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This study explored the prevalence, reasons, and predictors of service withdrawal by victims in a sample of 151 older adult abuse cases reported to a specialist social work service. Withdrawal occurred in 34% of cases, after an average of 3 months of contact. The most common reasons for withdrawal were victim denial of abuse and unwillingness to engage with the intervention plan. Denial and self-neglect significantly predicted withdrawal, but only denial remained predictive when both variables were entered into the regression model. Results emphasize the need to screen for and address withdrawal risk, with providers targeting denial of abuse specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research examined impacts and recovery from institutional child abuse. There were three linked studies; a survey of 10 institutional abuse victims, a Rapid Evidence Assessment of 26 UK-based institutional child abuse case reviews, and a quantitative study of 384 adults reporting either institutional child abuse (n = 93), at home abuse (n = 191) or no abuse (n = 100). Collectively there was evidence for a focus on negative impacts and disclosure. There was an indirect effect of institutional abuse on PTSD symptoms mediated by personality dysfunction but not strength factors or resilience. The research highlighted the importance of disclosure and integrates findings into a preliminary conceptual model, the Integrated Model of Institutional Child Abuse impacts (IMICA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines feminist-vegetarian incidents in Daphne du Maurier's short stories "The Chamois" and "The Blue Lenses." It explores the treatment of animals in "The Chamois" which reveals the link between male violence and sexual dynamics between men and women, the interconnected oppression of women and birds, and commodification of female animal's fertility. It discusses the scenes of female food rejection and the interconnected victimhood of women and animals in "The Blue Lenses."

Policing is the institution responsible for protecting victims of domestic abuse and the institution to which victimisation is formally reported. The police workforce, therefore, are routinely exposed to domestic abuse victimisation, perpetration and its consequences. When police themselves become victims of domestic abuse, the interaction between personal and professional identity and cultures may exacerbate the harms of victimisation and discourage victims from reporting victimisation. In this study, we describe themes that emerged from accounts of reporting and not reporting domestic abuse by police officers and staff in an English police force. Through the lenses of victimology theory and police culture theory, we describe how there appears to be few protective components of working in policing and several adverse consequences for victims. Reporting was impeded by difficulty recognising abuse and experiencing feelings of shame in a way similar to that of many non-police victims. These common obstacles were exacerbated by a conflict between police and victim identities, by significant concern about formal and informal violations of privacy by colleagues and by worry about potential damage to their career. These challenges were particularly acute when the perpetrator also worked in policing. The paper concludes with a call for researchers, policy makers and policing to recognise and respond to the unique vulnerabilities inherent in the police-victim overlap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article starts from the premise that much of the critical work dedicated to Roberto Bolaño's 2666 centres upon the idea of depersonalisation, generally understood as a subtraction of what is most properly personal in the human individual. The thesis put forward is that Bolaño's style and technique of characterisation, particularly in the passages dedicated to the victims of human rights abuses, is best appreciated by recurring to the idea of "impersonality", conceived as a third pole between personality and depersonalisation. The first section of the article is dedicated to connecting the idea of literary incorporation to that of human rights, thus showing how historically situated conceptions of "person" often influence readers' expectations of what would constitute a dignified and just rendition of victims of real abuses in fiction. In the second section, it is suggested that Bolaño's project intentionally diverges from the aims of literary incorporation and is more finely attuned to the philosophy of the impersonal which is to be found in the work of Maurice Blanchot and Simone Weil. The article concludes by interpreting Bolaño's literary gesture in relation to existing critiques of human rights discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to focus on abuse prevention in sport has been prioritized due to widespread athlete maltreatment occurring across many sports, levels and regions. One recommendation to prevent athlete maltreatment is through evidence-based education. Despite this recommendation, surprisingly little has been done in this area. A recently proposed idea is that athlete abuse survivors could collaborate with sport organizations in maltreatment prevention initiatives (e.g. speaking invitations, sharing their stories, education initiatives). However, researchers have warned that when collaborations between survivors and sport organizations occur, and trauma-informed practices are not implemented in a way that engages everyone safely, re-traumatisation may result. The present study