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OBJECTIVE: Alcohol-involved sexual assault remains a pervasive problem, with extensive individual- and societal-level costs. Emotion regulation (ER), the process through which an individual modulates emotional states, remains an understudied predictor of sexual assault perpetration, with past research focusing on general ER tendencies (e.g., trait ER) as predictors of sexual assault perpetration. This study sought to examine the associations between state ER on sexual assault perpetration in the context of state anger and acute alcohol intoxication. METHOD: Single, male social drinkers aged 21–30 with a history of sexual risk-taking (N = 92) participated in an alcohol administration paradigm and were randomly assigned to an alcohol condition [sober control vs. intoxicated (BrAC = .10%)]. Intoxicated and sober participants completed a sexual assault analogue that assessed state anger, state ER, and sexual assault perpetration intentions against a hypothetical female partner. RESULTS: Path analysis demonstrated interactive effects of state ER and state anger on sexual assault perpetration intentions. Relative to men with low and moderate levels of anger, state ER was associated with lower intentions to perpetrate sexual assault for men with high levels of anger. Alcohol intoxication did not directly predict state ER, state anger, or sexual assault perpetration intentions. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that state ER may be protective against sexual assault perpetration for men who experience anger in response to a partner’s expression of non-consent. Because replication is necessary, the results carry tentative implications for state ER as an intervention target for sexual assault prevention programming.

Purpose This paper aims to review the clinical approach adopted in prison-based therapeutic communities (TCs) for working with residents who have committed sexual offences. It reviews recent research and practice developments and explores the implications for TCs. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes a “think tank” review process which explores and reviews practice. This paper discusses the current approach adopted by TCs when working with those who have sexually offended and explores changes in clinical approach which could be considered in the light of current developments. Findings This paper explores the implications for TCs of the recent research and wider practice developments in interventions for those who have sexually offended. Practical implications This paper presents clinical options for working with those who deny their offence and undertaking victim empathy and offence disclosure work. It makes recommendations regarding staff training and support. It also discusses the strengths of the TC approach and how these can be built upon. Social implications This paper makes recommendations concerning how practice could be improved which promotes safety and public protection and enhances resident well-being. Originality/value There has been no recent review of TC clinical practice for working with those who have sexually offended.

The prevalence of online child pornography is a major societal issue. The criminal justice system has struggled with assessing the risk of individuals involved in online sexual offenses against children, especially when it involves the possession of child pornography. Research suggests there are different categories of offenders involved in this type of behavior (e.g., Online Child Pornography Offenders, Dual Offenders, Contact Offenders), with each category having different motivations, contributing factors, and levels of risk to re-offend or escalate their criminal behavior to more serious offenses (i.e., collecting pictures to contact offending). Determining the risk that individuals involved in online sexual offenses against children pose to re-offend or escalate their criminal behavior has been problematic. Traditional sexual offender risk measures have lower predictive validity when dealing with online child pornography offenders. This article discusses the need for a formalized hybrid risk assessment model that combines the current online sex offenses against children risk measures with digital forensics artifact analysis. The evidence derived from digital forensics artifact analysis can supplement the predictive risk factors obtained from these risk assessment tools, thus increasing the reliability and validity of the risk assessment.

From media attention to legislative actions, individuals convicted of sex offenses are often perceived as dangerous and a threat to society. Previous research, however, has demonstrated that perceived dangerousness is gender-specific, often minimizing culpability for women convicted of sex offenses. Consequently, previous research on sentencing outcomes of these individuals have largely been male-only samples, leaving a gap in the literature as it pertains to females convicted of sex offenses. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining the impact that those convicted, victims, and offense characteristics had on sentencing outcomes for women convicted of sex offenses. We analyzed a sample of 262 females convicted of a sex offense in a Southern state. The results demonstrated that official case characteristics, along with victim characteristics, play an influential role in the judicial decision to impose an incarceration sentence.

