Exposure to Violence Research Papers (original) (raw)

This study estimated the health and economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region, addressing a significant gap in the current evidence base. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and witnessing parental violence. Population Attributable Fractions were calculated and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost from physical and mental health outcomes and health risk behaviors attributable to child maltreatment were estimated using the most recent comparable Global Burden of Disease data. DALY losses were converted into monetary value by assuming that one DALY is equal to the sub-region's per capita GDP. The estimated economic value of DALYs lost to violence against children as a percentage of GDP ranged from 1.24% to 3.46% across sub-regions defined by the World Health Organization. The estimated economic value of DALYs (in constant 2000 US$) lost to child maltreatment in the EAP region totaled US 151billion,accountingfor1.88151 billion, accounting for 1.88% of the region's GDP. Updated to 2012 dollars, the estimated economic burden totaled US 151billion,accountingfor1.88194 billion. In sensitivity analysis, the aggregate costs as a percentage of GDP range from 1.36% to 2.52%. The economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region is substantial, indicating the importance of preventing and responding to child maltreatment in this region. More comprehensive research into the impact of multiple types of childhood adversity on a wider range of putative health outcomes is needed to guide policy and programs for child protection in the region, and globally.

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- Psychology, Social Work, Child abuse and neglect, Adolescent

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that originates from childhood trauma experiences can develop into a chronic condition that has lasting effects on an individual's functioning and quality of life. While there are evidence-based guidelines for treating adult onset PTSD, treatments for adults with childhood trauma-related PTSD (Ch-PTSD) are varied and subject to ongoing debate. This study will test the effectiveness of two trauma-focused treatments, imagery rescripting (ImRs) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) in participants with Ch-PTSD. Both have been found effective in treatment of adult PTSD or mixed onset PTSD and previous research indicates they are well-tolerated treatments. However, we know less about their effectiveness for treating Ch-PTSD or their underlying working mechanisms. IREM is an international multicentre randomised controlled trial involving seven sites across Australia, Germany and the Netherlands. We aim to recruit 142 participant...

This study's objective was to understand how art therapy and mindfulness meditation could be integrated together in the context of different cultures and political violence and in work with asylum seekers suffering from trauma. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study based on the social construction paradigm. Twelve participants took part in 4 intensive full-day art therapy and mindfulness workshops. The study's setting was an art therapy and mindfulness studio (Inhabited Studio) in Hong Kong where participants engaged in art making and in mindfulness-meditation practice. Different aspects of the Inhabited Studio appealed to participants based on each individual's worldview, culture, religion, and coping style. Responses to the Inhabited Studio were organized into 7 thematic clusters. Five themes were categorized into 2 broad categories composed of personal elements (memory, identity) and mediating aspects (emotional/self-regulation, communication, and imaginat...

- by Rainbow Ho
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- Communication, Art Therapy, Emotional intelligence, Mindfulness

BACKGROUND: Advances in human development sciences point to tremendous possibilities to promote healthy child development and well-being across life by proactively supporting safe, stable and nurturing family relationships (SSNRs), teaching resilience, and intervening early to promote healing the trauma and stress associated with disruptions in SSNRs. Assessing potential disruptions in SSNRs, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), can contribute to assessing risk for trauma and chronic and toxic stress. Asking about ACEs can help with efforts to prevent and attenuate negative impacts on child development and both child and family well-being. Many methods to assess ACEs exist but have not been compared. The National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) now measures ACEs for children, but requires further assessment and validation. METHODS: We identified and compared methods to assess ACEs among children and families, evaluated the acceptability and validity of the new NSCH-ACEs measure, and identified implications for assessing ACEs in research and practice. RESULTS: Of 14 ACEs assessment methods identified, 5 have been used in clinical settings (vs public health assessment or research) and all but 1 require self or parent report (3 allow child report). Across methods, 6 to 20 constructs are assessed, 4 of which are common to all: parental incarceration, domestic violence, household mental illness/suicide, household alcohol or substance abuse. Common additional content includes assessing exposure to neighborhood violence, bullying, discrimination, or parental death. All methods use a numeric, cumulative risk scoring methodology. The NSCH-ACEs measure was acceptable to respondents as evidenced by few missing values and no reduction in response rate attributable to asking about children's ACEs. The 9 ACEs assessed in the NSCH co-occur, with most children with 1 ACE having additional ACEs. This measure showed efficiency and confirmatory factor analysis as well as latent class analysis supported a cumulative risk scoring method. Formative as well as reflective measurement models further support cumulative risk scoring and provide evidence of predictive validity of the NSCH-ACEs. Common effects of ACEs across household income groups confirm information distinct from economic status is provided and suggest use of population-wide versus high-risk approaches to assessing ACEs. CONCLUSIONS: Although important variations exist, available ACEs measurement methods are similar and show consistent associations with poorer health outcomes in absence of protective factors and resilience. All methods reviewed appear to coincide with broader goals to facilitate health education, promote health and, where needed, to mitigate the trauma, chronic stress, and behavioral and emotional sequelae that can arise with exposure to ACEs. Assessing ACEs appears acceptable to individuals and families when conducted in population-based and clinical research contexts. Although research to date and neurobiological findings compel early identification and health education about ACEs in clinical settings, further research to guide use in pediatric practice is required, especially as it relates to distinguishing ACEs assessment from identifying current family psychosocial risks and child abuse. The reflective as well as formative psychometric analyses conducted in this study confirm use of cumulative risk scoring for the NSCH-ACEs measure. Even if children have not been exposed to ACEs, assessing ACEs has value as an educational tool for engaging and educating families and children about the importance of SSNRs and how to recognize and manage stress and learn resilience.

