, but little attention has been paid to sexual harassment in public places, specifically during women’s journey to work and school. In developing countries, many more women are seeking education and employment than previously, which has increased the opportunity for sexual harassment in public places. In India, the study location, this harassment is known as “eve teasing”. Eve teasing includes cat calling, lewd remarks, and inappropriate sexual contact such as rubbing and fondling. Tolerance of such incidents could lead to more severe forms of abuse and encourage more individuals to participate. Necessary as laws are, they cannot bring about immediate changes in widespread public behaviors, particularly those, such as eve teasing, that are deeply rooted in the culture of a country. To date there is no systematic research on sexual harassment in public places to assist public authorities and town planners with the development of security measures, especially for college-going women in cities and towns in India. Rapid assessment methodology has been used increasingly, especially in the field of public health, to assist decision-making about appropriate interventions for social problems by examining issues within social and cultural contexts in space and time. This paper provides a case study of rapid assessment of so-called “eve teasing” of female college students in Chennai, India. Three methods were employed in this rapid assessment of the problem— focus group discussions with college students, interviews with police officers from stations nearby the campuses and safety audits of the campus surroundings. This small exploratory study of eve teasing in India succeeded in promoting understanding of the problem and in providing many suggestions for reducing it. These latter included an extensive inventory of precautions for students, particularly female students to take in order to protect themselves from eve teasing, and a list of preventive suggestions for other stakeholders—the police, local municipalities, transport agencies and the colleges themselves. The study has wider implications for the study of routine precautions, for crime in public space and for the use of rapid assessment techniques in Crime Science.

Sintomatología en víctimas de abuso sexual: ¿son importantes las características “objetivas” del abuso?

Las víctimas de abuso sexual presentan mayor sintomatología que la población general, aun cuando su intensidad es altamente variable. Los abusos más graves (frecuentes, violentos, con penetración) serían los que se asociarían a mayor sintomatología, no obstante, la evidencia no es concluyente. El objetivo del estudio fue describir la sintomatología en víctimas de abuso sexual y evaluar su relación con la gravedad del abuso. Participaron 143 adolescentes entre 12 y 17 años (83 víctimas de abuso sexual y 60 sin antecedentes de abuso) que respondieron a escalas de depresión, ansiedad y estrés postraumático. Ambos grupos presentaron niveles similares de depresión y ansiedad, pero los adolescentes con antecedentes de abuso presentaron mayor estrés postraumático. En el grupo con antecedentes de abuso la sintomatología varió según la curva normal, pero la gravedad del abuso no explicó dicha variación. Únicamente las mujeres presentaron mayor depresión, ansiedad y estrés postraumático que los varones, y las víctimas de abuso extrafamiliar presentaron mayor estrés postraumático que los victimizados dentro de sus familias. Se cuestiona la idea de "objetivar" la gravedad del abuso y se discute acerca de la necesidad de estudiar los factores que mediarían la relación entre la gravedad de los abusos y la sintomatología.

Inconsistent retrospective self-reports of childhood sexual abuse and their correlates in the general population.

Epidemiological research on childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and its consequences in adult life mainly relies on retrospective reports. This study explores their consistency and the correlates of inconsistent CSA self-reports in a random population sample. A stratified subsample of 2,462 subjects (selected from a large-scale (N = 34,267) representative sample of Dutch adults aged 40 and beyond) participated in a two-phase online questionnaire survey on extra-familial CSA which was conducted on a four- to six-week interval. Subjects reporting CSA were overrepresented. Participants with consistent and inconsistent responses were compared with regard to demographics, family background, abuse severity, and clinical characteristics. Potential correlates of inconsistency were identified using logistic regression analysis. An additional questionnaire (Phase III) administered to inconsistent respondents explored possible reasons for their inconsistency. Of the 1,992 respondents who had reported extra-familial CSA during Phase I, 707 (35.5%) denied this in Phase II. Of the 2,462 respondents in Phase II, 727 (29.5%; 9.2% when considering sample stratification) gave a discrepant answer to the extra-familial sexual abuse item compared to their answers given in Phase I. Reports of less severe abuse, intra-familial CSA, and early parental separation predicted inconsistency. Reasons provided for inconsistency varied from misunderstanding (e.g., reporting intra-familial CSA rather than extra-familial CSA) to emotional motives (e.g., embarrassment, being overwhelmed) or practical considerations (e.g., lack of privacy while filling out the questionnaire). Inconsistent self-reports of extra-familial sexual abuse occur on a substantial scale and are associated with less severe forms of abuse (lack of salience) or classification difficulties (perpetrator being a family member or not). Consistency tests and probing for clarifications or corrections should be routinely conducted in order to increase the quality of CSA epidemiological research.

Utility of Child Report: Correspondence with Parent‐Reported Child Abuse Risk

Key Practitioner Messages:Use multiple informants.Children can provide useful information.Comprehensive abuse risk assessment.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE LIKELY REQUIRE DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPROACHES TO PREVENTION: A RESPONSE TO BUZAWA AND BUZAWA.

