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While far-right movements are commonly associated with masculinity and women are in the minority, it is notable that they often play significant roles within these movements. To deepen our understanding of the motivations behind women's participation, this study challenges Blee's argument that women's motivations for participating are shaped by their interactions with other members. By using the psychosocial method devised by Hollway and Jefferson and developed by Gadd, the present study argues that women's pre-participation experiences can play a vital part in drawing them to the movements. Through analyzing the life stories of six far-right women in Japan and conducting an in-depth case study of three of them, the study aims to uncover a wide range of experiences that may initially appear unrelated to far-right ideology but ultimately led these subjects to become involved in far-right movements. It highlights the importance of paying attention to their complex subjectivities, which are formed by the interplay between their unique trajectories and societal transitions concerning gender norms, particularly within the era of neoliberal "emancipation." The study finds that the duality of far-right movements, which combine conservatism with deviance, enables some women to express paradoxical desires that they experience in response to living through a transitional era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the well-documented link between child maltreatment (CM) and mental health, evidence suggests substantial variability in the post-traumatic sequelae of CM across cultures. The perceived acceptability of CM in one's community might moderate the association between CM and mental health, but little research has been conducted on it so far. This study examined how the perceived acceptability of CM may influence the relationship between CM experiences and post-traumatic symptoms in individuals from four different continents and if the pattern of associations is the same across countries. We recruited a sample of 478 adults from Cameroon (n = 111), Canada (n = 137), Japan (n = 108), and Germany (n = 122). We administered online questionnaires and performed multiple group moderation analyses for total CM, neglect, physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, sexual abuse, and exposure to domestic violence (DV). A significant positive main effect of CM on post-traumatic symptoms was found in the overall sample and in Cameroon; in Germany, only neglect and emotional maltreatment were positively associated to post-traumatic symptoms. Moderation effects were identified; the perceived acceptability of neglect in Cameroon and Germany and of exposure to DV in Cameroon had a dampening effect on the relationship between CM experiences and post-traumatic symptoms. Our findings confirm that CM experiences entail long-term post-traumatic sequelae that can vary across cultures and CM subtypes and further our understanding of this issue by showing that the perceived acceptability of CM may be an understudied moderator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether Agnew's Social Concern Theory can be applied to explain family violence perpetration among Latino families. Social concern theory maintains that people have biological inclinations to care for the welfare of others, desire close ties with certain individuals, follow certain moral intuitions, and conform to the behaviors of others. As such, this study tests whether an individual's social capital (care about the welfare of others), familismo (desire for close ties), code of the streets (moral intuitions), and obligation to obey the police (conformity to social norms) is associated with family violence among a Latino sample. Using data from the El Paso Neighborhood Survey Project, which surveyed a random sample of 1,059 adults living in El Paso County, Texas in 2014, findings indicate that three of out of four theoretical constructs in the final model were found to be significant. Higher levels of social capital and familismo were associated with lower odds of perpetrating family violence, while code of the streets increased family violence. Obligation to obey the police was non-significant. Agnew's theory modestly explained family violence among Latino families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media and other technologies are being increasingly adopted as mechanisms to perpetrate abuse against dating partners. Using Ajzen's theory of planned behavior as a framework, a sample of 352 emerging adults completed a questionnaire that assessed the core constructs of the theory of planned behavior (i.e., attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control), as well as intentions to commit three types of digital dating abuse in the near future: digital monitoring and control, digital direct aggression, and digital sexual coercion. The models explained 44%, 34%, and 44% of the variance in intentions to commit digitally facilitated monitoring and control, direct aggression, and sexual coercion, respectively. Attitudes and subjective norms significantly predicted intentions, whereas perceived behavioral control did not. Given the increasing prevalence of digital dating abuse, prevention efforts should target attitudes toward digital dating abuse-related behaviors and perceptions of social acceptability and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread among adolescents in England, dating and relationship violence (DRV) is associated with subsequent injuries and serious mental health problems. While DRV prevention interventions often aim to shift harmful social norms, no established measures exist to assess relevant norms and their role in mediating DRV outcomes. We conducted cognitive interviews exploring the understandability and answerability of candidate measures of social norms relating to DRV and gender roles, informing measure refinement. In all, 11 participants aged 13 to 15 from one school in England participated. Cognitive interviews tested two items assessing descriptive norms (beliefs about what behaviors are typical), three assessing injunctive norms (beliefs about what is socially acceptable), and (for comparison) one assessing personal attitudes. Findings were summarized by drawing on interview notes. Summaries and interview notes were subjected to thematic analysis. For some participants, injunctive norms items required further explanation to clarify that items asked about others' views, not their own. Lack of certainty about, and perceived heterogeneity of, behaviors and views among a broad reference group detracted from answerability. Participants were better able to answer items for which they could draw on concrete experiences of observing or discussing relevant behaviors or social sanctions. Data suggest that a narrowed reference group could improve answerability for items assessing salient norms. Findings informed refinements to social norms measures. It is possible to develop social norms measures that are understandable and answerable for adolescents in England. Measures should assess norms that are salient and publicly manifest among a cohesive and influential reference group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bystander intervention—when someone intervenes to help in situations that pose a risk for harm—is a promising strategy for sexual violence prevention. In the current study, a sample of U.S. Army male soldiers (N = 10; ages 18–24) who engaged in at-risk drinking completed a 90-min individual semi-structured interview to understand the ways in which soldiers intervene to address risk for sexual violence. Two independent raters coded soldier responses using thematic analysis and identified eight main themes: (a) recognizing risk for sexual violence; (b) labeling situations as problematic and taking responsibility; (c) facilitators of intervention; (d) barriers to intervention; (e) intervention strategies; (f) reactions and consequences to intervention; (g) alcohol's influence on intervention; and (h) using bystander intervention to shift cultural norms. As soldiers reported noticing more extreme risks for violence, prevention interventions may help service members identify situations earlier in the continuum of harm. Soldiers anticipated intervening in a way that was physical and aggressive, which could facilitate physical altercation and result in collateral misconduct. Results from the present study reveal ways that bystander intervention programs for civilians can be tailored to address the unique individual, situational, and contextual factors relevant to the military. These findings also highlight the importance of teaching soldiers indirect and nonaggressive strategies for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, college students have been identified as a high-risk group for sexual violence (SV) victimization and perpetration, with one in three women and one in four men experiencing SV in their lifetimes. Therefore, studies investigating both perpetration and victimization across genders are pertinent. Additionally, in the context of higher education, athletics is often viewed as a high-risk environment for SV. Despite established relationships between SV and intercollegiate athletics, research on this topic is not conclusive due to the heterogeneous nature of college sports, as well as a dearth of research on recreational athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the differences in SV victimization and perpetration among intercollegiate, recreational, and non-athlete populations. Additional context was provided by exploring variables at multiple levels of the socio-ecological model for violence prevention, as these factors can be important aspects of a person's development and may inform behavior. Utilizing a sample of 62,996 students from 199 institutions of higher education in the United States, multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess individual- (i.e., personal demographics), relationship- (i.e., athlete status), and community-level (i.e., institutional characteristics) predictors of SV victimization and perpetration. The results indicated that recreational athletes are the most at-risk group, experiencing and perpetrating SV at higher rates than non-athletes. Results on institutional status and