Violence Outcomes Research Articles

Associations between domestic violence and poor pregnancy outcomes in taiwanese women: a nested case–control study

Background and aimsDomestic violence (DV) are one of the important risk factors for women’s health outcomes. The aim of this study was explored the risk of DV association with the poor pregnancy outcomes (PPOs), including premature delivery, abortion, and stillbirth.MethodsA nested case–control study was applied. Data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were collected from 2000 to 2015. A total of 41,730 participants were included in this study, including 8,346 participants in the case group and 33,384 age- and index year-matched control group. Assessments of DA and PPOs were determined according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision. We conducted a conditional logistic regression analysis to estimate the effect of DV on PPOs.ResultsThe mean age was 35.53 in the 41,730 female participants. The overall incidence rate of PPOs of the participants, who had experienced DV, was 84.05 per 100,000 person-years. which was significantly higher than that for the controls (18.19 per 100,000 person-years). The risk of PPOs was higher in the participants who had experienced DV than in the controls (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] [95% CI]: 2.83–3.86), including for premature delivery (AOR = 3.57; 95% CI: 3.05–4.17), abortion (AOR = 3.31; 95% CI: 2.83–3.86) and stillbirth (AOR = 2.98; 95% CI: 2.55–3.47). The results showed that the longer a participant has been suffering DV, the risk of PPOs was higher.ConclusionsPresent results reaved the risk of PPOs associated with DV. Especially, the longer a woman has been experiencing DV, the risk of PPOs was higher, showed a dose–response effect.

Undocumented Bordering Practices: Protagonism and Spaces of Making

Abstract Borders are at the centre of everyday lives, often with gendered and violent outcomes exacerbating harm across space and time. The feminization of waiting is embedded in the power structures of borders. Yet, feminized waiting in the context of displacement can also be a necessary pre-condition for generating affective geographies of making, and transformative spaces of solidarity and contestation across borders. This paper draws on ethnographic and feminist participatory action research carried out in southern Mexico to document bordering practices ‘from below’, Undocumented Bordering Practices performed by women from Central America experiencing waiting in the Mexico–Guatemala borderlands. I expand the definitions of bordering and refugee protection by centring on women’s protagonism (self-authorship) and collective acts of making (art, food, and spaces of care) as they wait. I illustrate three processes of making while waiting: The making of a ‘mural-on-the-move’, a newsletter titled Breaking Barriers: When women migrate, life migrates, and intimate geopolitics of making and sharing food in borderlands.

The association between lead exposure and crime: A systematic review.

Prior research has demonstrated an association between lead exposure and criminal behavior at the population-level, however studies exploring the effect of lead exposure on criminal behavior at the individual-level have not been reviewed systematically. The intent of this study is to complete a systematic review of all studies assessing individual-level exposures to lead and the outcomes of crime and antisocial behavior traits. We included peer reviewed studies that were published prior to August 2022 and were classified as cohort, cross-sectional, or case-control. Studies measuring the outcomes of crime, delinquency, violence, or aggression were included. The following databases were searched using a standardized search strategy: ProQuest Environmental Science Database, PubMed, ToxNet and the Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). Seventeen manuscripts met our inclusion criteria. Blood lead was measured in 12 studies, bone lead in 3 studies, and dentine lead levels in 2 studies. This systematic review identified a wide range of diverse outcomes between exposure to lead at multiple windows of development and later delinquent, criminal and antisocial behavior. A review of all potential confounding variables included within each study was made, with inclusion of relevant confounders into the risk of bias tool. There is limited data at the individual level on the effects of prenatal, childhood, and adolescent lead exposure and later criminal behavior and more evidence is necessary to evaluate the magnitude of the associations seen in this review. Our review, in conjunction with the available biological evidence, suggests that an excess risk for criminal behavior in adulthood exists when an individual is exposed to lead in utero or in the early years of childhood. The authors report no conflict of interest and no funding source. Clinical trial registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42021268379.