- by Paula Braveman
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- Domestic Violence, Prejudice, Child Welfare, Bullying

Social anxiety in gender dysphoria is still under investigation. To determine the prevalence and associated factors of social anxiety in a sample of individuals with gender dysphoria. A cross-sectional design was used in a clinical sample attending a public gender identity unit in Spain. The sample consisted of 210 individuals (48% trans female and 52% trans male). Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for diagnosis of social anxiety disorder, Structured Clinical Interview, Exposure to Violence Questionnaire (EVQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and Functional Social Support Questionnaire (Duke-UNC-11). Of the total sample, 31.4% had social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder was highly correlated with age (r = -0.181; CI = 0.061-0.264; P = .009) and depression (r = 0.345; CI = 0.213-0.468; P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .001); it is strongly associated to current cannabis use (relative risk [RR] = 1.251; CI = 1.070-1.463; P = .001) and lifetime suicidal ideation (RR = 1.902; CI 1.286-2.814; P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .001). Moreover, it is significantly associated to lifetime nonsuicidal self-injury (RR = 1.188; CI 1.018-1.386; P = .011), nationality (RR = 7.792; CI 1.059-57.392; P = .013), perceived violence at school during childhood and adolescence (r = 0.169; CI = 0.036-0.303; P = .014), unemployment (RR = 1.333; CI 1.02-1.742; P = .021), and hospitalization of parents in childhood (RR = 1.146; CI = 1.003-4.419; P = .046). Using multivariable analysis, the highly significant variables within the model were depression score (odds ratio [OR] = 1.083; CI = 1.045-1.123; P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .001) and current cannabis use (OR = 3.873; CI = 1.534-9.779, P = .004), also age (OR = 0.948; CI = 0.909-0.989; P = .012), hospitalization of parents during childhood (OR = 2.618; CI = 1.107-6.189; P = .028), and nationality (OR = 9.427; CI = 1.065-83.457; P = .044) were associated with social anxiety disorder. This study highlights the necessity of implementing actions to prevent and treat social anxiety in this high-risk population.

- by Lucía Pérez-costillas
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- Depression, Fear, Adolescent, Anxiety

Se analizó la asociación entre el riesgo suicida con la exposición a la violencia en la casa, calle, colegio,
televisión en adolescentes de Santa Marta (Colombia). Se evaluó una muestra de 210 adolescentes entre
12–19 años (M= 14.6 DE= 1.38). Los sujetos respondieron la Escala de Riesgo Suicida de Plutchik, además
de la Escala de Exposición a la Violencia. Se encontró asociación bivariada con la exposición a la violencia
en la casa. En un modelo de regresión logística ajustado el apoyo de padres padres/hermanos/amigos
(OR=0.213 IC95%=0.70-0649) es un factor protector para el riesgo suicida, mientras el género femenino
(OR=5.397 IC95%=2.541-11.460), exposición a la violencia en la casa (OR=2.334 IC95%=1.161-4.298) y
dificultades de ingreso a la educación (OR=3.257 IC95%=1.013-10.467) son factores de riesgo. Se concluye
que mujeres adolescentes, víctimas de violencia en el hogar y con problemas para acceder a la educación
básica tienen mayor probabilidad de presentar riesgo suicida.
Palabras Clave: violencia, suicidio, adolescentes

- by Yuly Suárez-Colorado and +1
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- Child and adolescent mental health, Suicide, Exposure to Violence

- by Rainbow Ho
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- Communication, Art Therapy, Emotional intelligence, Mindfulness

Exposure to multiple forms of maltreatment during childhood is associated with serious mental health consequences among youth in the general population, but limited empirical attention has focused on homeless youth-a population with markedly high rates of childhood maltreatment followed by elevated rates of street victimization. This study investigated the rates of multiple childhood abuses (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) and multiple street victimizations (robbery, physical assault, and sexual assault) and examined their relative relationships to mental health outcomes (meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and substance use disorder) among a large (N = 601) multisite sample of homeless youth. Approximately 79% of youth retrospectively reported multiple childhood abuses (two or more types) and 28% reported multiple street victimizations (two or more types)...

- by Samantha Brown
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- Psychology, Social Work, Child Maltreatment, Adolescent

Maternal interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (IPV-PTSD) is known to be associated with impairment of a mother's capacity to participate in mutual emotion regulation during her child's first years of life. This study tested the hypothesis that maternal difficulty in identifying feelings in self and other, as an important dimension of the construct of alexithymia, together with maternal IPV-PTSD, would be negatively associated with maternal sensitivity. Maternal sensitivity to child emotional communication is a marker of maternal capacity to engage in mutual regulation of emotion and arousal. Following diagnostic interviews and administration of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, 56 mothers and their toddlers (ages 12-42 months) were filmed during free-play and separation/novelty-exposure. Observed maternal sensitivity was coded via the CARE-Index. Maternal IPV-PTSD severity, difficulty in identifying emotions, and lower socio-economic status were all associated with less maternal sensitivity, and also with more maternal controlling and unresponsive behavior on the CARE-Index.