individual characteristics, as well as implications for practitioners and future research is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the pervasiveness of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Canada, research examining IPV in the context of Asian Canadians is scarce. Our study examined whether and how Canadian judges consider culture when determining a sentence in IPV cases involving an Asian offender and/or an Asian victim. We systematically searched for publicly published cases through CanLII. A total of 50 cases met the inclusion criteria. Cultural themes were identified using a direct content analysis approach to capture a priori themes in the literature, as well as identify any other factors considered. Our findings indicated culture was most often considered in only a superficial way (n = 31, 62.0%), where judges only made statements that simply identified the ethnicity of the offender and not how culture may have impacted the case. When examining cases where culture was meaningfully considered there were no prominent culture themes identified (all themes present in <14% of cases). We suggest this may not only reflect the heterogeneity of Asian Canadians, but could also reflect the lack of cultural consideration by the judges. Cultural factors were also rarely considered explicitly as an aggravating or mitigating factor in a case (n = 2; 4.0% and n = 7; 14.0% of the total sample, respectively). The findings reveal the current lack of meaningful consideration of culture in IPV legal cases involving Asian Canadians. We outline how this contrasts the increased attention to the meaningful consideration of culture in the Canadian legal arena and prompt all professionals involved in assessing and managing IPV risk to consider racial, ethnic, and cultural factors in these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programs aiming to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) increasingly seek to shift social norms. Few interventions have been rigorously evaluated for their impact on norms and incidence of IPV, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Shifting norms at the community level and subsequent pathways to behavior change remain poorly understood. We assessed shifts in individual- and couple-level factors, social norms, and IPV from an 18-month community-based trial of the Masculinity, Faith, and Peace (MFP) program—a faith-based, norms-shifting approach—in Plateau state, Nigeria. This study was part of a community-based, mixed-methods, two-arm cluster randomized control trial (cRCT) to evaluate the MFP program. Quantitative surveys were conducted with women 18 to 35 years old (n = 350) and their male partners (n = 281). Respondents came from 10 Muslim and 10 Christian congregations. Social norms were measured based on results from factor analysis. Intent-to-treat analyses assessed intervention effects. Qualitative research in MFP congregations explored pathways of change. All forms of IPV reduced over time among MFP participants. Regression analyses showed a significant 61% reduction in odds of reporting experiencing any IPV among women, a 64% reduction among Christians, and a 44% reduction in MFP congregations compared to their respective controls. In addition to improvement in norms, we found significant intervention effects on individual attitudes toward IPV and gender roles, relationship quality, and community cohesion. Qualitative findings reinforce these pathways, suggesting that critical reflection and dialogue on existing norms and the focus on faith and religious texts were valued by participants and supported IPV reductions. This study demonstrates that a faith-based, norms-shifting intervention can significantly reduce IPV in a short time. There are several pathways through which MFP reduced IPV, including shifts in norms, attitudes, relationship quality, and community cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem worldwide. IPV-related perceptions and attitudes are linked to IPV's actual perpetration and related victimization. There is a typical gender paradigm in IPV, wherein women are victims and men are perpetrators, which influences judgments toward IPV. Some socio-cultural norms or unjust notions of gender are also intertwined with this paradigm and influence perceptions of IPV. This study explored judgments and attributions of IPV in the Chinese context while extensively considering directionality, gender stereotypes, and ambivalent sexism by surveying 887 participants online. Participants read 1 of 12 scenarios and made judgments and attributions of responsibility regarding IPV. The results indicate that hostile sexism is negatively correlated with IPV perception but positively correlated with its justification. The direction of perpetration and gender stereotypicality had some main effects on judgments of IPV, and there were some interactions between these factors. The perception level of IPV involving a traditional male partner was higher when the man was the perpetrator or when his female partner was traditional. In the unidirectional IPV scenarios, the perpetrators were judged as significantly more responsible than the victims, while in the bidirectional IPV scenarios, men were judged as significantly more responsible than women. Moreover, the relationship between gender stereotypicality and responsibility attributions to female partners was significantly moderated by benevolent sexism (BS). Participants with a high level of BS tended to attribute less responsibility to traditional women than non-traditional women in bidirectional IPV scenarios. Future studies on IPV should pay attention to the influence of directionality and gender stereotypes. More efforts ought to be made to reduce IPV and overcome gender role stereotypes and sexism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health issue in Honduras and other low- and middle-income countries, with few victims seeking help. While structural factors, such as lack of services and economic barriers, are often cited as reasons for not seeking help, social and cultural factors may also play a role. This study aims to describe the normative social environment that may hinder women's help-seeking behaviors for IPV. Thematic analysis was conducted on data from four focus group discussions with 30 women at a busy health center in urban Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Data were coded inductively and themes were identified deductively using the theory of normative social behavior and its components (descriptive and injunctive social norms, expected outcomes, and groups of reference). Four themes emerged: social norms and expected outcomes that discourage IPV help-seeking; factors that determine the direction of a social norm, either discouraging or encouraging help-seeking; groups of reference for IPV victims; and society sets women up for failure. Social norms, expected outcomes, and groups of reference hinder women's help-seeking behavior after IPV. These findings have significant implications for designing effective interventions and policies to support women and their families affected by IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it has become axiomatic to quote an African proverb in discussions of child well-being, attempts to draw concrete and positive lessons from how African communities respond to and mitigate child maltreatment are comparatively few. This study tested the hypothesis that the collective value of Abiriwatia in Ghana, which supports legitimate norms of community obligations to care for children, could be protective against physical abuse. It also examined the claim that knowledge of the familial situation of community members, generated through Abiriwatia, may help them to act to mitigate the risk of caregiver's borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. We obtained a nationally representative sample of 1,100 female caregivers from 22 Ghanaian settlements and tested the hypotheses using multilevel models. Controlling for community-level physical abuse, living in a community with high levels of Abiriwatia childcare and community authority values is associated with lower levels of very severe physical abuse, and Abiriwatia childcare may mitigate risk from the caregiver's BPD features. Within Ghana, encouraging positive and protective aspects of traditional Ghanaian values and working to reinstate respect for these values may have positive outcomes for children. Interventions to reduce child maltreatment should be developed with reference to Abiriwatia childcare values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical work focuses on social norms as a way of transmitting psychological violence in young people, which could be affecting the effectiveness of preventive programs in dating violence. These programs are effective in changing beliefs, but new intervention approaches are in demand due to the former's limitations in achieving behavioral changes. The main objective of this study is to demonstrate that some dimensions of psychological violence are transmitted as a descriptive social norm, without any need of victimization. In a sample of 1,265 people (18–25 years old) and through two different studies, we explored the perception of prescriptive and descriptive social norms in situations of coercive control applied to three contexts (Study 1), isolation and domination (Study 2), under the hypothesis that coercive control is passed on as a descriptive social norm between peers. Characteristics describing diversity are taken into account. The results in frequency and Structural Equation Model analysis confirm the main hypothesis, because both perceptions are not correlated. Social norms no covariate with social characteristics. Same cannot be said of isolation and domination, leading to three conclusions for prevention. (1) Not all psychological violence works the same. Coercive control starts from a primary cognitive process that requires complementary actions, based for example on the cognitive hierarchy among social norms; (2) Preventive programs are often based on "prescribed" behaviors, related to the consequences they have on victims, whereas the descriptive social norm found in this study does not correlate with victimization, unless control is applied to specific contexts. Therefore, an additional effort in prevention could go