Depression, violence and socioeconomic outcomes among refugees in East Africa: evidence from a multicountry representative survey

BackgroundExisting research on refugee mental health is heavily skewed towards refugees in high-income countries, even though most refugees (83%) are hosted in low-income and middle-income countries. This problem is further...

Adolescence as a “Radical” Age and Prevention of Violent Radicalisation: A Qualitative Study of Operators of a Juvenile Penal Circuit in Italy

In the scientific community, the topic of the risk of violent radicalisation within the juvenile penal circuit is infrequently explored compared to the attention devoted to the adult prison population or to other areas of social and educational intervention. This article presents some results of a study conducted, within the framework of a European project led by the Italian Ministry of Justice, at some institutions of the juvenile penal circuit in Italy, with the involvement of staff working at the Offices of Social Services for Minors (USSM), the Juvenile Penal Institutes (IPM), and the reception communities of two Italian regions (North and South). The article aims to explore the viewpoint of the professionals working in these facilities, analysing their perceptions and experiences regarding the radicalisation of young people in the penal circuit. This concept is understood both in a broader sense, evoking the characteristics of adolescence, as experienced by the population in their charge, and also in the more specific sense of religious radicalisation and its possible violent outcomes. The article shows how, when referring to the task of detecting possible signs of (violent) radicalisation in the behaviour of young people, penal-circuit professionals highlight the difficulties and risks they encounter in the attempt to reconcile educational and supervisory tasks. The personal and social characteristics of the population under their care and the more specific characteristics of the adolescent phase, in fact, seem to constitute factors that make the process of the detection of radicalisation more complex, with the risk of increasing the labelling and stigmatisation of these young offenders, thus, paradoxically, favouring outcomes that would be desirable to prevent.

Weaponising time in the war on welfare: Slow violence and deaths of disabled people within the UK's social security system

In 2014, a long continuing battle began to find out more about Government record-keeping on the deaths of disabled people claiming benefits. Drawing on a timeline of evidence co-produced with disabled people, we analyse how deaths related to the benefits system are an outcome of slow violence, where both the delay between policies and their harmful effects, as well as the more active use of delay tactics, are central to how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) weaponise time as a strategy to avoid accountability and deny justice. DWP reviews into deaths are an under-researched yet significant focus because they are (supposedly) tools through which the DWP investigates the harms of its own policies, and yet, they are designed and carried out in a way that systemically invisibilise state accountability.

Patterns of violence and mental health outcomes characterizing vulnerability in SGM college students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Patterns of violence and mental health outcomes characterizing vulnerability in SGM college students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Violence against Women in the United States: Trends, Risk-Factors, and Outcomes from the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB)

Background: Violence against women in the United States is a major public health issue that is associated with many downstream costs for individuals and healthcare systems. Risk-factors and outcomes of female-based violence have not been well studied at the national level. Identifying risk factors can inform clinical management and resource optimization.

The association between youth violence and mental health outcomes in Colombia: A cross sectional analysis

BackgroundViolence against children and youth poses public health risks regarding mental health symptoms and substance use. Less studied is the relationship between violence and mental health/substance abuse in the Latin American context. This study explored sex-stratified relationships between violence and mental health/substance use among Colombian youth. MethodsWe analyzed the 2018 Colombian Violence Against Children and Youth Survey, which collected cross-sectional data from Colombian youth (13–24 years) (n = 2705). Exposure variables were (i) binary sexual, emotional, and physical victimization and (ii) poly-victimization. The outcomes were binary suicidal thoughts, self-harm, past-month psychological distress, binge drinking, smoking, and drug use. Sex-stratified, logistic regressions were adjusted for age, primary school, parental presence, relationship status, and witnessing community violence. ResultsFor females, (i) emotional violence (compared to being unexposed) was associated with greater odds of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and psychological distress and (ii) sexual violence was associated with suicidal thoughts and self-harm. For males, (i) emotional violence (compared to being unexposed) was associated with greater odds of suicidal thoughts and psychological distress, but not self-harm and (ii) sexual violence exposure was associated with suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Physical violence was generally not associated with internalized mental health outcomes for females/males, when emotional and sexual violence were held constant. Poly-victimization was consistently and positively associated with internalized mental health symptoms among females, and to a lesser degree for males. Substance use outcomes for males or females were not associated with violence. ConclusionsFindings highlight the internalized mental health burden of emotional and sexual violence.