- by Sandra Serpa and +2
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- Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Emotion, Psychiatry

Children's chronic exposure to violence negatively affects their social development even though the level of violence is low. In the available literature, implementing prevention programs at early ages is suggested due to being more effective and economic. Nevertheless, most of the violence prevention programs target adolescents. Therefore, in this study, violence exposure levels of 62 children (3-6 ages) are examined through Violence Exposure Scale (VEX-Violence Exposure Scale; Fox and Leavitt, 1995). The adapted version of VEX is administered through individual interviews. The results indicated that at all settings (home, school, and neighborhood) preschool children exposed to mild violence more than severe violence and almost all of the reported severe violence incidents occurred in the neighborhood setting. SUMMARY Purpose and significance: On preventing youth violence, repeated interventions at different ages especially at early ages, found to be effective. Effective preventive interventions for all age groups can only be prepared after defining the prevalence levels of violent events, the developmental needs of children, and culture specific issues. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to reveal the violence exposure levels (mild-severe) of preschool children (age 3-6). This study is important because the preschoolers' violence exposure level has not been studied in our country before. Methods: The participants of this study were the students (n=80) of two preschools located in Ankara. However, some children (n=18) could not complete the interview due to several reasons (they are not mature enough; they have mixed reality with imaginary situations, etc.). Sixty two (62) of the students completed the interview, of these 54.8% were girls (n=34), and 45.2% were boys (n=28). The mean age was 4.5 (SD=1.14). In order to conduct the interviews with children, permission letters were granted from the school managers and the parents of the children. The appointments of the interviews were arranged previously and 15-20 minute-interviews conducted with each child afterwards. Results: The results yielded that the preschool children were exposed to quite amount of mild violence at home, at school and in the neighborhood. Almost all of the severe violence events that subjects reported took place at the neighborhood setting. The violence exposure experiences of children between the ages of 3 to 6 found to be very high and similar to the literature (Kapçı, 2004; Olweus, 1993; Pekel, 2004). The violence exposure levels of boys were found to be higher than girls. Discussion and Conclusions: This current study revealed that preschool children were exposed to mild violence at different settings. Even though the violence is mild and the exposure level of children is low, continuous exposure to violence might traumatize children. Therefore, understanding preschool children's violence exposure levels and not excluding them from prevention interventions is important. The researchers generally ignore the preschool age group when studying violence exposure due to either underestimating small children's experiences related to violence or the difficulty of working with small children. However, this study demonstrates that it is possible to measure the experiences of preschool children if appropriate measurement tools are used.

- by Evrim Cetinkaya Yildiz
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- Exposure to Violence, Preschool

Background: Structural violence shapes the health of Indigenous peoples globally, and is deeply embedded in history, individual and institutional racism, and inequitable social policies and practices. Many Indigenous communities have flourished, however, the impact of colonialism continues to have profound health effects for Indigenous peoples in Canada and internationally. Despite increasing evidence of health status inequities affecting Indigenous populations, health services often fail to address health and social inequities as routine aspects of health care delivery. In this paper, we discuss an evidence-based framework and specific strategies for promoting health care equity for Indigenous populations. Methods: Using an ethnographic design and mixed methods, this study was conducted at two Urban Aboriginal Health Centres located in two inner cities in Canada, which serve a combined patient population of 5,500. Data collection included in-depth interviews with a total of 114 patients and staff (n = 73 patients; n = 41 staff), and over 900 h of participant observation focused on staff members' interactions and patterns of relating with patients. Results: Four key dimensions of equity-oriented health services are foundational to supporting the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples: inequity-responsive care, culturally safe care, trauma-and violence-informed care, and contextually tailored care. Partnerships with Indigenous leaders, agencies, and communities are required to operationalize and tailor these key dimensions to local contexts. We discuss 10 strategies that intersect to optimize effectiveness of health care services for Indigenous peoples, and provide examples of how they can be implemented in a variety of health care settings. Conclusions: While the key dimensions of equity-oriented care and 10 strategies may be most optimally operationalized in the context of interdisciplinary teamwork, they also serve as health equity guidelines for organizations and providers working in various settings, including individual primary care practices. These strategies provide a basis for organizational-level interventions to promote the provision of more equitable, responsive, and respectful PHC services for Indigenous populations. Given the similarities in colonizing processes and Indigenous peoples' experiences of such processes in many countries, these strategies have international applicability.