deeper with more specific behaviors that show both the different types of psychological violence and the contexts of application; (3) Finally, at the policy level, results found call for the need for preventive efforts on psychological violence in the 18 to 25 age group and specific awareness campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reporting child sexual abuse (CSA) to law enforcement institutions is the ideal child protection imperative. The role of parents in this process is unquestionably profound. Yet, there is limited evidence on parental perspectives on reporting CSA to law enforcement agencies in developing country contexts. We apply vignettes to describe the views of parents about reporting CSA perpetrated by "family members, schoolteachers, and strangers." Data was collected from 89 parents from four culturally diverse regions of Ghana. A systematic inductive approach was used to determine patterns and similarities in participants' attitudes toward reporting. We note that the attitudes of participants about reporting CSA varied considerably; these are influenced by the nature of social relationships between the victim and perpetrator. In a seeming order of severity, CSA perpetrated by a family member was viewed less seriously compared to victimization by a teacher or a stranger. The desire to preserve familial/kin ties and reputation and keeping to the cultural heritage of resolving "disputes and disagreements" amicably were primary norms against reporting CSA. However, attitudes toward reporting CSA by teachers were influenced by expectation of higher moral standards, which made reporting CSA by a teacher a reasonable cause of action. Positive attitudes toward reporting CSA by "strangers" were prevalent. Child protection programs must recognzse the segmented attitudes toward CSA and tackle the deep-seated cultural and social norms through social and behavioral change communication (SBCC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrying a handgun is an established risk factor for firearm violence, with detrimental and too often irreversible consequences for adolescents including injury and mortality. Although researchers identified a number of risk factors for adolescent handgun carriage, little is known regarding the role of strengths or developmental assets in buffering against risk. The goal of this study was to identify both risk and protective factors for handgun carriage among a predominantly African American (88%) community-based sample of adolescents (M age = 14.3) who resided in urban communities with high rates of poverty and exposure to violence. Consistent with prior work, we found that adolescents with access to a handgun or with friends who had carried a handgun had higher odds of carrying a handgun themselves in the past 3 months. Handgun access, friends' handgun carriage, and beliefs supporting reactive aggression were identified as risk factors for handgun carriage. Although personal and social assets and positive outlook moderated these relations, the direction was contrary to our hypotheses. We believe that these findings are in part due to structural inequities and social norms impacting adolescents in urban communities characterized by concentrated poverty and high rates of violence. Our findings highlight the value of moving beyond a deficit-oriented framework to gain a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics among both positive and negative factors that alter risk for handgun carriage among African American youth living in low-income urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant amount of literature exists on the lasting effects of interparental abuse on children's psychological health as adults. However, evidence on how children's childhood experience of interparental violence shapes their attitude toward partner violence in adult intimate relationships is limited. Given the existing evidence that women's acceptance of partner violence as a social norm increases the risk of partner violence, we analyzed the effect of girls' witnessing interparental abuse (where a father is a perpetrator) on their attitude toward partner violence in their intimate relationships as adults. We used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys for 31 low and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa. Aggregating information about women's attitudes toward partner violence into a binary "intimate partner violence acceptance" variable, we found that a woman who witnessed her father beat her mother was 1.62 times more likely to justify partner violence than a woman who did not experience such interparental abuse (adjusted odds ratio [ AOR ] = 1.62, 95% CI [1.57, 1.66], p <.001). Additionally, using individual components of acceptance as response variables, we found that a woman who witnessed interparental abuse was significantly more likely to justify partner violence if she went out without telling her husband (OR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.45, 1.54], p <.001), neglected children (OR = 1.53, 95% CI [1.49, 1.58], p <.001), argued with the husband (OR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.45, 1.53], p <.001), refused sex with the husband (OR = 1.35, 95% CI [1.31, 1.39], p <.001), or burned food (OR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.31, 1.41], p <.001). This study highlights the need to put in place children-specific social policies to limit the intergenerational transmission of the adverse effects of intimate partner violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sending of sexually explicit images by men to women without prior request, a practice commonly referred to as sending or receiving a "dick pic," is a fairly common manifestation of sexual cyber-violence that has grown in recent times. As research on this type of sexual cyber-violence is limited, the current study analyzed the prevalence of this phenomenon in a sample of 347 Spanish women between 18 and 30 years of age, studying the factors that influence the emotional impact reported by women if they received an unsolicited dick pic (using a hypothetical scenario) and exploring the various coping strategies that women would use in that situation. Results showed a significant prevalence of this type of cyber-violence in the sample, as 48.1% of the participants had received an unsolicited dick pic from an unknown man at some point. Women with lower levels of hostile sexism—but not of benevolent sexism—reported a higher depressed and angry/annoyed emotional impact of the sexual cyber-violence scenario. This was also the case for women with a less conservative political ideology, with less religious beliefs, as well as those women who perceived that their female friends receive this type of images frequently (descriptive norm) and who perceived that their female friends are less accepting of these situations (injunctive norm). In addition, from the strategies presented to the participants to cope with this situation of sexual cyber-violence, it was observed that a significant percentage of women would choose strategies, such as talking about the incident with other people and blocking the sender's access. Yet, fewer women would employ effective strategies, such as reporting the perpetrator's profile to the managers or administrators of the social network or reporting the incident to the police. This study is one of the first studies in Spain that addresses this new form of sexual cyber-violence against women by unknown men and suggests that, in online social networks, women experience the same situations of abuse, harassment, and sexual objectification that they have faced offline in everyday life. Therefore, more work needs to be done to raise awareness and try to prevent these situations, while also providing more support to these women so that they can adopt effective coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of sexual victimization may lead to increased threat-biased information processing, including increased perceptions of peer attitudes that condone sexual violence. The perception that peers generally condone sexual violence may in turn inhibit survivors of sexual violence from intervening to address risk for harm among their peers. To assess this possibility, the present study examined the direct and indirect association between sexual victimization by a romantic partner, perceived peer rape myth acceptance (RMA), perceived social barriers to bystander intervention, and bystander behaviors over 2-month follow-up in a sample of 843 high school students. Multiple regression path analyses revealed a sequence of positive associations between sexual victimization, perceived peer RMA, and perceived social barriers to bystander intervention, respectively. These direct associations to be significant among girls, but not boys, and revealed an additional negative direct association between perceived social barriers to bystander intervention and bystander behavior over 2-month follow-up among girls. Furthermore, sexual victimization was indirectly associated with decreased bystander behaviors among girls through perceived peer RMA and perceived social barriers to bystander intervention, respectively. Taken together, the current findings highlight the importance of addressing misperceptions of peer norms among survivors of sexual violence in bystander intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have recently begun to consider the role of bystander intervention training in countering workplace incivility and bullying. Given the scarce empirical evidence of bystander training outcomes in occupational settings, this study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of a bystander intervention training in a large healthcare organisation, by assessing changes to levels of psychological safety, bystander efficacy, intent and behaviours over time. One hundred and forty employees in a large healthcare organisation in New Zealand attended the training and were asked to complete three surveys, one conducted at baseline, one carried out 2 weeks following the training and the last survey conducted 2 months later. The qualitative and qualitative findings of this study show that the bystander intervention training resulted in significant improvements to bystander attitudes and beliefs, which were ascribed to the quality of training