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Understanding the dynamics and vulnerability factors involved in intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among emerging adults is important in order to better prevent it from happening. The current study aimed to investigate the relationships among dysfunctional attitudes, sociotropy-autonomy, and types of IPV victimization (i.e., psychological, physical, and sexual) and severity (i.e., minor or severe) in emerging adulthood. Through an online survey, 929 emerging adults (84.6% women, mean age = 23.61) completed self-report questionnaires related to variables explored. When checking for childhood abuse, dysfunctional attitudes, sociotropy, and autonomy were related to IPV victimization for at least one type of violence and one scale of severity. The regression models show that independence from others and importance given to others are related to greater severe and minor physical violence, respectively. Attraction to loneliness seemed related to lesser minor psychological violence, whilst valorization of freedom of movement and action were related to greater minor sexual violence. The capacity to oppose others seemed related to greater severe sexual violence. These different cognitive and social characteristics may be associated with poorer social skills, thus making emerging adults more vulnerable to IPV victimization. The preventive and clinical implications are discussed.

Although there are many studies examining the psychosocial vulnerability factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in emerging adulthood, little is known about the life skills that may be involved, such as social problem solving (SPS) and self-esteem. The aim of the current study is to explore the relationships between SPS, self-esteem, and types (i.e., psychological, physical and sexual) and severity of IPV victimization in emerging adulthood. Based on a French online survey, 929 emerging adults (84.6% of whom were women with a mean age of 23.6) completed self-report questionnaires related to SPS (problem orientations and problem-solving styles), self-esteem and IPV victimization. The results showed that positive SPS skills and higher self-esteem were associated with lower severity of IPV. Multivariate analyses showed that the most associated factors of severe forms of IPV were avoidant and impulsive/carelessness styles. Minor sexual violence was positively associated with lower self-esteem and rational problem-solving skills, while minor psychological victimization was related to avoidant style. Upon completion of this study, it can be said that conflicts which escalate into IPV may be associated with dysfunctional conflict resolution styles, highlighting the importance of interventions that promote the development of life skills in order to prevent IPV.

Background: in France, 14.5% of women and 3.9% of men aged 20-69 years have experienced sexual violence. Of these, 40% will go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder. Sexual violence is therefore a major public health issue. In the present study, we tested a life skills development tool ( Selflife ) designed to prevent sexual violence in a population of healthcare students., Methods: a total of 225 French healthcare students were randomly divided into a control group using case studies ( n = 114) and a group using Selflife ( n = 111) to discuss the topic of sexual violence. After the session, they completed self-report questionnaires collecting sociodemographic data and probing their feelings about their participation, their life skills, and their verdict on the intervention., Results: compared with controls, participants in the Selflife group reported gaining more knowledge about sexual violence, a greater sense of improving their life skills, and greater satisfaction with the intervention., Conclusions: these results suggest that, in addition to providing information about sexual violence, Selflife helped students develop their life skills, thereby empowering them to act when confronted with sexual violence. Its impact on prevalence and on the psychological and psychiatric consequences remains to be assessed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the psychological barriers to and facilitators of undergoing the Hemoccult-II(®) colorectal cancer screening test in France. Sixty-nine French people aged 50 to 74 years were divided into seven qualitative focus groups. Three issues were discussed with participants: knowledge and beliefs about colorectal cancer screening; facilitators of colorectal cancer screening by Hemoccult-II(®) ; barriers to colorectal cancer screening by Hemoccult-II(®). All the discussions were led by two psychologists and were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative data analysis software. Correspondence factor analyses identified three dimensions for each topic. The main psychological facilitators of colorectal cancer screening were: information about colorectal cancer screening, perceived simplicity of using Hemoccult-II(®) , and perception of risk. Uncertainty about the reliability of Hemoccult-II(®), health anxiety, and embarrassment emerged as the main barriers to colorectal cancer screening. Cross-sectional analyses identified the differences between the views expressed by women and men. Women appeared more embarrassed about Hemoccult-II(®) and men seemed to be more worried about colorectal cancer. This preliminary study suggests that psychological factors play an important role in colorectal cancer screening by Hemoccult-II(®). This finding may help health organizations to conceive better awareness campaigns to promote colorectal cancer screening in order to reduce the related mortality rate by taking into account psychological determinants.