- by Josee Lavoie
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- Violence, Primary Health Care, Trust, Culture
- by Donna Gillies
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- Family Therapy, Psychotherapy, Treatment Outcome, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
- by Rolf Kleber and +1
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- Psychology, Art Therapy, Treatment Outcome, Exposure to Violence

Counter intuitively, scholars suggest that traumatic experiences such as forced conscription and the witnessing of atrocities may result in more pro-social behavior, which authors attribute to posttraumatic growth after war. However, a large body of survey research suggests the evidence is more mixed when it comes to intergroup attitudes, begging the question of whether war trauma undermines long-term intergroup cooperation and trust. Here I examine the conditions under which individuals respond to the traumas of war with more, or less, conflictive intergroup attitudes. Going beyond the single country post-war survey approach of previous studies, I examine the relationship between traumatic experiences and intergroup attitudes in two different contexts: post- war Bosnia and Sweden as a settlement country. The Bosnian War generated a massive refugee crisis to which Sweden responded with a generous blanket asylum policy. As a result, the vast majority of these refugees remained settled in Sweden. The findings suggest that deep traumas generally increased intergroup animosity among respondents in Bosnia but not in Sweden. In addition, victims of physical violence in Sweden exhibit less conflictive attitudes than non-victims. Comparing victims in the two countries, those in Sweden generally display less conflictive attitudes but are not more willing to engage across ethnic boundaries. In addition, they express more pessimism regarding intergroup coexistence in Bosnia. The analysis thus uplifts the importance of context in shaping the impact of trauma on intergroup cooperation and trust. To the extent that migration provides more and different material and psychological resources to victims – resources that are not nested within the conflict situation itself – it may better enable them to cope with and move on from the traumas of the past. However, willingness to engage with former adversaries may depend more upon the extent to which intergroup coexistence is part of everyday lived experience.

Ethno-political violence impacts thousands of youth and is associated with numerous negative outcomes. Yet little research examines adaptation to ethno-political violence over time or across multiple outcomes simultaneously. This study examines longitudinal patterns of aggressive behavior and emotional distress as they co-occur among Palestinian (n = 600) youth exposed to ethno-political violence over 3 years in three age cohorts (starting ages: 8, 11, and 14). Findings indicate distinct profiles of aggressive behavior and emotional distress, and unique joint patterns. Furthermore, youth among key joint profiles (e.g., high aggression-emotional desensitization) are more likely to endorse normative beliefs about aggression toward ethnic outgroups. This study offers a dynamic perspective on emotional and behavioral adaptation to ethno-political violence and the implications of those processes.

- by Shira Dvir Gvirsman
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- Psychology, Cognitive Science, Child Development, Politics

Se aplicó la versión modificada del Cuestionario de Exposición a la Violencia (Orue & Calvete, 2010) a 273 adultos mexicanos con edades entre 18 y 59 años en cinco entidades de la República Mexicana para valorar las propiedades psicométricas de ese instrumento. El análisis factorial de las respuestas de los participantes arrojó dos escalas, la primera constituida por 15 reactivos organizados en tres subescalas (violencia en la casa, violencia directa en el trabajo y la calle y violencia en cine y TV), y una segunda escala integrada por cuatro reactivos sobre violencia indirecta en el trabajo y la calle. La varianza explicada por la primera escala fue de 65.4%, con una confiabilidad de .801, mientras que la segunda escala tuvo una varianza explicada de 64.8% y una alfa de Cronbach de .814. Se discuten los valores diferenciales encontrados de acuerdo al perfil sociodemográfico para cada escala a la luz de los resultados internacionales sobre factores de riesgo asociados a la exposición a la violencia.

- by Maria del Rocio Hernandez Pozo and +1
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- Exposure to Violence, Cross Validation

Most studies on the epidemiology of personality disorders (PDs) have been conducted in high-income countries and may not represent what happens in most part of the world. In the last decades, population growth has been concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, with rapid urbanization, increasing inequalities and escalation of violence. Our aim is to estimate the prevalence of PDs in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area, one of the largest megacities of the world. We examined sociodemographic correlates, the influence of urban stressors, the comorbidity with other mental disorders, functional impairment and treatment. A representative household sample of 2,942 adults was interviewed using the WHO-Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the International Personality Disorder Examination-Screening Questionnaire. Diagnoses were multiply imputed, and analyses used multivariable regression. Prevalence estimates were 4.3% (Cluster A), 2.7% (Cluster B), 4.6% (Cluster C) and 6.8%...

- by Yuan-Pang Wang
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- Poverty, Personality Disorders, Brazil, Multidisciplinary

The relationship between secondary exposure to violence-defined as witnessing violence in the home, community, or school-and adolescent substance use is well-documented. Yet, multi-wave empirical studies examining this relationship are sparse. In addition, studies have only begun to examine whether this relationship varies by the situational components of the violent event. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), this study examines the contemporaneous, short-term, and long-term effects of secondary exposure to violence on substance use, and whether witnessing violence in which a weapon is present has a different impact on adolescent substance use than does witnessing violence without a weapon. Hierarchical logistic regression models on a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 1670 youth (51.5% female) residing in 79 neighborhoods indicated that: (1) the effects of secondary exposure to violence on alcohol and marijuana use were enduring, albeit attenuated, over time; (2) the effect of secondary exposure to violence on illicit drug use was suppressed in the short-term but significant in the long-term; (3) witnessing violence without a weapon was salient for alcohol and marijuana use at all time points; and (4) witnessing violence with a weapon impacted illicit drug use in the long-term. The results suggest that addressing the consequences of secondary exposure to violence requires prolonged intervention efforts and that the study of secondary exposure to violence requires a more nuanced approach that accounts for situational aspects of the violent event.