is one of the first to explore how abuse survivors can be placed at the forefront of education initiatives that are underpinned by international trauma-informed principles. Two abuse survivors from swimming and rowing facilitated education programs that taught about abuse with other athletes in their sports. Evidence-based trauma-informed practices were embedded throughout the educative process to prevent unintended further harms, in turn creating a 'community of care'. Embedding trauma-informed practices were imperative given the lived experiences of the survivors, and the possibility the education recipients (i.e. athletes) could also be victims of maltreatment. The 'what', 'why' and 'how' of trauma-informed practices are outlined to show the application, and value of this process to not only maltreatment prevention initiatives, but to other levels of sport (e.g. when abuse is reported, selection policy, coach pedagogy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 was introduced the number of unrepresented victims of domestic abuse in applications for protective injunctions, has increased. Studies consistently point to the strict legal aid means criteria as the reason behind this, however, there is a paucity of literature challenging why this is the case, given that provision is made within Regulation 12 of the Civil Legal Aid (Financial Resources and Payment for Services) Regulations 2013 for the financial eligibility thresholds to be waived in applications for a protective order. Drawing on a survey of 24 legal professionals and information provided by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) following Freedom of Information Act requests, this article seeks to address this gap in the literature and examine the value of Regulation 12. Findings indicate that the limited use of Regulation 12 can be attributed to a weak understanding amongst legal aid practitioners about its existence, concerns amongst practitioners about not being remunerated for work completed on files and an absence of clear guidance for the Director as to the use of the discretion. The findings are timely as the means test being considered by the ongoing Legal Aid Review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critiques the civil law intervention set out in the Irish Domestic Violence Act 2018 as it applies to victims of domestic violence. It evaluates the five civil orders: safety order, protection order, barring order, interim barring order and the new emergency barring order. The analysis reveals striking inequality in the legislature's approach to providing protection to victims of domestic violence. While some victims have only access to minimal protection, others still are left with no recourse under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. This article highlights these substantive gaps in protection and reveals inconsistencies and contradictions in how these victims are marginalised and excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the psychological impact of childhood exposure to domestic abuse gains more traction, referring to children as 'the hidden victims of domestic abuse' is becoming increasingly inaccurate and reductionist. Representing children as mere witnesses of domestic abuse also poses wider implications from the view of law and policy. Jurisdictions which recognise children as direct victims rather than hidden witnesses of domestic abuse, for example, send a clear message that the psychological harm of experiencing domestic abuse merits robust intervention (e.g. additional funding for child-specific support and services). Using a comparative approach, this study analyses the legal recognition of children who experience domestic abuse for the purposes of exploring how the child should be conceptualised in laws regulating childhood exposure to domestic abuse. For this comparative review, the jurisdictions of England and Wales, New Zealand and the United States (specifically the State of Washington) were selected, on the basis that they all respond to child experiences of domestic abuse in distinct ways that raise pertinent points of contrast. Whilst the State of Washington relies primarily on perpetrator-centric, criminal law responses to child experiences of domestic abuse, England and Wales and New Zealand resort to family law mechanisms that focus more on the child and the parent–child relationship. All in all, these points of contrast are pertinent because they provide an exploratory view of how the child should be conceptualised in law and policy. As this paper submits, conceptualising the child as a direct victim of domestic abuse––as reflected in England and Wales and New Zealand's legislative efforts––works to send a powerful message about the severity of harm that children suffer when they experience domestic abuse. The State of Washington, on the other hand, has much to learn from England and Wales and New Zealand's conceptualisation of the child, as its current legislative efforts appear to be rooted in an outdated understanding of the child as a mere collateral witness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crime and deviance can have a significant and long-lasting effect on victims. While the literature on victim impact from traditional types of crime like robbery or assault is well established, much smaller scholarship examines the impact of online forms of deviance with only a handful of studies focusing on the experiences of adult victims. The current paper analyses the data from a sample of the U.S. adults (N= 746) using mixed methods to examine the perceived impact from different types of cyber abuse. A thematic analysis of open-ended responses identified five main types of victim impact: psychological, emotional, social, financial and positive. We also found that females, victims, who were abused by someone they knew, and who experienced multiple methods of abuse tended to experience higher impact. Besides, some methods of abuse appeared to affect victims more than others. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding of cyber abuse as a type of deviant behavior and help inform policy responses to the needs of cyber abuse victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have affected the lives and livelihoods of women around the world and their economic impacts are having a regressive effect on gender equality (Madgavkar et al., 2020). Consequently, the gender gap between men and women that has been amplified by the pandemic is not expected to close for another 136 years (Armstrong, 2021). As President of the World Society of Victimology, I am pleased to provide this forward to the special issue. The World Society of Victimology is dedicated to improving the plight of victims of crime and the abuse of power around the globe. These issues are linked to the global fight for gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) largely presents a narrative of men as perpetrators and women as victims. This allows little attention to be paid to men as victims of IPV. Much less effort is made to understand how men's experiences of IPV impact perceptions of their masculine subjectivities and how they respond to victimisation. Through in-depth narrative interviews, this paper reflects on the experiences of some African men and their reactions to personal conditions of abuse. The paper argues that, within the dynamic gendered environment in South Africa, where violence against women is prevalent, some victimised men associate true manliness with men's respect for women and non-violence tendencies. The African men under discussion mobilise this ideal to construct an alternative identity, maintaining their sense of being honourable, even when the hegemonic order sees them otherwise due to their non-violent beliefs/actions. This article presents a critical yet nuanced contribution to our understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence in the South African context. It shows how some African men may respond to the challenges of their victimised identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victims of past abuses are often the subject of transitional celebration, with previously marginalised and disrespected identities afforded recognition and support. Yet, the celebration of certain variants of victimhood and the censure of others readily lends itself to the creation of hierarchies of victimhood where those who consider themselves or are considered by others to be 'good' or 'innocent' victims dispute the 'deservingness' of other 'bad' or 'impure' victims. Based on fieldwork in Northern Ireland, this article deconstructs the creation of hierarchies of victimhood within a transitional context. It draws on three overlapping themes – hierarchies of 'good' and 'bad' victims; hierarchies and heroes for the cause; and hierarchies and 'the silence of social opprobrium'. The overlapping connections between these three strands illustrates that the idea of a hierarchy of victimhood is in fact much more problematic than a simple division along communal lines. Rather, hierarchies of victimhood are predicated on highlighting the victimhood of one's own heroes while silencing the uncomfortable aspects of one's past. The result is not only a partial representation of who 'counts' as a victim, but the failure to recognise the victimhood of the vast majority of those affected by the conflict – members of the civilian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the goals of the #MeToo movement is to elevate the voices of survivors. Course content related to sexual victimization often stresses the importance of understanding the experiences of victims of crime, and it is likely that such discussions result in student disclosures of sexual victimization to faculty. At the same time, institutions of higher education have created policies, such as making professors "mandatory reporters," which require them to report disclosures to Title IX coordinators irrespective of a student's desire to report. This essay will unpack the complicated nature of supporting survivors on campus in the #MeToo era: Where on the one hand, victims are encouraged to tell their story, but on the other hand, institutional policies may remove their agency if they do. As #MeToo has advanced our understanding of sexual victimization experiences, it should also help improve our policies responding to those empowered by the movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The victims of sexual violence may develop FSD. This retrospective study examined the characteristics of women victims of sexual abuse who had FSD who attended a tertiary hospital from 2004 to 2017. Patients were divided in two groups: women who were victims of sexual violence and women who were not victims (controls). One thousand and ten women (60.4%) presented with FSD and 610 of them were eligible for inclusion, 134 (21.97%) reported they were victims of sexual violence, and the abuser was mostly someone close to the victim (92.31%). Depression was more prevalent in the women who were victims (32.1% vs. 18.3%; p<0.05), 74.0% vs. 59.8% had hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) (p<0.05), 20.3% of victims vs. 7.19% of