Many forensic assessment measures are developed and validated under research conditions but applied in the field, where professionals or paraprofessionals have varied training, unknown fidelity to administration procedures, and contextual pressures related to their institutions or legal system. Yet few studies examine the generalizability of psychometric properties of these scales as actually applied in field settings. This study examined 4,433 individuals assessed by probation officers on the Static-99R or STABLE-2007 sexual recidivism risk scales in British Columbia, Canada. Sexual, violent, and any recidivism were examined. Static-99R and STABLE-2007 had moderate accuracy in discriminating recidivists from non-recidivists, and both scales added incrementally in predicting all three outcomes (with Static-99R demonstrating higher accuracy). Organizing the items into constructs, sexual criminality, general criminality, and youthful stranger aggression incrementally predicted all three outcomes. For violent and any recidivism, the incremental effect of sexual criminality was in the negative direction (i.e., high sexual criminality was associated with relatively lower rates of violent and any recidivism). Calibration analyses indicated that recidivism rates were lower than what would be predicted by the norms for the scales. The current study also presented a meta-analysis of 15 field validity studies of Static-99R and 4 field validity studies of STABLE-2007. Results of the current study and meta-analysis support the field application of Static-99R and STABLE-2007, while emphasizing the importance of training and proper implementation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Men’s sexual violence against women is pervasive and is commonly committed against young women by intimate partners. Limited research has examined occurrence rates of intimate partner sexual violence among university students separated by various tactics and sexual acts. Using surveys with convenience samples of 142 Canadian university women and 441 Canadian university men, we examined women’s self-reported intimate partner sexual violence victimization and men’s self-reported perpetration rates in their most recent heterosexual intimate relationship in the past year. We examined a detailed breakdown across different tactics (i.e., verbal coercion, intoxication, and threats of harm/physical force) and sexual acts (i.e., nonpenetrative sexual contact; oral, vaginal, and anal penetration). Thirty-three percent of women reported at least one victimization experience, and 16% of men reported at least one perpetration experience. The most common tactic reported was verbal coercion for both women’s victimization and men’s perpetration, and the most common sexual act reported was vaginal penetration for women’s victimization and oral sex for men’s perpetration. We also examined contextual features and perceptions of the effects of perpetrators’ most memorable incidents. These most memorable incidents often occurred either in their own or their partner’s home and involved alcohol consumption. Most men reported no significant effects of their sexual violence on their relationships and sometimes normalized their behavior. We briefly discuss the implications of our results for future research and interventions.

This paper describes the post-incarceration reintegration experiences of military veterans convicted of sex offenses and identify potential interventions to ease reintegration for this population. Participants were a convenience sample of 14 veterans who were on sex offender (SO) registries and 21 community stakeholders involved in supporting persons during re-entry. Subjects were identified purposively and through snowball sampling, in Massachusetts. We employed semi-structured qualitative interviews of participants, followed by analysis including process mapping to identify barrier and facilitation points. We used both a grounded thematic approach and a priori codes, guided by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations. We found re-entry barriers include older age, stigma, lack of social support, inadequate information about sexual offense levels, limited housing options and access to mental health treatment to reduce sexual impulses, and re-entry information tailored to SOs. Re-entry facilitators include access to SO treatment, knowledge about services, self-efficacy, ability to self-advocate, and social support. Interventions to aid successful re-entry include pre-release counseling and classes tailored to SO needs, re-entry planning including housing resources, sexual deviance treatment, and referral to legal counseling to assist with altering assigned SO level. Specific needs and resources unique to veterans should be integrated into reentry plans. Convicted SOs often lack information and assistance to prepare for life after release, putting them at increased risk of homelessness, emotional difficulties, and financial hardship. Failure to recognize the unique needs of this population, and to leverage resources, creates a public health risk as it increases the likelihood that SOs will recidivate. Veterans who are SOs have unique resources available to them through the Veterans Administration such as SO treatment and peer-support specialists. Nevertheless there are additional steps that could be beneficial, such as timely provision of information, creating more opportunities for treatment, and providing more housing options.

Given the number of veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) and the impact of these experiences on veteran health, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) providers frequently communicate with patients about these experiences, either as part of the VHA's universal MST screening program or more comprehensive clinical care. The purpose of this study was to understand veterans' perceptions of communication related to MST disclosures with VHA providers. We conducted qualitative interviews, including a numeric rating question, with 55 veterans whose medical records indicated recent MST-related interactions with VHA providers. The sample included men and women, with and without histories of MST. We analyzed interview transcripts using matrices and identified themes related to satisfaction with communication. Veterans from all groups reported generally high satisfaction with MST-related communication, although men, as a group, reported a much larger range of satisfaction ratings than women. Key provider-related indicators of satisfaction included providers' communication mechanics and nonspecific patient-centered skills and characteristics. One patient-related indicator of lower satisfaction-inherent discomfort discussing MST experiences-was particularly represented among men with MST histories. These data from veteran patients will be reassuring to providers whose concerns about patient reactions to these conversations may inhibit them from raising this important issue. Understanding variables that promote patient satisfaction with MST disclosure communication is critical for promoting sensitive patient-provider interactions about MST. This ultimately can have important downstream effects on veteran health, allowing veterans to forge satisfying relationships with providers and ultimately facilitate recovery from traumatic experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