- by Gregory Zimmerman and +1
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- Longitudinal Research, Exposure to Violence, Substance Use

Understanding the effects of war on mental disorders is important for developing effective post-conflict recovery policies and programs. The current study uses cross-sectional, retrospectively reported data collected as part of the World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative to examine the associations of being a civilian in a war zone/region of terror in World War II with a range of DSM-IV mental disorders. Adults (n = 3370) who lived in countries directly involved in World War II in Europe and Japan were administered structured diagnostic interviews of lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders. The associations of war-related traumas with subsequent disorder onset-persistence were assessed with discrete-time survival analysis (lifetime prevalence) and conditional logistic regression (12-month prevalence). Respondents who were civilians in a war zone/region of terror had higher lifetime risks than other respondents of major depressive disorder (MDD; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9) and anxiety diso...

- by Theresa Betancourt
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- Cognitive Science, Anxiety Disorders, Mental Health, Aging
- by Jeroen Knipscheer
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- Psychology, Art Therapy, Treatment Outcome, Exposure to Violence
- by Carole Burillon
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- Ophthalmology, Occupational Health, Qualitative Research, Grounded Theory

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of maternal interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (IPV-PTSD), associated neural activity in response to mother-child relational stimuli, and child psychopathology indicators at child ages 12-42 months and one year later. The study tested the hypothesis that decreased maternal neural activity in regions that subserve emotion regulation would be associated with child symptoms associated with emotional dysregulation at both time points. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of 42 mothers with or without violence-exposure and associated IPV-PTSD were assessed. Their child's life-events and symptoms/behaviors indicative of high-risk subsequent PTSD diagnosis on a maternal-report questionnaire were measured one year later. Maternal IPV-PTSD severity was significantly associated with decreased ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activation in response to mother-child relational stimuli. Maternal IPV-PTSD se...

This study explored the extent to which depression, somatic symptoms, and substance use mediated the effects of exposure to violence on suicidal ideation and attempted suicide, and whether these pathways varied across gender, age, and race/ethnicity. Path analysis was conducted on 12,272 adolescents (mean = 15.3 years) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The impact of exposure to violence on suicidal ideation was fully mediated, and the impact of exposure to violence on attempted suicide was partially mediated by depression, somatic symptoms, and substance use. Mediating pathways were stronger for females and for younger adolescents. Understanding the impact of exposure to violence on adolescent suicidal behavior requires the consideration of direct, indirect, and conditional indirect effects.

- by Gregory Zimmerman
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- Mediation, Exposure to Violence, Suicidal Behavior

Abstract: Sites of political conflicts are marked by a high degree of militarization as seen in the Kashmir Valley. The militaristic nature of such conflicts results in the representation of women in specific roles of ‘victims’ that are part of the dominant masculine narrative.We begin by examining a theory of militarism and conflict that explores sites of political conflict as masculine militarized spaces and how gender roles are negotiated and represented in those circumstances. We then examine accounts of violence exposure among women in Kashmir through the same lens, by reviewing relevant literature and qualitative findings from another study. The image of women as victims of violence in Kashmir overemphasizes on certain roles and masculine representation of women while sidelining other aspects of this victimization. The implication of the same is discussed with respect to peace activism and reconciliation in Kashmir

- by Sramana Majumdar and +1
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- Gender Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Psychology, Armed Conflict

War-related trauma exposure has been linked to aggression and enhanced levels of community and family violence, suggesting a cycle of violence. Reactive aggression-an aggressive reaction to a perceived threat-has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In contrast, appetitive aggression-a hedonic, intrinsically motivated form of aggression-seems to be negatively related to PTSD in offender and military populations. This study examined the associations between exposure to violence, trauma-related symptoms and aggression in a civilian population. In semistructured interviews, 290 Congolese refugees were questioned about trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression. War-related trauma exposure correlated positively with exposure to family and community violence in the past month (r = .31, p < .001), and appetitive (r = .18, p = .002) and reactive aggression (r = .29, p < .001). The relationship between war-related trauma exposure and reactive aggressive behav...

- by Simon Fetz
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- Psychology, Domestic Violence, Traumatic Stress, Uganda

Previous research has documented significant variation in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) depending on the type of traumatic experience (TE) and history of TE exposure, but the relatively small sample sizes in these studies resulted in a number of unresolved basic questions. To examine disaggregated associations of type of TE history with PTSD in a large cross-national community epidemiologic data set. The World Health Organization World Mental Health surveys assessed 29 TE types (lifetime exposure, age at first exposure) with DSM-IV PTSD that was associated with 1 randomly selected TE exposure (the random TE) for each respondent. Surveys were administered in 20 countries (n = 34 676 respondents) from 2001 to 2012. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2015, to September 1, 2016. Prevalence of PTSD assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Among the 34 676 respondents (55.4% [SE, 0.6%] men and 44.6% [SE, 0.6%] women; mean [SE] age, 43.7 [0.2...