materials, the facilitator and opportunities to role-play bystander intervention strategies. However, the positive bystander beliefs, attitudes and intent to intervene declined in the months following the training. The qualitative findings shed a light on these results and suggest that the participants required support for training transfer in the form of updated and accessible information about negative acts and bystander intervention strategies, leadership support and role modelling of bystander behaviours and civility, and the implementation of accountability systems that ensure the ongoing development of a civility culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a common yet hidden form of violence. It is primarily perpetrated against women by their male partners and is associated with a range of serious mental and physical health outcomes. Despite these harms, it is chronically under-researched. In particular, the overlaps between IPSV and psychological abuse in relationships are poorly understood. Extant literature has focused primarily on the relationship between IPSV and physical violence, neglecting the fact that IPSV often involves verbal or emotional coercion, threats or blackmail rather than the use of 'force'. In this paper, we draw on reflexive thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with n = 38 victim/survivors of IPSV to explore how they understood the relationship between sexual and psychological abuse in their heterosexual relationships. Four themes were developed from this analysis: 1. I felt like I couldn't say Nno'; 2. I felt degraded and worthless; 3. Letting me know who's boss; and 4. Making me feel crazy. These themes broadly correspond to four distinct patterns or interactions between IPSV and psychological abuse. Our findings strongly suggest that the relationship between sexual and psychological abuse in relationships is far more complex than previous research would indicate. Psychological abuse is not simply a tool to obtain sex and sexual violence is not only used as a mechanism of psychological control. Instead, the two forms of abuse interact in ways that can be unidirectional, bi-directional or simultaneous to develop and maintain an environment of fear and control and erode women's self-worth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incest is a globally prevalent phenomenon and is defined as sexual relations between closely related family members. Despite being a criminal offense irrespective to the gender and age incest is a prevalent issue in Nepal. Incest survivors are sheltered in safe homes for specific periods and reintegrated into their families following their healing. This research aims to explore the challenges and issues involved in the reintegration of incest survivors and investigate how the interconnected perceptions of families and individuals relate to the incest survivors' successful reintegration. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in three districts of Nepal. Fourteen incest survivors, five service providers from safe homes, and 22 community members were purposefully and theoretically selected. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect the study data, which were subsequently coded and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results: The results indicate the importance of the reintegration of incest survivors, as staying in a safe home may not offer a long-term solution for these individuals. However, reintegration is challenging without acceptance and support from the survivors' families and communities, the survivors' readiness to reintegrate, and agreement from the survivors' safe homes. Factors found to influence the unsuccessful reintegration of survivors included family fragmentation, socio-economic status, family resistance, the survivor-perpetrator relationship, survivors' interests, fears, and the possibility of repeated incidents, harmful social norms and cultural practices, community intervention, and negative perceptions. Conclusion: This study found that factors associated with impeding the reintegration of incest survivors are found in survivors, their families, and their communities. Creating harmonious family systems, providing education on gender equality, empowering women to fight against all sorts of abuse, and governmental assurances on the implementation of legal aid, human rights, ratified conventions on child rights and women's rights may help prevention of incest, and address the reintegration challenges of incest victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of the frequency of sexual victimization has been promoted through the #MeToo movement that opened the floodgates for survivors of sexual harassment, victimization, and violence to disclose their victimization. This research explores 41 rape victim advocates' perceptions of the #MeToo movement and concludes that they recognize its strengths and weaknesses. They credit the movement for: empowering survivors to disclose their experience possibly due to reduced stigma surrounding sexual victimization given the number of disclosures, providing support through social media from other survivors, and increasing societal awareness of the prevalence of sexual victimization. Those interviewed fault the movement for: giving the false perception that since so many survivors are stepping forward then reports must be fabricated, pressuring victims to support the movement through disclose and criticizing those who do not disclose, and hindering survivors' ability to escape media and social media coverage of sexual victimization. Advocates perceived #MeToo to be more of a "movement" rather than a "moment." However, to sustain its progress advocates suggested that action must be taken to create change for survivors and to reduce the occurrence of sexual victimization through policy/legal change and perpetrator accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual assault is a significant problem within the United States military. Bystander intervention skills training is recognized as a promising strategy for sexual assault prevention within both civilian and military populations. Sexual assault prevention programs which include training in bystander intervention teach individuals to notice situations that may pose a risk for harm and safely act to positively influence the outcome. This study examines correlates of bystander intervention attitudes and intentions among young adult active duty male soldiers (N = 282) between the ages of 18 and 24. Positive bystander intervention attitudes and intentions were associated with lower levels of rape myth acceptance, greater discomfort with sexism, lower likelihood of continuing an unwanted sexual advance after verbal resistance from a partner, greater likelihood of gaining verbal consent from a partner, and greater perceived peer approval for bystander intervention. In a multiple regression, perceived peer approval for bystander intervention and self-reported lower likelihood of continuing a sexual advance after verbal resistance from a partner emerged as significant predictors of positive bystander intervention attitudes and intentions (R2 =.41). Given that perceptions of peer norms are modifiable, these findings highlight the importance of addressing peer norms in bystander intervention training programs for military personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual harassment and other forms of gendered discrimination are social psychological phenomena, yet the psychological impact of sexual harassment has rarely been examined through a model which considers the role of diverse content of gender identity (i.e. norms). We used an experimental design to investigate how salient norms associated with the social identity of 'women' affect coping with sexual harassment. Participants who identified as women (N = 291) were randomly assigned to either a feminist, traditional feminine, or control norm condition, in which the salience of particular norms associated with womanhood was manipulated. Participants completed measures of personal growth (as a proxy for post-traumatic growth), and help-seeking intentions in response to a hypothetical sexual harassment scenario. Participants in the feminist condition reported significantly greater personal growth relative to those in the traditional feminine and control conditions. Participants in both the feminist and traditional feminine conditions reported significantly greater intentions to seek help from formal supports (e.g. primary care doctor), relative to those in the control condition. The findings suggest that the salience of social identities and their content may be valuable resources in promoting recovery following experiences of gendered discrimination and support the role of social identities in influencing post-trauma trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hate speech is often discussed and investigated as an online phenomenon, while hate speech among adolescents in the real world (e.g., in schools) has rarely been researched. Consequently, not much is known about potential interpersonal correlates and theoretical frameworks that might help us better understand why adolescents engage in hate speech in offline environments. To add to the literature, this study investigates hate speech perpetration among young people by utilizing the Social Cognitive Theory; more specifically, the association between witnessing and perpetrating hate speech in schools, and whether this relation is weakened or strengthened by anti-hate speech injunctive norms and deviant peer pressure. The sample consists of 1719 young people (45.1% boys, 53.6% girls, 1.3% gender diverse) between 11 and 18 years old (M age = 13.96; SD =.98) from 22 schools in Switzerland. Self-report questionnaires were administered to measure hate speech involvement and adolescents' perception of social norms (i.e., anti-hate speech injunctive norms and deviant peer pressure). Multilevel regression analyses revealed that witnessing and perpetrating hate speech were positively associated. Moreover, injunctive anti-hate speech norms were negatively related and deviant peer pressure positively related to hate speech perpetration. Finally, increasing levels of injunctive anti-hate speech norms weakened the relation between witnessing and perpetrating hate speech, whereas higher levels of deviant peer pressure strengthened this association. The findings demonstrate that the Social Cognitive Theory is a useful framework for understanding hate speech perpetration in schools. The results also highlight the importance of taking into account social norms and interpersonal relationships (e.g., within the class) when designing anti-hate speech prevention programs and not focusing solely on intrapersonal factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of researchers studying intimate partner violence (IPV) employ aggregate measures of relevant attitudes to serve as proxy measures for norms around IPV. However, there is a lack of consistency in how these measures are constructed and how their validity is confirmed. The first aim of this study is to demonstrate and validate innovative techniques for exploring social norms proxies in quantitative data and identifying the relative appropriateness of different available reference groups. The second aim is to demonstrate how such an approach can contribute to IPV research. The analysis employed data from the 2016 Tanzania International Men and Gender Equality Survey, including 1008 men and 1008 women ages 15–49 years. An attitudinal score measuring acceptance of IPV and two measures for individual-level descriptive and injunctive norms were constructed. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the extent of clustering for the attitudinal score within several sets of groupings. Bivariate multi-level Ordinary Least Squares regressions estimated the predictive effect of an individual's group norm proxy on their descriptive or injunctive norms. Attitudinal clustering was most significant for reference groups defined as males only across villages and males only across a combination of villages and marital status, with ICCs of 0.229 and 0.236, respectively. Men's social norms were found to be correlated with reference groups comprised of both men only and women only, though men's norms were substantially more correlated with the attitudes of men in their reference group than with women's. Results highlight the importance of critically examining the validity of proxy measures for social norms prior to their inclusion in analysis. Findings also underscore the importance of collecting attitudinal data from men to better understand norms around IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, one in three women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) within her lifetime. IPV attitudes are highly predictive of IPV. While a wealth of literature on risk factors related to IPV exist, an overarching critique in the field is the lack of studies examining risk factors across the socioecological framework. Using data from multiple administrative and individual surveys, this study fills a gap in the literature by evaluating the effect of meso-influences on physical IPV attitudes (i.e., permissibility of a man beating his wife) while accounting for known micro- and macro-risk factors in 64,466 individuals across 51 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Mixed-effects modeling was used to evaluate factors and identify comparative contributions of each factor representing the socio-ecological levels. We tested five multivariate logistic models. The final model indicated that greater perceived neighborhood disorder and less perceived neighborhood security were associated with physical IPV attitudes, while individual endorsement of interpersonal violence, belief in corporal punishment of children, holding greater patriarchal beliefs, being male, being separated from a significant partner, reporting greater household hunger and nationally lower levels of female literacy were associated with beliefs that IPV is acceptable. Overall, the findings of this study support that IPV is a complex behavior, influenced by factors across socio-ecological domains. However, data on neighborhood structural factors (i.e., exosystem) would help unpack the mechanisms between macro-, meso- and micro-level factors and may be important for protecting women from violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting the integrated model of General Strain Theory (GST), the current study tested the relations between cyberbullying roles (i.e., cyberbully, cybervictim, and cyberbully-victim) and delinquent behaviors (i.e., physical fighting and substance use), as well as the potential mediating effects of delinquent peer association and perceived social attachment from parents, friends, and teachers. This was conducted in a cross-sectional sample of 12,642 American adolescents via the use of structural equation models. The results indicated that being involved in cyberbullying might be not only directly associated with an increase in delinquent behaviors, but also indirectly via delinquent peer associations and perceived social attachment from parents, friends, and teachers. Furthermore, both direct and indirect (mediating) relationships between cyberbullying and delinquency might depend upon specific cyberbullying roles and the types of delinquency. Potential implications for prevention and intervention strategies were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall aim of the present study was to examine whether moral disengagement and perceptions of antibullying class norms at individual level and at class level were associated with defending and passive bystanding in school bullying among school-age children. More specifically, we investigated the extent to which moral disengagement would contribute to explain defending and passive bystanding, after controlling for sex and perceptions of antibullying class norms at individual level and at class level. A total of 789 Swedish students (aged 10-14) from 40 middle school classes filled out a self-report survey. The findings revealed that girls and students who were less prone to morally disengage, and who perceived that their classmates endorsed more antibullying norms, were more likely to defend victimized peers. Students who were more inclined to morally disengage and perceive that classmates do not condemn bullying were more likely to act as passive bystanders. In addition, classes with higher levels of antibullying class norms were more likely to show higher rates of defending and lower rates of passive bystanding compared to the other classes. The findings suggest that schools and teachers need to develop educational strategies, methods, and efforts designed to make students aware of moral disengagement and to reduce their likelihood of morally disengaging in bullying situations. The present findings also point to the importance of teachers establishing class rules against bullying together with the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence is highly prevalent in Asian region. It is largely committed by male against their female intimate partner. This is often associated with the region's unique social and cultural norms which subordinate women throughout their lives. IPV is an ongoing concern in Bhutan. The country's age-old traditions and customs are closely related to culture of silence among women experiencing IPV. This study examined women's responses to intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bhutan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore sensitising concepts such as how and when women recognised IPV and how they responded to it. Fifteen women who had sought supportive services at the institution 'RENEW' (Respect, Educate, Nurture, Empower Women) as a result of IPV participated in the interview. The Trans-theoretical model of behaviour change (TTM) was used as a theoretical framework to understand women's cognitive, affective and behavioural change processes. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to identify the patterns of women's responses. From the analysis, women's experiences of IPV and their responses were located within the four stages of change, including contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Women used nine traditional processes of change among which consciousness raising and helping relationships were critical and appeared across all four stages of change. This study provides important insights of Bhutanese women's cognitive and behavioural responses to IPV. The appearance of consciousness raising and helping relationships across all the stages of change represents a potential opportunity for intervention to initiate and promote changes in women's response to IPV in the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the United States, 20% of women ages 18 and over are victims of penetrative sexual assault, with the highest rates occurring in early adulthood (i.e., ages 18-24). Despite the high prevalence and severe mental and physical health problems resulting from sexual assault, with few exceptions, little is known about how victims of sexual assault attribute subsequent academic and career outcomes. Approximately 901 adult participants were recruited from a probability-based nationally representative sample to examine the prevalence of and outcomes attributed to sexual assault victimization experienced during early adulthood. Of the 36% of female participants who reported sexual assault perpetrated against them between the ages of 18 and 24, 69.5% attributed at least one negative academic or career outcome to the sexual assault. Participants who identified as White and who were over the age of 30 at the time of the survey were more likely to attribute negative academic and career outcomes as a result of a sexual assault perpetrated against them during early adulthood than women of color and younger women (i.e., ages 25-29). Our findings expand the knowledge on negative outcomes attributed to sexual assault and yields more questions about the larger societal impacts. More research is needed to understand the intersection between an assault during young adulthood and the demographic characteristics of survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual harassment is pervasive worldwide, yet there is a lack of clarity on its conceptualization in many settings, especially in low-income countries. Context-specific conceptualization of sexual harassment is vital to develop effective measurement tools, estimate its magnitude, and the design of interventions to address it. We explored how different population groups in