A contentious criminal justice policy issue in recent times has been community management policies for individuals convicted of sexual offenses. This systematic review attained professionals’ views, areas of concern, and recommendations for community management policies. It went beyond the extant literature by exploring perceptions of heterogenous professional groups involved in the criminal justice system. Of the 25 studies, 12 were quantitative, nine qualitative, and four mixed methods, and included custodial and community correctional officers, probation officers, psychologists, police officers, prosecutors, lawmakers, and academics. Overall, professionals mostly supported the policies, but had less support for public registries and community notification. Four key issues associated with the policies were apparent: problems with actuarial risk assessment tools, difficulties accessing information with partner agencies, limited resources, and lack of education among the public. Within this, four recommendations were identified. These findings offer a valuable resource for researchers, along with government and policy professionals tasked with overseeing community management policies.

This is an exploratory study on a sample of male adolescents adjudicated for sex offenses (N = 129) previously examined in a predictive validity study (please see Rasmussen 2017, for details of the...

People with pedophilia (PWP) are highly stigmatized. Public opinion is strongly pre-consolidated – it is often assumed that every PWP commits child sex offenses. This presumption not only affects PWP negatively. Research suggests that this stigmatization may cohere with PWP actually committing child sex offenses. Various recent studies have investigated different kinds of anti-stigma interventions and their effectiveness. Direct contact to a PWP has not yet been investigated. The present pilot study aimed at finding out whether a dichotomous anti-stigma intervention can change psychology students’ attitudes towards PWP regarding perceived dangerousness, intentionality, deviance, and punitive attitudes. In a one sample pre-post design, we presented 162 students of the University of Groningen with both an educational lecture and direct contact to a PWP. Participants learned about child sex offending and pedophilia. Then, Gabriel, a PWP shared his experiences about growing up, coping, and living with pedophilia. Results of the one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significantly diminished negative attitudes towards PWP after the intervention. Students perceived PWP as less dangerous, having less intent, and being less psychologically deviant. Additionally, students’ punitive attitudes towards PWP diminished significantly. Also, a thematic analysis revealed that students were highly interested in the topic of pedophilia and greatly appreciative of Gabriel sharing his story. This pilot study was the first to provide evidence for the effectiveness of a combination of an educational lecture and direct contact to a PWP as an anti-stigma intervention.

Despite being well-researched, the conceptualization of psychopathy incites much debate within the field. Results from network analysis can inform these debates by graphically and quantitatively depicting the core characteristics of the construct of psychopathy. Existing network studies with Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL-R) scores suggest the affective traits are most central to the construct of psychopathy, but more studies are needed. The current study examined network models developed using data from risk assessments of individuals convicted of a sex offense ( N = 615). Findings corroborate some aspects of previous network studies in that affective features were most central to the construct and antisocial traits were least central, but there were instances of traits with notably higher centrality (e.g., Pathological Lying, Need for Stimulation, and Impulsivity) or lower centrality (e.g., Shallow Affect) than in prior research, suggesting that trait centrality may vary depending on the sample and evaluation context.

Abstract. Psychopathy is a primary risk factor of re-offending in sexual offenders. Conceptually, both variable-centered (e.g., factor analysis) and clustering methods (e.g., latent profile analysis) have been used in previous research. Variable-centered and clustering methods were merged in a simultaneous modeling strategy for two purposes: First, to test assumptions on the emergence of psychopathic versus sociopathic (antisocial) sub-groups. And second to compare the predictive validity of clusters with that afforded by a dimensional cut-score. Using mixture modeling, two types of models were estimated: Latent class factor-analytic (LCFA) and factor-mixture models (FMM). The four-factor model of psychopathy as assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was estimated for up to 12 latent classes in a sample of adult male sexual offenders from Austria ( N = 1,266). Solutions with five (LCFA) and two latent classes (FMM) provided a good and parsimonious fit for the data. The two-latent-class FMM solution yielded higher predictive validity than a cut-score but only for general offense recidivism. Theoretically, this solution goes against etiological models that distinguish psychopathic from sociopathic (antisocial) individuals. Official data on offense recidivism (at a fixed 7-year-interval post-release) corroborate the importance of psychopathic offender subtypes. The rates of recidivism varied considerably between the subgroups.