Children's exposure to domestic violence is a type of child maltreatment, yet many general practice clinicians remain uncertain of their child safeguarding responsibilities in the context of domestic violence. We developed an evidence-based pilot training on domestic violence and child safeguarding for general practice teams. The aim of this study was to test and evaluate its feasibility, acceptability and the direction of change in short-term outcome measures. We used a mixed method design which included a pre-post questionnaire survey, qualitative analysis of free-text comments, training observations, and post-training interviews with trainers and participants. The questionnaire survey used a validated scale to measure participants' knowledge, confidence/ self-efficacy, and beliefs/ attitudes towards domestic violence and child safeguarding in the context of domestic violence. Eleven UK general practices were recruited (response rate 55%) and 88 clinicians attended the pil...

- by Nicky Stanley
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- General Practice, Domestic Violence, Qualitative Research, Medicine

Sites of political conflicts are marked by a high degree of militarization as seen in the Kashmir Valley. The militaristic nature of such conflicts results in the representation of women in specific roles of ‘victims’ that are part of the dominant masculine narrative.We begin by examining a theory of militarism and conflict that explores sites of political conflict as masculine militarized spaces and how gender roles are negotiated and represented in those circumstances. We then examine accounts of violence exposure among women in Kashmir through the same lens, by reviewing relevant literature and qualitative findings from another study. The image of women as victims of violence in Kashmir overemphasizes on certain roles and masculine representation of women while sidelining other aspects of this victimization. The implication of the same is discussed with respect to peace activism and reconciliation in Kashmir

Resilience, commonly understood as the ability to maintain adaptive functioning in the face of adversity, has emerged as a salient entry point in the field of positive youth development. This study makes a unique contribution by exploring dimensions of resilience among adolescents in Uganda, examining associations between violence from different perpetrators and resilience, and testing whether sex moderates these relationships. Analyses are based on data from 3706 primary school students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified five factors underlying the construct of resilience: Emotional Support; Family Connectedness; School Connectedness; Social Assets; and Psychological Assets. We used regression analysis to investigate associations between these dependent variables, background characteristics, and experiences of violence (including exposure to intimate partner violence against female caregivers). Results reflect a complex relationship between violence and resilience, with ...

- by sophie namy
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- Psychology, Social Work, Domestic Violence, Child abuse and neglect

This was a qualitative study based on an analysis of narratives produced by travestis and transsexual women in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, with the aim of analyzing their experiences with stigmatization by describing events, actors, and contexts that have marked their life stories, as well as elucidating the relationship between stigma and their female performances. The narratives came from 19 in-depth interviews during an epidemiological survey, based on a prior script that explored the production of narratives on lifestyles and experiences of travestis and transsexual women in the city of Salvador. The life stories that emerged in the field were transcribed and analyzed from a theoretical and narrative perspective. The narratives of many travestis and transsexual women described an "effeminate" gender performance that had been identified since their childhood by family and community members. This performance was presented as insubordination to the power established by...

- by Laio Magno
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- Brazil, Qualitative Research, Gender Identity, Exposure to Violence

Childhood maltreatment is associated with multiple adverse outcomes in adulthood including poor mental health and violence. We investigated direct and indirect pathways from childhood maltreatment to adult violence perpetration and the explanatory role of psychiatric morbidity. Analyses were based on a population survey of 2,928 young men 21-34 years in Great Britain in 2011, with boost surveys of black and minority ethnic groups and lower social grades. Respondents completed questionnaires measuring psychiatric diagnoses using standardized screening instruments, including Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), Drug and alcohol dependence and Psychosis. Maltreatment exposures included childhood physical abuse, neglect, witnessing domestic violence and being bullied. Adult violence outcomes included: any violence, violence toward strangers and intimate partners (IPV), victim injury and minor violence. Witnessing domestic violence showed the strongest risk for adult violence (AOR 2.70, 95%CI 2.00, 3.65) through a direct pathway, with Psychotic symptoms and ASPD as partial mediators. Childhood physical abuse was associated with IPV (AOR 2.33, 95%CI 1.25, 4.35), mediated by ASPD and Alcohol dependence. Neglect was associated with violence toward strangers (AOR 1.73, 95%CI 1.03, 2.91), mediated by ASPD. Prevention of violence in adulthood following childhood physical abuse and neglect requires treatment interventions for associated alcohol dependence, psychosis, and ASPD. However, witnessing family violence in childhood had strongest and direct effects on the pathway to adult violence, with important implications for primary prevention. In this context, prevention strategies should prioritize and focus on early childhood exposure to violence in the family home.

- by Jeremy Coid
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- Psychology, Social Work, Domestic Violence, Violence

We have described self-reported exposure to gun violence in an urban community of color to inform the movement toward a public health approach to gun violence prevention. The Community Alliance for Research and Engagement at Yale School of Public Health conducted community health needs assessments to document chronic disease prevalence and risk, including exposure to gun violence. We conducted surveys with residents in six low-income neighborhoods in New Haven, Connecticut, using a neighborhood-stratified, population-based sample (n = 1189; weighted sample to represent the neighborhoods, n = 29 675). Exposure to violence is pervasive in these neighborhoods: 73% heard gunshots; many had family members or close friends hurt (29%) or killed (18%) by violent acts. Although all respondents live in low-income neighborhoods, exposure to violence differs by race/ethnicity and social class. Residents of color experienced significantly more violence than did White residents, with a particular...