controls (p<0.05) had primary anorgasmia, and 51.15% of the victims and 39.61% of controls reported anorgasmia. The victims reported a lower sex drive (39.6% vs. 52.3%), and reduced arousal (48.8% vs. 61.3%; all p<0.05). More of the victims than controls reported that their partners had engaged in an extramarital relationship (19.0% vs. 9.25%, p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual abuse is associated with severe health consequences, and the European Union has, through the Istanbul Convention, urged its member countries to provide specialist care for victims of sexual abuse. This aim of this study was to investigate patient- and abuse-related characteristics among patients seeking help at a specialist clinic in Sweden, with focus on disclosure, mental health and appropriate healthcare access. This is a descriptive study where journal data from 100 consecutive patients January 2017 to February 2018 were analyzed. All adult individuals (women n = 80, men n = 8) who had taken part in the standardized semi-structured intake interview at the clinic were included (n = 88). At admission, mean age was 40.3 (SD 11.9), mean number of psychiatric diagnoses 6.3 (2.6), and 93% of the patients scored above cut-off (≥34) on IES-R for PTSD. A majority of the patients (87%) had been exposed to childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and mean time to first disclosure was 15.9 (SD 15.3) years. In total, 82% of the patients had, despite disclosure, experienced difficulties accessing appropriate healthcare before coming to the specialist clinic. Adult victims of sexual abuse have difficulties accessing appropriate healthcare. This constitutes a gender-based equality problem. A model of gatekeeping mechanisms with two dimensions (external and internal) and three categories (Competence related, Organizational and Emotional) is proposed to understand these difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Compared to their non-disabled peers, individuals with mild intellectual disability (MID) are at higher risk of becoming a victim of sexual abuse and more vulnerable to its disruptive effects. This review provides an overview of content and effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs targeting sexual abuse in individuals with MID. Methods: PRISMA guidelines were followed and quality and effectiveness of the programs were evaluated taking into account the rating of the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (QATQS). Results: Twelve studies were included. In prevention programs role-play prevailed, whereas the content of intervention programs varied. All studies received a "weak" QATQS rating. By consequence, effectiveness of the program was downgraded to "unclear" in ten, and "ineffective" in two studies. Conclusion: Further development of programs and higher quality of research is needed to investigate whether they are effective in preventing sexual abuse or reducing its consequences in individuals with MID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to systematically examine the questioning of children in Italian criminal proceedings. 87 trial transcripts of 4- to 17-year-old children testifying as alleged victims of sexual abuse were analysed focusing on the differences of age with due regard for the type of questions asked and of witnesses' responses. A total of 20,815 question-response pairs were identified. Results illustrated that age played an important role in the choice of questions asked and in the answers of the witness. In particular, younger children were asked more open-ended questions than older children and, in spite of this, they seemed to be more difficult to interview, because they provided more unresponsive instances, with misunderstandings and attempts to avoid answering questions. These findings have important implications in the way that children are examined in court. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male and female victims' communication of intimate partner violence to others in the face of potential repercussions shows how language reflects/is reflected by relational identities when deciding to stay/leave abusive relationships. In this study, a non-clinical sample (N = 484), self-identified as male (n = 156) or female (n = 331) victims, indicated reason-messages used with self and/or others for why they stayed in these violent relationships. Analyses of both independent messages and grouped themes showed victims' communication as inherently (and perhaps, falsely) gendered. Viewed through a gender- (versus sex-) lens, victims' reasons for staying suggest barriers to support may be communicated as gendered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early life stress (ELS) has been suggested to cause epigenetic changes to genes in the brain, such as the Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 3, Group C, Member 1 gene (NR3C1). Conversely, evaluation of the epigenetic status in the postmortem brain might provide clues to the antemortem ELS experience. We examined DNA methylation of the 1F promoter region of NR3C1 in the postmortem brains of eight children including four ELS cases. As a result, DNA methylation was evident in ELS cases due to severe physical abuse. Epigenetic status may have potential application as a biomarker for clarifying the antemortem experiences of deceased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the foundations of the contemporary anti-violence movement in the 1960s and 1970s, advocates have sought to establish a critical understanding of domestic violence that we can use to direct our