Barriers Preventing Indigenous Women with Violence-related Head Injuries from Accessing Services in Australia

ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious yet commonly under-recognised injury sustained by women as a direct outcome of family violence. Although healthcare and support services are critical, many women do not access support services following this injury. At present, there are few relevant qualitative studies that have elevated the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. This article describes the barriers that prevent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women from accessing hospital and support services after experiencing a TBI from family violence in one regional (Queensland) and one remote location (Northern Territory). Interviews and focus-group discussions were conducted with 28 community members and 90 service professionals. Thematic analysis identified four key factors influencing women’s access to health care: all women fear child removal; fear of escalating violence; prioritisation of other competing demands; and insufficient awareness of the signs of brain injury. Given child protection systems perpetuate cycles of discrimination based on poverty and structural inequalities that have generated fear and contributed to the reluctance of women to engage with services, child protection processes and practices need to be transformed to consider the impact of head injury on the everyday lives of women. Pathways need to be implemented to assist women to access healthcare and support services as well as strengthen families to maintain the care of their children. Content warning: This article includes distressing information and may trigger trauma, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. IMPLICATIONS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women living with a head injury experience severe trauma, coercive control, disadvantage, and poverty, which prevents them from accessing healthcare and support services. Communities should be resourced to design, implement, and evaluate TBI prevention and intervention solutions as increased awareness and insight into the long-term consequences for the brain that can result from violence, including education for school-aged children, community campaigns, and targeted education for community members. TBI should be incorporated into child protection frameworks, workforce training, and assessment tools, along with training and education for community members.

Diversionary desecration? Regime instability and societal violence against minority sacred spaces

ABSTRACT From the October 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the April 2022 bombing of the Sufi Khalifa Sahib mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, religious minority sacred spaces are a conspicuous target of societal violence. While the potency of these attacks as instruments of symbolic and physical intimidation against vulnerable communities is well-recognized, comparatively little research has examined the larger societal and political forces that motivate them, particularly outside conflict zones. Employing data on individual religious minorities in 162 states from 1991–2014, we conduct quantitative analyses demonstrating that severe violence against religious minority sacred spaces is significantly correlated with increasing regime instability, particularly in more democratic states that strongly support religious institutions. Our findings suggest that the most violent outcomes tend to be diversionary, redirecting public anger toward internal ‘enemy’ others, rather than reactionary or retaliatory behavior toward already persecuted or genuinely threatening out-groups.

Childhood and Adult Sexual Violence Exposures as Predictors of PTSD, Dissociation, and Substance Use in Women in Jail

ABSTRACT Women involved in the criminal legal system report high rates of interpersonal violence, particularly sexual violence, and mental health problems. Although existing research has linked experiences of interpersonal violence to multiple negative mental health outcomes, few researchers have examined concurrent psychopathology as an outcome of child and adult sexual violence in system-involved women. The purpose of this study was to examine child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sexual violence, while controlling for other forms of interpersonal violence, as predictors of current symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD), substance use disorder (SUD), and dissociation in women in jail in the Mountain West. Randomly selected participants (N = 146) completed clinician-administered measures of trauma histories and mental health symptoms. The majority of the women (73%) reported experiences of CSA and about half reported experiences of adult sexual violence. Over half of the women reported symptoms consistent with current probable PTSD, about 20% reported dissociation symptoms in a clinical range, and over 70% met criteria for a SUD in the past year. The proposed model was tested with path analysis. CSA significantly predicted current symptoms of PTSD while adult sexual violence exposure predicted symptoms of SUD and dissociation. These results illustrate the high rates of sexual violence exposure as well as the complexity of mental health needs associated with these exposures in system-involved women. Findings highlight the need to comprehensively assess incarcerated women’s trauma exposure and psychological distress to better meet the needs of this population.