- by Ann T. Greene
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- Adolescent, Exposure to Violence, Risk factors, Connecticut

Orphans and separated children (OSC) are a vulnerable population whose numbers are increasing, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Over 153 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents, including 17 million orphaned by AIDS, and millions more have been separated from their parents. As younger orphans enter adolescence, their sexual health and HIV-related risk behaviors become key considerations for their overall health. Importantly, their high prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) may put OSC at additional risk for adverse sexual health outcomes. The Positive Outcomes for Orphans study followed OSC randomly sampled from institution-based care and from family-based care, as well as a convenience sample of non-OSC, at six sites in five low-and middle-income countries. This analysis focused on the 90-month follow-up, during which adolescents 16 and older were assessed for sexual health, including age at sexual debut, past-year sex, past-year...

- by Kathryn Whetten
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- Psychology, Health Promotion, Risk Taking, Adolescent

Many studies have documented an increasing prevalence of secondary exposure to community violence from childhood through young adulthood. Yet inconsistencies exist in the findings, with some studies reporting a weak association, or no association, between age and exposure to community violence. This study investigates whether the disparate study findings reflect unmeasured but consequential neighborhood dynamics for the relationship between age and exposure to violence. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, this study contributes to the literature by examining variability in the relationship between age and exposure to community violence across neighborhood context. The results of hierarchical Poisson models support the hypothesis that age disparities in exposure to violence are attenuated in more disadvantaged neighborhoods. Results further indicate that high levels of community violence are responsible for the suppression of individual variation in age in extremely disadvantaged communities.

- by Gregory Zimmerman
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- Exposure to Violence, Social Context, Neighborhoods

The purpose of the current study is examining personal resilience as a moderator of the developmental pathway from childhood exposure to violence to the experience of dating violence. Participants (N = 235) completed a series of measures in Spring of 2015. Results from analyses revealed partial support for the three hypotheses. While resilience moderated relations between childhood exposure factors (exposure to indirect violence, violence in the home, and neighborhood violence) and three outcomes related to the perpetration of dating violence (threatening behaviors, emotional/verbal abuse, and physical abuse), resilience did not moderate any relations with victimization as an outcome. Results are discussed in terms of the development of resilient functioning.

- by Michelle E Pence
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- Resilience, Child Development, Exposure to Violence, Dating Violence

Utilizing Add Health longitudinal data, we compared 21 male suicide casualties to 10,101 living respondents identifying suicide correlates. 21 suicide decedents completed surveys in 1994/1995 (Wave 1) and 11 completed at Wave 3; responses were compared with Chi-square and oneway ANOVA tests. Suicide decedents were prone to higher delinquency and fighting at Wave 1, but not at Wave 3. At Wave 1 suicide decedents remained undistinguished from living respondents in depression, self-esteem, and drug uses. Yet, after Wave 3, the 11 respondents dying by suicide showed significantly higher depression, drug use and lower self-esteem. Delinquency trends can readily understood, but more complex causes are needed to account for unexpected changes in self-esteem, depression and drug uses.

- by William Feigelman
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- Psychology, Depression, Juvenile Delinquency, Suicide

Methylation of the serotonin 3A receptor gene (HTR3A) has been linked to child maltreatment and adult psychopathology. The present study examined whether HTR3A methylation might be associated with mothers' lifetime exposure to interpersonal violence (IPV), IPV-related psychopathology, child disturbance of attachment, and maternal neural activity. Number of maternal lifetime IPV exposures and measures of maternal psychopathology including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression and aggressive behavior (AgB), and a measure of child attachment disturbance known as "secure base distortion" (SBD) were assessed in a sample of 35 mothers and children aged 12-42 months. Brain fMRI activation was assessed in mothers using 30-second silent film excerpts depicting menacing adult male-female interactions versus prosocial and neutral interactions. Group and continuous analyses were performed to test for associations between clinical and fMRI variables with DNA methyl...

- by Daniel Schechter
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- Psychology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Self Control, Medicine

The definition of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) changed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) and it is yet unclear how these changes affect the diagnosis of PTSD among older adults. The present study examined the contribution of demographic characteristics, functioning status, health related factors, as well as exposure to rocket attacks to prediction of probable PTSD in older adults. Three-hundred and thirty-nine community-dwelling adults (age range 50-90; M¼65.44, SD ¼9.77) were sampled through random dialing to Jewish residents in the south of Israel. Participants completed a phone-questionnaire that collected background information and reports of relevant symptoms. Analyses showed that self-rated health, incidence of depression episodes, and exposure to rocket attacks predicted the DSM-5 definition of PTSD as well as the subscale of negative alternations in cognition and mood. The current study delineates the unique set of predictors of probable PTSD in older adults, with an emphasis on negative alternations in cognition and mood. Greater attention to unique predictors of PTSD in the second half of life is called for.