efforts for social change. Yet many advocates and advocacy organizations continue to rely on a problematic narrative of sameness that marginalizes and erases diverse victims’ experiences and needs. In this article, I conduct a critical discourse analysis of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Web site to identify outcomes of this narrative for the inclusivity of advocacy efforts. I argue that despite the organization’s numerous claims to represent diverse victims’ experiences, Web site content reveals that its purportedly general account of domestic violence normalizes the experiences of a small group of victims—namely, heterosexual, cisgender women. Further, the Web site’s content greatly limits the potential for thinking about and discussing violence across difference. I conclude with recommendations for changes in advocacy practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, in response to harrowing accounts of child sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy in the town of Ballarat, a campaign of public support was launched in the form of coloured ribbons attached to the fences of institutions where the abuse had occurred. The “Loud Fence” campaign has become a global form of protest and commemoration. Institutions’ reactions were varied; some removed the ribbons, to find them promptly replaced, with attendant publicity. Thus was established a silent dialogue that encapsulated the contested nature of the ribbons’ symbolism, and exemplified, too, the campaign’s disparate implied audiences. The paper discusses the meanings of the Loud Fences in relation to divided community sensibilities and intangible heritage, as a performative mode of activism and of heritage-making. It considers ways in which the campaign challenges institutional cultures that stand as extant remnants of colonialism and as edifices of iconic institutional power. The Loud Fences campaign is characterised as a grass-roots quest, initially intended to show solidarity with disenfranchised victims of abuse, that has come to be seen as giving them a symbolic “voice” in the face of institutional denial. The paper touches upon the ways in which such campaigns, based on visual symbols and contested, yet unspoken, “dialogue”, can be historicised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that a lack of financial resources contributes to victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) both remaining in and returning to abusive intimate relationships. Requesting financial assistance via crowdfunding has emerged as a new alternative for victims of IPV to access financial assistance. Therefore, our study explores how victims of IPV frame requests for financial assistance via the crowdfunding website GoFundMe.com. We qualitatively analyze a sample of 27 women's requests. We find that victims of IPV may internalize the stigma of seeking assistance and therefore actively work to redefine their character in a positive manner. We also discover that victims' requests speak to guidelines reflected in aid-based organizations and to judgments they anticipate facing when requesting help from informal social ties. Our findings suggest that seeking financial assistance through crowd funding may reflect similar challenges of accessing help through more traditional avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropsychological consequences in female survivors of intimate partner violence are being used in courts as evidence of acquired injury and for criminal exculpation. To support the validity of neuropsychological test performance and the veracity of victim testimony, effort tests can be used by expert witnesses. Nevertheless, no study has evaluated whether the two principle types of effort tests, Symptom validity tests or Performance validity tests, are most adequate for this population. The study’s objective was to compare the false positive rates of a Performance validity test (Test of Memory Malingering: TOMM) and a Symptom validity test (Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology: SIMS). The sample included 68 female intimate partner violence victims and 40 control females. SIMS showed a significantly higher rate of false positives in victims on four of five subtests, reaching a 59.3% in the total score. There were 0% false positives in both groups on the TOMM. Findings indicate that the SIMS may incorrectly score female IPV victims, undermining the victim’s testimony in judicial cases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article claims that Freire’s work offers an important ground for a potential theory of intercultural ethics and, for that purpose, examines his ideas at different levels: (1) the ontological; (2) the ideological; (3) the political; (4) languages and languaging; and (5) cultural identity and diversity. Freire never used the word ‘intercultural’, although it is suggested here that this is due to the fact that terminology related to cultural diversity has changed over time and in his day this term was not yet common currency. Moreover, Freire uses more often the term ‘multiculturalidade’ rather than ‘multiculturalismo’ (multiculturalism) since the former suffix ‘-dad(e)’ has a different meaning which refers to the ontological nature of the condition and is more usual in both Portuguese and Spanish. This article also argues for the relevance of a theory of intercultural ethics in the contemporary world that imprints (inter)cultural flexibility on the current hermeneutics of ethics while preventing excessive abuses on behalf of relativism, dogmatism, essentialism and