Dating Violence Trajectories in Adolescence: How Do They Relate to Sexual Outcomes in Canada?

Dating violence during adolescence is a major public health issue: it is highly prevalent and extensive research has documented its physical and psychological consequences, yet very little has focused on its sexual consequences. The present study investigated the longitudinal associations between dating violence victimization (psychological, sexual or physical) and sexual well-being (sexual satisfaction and sexual distress) among 1442 sexually active adolescents aged between 14 and 17years who completed at least one of three data waves (51.1% girls; 45.7% boys; 0.3% non-binary; 3.0% varying gender identity). The study also examined whether these associations differed by gender identity and sexual minority status. Adolescents completed online questionnaires on electronic tablets during class. The results indicated that psychological, physical (except for boys), and sexual dating violence victimization were all associated with lower sexual satisfaction and greater sexual distress over time. Moreover, the between-level associations between dating violence and poorer sexual outcomes were stronger among girls and gender varying adolescents than among boys. The within-level association between physical dating violence and sexual satisfaction was significant among adolescents with a nonvarying sexual minority status, but not among those with a nonvarying heterosexual status or that varied in sexual minority status. Findings offer cues for dating violence prevention and intervention programs by suggesting the need to examine sexual well-being over time.

Youth Who Have Lived in Alternative Care in Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe: Mental Health and Violence Outcomes in Nationally Representative Data

We explore whether having previously lived in alternative care (foster, kinship, and/or residential care) is linked to sexual risk-taking, mental health, and experiencing violence in Nigerian, Zambian, and Zimbabwean youth ages 13-17 living in households with or without their biological parents, and assess the utility and limitations of existing data. This study is a secondary analysis of nationally-representative Violence Against Children Surveys (N=6,405). Logistic regressions examined the effect of alternative care experience on the odds of poor outcomes, controlling for covariates including parental care status, orphanhood, and household assets. In both bivariate and multivariate analyses, having lived in alternative care in the last five years was associated with lowered odds mental distress (OR=0.25, 95% CI: [0.10, 0.61], p=.002), and higher odds of sexual risk taking (OR=1.70, 95% CI: [1.11, 2.59], p=.014), caregiver physical abuse (OR=1.81, 95% CI: [1.30, 2.50], p<.001), caregiver emotional abuse (OR=1.75, 95% CI: [1.20, 2.54], p=.004), and peer violence (OR=1.57, 95% CI: [1.09, 2.26], p=.015). It was not associated with suicidality, self harm, or sexual assault after controlling for covariates. Youth who have lived in alternative care in the last five years may benefit from programs that address violence, self-harm, and sexual risk taking behavior, even if they are now in families. To better understand children outside parental care, national data collection efforts should distinguish between residential and family-based care.