- by Yuval Palgi
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- Psychology, Psychiatry, Depression, Cognition

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the presence of childhood trauma, psychoform, and somatoform dissociation in eating disorders (ED). Eighty-six ED outpatients participated in this study, 20 of them were diagnosed with restrictive anorexia (AN-R), 10 of them with anorexia nervosa binge-purging subtypes (AN-B), 25 with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 31 with binge eating disorder (BED). They were matched by sex and age with a control group consisting of 86 healthy subjects (HC). Traumatic experiences were assessed by means of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), psychological, and somatoform dissociation, respectively, by means of the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES-II) and Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20), and binge eating symptoms by means of Binge Eating Scale (BES). ED subjects showed higher levels of childhood trauma, and both psychoform and somatoform dissociation compared to HC subjects. ED patients showed higher levels of childhood trauma compared to...

- by Giovanna Susca
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- Sociology, Psychology, Italy, Exposure to Violence

Research suggests that direct exposure (personal victimization) and indirect exposure (witnessing or hearing about the victimization of a family member, friend, or neighbor) to violence are correlated. However, questions remain about the co-occurrence of these phenomena within individuals. We used data on 1915 youths (with an average age of 12 years at baseline) from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods to examine this issue. Results indicated that youths who tended to be personally victimized were also likely to witness violence; conversely, youths who disproportionately witnessed violence were relatively unlikely to experience personal victimization. In addition, direct and indirect exposures to violence were associated with subsequent adverse outcomes in similar ways. The key distinguishing factor was, rather, the cumulative level of violence (both direct and indirect) to which youths were exposed.

- by Gregory Zimmerman
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- Exposure to Violence

La Encuesta Nacional sobre la Dinámica de las Relaciones en los Hogares (2006) en México señala que la violencia de género es un fenómeno que ocurre en todas las esferas sociales, con efectos nocivos para la salud física y psicológica, que pueden propiciar el suicidio de las mujeres. Este estudio propone el uso de una metodología basada en la versión emocional de la prueba de interferencia de Stroop para detectar la exposición a la violencia doméstica. Participaron 52 mujeres adultas sin trastornos de salud, 26 víctimas de violencia y 26 sin esa experiencia. Se midió el bienestar subjetivo hedónico (afecto emocional y satisfacción con la vida) con la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida (SWLS), así como el bienestar eudemónico (significado de la vida) con el Cuestionario de Significado de la Vida (MLQ) en ambos grupos, a fin de detectar el grado de deterioro de las víctimas de violencia (VV) con respecto al grupo normal (N), así como un cuestionario de exposición a la violencia (CEV). El CEV discriminó apropiadamente a los dos grupos (t=2.806, p=0.0071) y produjo resultados ordenados para bienestar eudemónico y hedónico. La interferencia de la prueba Stroop de violencia familiar mostró una relación directa con el puntaje CEV de violencia en casa (x2=5.98, p=0.05), así como con el puntaje de bienestar eudemónico MLQ-presencia (x2= 8.57, p=0.013). Se discuten estos resultados con los reportados en la literatura para pacientes con síndrome de estrés postraumático.

Political imprisonment is a traumatic event, often accompanied by torture and deprivation. This study explores the association of political imprisonment between 1987 and 2011 with political, economic, community, psychological, physical, and family functioning in a population-based sample of Palestinian men ages 32-43 years (N = 884) derived from a dataset collected in 2011. Twenty-six percent (n = 233) had been politically imprisoned. Men imprisoned between 1987 and 2005 reported functioning as well as never-imprisoned men in most domains, suggesting that men imprisoned as youth have moved forward with their lives in ways similar to their nonimprisoned counterparts. In an exception to this pattern, men imprisoned during the Oslo Accords period (1994-1999) reported higher levels of trauma-related stress (B = 0.24, p = .027) compared to never-imprisoned men. Men imprisoned since 2006 reported lower functioning in multiple domains: human insecurity (B = 0.33, p = .023), freedom of publ...

- by Rita Giacaman
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- Psychology, Mental Health, Traumatic Stress, Depression

This paper focuses on the exposure to violence and on possible effects of this exposure on attitudes, values and beliefs about violence, human rights and on the social capital of the communities thus affected, to protect children and youth from this violence. In particular the paper explores the contradictions in the demands for public security policies and for punishment that emerge as the involvement of youth in violent episodes as victims and as victimizers grows.

- by Nev Usp
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- Violence, Human Rights, Violence Prevention, Exposure to Violence

In order to assess the effects of displacement and exposure to violence on children’s moral reasoning, Colombian children exposed to minimal violence (non-displaced or low risk; N = 99) and to extreme violence (displaced or high risk; N = 94), evenly divided by gender at 6, 9, and 12 years of age, were interviewed regarding their evaluation of peer-oriented moral transgressions (hitting and not sharing toys). The vast majority of children evaluated moral transgressions as wrong. Group and age differences were revealed, however, regarding provocation and retaliation. Children who were exposed to violence, in contrast to those with minimum exposure, judged it more legitimate to inflict harm or deny resources when provoked and judged it more reasonable to retaliate for reasons of retribution. Surprisingly, and somewhat hopefully, all children viewed reconciliation as feasible. The results are informative regarding theories of morality, culture, and the effects of violence on children’s social development.