Mwanza, Tanzania, understood, conceptualized, and experienced sexual harassment. This study employed a qualitative research design involving 74 in-depth interviews and 13 focus group discussions with participants from educational, workplace, and public settings in Mwanza, Tanzania. Participants were adolescent girls and boys, adult women and men. We explored individual-level perceptions and experiences of sexual harassment, and community norms and expectations around sexual harassment. We analyzed the data using a thematic approach. Participants' perceptions of sexual harassment emphasized the critical role of consent, the expression of male power, and social norms with regard to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment was understood to be a result of men being in positions of power and in charge of material resources, school grades, or employment opportunities. These in turn enabled them to take advantage of girls and women. Social norms around male and female interactions, courtship and seduction, expressions of sexual interest were crucial in delineating what was and what was not considered sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a fluid concept, and its definition is highly dependent on contextual factors. Consent underpins the conceptualization of sexual harassment and is a fundamental feature in the definition and measurement of sexual harassment in Tanzania. Consent is largely determined by sexual norms around male and female interactions and gendered power. There is a need for consensus in schools, workplaces, and communities about what constitutes sexual harassment in order to measure and address it appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression associated with rape, and shame plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of PTSD and depression. Thus, there is a need to identify factors that may decrease shame among female survivors of adult rape. Self-compassion may be one such factor. The present study used path analysis in MPlus version 7.3 to examine the indirect effect of self-compassion on PTSD and depression via rape-related shame. We hypothesized that higher levels of self-compassion would be associated with lower levels of rape-related shame, which in turn would be associated with lower levels of PTSD and depression. College women (N = 305) who reported experiencing rape completed anonymous online surveys assessing rape, self-compassion, rape-related shame, PTSD, and depression. Consistent with our hypothesis, results indicated that self-compassion was negatively associated with assault-related shame, which in turn was positively associated with PTSD and depression. There was also a significant indirect effect of self-compassion on PTSD and depression via rape-related shame. Further, rape-related shame fully explained the relation between self-compassion and PTSD. Findings suggest that self-compassion may be an appropriate target to reduce rape-related shame and may subsequently facilitate reductions in PTSD and depression symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a severe public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with harmful effects on the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic wellbeing of survivors and their families. In SSA, IPV is associated with mental health disorders, high-risk behaviors, and HIV vulnerability, especially among women. In Uganda, poor socioeconomic status increases women's vulnerability to IPV. Yet there is limited evidence on the association between socioeconomic factors and IPV severity in Uganda. Our study used population-based data to (a) establish different patterns describing the severity of IPV experiences, (b) explore associations between socioeconomic factors and severity of IPV experiences among Ugandan ever-married women, and (c) examine direct and indirect pathways from socioeconomic factors to severity of IPV experiences. Data were drawn from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey's sample of 7,536 evermarried women aged 15-49 years. A latent class analysis examined distinct patterns of IPV severity among this sample, yielding a four-class solution: low violence (n = 5,059; 67.1%); high physical violence, low sexual violence (n = 1,501; 19.9%); high sexual violence, moderate physical violence (n = 535; 7.1%); and high sexual and severe physical violence (n = 441; 5.9%). Using the low violence group as the reference category, we conducted a multinomial logistic regression that found significant associations between secondary education (aOR 2.35, 95% CI: [1.06, 5.24]), poorest on the wealth index (aOR 2.00, 95% CI: [1.13, 3.54]), and severe IPV experiences. Decision-making (aOR 0.81, 95% CI: [0.68, 0.96]) played a protective role against membership in the high sexual and physical violence class compared to the reference category. Using path analysis, we found that labor force participation partially mediated the path from wealth index and education to IPV severity. Findings indicate the need for interventions that aim to keep girls in school and target schools, communities, and media platforms to address gender norms, economic vulnerability, and comprehensive screening for multiple forms of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An examination of the interaction of pre- and post-migration stressors is critical to understanding Canadian Muslim immigrant women's experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study uses a dominant qualitative design, supplemented by quantitative data to understand eight Canadian Muslim immigrant women's experience of IPV from six countries of origin. Five themes were identified: (a) childhood exposure to trauma and violence, (b) iron cage of society, (c) the fusion of love and violence, (d) postmigration challenges and assistance, and (e) toll and consequences of IPV. These themes are described to illustrate the trajectory in the development of IPV and the participants' eventual decision to leave their relationship. Pre-migration experiences included adverse childhood experiences, family history of IPV, and difficulty with help-seeking for IPV. Post-migration challenges of language difficulties, lack of social connections, internalized familial patriarchal values, and sexism influenced women's help-seeking and decision-making. Results from this sample suggested that immigrant Muslim women are likely more affected by IPV in comparison to Canadianborn Muslim women, experienced more stressors, less support, delayed help-seeking process, and more serious mental health consequences. Quantitative measures revealed negative effects of IPV on women's mental and overall health. The roles of ethnic communities, religious institutions, law enforcement, and service providers in supporting Canadian Muslim women with experience of IPV are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating violence is a public health problem affecting people worldwide. This study evaluated the occurrence of different types of adolescent dating violence using a mixed analysis of each data source. The present study addresses the following research questions: does the occurrence of the types of violence analyzed in the quantitative phase match with the narratives obtained in the qualitative phase? and does the additional information obtained in the qualitative phase improve the understanding of the analyzed phenomenon? In the quantitative phase, 410 participants (aged 13 to 19 years) answered a questionnaire based on the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale, while in the qualitative phase, 26 participated in two focus groups. Data were collected from May to June 2019. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of those who had agreed to participate. The present research was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. The results were divided on: prevalence of dating violence based on age groups and gender, management and resolution of dating conflicts, victimization and perpetration of intimate partner violence, factors favoring intimate partner violence and acceptance of abuse. The results were analyzed via triangulation and indicated thatadolescents were involved in the perpetration and victimization of psychological as well as mild and severe physical violence. An analysis of the contributing factors revealed a strong tendency toward the acceptance of the traditional gender model. Challenging these models is crucial to deconstruct hierarchical models, develop conflict resolution skills, and promptly identify abusive behaviors that affect emotional development. The combination of different methodological approaches improved the understanding of the phenomenon studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for intervention strategies aiming to reduce teachers' use of violent discipline methods has been expressed repeatedly, especially for countries where this practice is socially and legally accepted. Nevertheless, initial targets for interventions are not clearly identified, as factors contributing to teachers' use of violence are still understudied. In the present study, we examined the interplay between teachers' own experiences of violence, their attitudes, current stress, and their use of violent discipline in a representative sample of 173 Tanzanian primary school teachers (53.7% female, Mage = 38.1 years, SDage = 10) using structural equation modeling. Our model showed good model fit (2 [48, n = 173] = 78.058 (p = .004), CFI = .962, TLI = .948, RMSEA = .060 [90% CI [.034, .084], PCLOSE = .233], SRMR = .048). Results indicated direct associations between positive attitudes toward violent discipline (ß = .41), stress (β = .23), and teachers' own experiences of violence (β = .21) with teachers' use of violence. Teachers' own experiences of violence were significantly associated with positive attitudes (ß = .39), and these significantly mediated the association between teachers' own experiences of violence and their use of violent discipline (β =.23). Our findings underscore the relevance of past experiences, societal norms, and current working conditions in understanding teachers' violence against students. Interventions aiming to reduce teachers' use of violent discipline may focus on stress management, societal norms, personal beliefs on violent discipline, and how teachers' own previous experiences of violence