fundamentalism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigated male victims’ experiences of female-perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV). Seven participants were interviewed and the data were analysed using Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Four essential themes were revealed. (1) Participants identified themselves as victims of abuse (experiencing physical and multiple forms of abuse). (2) They felt they were victims of controlling abuse (through the use of children and isolation). (3) Respondents experienced manipulation through gendered stereotypes of abuse. (4) They felt it was different because they were men. The participants within this study were often deeply affected by the abuse they had experienced. Previous research has found male abusers use societal structures and norms to enable their abuse. The participants in this study felt that their female abusers were equally adept doing this, although the mechanisms were different. Further research should look at the processes by which abusers of either gender control and abuse their victims. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Low conviction rates of child sexual assault ( CSA) remain a persistent social problem in Australia. One reason for this may be the impact of attitudes regarding the victims when the evidence is weak. This article examines the effects of victim age on perceptions of credibility and verdict in a CSA case. Eleven electronic focus groups deliberated a fictional CSA case, in which the age of the child was systemically varied between 6 and 15 years. Deliberation transcripts were analysed with NVivo (Version 9, QSR International Pty Ltd., Burlington, MA, USA), from which thematic clusters were derived. Results showed that as the child's age increased, credibility and guilty verdicts decreased. In addition, testimony alone had little impact in influencing the verdict. These findings suggest that in lieu of corroborating evidence, increasing supporting information, such as expert testimony, and providing structured deliberation for the jury may reduce the influence of victim blame, particularly when the child victim is older. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data gathered from participant observation and 32 individual in-depth interviews, this study examines how victim advocates achieve emotion management in their work with battered women. This research reveals that victim advocates often experience difficulty coping with occupational stress via daily “deep acting” strategies as they work to change their understandings of battered women and the advocate role from the “inside out.” The data reveal that the core of their ability to cope requires victim advocates to redefine their perceived role from “savior” to “options giver” to more accurately define their role interactions with battered women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Torture and human rights abuses are a global epidemic, occuring in the majority of world nations. Global population movement has seen an increase in applications for asylum and refugee status in Western nations; Ireland is no exception. Many of these applicants have been subjected to torture and abuse in their homeland resulting in a significant burden of mental health problems to include depression, psychological disturbances and/or posttraumatic stress syndrome (Health Service Executive, 2008). Specialists teams work with survivors of torture on these issues however many of the other illnesses they experience are similar to those of the general population and they will seek care and attention from acute healthcare facilities where they will be met by the general medical/surgical nurse. While those working in the mental health sector will play a primary role in the provision of care, a multidisciplinary approach is essential. Nurses working in the acute general setting have a role to play in providing culturally competent care, advocating for this group and directing them to specialist services to support them in rebuilding their lives. These nurses have a moral and ethical responsibility to provide the best possible care and attention to all their patients (International Council of Nurses, 2006). The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of torture on the survivor's life and the contribution of the general medical/surgical nurse in caring for these survivors in the acute hospital setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the causal pathways and factors associated with being involved in bullying behaviour as a bully-victim using longitudinal data from students aged 11–14 years over the transition time from primary to secondary school. Examination of bully-victim pathways suggest a critical time to intervene is prior to transition from the end of primary school to the beginning of secondary school to prevent and reduce the harm from bullying. Negative outcome expectancies from bullying perpetration were a significant predictor of being a bully-victim at the end of the first year of secondary school. The findings show an association between peer support, connectedness to school, pro-victim attitudes, outcome expectancies and level of bullying involvement. Implications for intervention programs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Research in settings similar to assisted living facilities suggests that relational aggression, an indirect and mature form of aggression, might occur in assisted living facilities. This empirical study investigates the existence of relational aggression in a sample of residents and the relationship between relational aggression and resident's subjective well-being. Design and Methods: 121 residents from six assisted living facilities completed questionnaires assessing personal experiences as victims of relational aggression and subjective well-being. Also nurses reported on victimization of relational aggression for every participant. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between both reports of relational aggression and subjective well-being. Results: Relational aggression was shown to exist in assisted living facilities according to both residents (prevalence: 19%) and nurses (prevalence: 41%). Chi-square testing revealed no association between ratings by nurses and residents. Self-reports of victimization of relational aggression were related to depression, anxiety, satisfaction with life and social loneliness, but not to emotional loneliness. Nurse-reports of victimization of relational aggression were not related to subjective well-being. Implications: Self-reports of relational aggression seem to be better predictors of resident's well-being than nurse-reports of relational aggression. Awareness of these findings and the discrepancy between nurse-reports and self-reports are important for practice and for future research regarding social dynamics and living arrangements in elderly care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationships between perceived and self-reported parent verbal aggression and their young adult children's intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration. Two hundred undergraduate students completed an in-person self-administered survey measuring IPV victimization and perpetration, as well as perceived parent verbal aggression. Three-hundred and eighty-six mail surveys were also sent to their parents; 79% of parents returned the surveys. Results indicate that perceived mother and father verbal aggression was related to higher levels of victimization and perpetration across several forms of IPV for both daughters and sons. The data appear to support theory that suggests parents of the same sex as their children are stronger models for aggressive behavior (Bandura, 1986). In addition, there were some differences in perceived and self-reported data for ratings of parent verbal aggression. Results of this investigation indicate that perceived parent communication has a significant impact on young adult children's victimization and perpetration of violence in intimate partner relationships. The findings also suggest that interventions aimed at developing and enhancing parent communication skills can help prevent or reduce the risk of young adult children becoming involved in violent relationships, as well as reducing risk factors for other adverse health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disgrace, by J.M. Coetzee, is a story of a rape; more, it is a tale in which the victim of the rape, Lucy Lurie, is silent. She demands neither sympathy nor justice for what happens toher, presenting herself as neither a victim nor someone seeking revenge. Instead she stands as a witness, and does so by adopting an attitude reminiscent of the thinking of Simone Weil—rejecting the possibility of rights, and not looking for explanations. Rape, Coetzee thus suggests, is an act without meaning, a trauma whose reality cannot be exorcised through narration. Fittingly, therefore, the novel ends with a tableau of Lucy growing flowers in her garden; living, like Candide, without rationalisation or consolatory myth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This small-scale study explores the impact on counsellors of working with clients who have experienced spiritual abuse. Participants were five counsellors who have worked with spiritually abused clients. They were interviewed and the data analysed using a bricolage of heuristic and interpretative phenomenological analysis. The data indicate that counsellors experience symptoms of visceral traumatization and secondary traumatic stress disorder characterized by feelings of anger, outrage, sadness, grief, powerlessness, cynicism, helplessness, frustration, disassociation, needing to justify or vindicate God and protect the spiritual community—rather than the abuser—and wariness of leadership of spiritual communities. However, working with clients who were spiritually abused deepened and strengthened the counsellors' relationship with God in a profound way. The research also highlights the need for greater awareness to be had of spirituality and spiritual abuse in supervision and training courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-one men and 67 women undergraduate students, as well as 35 men and 27 women Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers, rated the abusiveness of intimate partner violence (IPV) vignettes portraying each possible gender combination of victim and perpetrator (Harris & Cook, 1994). Rating differences according to victim and perpetrator gender, occupation (student or RCMP officer), and participant gender were anticipated. Analyses found that student and RCMP ratings of abuse severity were both highest for the male-female scenario. However, the RCMP considered the female-male, male-male, and female-female scenarios to be more abusive than did the students. Our findings suggest that, while the RCMP appeared to be more sensitive to male and same-sex victims than students, both groups remain somewhat biased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the rise in physical aggression among girls in the pre-adolescent age group. The article also examines the point of view of the primary and secondary victims of physical abuse. The thematic progression of girl-to-girl violence is also discussed as well as information for parents, professional counselors and female victims to prevent future cases of violence.