Given the high rates of insecure attachment and adverse childhood experiences in men who sexually abuse, this pilot study examined whether an eight-month course of relationship-focused group therapy could make a positive impact on insecure attachment as a barrier to treatment engagement. Fifty subjects were identified by treatment teams as failing to make progress and/or engage meaningfully in a facility-based, sex offense-specific treatment program for civilly committed men who sexually offend. The subjects were assigned to five simultaneous new “motivational” groups that applied interpersonal-focused group therapy that emphasized interpersonal relating rather than criminogenic offense behavior. Participants showed significant improvement on the Secure Attachment subscale and three Secure items of the Relationship Styles Questionnaire (RSQ), suggesting that group-centered group promoted positive gains in interpersonal attachment, particularly in terms of reduced loneliness, reduced fear of acceptance, and greater comfort in depending on others. Participants assessed as having made good progress in the pilot treatment also showed significant improvement on a fourth Secure subscale item pertaining to greater ease with emotional closeness. Results further suggested that groups with better overall ratings of therapeutic climate using the Group Climate Questionnaire (GCQ) generally showed more movement toward secure attachment.

In response to several high-profile violent offenses against children over the past two decades, Congress has enacted several pieces of legislation aimed at increasing punishment for those convicted of federal sex offenses. Coinciding with these enhanced penalties was a demographic shift in the composition of those prosecuted for these offenses. In the federal criminal justice system, sex offenses fall into two main categories: child pornography and sexual abuse. The racial and ethnic makeup of individuals charged for federal sex offenses has significantly changed over the past 15 years. The current study utilizes federal sentencing data from the United States Sentencing Commission for the years 2006 to 2017 to explore the nature of punishment for these offenses over time. We also employ multivariate analyses to examine differences in punishment for the two types of offenses and employ disaggregated analyses by offense type to examine temporal change in racial/ethnic disparities in sentence length and departures from the federal sentencing guidelines. Findings demonstrate that convicted individuals who are Black and Hispanic are receiving harsher sentences over time net of controls for other key predictors such as age, sex, criminal history, and presumptive sentence length. Implications for how legislatively enhanced penalties and changing demographic makeup of those convicted for these offenses may have introduced extra-legal disparity into federal sentencing are further discussed.

The intensity of peritraumatic emotions occurring at the time of, and in the hours or days immediately following, a traumatic event prospectively predicts posttraumatic stress symptom severity. However, less is known about how the perception of one's ability to tolerate distressing emotions affects the relation between peritraumatic emotions and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Therefore, the current study investigated how perceived distress tolerance affects the association between peritraumatic emotional intensity and symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Participants included 72 adult women with a history of sexual victimization. Ratings of peritraumatic emotions (e.g., fear, anger, sadness, guilt, and shame), perceived distress tolerance, and posttraumatic stress symptoms were examined. All analyses controlled for general negative affect. Significant interactions emerged for overall peritraumatic emotional intensity, and specifically for peritraumatic anger, sadness, and shame. The associations between these peritraumatic emotions and posttraumatic stress symptoms were stronger for individuals with lower perceived ability to tolerate distress. Our results suggest that peritraumatic emotional experiences may be particularly relevant to understanding the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms among individuals who have difficulty tolerating intense negative emotional states. Future research should examine whether perceived distress tolerance might serve as a potential target for posttraumatic stress prevention efforts.

This is a qualitative exploratory study by the “Assistance and Vigilance Research Program on Violence”, focusing on a group of seven sexual abuse survivors and their mothers. The study’s objective is to develop a caretaker protocol for Parent Vigilant Care. Observers register protocol sessions by themes evolving within the action group. The information is organized into categories: 1) Hidden pain, 2) Caring is protecting, and 3) Breaking through isolation. Observation and conclusions focus on the following: 1) The disconnect revealed by mothers and daughters on the role of mothers in their daughters’ lives, 2) The potential for recovery of affective relationships, 3) Respect development for a horizontal or equalization of power, 4) The return or rescue of a mother’s competency and authority.