may influence teacher's disciplining behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer sexual violence is a significant social problem that affects adolescents and can lead to negative mental health and developmental consequences. Peers are a significant source of influence for adolescent behavior. For example, recent studies show training teens to be bystanders can be an effective prevention strategy to reduce peer violence and harassment. Peers can also promote risky behaviors including substance use and violence. The current study examined how sexual violence-specific risk and protective attitudes (e.g., denial of peer sexual violence and positive peer prevention norms) and behaviors (alcohol use and bystander actions to prevent peer sexual violence) clustered within peer networks cross-sectionally and over time. Participants were 1,499 7th−10th graders who took surveys during an academic year and who reported having opportunity to take action as bystanders to peer sexual violence. Participants took surveys 6 months apart online in schools. Questions included nomination of best friends to capture information about peer networks. Social network analyses indicated that there was weak but significant clustering of positive prevention attitudes such as bystander denial and marginal clustering on reactive bystander behaviors to address sexual assault. For comparison, alcohol use and academic grades were analyzed and found to also cluster in networks in these data. These findings suggest that for early adolescents, peer bystander training may be influential for some key bystander attitudes and reactive sexual violence prevention behaviors as individual behaviors are not independent of those of their friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intersectional approaches have challenged the field of domestic violence to pay more attention to diversity in women's experiences and highlighted the significance of their social contexts and positions, such as class, race, religion, in shaping their understanding of and responses to violence. In the dating violence (DV) literature, a similar call has been made to develop contextualized accounts of DV and to address the heterogeneity of young people through DV prevention programs. Nevertheless, to date, intersectional thinking has not been fully utilized in DV research. The present study aims to address this gap in the literature and investigate how young people make sense of and experience DV from an intersectional perspective in an urban Turkish context. The data for the current study came from individual interviews conducted with 39 college students, aged 18–25. The interviews inquired into how young people understood, explained, and experienced DV. The interviews were analyzed thematically, culminating into four main themes: (a) DV as control, (b) DV as resulting from traditional gender norms, (c) DV as women's fault, and (d) DV-related socialization processes. Some of these main themes were interpreted and experienced differently by the participants depending on their gender and the impact of traditional, Islamic, and egalitarian discourses on their accounts. The result demonstrated nuanced differences in young people's meaning-making perspectives, needs, and vulnerabilities to DV. In the Turkish context, these results are intended to inform the burgeoning field of DV research and to guide the development of diversity-informed, culturally tailored, and context-sensitive prevention practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the endorsement of inequitable gender norms about intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) and sexual behavior was associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization, IPV perpetration, and sexual risk behavior. Nigerian youth aged 13–24 (n = 4,203) participated in the nationally representative, cross-sectional Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey (VACS) in 2014. Inequitable gender norms about IPVAW were assessed using six items from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), and inequitable gender norms about sexual behavior were assessed using four items adapted from the Gender-Equitable Men (GEM) scale. The number of inequitable gender norms endorsed was summed and associations with having been a victim or perpetrator of IPV and sexual risk behaviors were assessed using logistic regression. Endorsing 3 or more inequitable gender norms about either IPVAW or sexual behavior were both associated with increased odds of IPV victimization, perpetration, and sexual risk behaviors, after adjustment for demographic characteristics, witnessing violence in childhood, and having been a victim of other forms of childhood violence. Demonstrating that endorsement of inequitable gender norms about sexual behavior was associated with violence and that inequitable gender norms about IPVAW were associated with sexual risk behaviors further highlights potential linkages between violence and HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to identify the factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) using data from the latest available nationwide survey in Nicaragua. A secondary analysis of the 2011–2012 Nicaraguan Demography and Health Survey (ENDESA 2011–2012) was conducted. A total of 12,605 women aged 15–49 years who had reported being married or united were included. IPV (yes/no) was defined as the outcome variable, and it was considered if a woman suffered verbal, psychological, physical, or sexual violence during the previous 12 months. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI were calculated using a bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model. A p value <.05 was considered statistically significant and did not correct p values for multiple testing. The overall prevalence of IPV was 17.5%. Women living in urban setting (AOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.26–1.80), women who self-identify as native (AOR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.34–1.61) or women who have a history of abuse as a child (AOR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.69–2.27) were more likely to suffer IPV compared to their counterparts. Age was found to be a protective factor for IPV. Variables such as educational level and wealth index, do not report any association with IPV. Our findings shows that IPV in Nicaragua continues to be a frequent event. The results provide evidence of drivers for IPV at a national level. These findings are useful for the design of intervention policies and strategies for the prevention of IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have expanded the aggressor-victim dyad by showing that bystanders play pivotal roles in the process of cyberbullying. Bystanders' responses entail moral engagement and are guided by personal and social norms. Most research on normative influences on bystanders' responses to cyberbullying has focused on personal or social norms but has ignored how they jointly affect bystanders' responses. Inspiring by the modified Theory of Planned Behavior, a cross-sectional study of Chinese high-school students (N = 333) examined how cyberbullying-related personal and social norms affect adolescent bystanders' responses to cyberbullying. We collected information on personal norms, social norms, and bystanders' responses to cyberbullying. Boys reported stronger intentions than girls to reinforce the bully, but intentions to help the victim were equivalent among boys and girls. Regression analysis revealed that pro-cyberbullying personal and social norms combined could negatively predict intentions to help the victim. However, personal and social norms interacted to influence behavioral intentions to reinforce the bully. Specifically, when pro-cyberbullying social norms were at a high level, a higher level of pro-cyberbullying personal norms was correlated with higher intentions to reinforce the bully. Conversely, when pro-cyberbullying social norms were at a low level, the effect of personal norms disappeared. The findings contribute to understanding the process by which adolescents adapt themselves to norms and provide guidance for educational advice on intervening in cyberbullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents are at high risk for sexual and dating violence (SDV) at school, indicating need for both adolescents and school personnel to engage in bystander behavior to prevent SDV. Adolescents' perceptions of social norms about bystander behavior, including their perceptions about social norms among school personnel, may impact adolescents' own SDV attitudes and intended bystander behavior. Based on social norms theory, the current research examines adolescents who underestimate, accurately perceive, and overestimate school personnel's reactive (responding to a current situation) and proactive (spreading messaging about prevention) bystander behaviors. High school students (N = 3,404; mean age = 15.7; 87.2% White; 87% heterosexual) and school personnel (N = 1,150) from 25 schools completed surveys. Adolescents who underestimated school personnel's reactive and proactive bystander behavior had more accepting attitudes towards violence and less bystander behavior intentions. Correcting misperceived norms about bystander behavior may improve students' own bystander behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents are at high risk for sexual and dating violence (SDV) at school, indicating need for both adolescents and school personnel to engage in bystander behavior to prevent SDV. Adolescents' perceptions of social norms about bystander behavior, including their perceptions about social norms among school personnel, may impact adolescents' own SDV attitudes and intended bystander behavior. Based on social norms theory, the current research examines adolescents who underestimate, accurately perceive, and overestimate school personnel's reactive (responding to a current situation) and proactive (spreading messaging about prevention) bystander behaviors. High school students (N = 3,404; mean age = 15.7; 87.2% White; 87% heterosexual) and school personnel (N = 1,150) from 25 schools completed surveys. Adolescents who underestimated school personnel's reactive and proactive bystander behavior had more accepting attitudes towards violence and less bystander behavior intentions. Correcting misperceived norms about bystander behavior may improve students' own bystander behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has detrimental effects on the welfare of women. Research on the coping strategies employed by rural women in Zimbabwe is notably lacking, despite the fact that the majority of Zimbabwean women reside in rural areas. Therefore, this study sought to explore the strategies that women in rural areas used to manage and cope with IPV. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, and participants were recruited through the purposive sampling method in Chimanimani Rural District, Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe. Face-to-face interviews using a narrative approach were conducted with 25 women between 19 and 49 years and seven key informants. The 25 women consisted of women who had left abusive relationships and were selected on the basis that they should have experienced IPV in their former relationships. Current IPV victims were excluded from the study. All the interviews were recorded, with participants' consent, to avoid loss of data. Data was analyzed by the author and an additional independent data analyst using thematic analysis. Findings from this study revealed that social norms influenced participants' covert coping behavior, which include acceptance of abuse and prayer. There is need to strengthen the existing coping strategies that are utilized by women as these could be the starting point for intervention efforts. This is important as it enables practitioners to develop context-specific and context-driven intervention strategies that will effectively serve the victims in their distinctive situation(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assessed support for an innovative model of the direct and indirect paths through which perceived peer norms regarding the prevalence and acceptability of sexual violence (SV) and relationship abuse (RA) may influence the decisional process leading to bystander intervention. Analyses included baseline and 6-month follow-up data collected from a large sample of high school students (N = 2,303) across 27 schools in the Northeastern United States. Path analyses were conducted to test a multiple mediation model of the direct and indirect associations among the sequential predictors of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms, personal attitudes, abuse perceptions, risk recognition, and dependent measures of bystander behaviors at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Higher perceptions of the prevalence (descriptive norms) and acceptability (injunctive norms) of SV and RA among peers were associated with more accepting personal attitudes toward SV and RA, which were associated with lower abuse perceptions and risk recognition. Furthermore, lower abuse perceptions and risk recognition were associated with decreases in bystander behaviors at both time points. Mediational analyses revealed several significant indirect paths through which higher perceptions of descriptive and injunctive norms contributed to decreases in bystander behavior. Findings provide novel evidence of the prospective influence of perceived norms on bystander intervention behavior in situations of SV and RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the extent to which evaluative attitudes toward sexual aggression (i.e., positive or negative evaluative judgments about sexually aggressive behavior) mediate the association between injunctive norms (i.e., extent to which peers approve or disapprove of sexually aggressive behavior) and self-reported sexual aggression against women. Participants were 200 male undergraduate students. Approximately one in four males reported engaging in at least one sexually aggressive act since the age of 16. Participants with a history of sexual aggression also reported the highest likelihood of engaging in sexually aggressive behavior in the future. We tested two separate mediation models to examine the extent to which evaluative attitudes account for the link between injunctive norms and sexual aggression: one model with self-reported history of sexual aggression as the outcome and the other with likelihood of engaging in sexually aggressive behavior as the outcome. Results showed that more positive evaluative attitudes toward sexual aggression accounted for the association between injunctive norms and self-reported history of sexual aggression. Similarly, evaluative attitudes accounted for the link between injunctive norms and self-reported likelihood of engaging in sexually aggressive behavior in the future. Overall, these findings are consistent with theoretical and empirical explanations of sexual offending and general criminal behavior; however, this is the first study to explore the relationship between injunctive norms and evaluative attitudes in the context of explaining sexually aggressive behavior. If more rigorous research establishes a causal relationship between injunctive norms, evaluative attitudes, and sexually aggressive behavior, this would suggest that targeting these factors in prevention programs may reduce sexual aggression by male undergraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study sought to explore the shared risk factors and social norms that may underpin the co-occurrence of intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, and violence against other marginalized household members in the home. Data are drawn from participants who completed either in-depth interviews (N = 51 men, N = 52 women participants) or focus groups (N = 22 men, N = 23 women participants) and were living in two distinct humanitarian settings: North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Northern Shan State and Southern Kachin State, Myanmar. Within this overarching objective, attention to these shared drivers for violence in the home, which may arise from people having multiple and interacting social identities, such as disability status, gender, and age, was explored through an inclusion lens and inductive coding approaches. Findings point to risk factors of violence in the home at all levels of the ecological model, which are underpinned at the macro level by gender inequality, armed conflict, and political instability, among other factors. With the community and family levels, gender inequality manifested in norms related to the acceptability of violence, family reputation, and aged and gendered power hierarchies within the home. Shared risk factors of violence at these levels also included displacement/migration-related stressors, inconsistent income, and lack of community resources to support families, especially for those with disabilities. At the most time-proximal level, interactions between role (non)fulfillment, inability of families to meet their basic needs, alcohol and substance abuse, and abusive expressions of anger were found to catalyze instances of violence in the home. The conceptual model also illuminates potential levers and inclusive entry points that prevent violence in the home for diverse women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons. Key attention to addressing gender inequality and acceptance of violence must be a cornerstone of sustainable programming, alongside complementary approaches that address other shared risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extensive amount of research has been devoted to understanding rape myths, especially in the context of sexual attitudes. Few studies have examined sexual actions as a correlate of rape myth acceptance (RMA). As such, this study utilizes the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMA) and its four distinct subscales to examine adherence to rape myths and an individual's view of sex and sexuality in a sample of 1,310 college students. The IRMA was included in its entirety and separated into its four subscales: "She asked for it," "He didn't mean to," "It wasn't really rape," and "She lied." Results indicated that the most impactful variables for all four subscales were adversarial heterosexual beliefs, stereotypical gender beliefs, and being male. The main implications of this study pertain to implementation of programming. Intervention programming should focus on younger males due to their increased adherence to certain rape myths. Furthermore, programs that address not only rape myths but also other traditional and negative belief systems should be employed. Results of this study lend support to the supposition that it is not necessarily individual characteristics that have a large effect on RMA but is instead a strong adherence to traditional belief systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the still limited analysis of gender and sexuality in the exploration of HIV infection in the Caribbean. In Trinidad and Tobago, child sexual abuse was identified as a prevalent behavior. This motivated a gendered exploration of the sociocultural factors underlying child sexual abuse and the link with HIV. Using a qualitative action research methodology, researchers sought to understand the patterns of behavior, sociocultural and gendered meanings, and significance of child sexual abuse; to sensitize stakeholders to these issues; and to develop multidisciplinary community-based interventions and policies. This article reports on the analysis of data collected from the interventions carried out as part of the action research methodology, as well as a range of national and community-specific action research activities including ethnographic case studies, national stakeholders meetings, and a study of service providers. It provides a nuanced understanding of the meanings, underlying assumptions, perceptions, and taboos associated with child sexual abuse in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as new ways of understanding child sexual abuse in the Caribbean. Findings showed that the social and gender context for child sexual abuse involves several interconnecting factors located within a framework of gender ideologies and expressions, sexual expectations and behaviors, and social norms based on patriarchal values. These findings would be of significance for the prevention of child sexual abuse and the associated HIV risk in Trinidad and Tobago, and the management of victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]