Buzawa and Buzawa (this issue) assert that there are different typologies of intimate partner violence (IPV) defined by the extent to which the violence is part of a general pattern of coercive control. They center their discussion on batterers, who are understood to be responsible for the most severe forms of abuse and injury. Economic factors are believed to be "only a weak predictor of violence" in these cases. Thus, they argue that, in the face of severe budget constraints, there is a need to focus on the chronically violent offender and support-coordinated services for IPV victims. We agree that there are different types of IPV distinguishable by the extent to which the violence is occurring within a pattern of general coercive control and that each type has different risk and protective factors. We also agree economic factors interact with other factors in complex ways and vary in the extent to which they predict different types of IPV. However, we argue economic factors should not be ignored as an important strategy in preventing situational couple violence (SCV) and helping victims to escape from intimate terrorists (ITs). Relying on response (rather than prevention) strategies, such as coordinated community response-for which there is limited evidence of effectiveness-is unlikely to significantly impact rates of all types of IPV.

DSM-IV Alcohol Abuse Due to Hazardous Use: A Less Severe Form of Abuse?

A majority of individuals that meet criteria for alcohol abuse based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), do so by endorsing the hazardous use criterion. We used a large, nationally representative data set to investigate whether alcohol abuse due to hazardous use is distinct from abuse attributable to other abuse criteria and whether abuse due to hazardous use is a less severe form of alcohol abuse. Two waves of data, collected 3 years apart, from 34,653 individuals who participated in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions were used. Logistic regression was used to compare those with alcohol abuse due to hazardous use and those with alcohol abuse due to other criteria across several sociodemographic and psychiatric correlates at Wave 1 and across alcohol-related outcomes at the 3-year follow-up. Those with a lifetime history of alcohol dependence at Wave 1 were excluded. Abuse due to hazardous use was more commonly noted in older individuals, those not living below the poverty line, and those without nicotine dependence and was more likely to be noted in White participants. Abuse due to hazardous use was also associated with lower rates of problematic drinking, alcohol dependence, and help seeking at 3-year follow-up. Individuals endorsing hazardous use are at greater risk than those endorsing no abuse criteria, but abuse due to hazardous use may represent a less severe form of alcohol-use disorders. This is troubling, because current DSM conceptualizations allow for endorsement of hazardous use to denote alcohol-use disorders. Future classifications may wish to consider a higher threshold for alcohol-use disorders, particularly when hazardous use is endorsed.

Abuses Against Older Women: Prevalence and Health Effects

A clinical sample of 995 community dwelling women aged 55 and older were surveyed by telephone about their experience with psychological/ emotional, control, threat, physical, and sexual abuse. Nearly half of the women experienced at least one type of abuse since turning 55. Sizable proportions were victims of repeated abuse, and many experienced co-occurring abuse. Women who experienced any type of abuse were more likely to self-report negative health effects than those who were not abused. Health care and social service providers should routinely screen older women for psychological/emotional abuse at it often co-occurs with more severe forms of abuse.

Prevalence of Perceived Experiences of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Health Care Abuse in a Swedish Male Patient Sample

The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of and current suffering from emotional abuse (EA), physical abuse (PA), and sexual abuse (SA) and abuse in health care (AHC) among male Swedish patients and compare prevalences of abuse between female and male patients at a Swedish university hospital. For data collection we used the NorVold Abuse Questionnaire, which has been validated in a female sample and in the present study. The lifetime prevalences were EA = 12.8%, PA = 45.7%, SA = 3.8%, and AHC = 8.1%. Current suffering from abuse among participants was 1% to 9%. The women reported higher rates than men of current suffering from all kinds of abuse and more severe forms of abuse, such as life-threatening PA. Health care staff should be aware of the documented high prevalences of abuse and learn to make good judgments as to when to ask male as well as female patients about experiences of abuse.

Sleep Disorders ? Narcolepsy/Hypersomnia

This study investigated relationships between subjective sleep complaints and several forms of abuse among a representative sample of young women (N = 14947) who completed the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health, Third Survey for Young Women (2003). The primary hypothesis to be investigated was that a history of abuse in the 3 years prior to data collection would be related to sleep disturbances at a greater prevalence than among women with no history of abuse. Relative risk analyses were conducted by creating dichotomous variables from all sleep and abuse variables, in order to determine the risk of experiencing sleep problems among women who reported different combinations of abuse occurring in the 3 years prior to data collection. The results of relative risk analyses showed that women who had experienced any kind of abuse (sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, harassment, severe physical violence or any combination of these) were at greater risk of experiencing a number of sleep disturbances. In particular, the risk of using prescription medication for sleep in the past month was greatly increased among women reporting sexual abuse in isolation (RR = 9.98, CI = 7.18–13.86) and among women reporting all five forms of abuse (RR = 4.52, CI = 3.19–6.42) when compared with women who reported no abuse in the last 3 years. Overall, the results demonstrated that women with a history of abuse were at greater risk of experiencing sleep disturbances than women who reported no abuse.

Physical and Sexual Abuse and Unstable Housing among Adolescents with HIV

Stable housing is a necessary component of treatment of adolescents with HIV. This study examines the housing status at two points in time of a sample of 224 adolescents with HIV seen at an adolescent medicine clinic in New York City. It addresses whether unstable housing is associated with several forms of abuse, and what factors predict continued instability. 38.6% (n = 86) had a prior history of unstable housing, reduced to 12.9% at the time of program entry. Multivariate logistic regression models predicting current and prior unstable housing revealed two variables related to both outcomes: physical abuse and referral from youth/social services entities. Continued unstable housing was associated with all abuse variables and adolescent history of arrest. When adolescents in abusive situations come to the attention of programs for youth, they have a positive impact on transitioning most adolescents to safer households, potentially improving adolescents' accessing of health care services.