OBJECTIVE: High rates of alcohol-related sexual assault among young adults represent a significant public health problem. Bystander intervention programs are a promising strategy to reduce sexual assault incidence. However, little is known about how bystander intoxication may modify bystander intervention effectiveness. We examined the role of bystander intoxication and intoxication levels of the hypothetical victim and perpetrator on outcomes associated with Latané and Darley’s (1970) steps of bystander intervention, which include noticing a situation, assessment of risk and need for intervention, taking personal responsibility for intervening, and selecting an intervention. METHOD: In a field setting, participants were recruited from a downtown area surrounded by several drinking establishments. After providing informed consent, 327 participants (45% women) ages 21 – 29 years listened to one of four sexual assault vignettes (varied by victim and perpetrator intoxication), responded to questionnaires assessing outcomes related to steps of bystander intervention, and completed a field breathalyzer test to measure intoxication level. RESULTS: We found that increased participant intoxication was related to decreased accuracy of situation recall and assessment of risk and need for intervention, but not ratings of personal responsibility to intervene, chosen intervention strategy, or confidence to intervene. CONCLUSIONS: Intoxication could influence how a bystander interprets a hypothetical nonconsensual sexual interaction at the level of accurate situation recall and risk assessment. If the early steps of information processing are impaired by intoxication, later steps of intervention enactment may not occur successfully. Bystander intervention programming may consider incorporating training to overcome the impairing effects of intoxication for identifying harmful situations and choosing to intervene.

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) sits within the intersection of intimate partner violence and sexual violence. It is prevalent, yet poorly understood. Research consistently shows that IPSV is associated with many mental and physical health issues although the mental health aspects are often the most damaging. Despite this, there is poor understanding of the mechanisms through which IPSV causes trauma and poor mental health. To address this gap, I used interpretative phenomenological analysis of n = 38 in-depth interviews with women in Australia to explore their lived experiences of IPSV. The essence of IPSV was described as “Being attacked from the inside out” and comprised four themes. The first, “Shaken foundations,” described devastating betrayal and loss of trust. The second, “A different kind of damage,” suggested that sexual violence impacts women differently from physical or psychological violence in a relationship. The third theme, “It kills something inside you,” addressed the dehumanizing aspects of IPSV. The final theme, “Lingering scar tissue,” focused on the long-term impacts of IPSV on women’s sexuality and relationships. The findings of this study highlight the “invisible impacts” of IPSV, which may be the pathways through which it causes trauma.

Much attention has been paid to the examination of community sentiment regarding convicted sex offenders and the policy that governs these offenders’ behavior. This literature, however, has largely been absent of international comparisons of sex offender community sentiment. The current study seeks to fill this gap by drawing from the results of surveys ( n = 333) conducted in both the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). Results indicate that sex offender policy is generally supported in both the US and the UK. Contrary to our expectations, we found that participants from the UK were less tolerant of sex offenders residing in their neighborhoods than participants from the US. Additionally, there is support for the notion that sex offender policy holds a symbolic value for both study locations. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Sexual grooming has been deemed an integral part of the child sexual abuse process. However, there has yet to be a universally accepted model for this process and, as a consequence, there is no clear understanding of which behaviors constitute sexual grooming. One proposed model of in-person sexual grooming outlined five stages of the process: 1) victim selection, 2) gaining access and isolating a child, 3) trust development, 4) desensitization to sexual content and physical contact, and 5) maintenance following the abuse. The present study sought to validate this Sexual Grooming Model (SGM) and identify behaviors that may be employed during each stage of the process. First, a thorough review of the literature was conducted to generate a comprehensive list of sexual grooming behaviors (