The Association Between Domestic Violence and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Pregnant Women Seeking Antenatal Care at Public Hospitals in Gedeo Zone: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Domestic violence is any harmful behavior by an intimate partner, such as physical, sexual, or psychological abuse. In Ethiopia, domestic violence is a serious and widespread problem. It affects two-thirds (64.6%) of pregnant women and increases the risk of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Domestic violence during pregnancy is a growing public health problem that may contribute to maternal and perinatal mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to assess the association between domestic violence during pregnancy and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Gedeo Zone Public Hospitals, Southern Ethiopia. We conducted a prospective cohort study on 142 pregnant women in their third trimester who attended public health institutions in Gedeo Zone for antenatal care. We compared 47 women who were exposed to domestic violence with 95 who were not and followed them until 24 hours after delivery or drop-out. We used SPSS version-24 to analyze data and logistic regression to examine the association between domestic violence and pregnancy outcomes. We reported the results using an adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and P-value. Out of 142 women, who completed the follow-up, 47 were exposed to domestic violence and 95 were not. We found a strong link between domestic violence and preterm birth. Women exposed to domestic violence had a four-fold higher risk of preterm birth (AOR= 4.392, 95% CI: 1.117, 6.588) than those who were not. They also had a 2.5-fold higher risk of perinatal death (AOR= 2.562, 95% CI: 1.041, 6.308). Domestic violence during pregnancy affects many pregnant women in southern Ethiopia and harms their babies. It leads to preterm birth and perinatal death, which can be prevented. The Ethiopian government and other stakeholders need to protect pregnant women from intimate partner violence urgently.

Temporal association of parental corporal punishment with violence in school and cyberbullying among adolescents

Background and objectivePrevious cross-sectional research suggested a link between parental corporal punishment, school violence, and cyberbullying among adolescents. However, their temporal relationships remain unclear. This study used longitudinal panel data to examine the temporal relationships between parental corporal punishment, adolescent school violence against peers and teachers, and cyberbullying perpetration. Participants and settingSeven hundred and two junior high school students from Taiwan participated. MethodsA probability sample and two waves of longitudinal panel data collected a nine-month apart were analyzed. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect students' self-reported information about their experiences of parental corporal punishment, perpetration of school violence against peers and teachers, and cyberbullying. ResultsParental corporal punishment at Time 1 predicted violence against school peers, violence against teachers, and cyberbullying perpetration at Time 2; however, these three behaviors at Time 1 did not predict parental corporal punishment at Time 2. These findings applied to both sex groups, although the effects of parental corporal punishment on violence against teachers were slightly stronger for boys than girls. ConclusionsParental corporal punishment is a predictor rather than an outcome of adolescent school violence against peers and teachers and cyberbullying. Policies and interventions need to target parental corporal punishment to prevent adolescents from engaging in violence against peers and teachers and cyberbullying.

Inequities in birth registration, violent discipline, and child labour by disability status and sex: Evidence from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in 24 countries.

Nearly 240 million children are estimated to have a disability globally. We describe inequities by disability status and sex in birth registration, child labour, and violent discipline outcomes. Data come from Round 6 of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey programme and includes 323,436 children, aged 2-17 years in 24 countries. We estimated non-registration of birth, child labour, and violent discipline, stratified by sex and disability in each country. We estimated age-adjusted prevalence ratios and prevalence differences, accounting for survey design, to calculate inequities by disability. There was large variation across countries in the percentage of children with disabilities (range: 4% to 28%), in non-registration (range: 0% to73%), child labour (range: 2% to 40%), and violent discipline (range: 48% to 95%). We found relative inequities by disability in birth registration in two countries among girls and one country among boys, and in birth certification in two countries among girls and among boys. Child labour was higher among girls with disabilities in two countries and among boys in three countries. We found larger and more prevalent inequities by disability in hazardous labour in six countries among girls (aPR range: 1.23 to 1.95) and in seven countries among boys (aPR range: 1.24 to 1.80). Inequities in the prevalence of violent discipline by disability were significant in four countries among girls (aPR range: 1.02 to 1.18) and among boys (aPRs: 1.02 to 1.15) and we found inequities in severe punishment nine countries among girls (aPR range: 1.12 to 2.27) and in 13 countries among boys (aPRs: 1.13 to 1.95). Context specific research is needed to understand the large variations in inequities by disability status and sex within and across countries. Monitoring inequities in child rights by disability status and sex is important to achieve the SDGs and ensure child protection programs reduce inequities.