Teen dating violence is a common and often overlooked problem in schools. The consequences of teen dating violence often include decreased academic achievement and increased risk for school failure. The law may provide relief for targets of teen dating violence, including granting orders of protection (no-contact orders) against their perpetrators. In this article, the author provides guidance for school leaders in serving students who have no-contact orders against abusive peers, including guidance for policy development and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts by women's rights activists, concomitant with results of research studies and court cases, have prompted legal reforms in public policy that include recently implemented mandatory arrest and prosecution laws, A review of the recent research since the advent of these laws suggests that arrests of women have increased by 25-35%, while the most liberal estimate is that only 1-7% of all IPV arrests are of actual female primary batterers, suggesting that victim arrests are on the rise. Various factors contribute to officers arresting not only primary batterers but victims as well, creating contusion and resentment over mandatory arrest policies. The negative implications of this arrest pattern are far-reaching because errant arrests hold negative consequences for victims, including legal, financial, employment, and familial repercussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to detail some of the ways that social policy and gendered practices put older men at risk of elder mistreatment. Research on the abuse and neglect that older adults experience has often focused on the characteristics of the victims and the dynamics within families, emphasizing factors such as the likelihood of an intergenerational cycle of violence, substance abuse and dependency, and older men's financial status as key risks in elder abuse. The effect on men from this type of analysis is that elder mistreatment remains an individual or family problem rather than being viewed as a larger societal concern. This article challenges the individualistic focus by outlining the importance of societal forces affecting older men's risk of mistreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abuse of men is still very much a taboo subject, so identifying older men who have been abused in childhood or adulthood can be very difficult. This paper discusses the problems in identifying older male victims by drawing on the findings of two research projects. Statistical evidence is presented regarding the victims and the abuse they have experienced. It is argued that in general resources are not readily available to facilitate disclosure or to help men through the healing process. An example of good practice is presented by discussing the work undertaken with an older man through group work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has linked child abuse and neglect with problems in brain development and long-term behavioral consequences. Due to the overwhelming number of people who have experienced abuse it is likely that clinicians will come across a client who has a history of abuse. This research update focuses on recently published articles that provide helpful information for psychotherapists working with clients who are abuse victims. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) for women presenting to health care settings is estimated to be 38–59%. With the goal of providing help to victims of abuse, numerous IPV assistance programmes have been developed and evaluated across multiple health care settings. Objective: Our scoping review provides an overview of this literature to identify key areas for potential evidence-based recommendations and to focus research priorities. Methods: We conducted a search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and psycINFO. We used broad eligibility criteria to identify studies that evaluated the effectiveness of IPV assistance programmes delivered within health care settings. We completed all screening and data extraction independently and in duplicate. We used descriptive statistics to summarize all data. Results: Forty-three studies met all eligibility criteria and were included in our scoping review. Nine categories of assistance programmes were identified: counselling/advocacy, safety assessment/planning, referral, providing IPV resources, home visitation, case management, videos, provider cueing, and system changes. Characteristics of programmes amongst studies frequently reporting positive results included those in which one type of active assistance was used (77.8% of studies reported positive results), a counsellor, community worker, or case manager provided the intervention (83.3% of studies reported positive results), and programmes that were delivered over more than five sessions (100.0% of studies reported positive results). Conclusions: IPV assistance programmes are heterogeneous with regards to the types of assistance they include and how they are delivered and evaluated. This heterogeneity creates challenges in identifying which IPV assistance programmes, and which aspects of these programmes, are effective. However, it appears that many different types of IPV assistance programmes can have positive impacts on women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]