Objectives Few studies have examined how much individuals change on intermediate targets of risk to reoffend. Even fewer studies have examined the extent to which change on such measures predict reoffending. Establishing the validity of intermediate measures requires a multistep approach that (a) assesses the reliability of the change, (b) assesses change using statistical analyses that can account for measurement error, and (c) examines the extent to which change on these intermediate measures predict reoffending. Method The current study examined the validity of an intermediate measure of risk to reoffend scored by community supervision officers (i.e., ACUTE-2007) in a large sample of men convicted of sexually motivated offenses (N = 632). Results We found that risk to reoffend changes across time, the pattern of change varies across individuals, risk levels can predict different patterns of change, and that the best predictors of recidivism are the latest score or a rolling average of scores. Conclusions Community supervision can use recent information concerning the community adjustment of their clients to predict recidivism. Best practice includes updating assessments and adjusting supervision practices based on their clients' most recent assessment, or the average of previous assessments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective Experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion synergistically form what is known as the closed response style. Prior study findings indicate that the closed response style, examined as an interaction between experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion, relates to posttraumatic stress symptom severity among a heterogeneous sample of trauma survivors. The present study sought to extend those findings by examining the association between the closed response style and posttraumatic stress symptom severity specifically among women who survived a Criterion A sexual trauma. Method The sample was 136 women attending a southern U.S. university who reported Criterion A sexual trauma exposure. Participants completed self-report measures assessing the study variables. Results The predicted interaction between experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion accounted for unique variance in posttraumatic stress symptom severity (total symptom severity, along with hyperarousal and alterations in cognitions and mood). Simple effects indicated that experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion only shared associations with posttraumatic stress symptom severity when coupled with high levels of the other process (i.e., cognitive fusion or experiential avoidance, respectively). Conclusions Results provide further support for the potential relevance of the closed response style to posttraumatic stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Abstract. We examined the structural and predictive properties of the Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense (VRS-SO) version in an Austrian sample of N = 666 men incarcerated for sexual offenses; 353 of whom were followed up an average of 11 years post-release. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis of dynamic item scores supported a three-factor model (Sexual Deviance, Criminality, and Treatment Responsivity) consistent with prior research. VRS-SO static, dynamic, and total scores showed good properties of discrimination for sexual (area under the receiver operating curve [AUC] = .68–.80) and violent (AUC = .65–.68) recidivism, while the factor scores showed differential prediction of these outcomes. Calibration analyses demonstrated lower estimated rates of 5-year sexual reoffense associated with VRS-SO score bands in the present sample compared to observed rates from the normative sample, with closest correspondence observed for the highest risk band (E/O index = 1.01). Implications for the psychometric properties and application of the VRS-SO in international settings are discussed.

OBJECTIVES: Researchers and practitioners are becoming increasingly aware that domestic and sexual violence (DSV) can be addressed at the community level by involving bystanders (or actionists, a term used to specify third parties who help as opposed to those who stand by). Since most research on DSV actionists has been conducted in secondary and higher educational contexts, little is known about actionist behaviors in towns and neighborhoods among adults. The current study examines how groups of actionists with differing levels of proactive and reactive behaviors related to DSV prevention vary in their community perceptions. METHODS: We surveyed 1,623 adults (age range = 18 and over; 95% White; 52% female) across four rural communities in New England using direct mail methods. We asked participants about their perceived opportunities for taking action in the face of acute DSV risk and about any such actions they had taken in their communities during the past year. We also asked about participants’ perceptions of community prevention-related social norms. From this data, we calculated prevention action ratios that resulted in three groups of actionists: non-responders, occasional responders, and frequent responders. RESULTS: Individuals who more consistently responded to DSV reported positive perceptions of community social norms and processes. The most involved group of actionists had stronger perceptions of injunctive community norms. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that prevention strategies that aim to change social norms among adults may enhance prevention outcomes in communities.

The aim of this qualitative study was to understand and differentiate between women's experiences of "stealthing" (non-consensual condom removal) and reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA) which is defined as any deliberate attempt to control a woman's reproductive choices or interfere with her reproductive autonomy. These two experiences are often conflated within the literature, yet little is known about whether this understanding reflects women's lived reality. We recruited female participants from a large Australian metropolitan hospital who self-identified as having experienced a partner interfering with contraception or trying to force them to get pregnant or end a pregnancy against their wishes. Fourteen women (predominantly white, educated and employed) participated in an in-depth interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and a process of thematic narrative analysis was undertaken, focusing on the meanings women assigned to their experiences and the differences and similarities across the stories. Analysis revealed that stories about stealthing were characterized by disrespect and selfishness, whereas RCA stories highlighted control with intent. The concepts of intent and control can therefore be understood as central to defining RCA and differentiating it from stealthing. It seems likely that stealthing is primarily a form of sexual violence, as it lacks the specific reproductive intent that characterizes RCA. These findings have important implications for how RCA and stealthing are addressed and measured in research and responded to in practice.

The Static-99R has been recommended for use as a first global screen for sorting out sex-convicted persons who are in need of further risk assessment. This study investigated the Static-99R’s predictive validity based on a nonselected Norwegian sample ( n = 858) of persons released from prison after having served a sex crime sentence. After a mean observation period of 2,183 days, 3.4% ( n = 29) had recidivated to a new sex offense. A higher number of recidivists were found among those with higher Static-99R total scores. The predictive contribution from each of the ten Static-99R risk items was investigated using standard logistic regression, proportional hazard regression, and random forest classification algorithm. The overall results indicate that the Static-99R is relevant as a risk screen in a Norwegian context, providing similar results concerning predictive accuracy as previous studies.