Comparing the Differences in the Main Factors Influencing High School and College Students' Involvement in Cyberbullying Behaviour - Based on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

The rapid development of communication technology and the economy has made it easy for everyone to access the internet to disseminate and receive information. In such a situation, people naturally express their opinions about the information they receive. Because everyone has different opinions about the received informations, which can lead to arguments, in more serious cases, cyberbullying has emerged as a natural consequence of this process. High school and university students account for a significant proportion of the occurrence of and involvement in cyberbullying. Therefore, this study collects and analyses data to compare the factors of high school and university students' involvement in cyberbullying. This study used Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to investigate the factors that influence participation in cyberbullying, in terms of personal expectations of the outcome of violence and social norms. Questionnaire analysis was then used to obtain 420 valid responses as the data required for the study. It was found that the main factors influencing high school and college students' involvement in cyberbullying did not differ significantly.

Cultural threat perceptions predict violent extremism via need for cognitive closure

Understanding the psychological processes that drive violent extremism is a pressing global issue. Across six studies, we demonstrate that perceived cultural threats lead to violent extremism because they increase people's need for cognitive closure (NFC). In general population samples (from Denmark, Afghanistan, Pakistan, France, and an international sample) and a sample of former Mujahideen in Afghanistan, single-level and multilevel mediation analyses revealed that NFC mediated the association between perceived cultural threats and violent extremist outcomes. Further, in comparisons between the sample of former Afghan Mujahideen and the general population sample from Afghanistan following the known-group paradigm, the former Mujahideen scored significantly higher on cultural threat, NFC, and violent extremist outcomes. Moreover, the proposed model successfully differentiated former Afghan Mujahideen participants from the general Afghan participants. Next, two preregistered experiments provided causal support for the model. Experimentally manipulating the predictor (cultural threat) in Pakistan led to higher scores on the mediator (NFC) and dependent variables (violent extremist outcomes). Finally, an experiment conducted in France demonstrated the causal effect of the mediator (NFC) on violent extremist outcomes. Two internal meta-analyses using state-of-the-art methods (i.e., meta-analytic structural equation modeling and pooled indirect effects analyses) further demonstrated the robustness of our results across the different extremist outcomes, designs, populations, and settings. Cultural threat perceptions seem to drive violent extremism by eliciting a need for cognitive closure.

Adaptive interventions for alcohol misuse and violent behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults in the emergency department: A sequential multiple assignment randomized controlled trial protocol

Alcohol use and violent behaviors among youth are associated with morbidity and mortality. An emergency department (ED) visit provides an opportunity to initiate prevention efforts. Despite promising findings from our single session SafERteens brief intervention (BI), impact is limited by modest effect sizes, with data lacking on optimal boosters to enhance effects. This paper describes the protocol for a sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (SMART). Adolescents and emerging adults (ages 14–20) in the ED screening positive for alcohol use and violent behaviors (physical aggression) were randomly assigned to: 1) SafERteens BI + Text Messaging (TM), or 2) SafERteens BI + remote Health Coach (HC). Participants completed weekly surveys over 8 weeks after the ED visit to tailor intervention content and measure mechanisms of change. At one-month, intervention response/non-response is determined (e.g., binge drinking or violent behaviors). Responders are re-randomized to continued intervention condition (e.g., maintenance) or minimized condition (e.g., stepped down). Non-responders are re-randomized to continued condition (e.g., maintenance), or intensified condition (e.g., stepped up). Outcomes were measured at 4 and 8 months, including primary outcomes of alcohol consumption and violence, with secondary outcomes of alcohol consequences and violence consequences. Although the original goal was to enroll 700 participants, COVID-19 impacts on research diminished recruitment in this trial (enrolled n = 400). Nonetheless, the proposed SMART is highly innovative by blending real-time assessment methodologies with adaptive intervention delivery among teens with comorbid alcohol misuse and violent behaviors. Findings will inform the content and timing booster interventions to alter risk behavior trajectories.Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.govNCT03344666. University of Michigan # HUM00109156.