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Childhood trauma represents a major problem for Mexican Americans in the United States and is associated with the development of both depressive and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. Neuroticism is suggested to be a contributing factor in this relationship. Using a cross sectional design, we hypothesized that neuroticism would mediate the relationship between childhood trauma exposure, depressive, and PTS symptoms in a sample of Mexican American college students. Findings suggested: (a) neuroticism mediated the relationship between childhood trauma, depressive, and PTS symptoms; (b) neuroticism could be a point of intervention; and (c) screening for childhood trauma and neuroticism may benefit prevention.

Friends with benefits relationships (FWBRs) are a common form of relationship for college students that combine aspects of friendship with sex, yet little is known about commitment in these relationships and whether they are more similar to casual relationships or to romantic relationships. We investigated associations between investment, alternatives, and satisfaction, with commitment (per the Investment Model) in college students' FWBRs and examined how associations between variables differ by participant and partner gender. Primary analyses were conducted with male-female FWBRs (n = 252). Male-male (n = 19) and female-female (n = 4) FWBRs are described. Investment was the strongest predictor of commitment for participants in male-female FWBRs, with commitment higher among women than men when investment was high. Additionally, participants' perceptions that their own and their partners' commitment was asymmetrical, as well as reports of extra-dyadic sexual activity (i.e., sex outside the FWBR) correlated with lower commitment to the FWBR. Overall, results suggest that FWBRs can be distinguished not only from other casual sexual relationships such as hookups but can also be differentiated from romantic relationships. Future research and intervention work should measure commitment and investment to predict how these relationships can persist, as well as transition, over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars suggest traditional feminine gender roles (TFGRs) influence alcohol use among U.S. Latinas, but relevant literature is limited. This two-wave study examined how multi-dimensional internal (i.e., beliefs) and external (i.e., practices) TFGR processes related to drinking among college-bound Latina emerging adults across time. TFGRs characterized by virtue predicted less alcohol engagement, while some TFGR dimensions (e.g., subordinate) predicted more. TFGR practices more strongly predicted cross-sectional alcohol outcomes than TFGR beliefs, although some TFGR beliefs predicted later drinking. These findings highlight the utility of assessing multiple TFGR dimensions and domains to better understand the link between TFGRs and drinking among Latinas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from past research on women's motives for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, correlates of women's perpetration, and correlates of nonviolent conflict, we created a scale containing 125 possible motives, representing 14 broad domains (e.g., self-defense, retaliation). Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of women who had perpetrated no physical IPV against their current partner (n = 243), threats but not physical IPV (n = 70), nonsevere physical IPV (n = 193), and at least one act of severe (e.g., choke) physical IPV (n = 93). An exploratory factor analysis yielded a seven-factor solution, representing Partners' Negative Behaviors, Increase Intimacy, Personal Problems, Retaliation, Childhood Experiences, Situation/Mood, and Partners' Personal Problems. Differences by women's IPV perpetration and race and/or ethnicity were tested with means representing these seven factors and a computed variable representing self-defense. Although motives differed by perpetration type, main effects for Partners' Negative Behavior, Personal Problems, Retaliation, and Childhood Experiences were modified by interactions, suggesting ethnicity should be considered when developing interventions. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

Possible mediators of sexual abuse severity were tested on the basis of D. Finkelhor and A. Browne's (1985) traumagenic dynamics model with 178 low-income African American, European American, and Mexican American community women interviewed for Project HOW: Health Outcomes of Women. This subsample reported contact sexual abuse before the age of 18 years. Severity was level of force, number of perpetrators, relationship to perpetrator, and age at first assault. As expected, structural equation modeling showed powerlessness, and stigmatization largely mediated the effects of sexual abuse severity on women's psychological distress in adulthood. Powerlessness also mediated the effects of severity on maladaptive social relationships. The expected path from betrayal to relationships was nonsignificant. Overall, the results support extension of D. Finkelhor and A. Browne's model. Possible interventions are addressed.

Currently, the literature related to sexual orientation is ambiguous with regard to the relationship of sexual orientation, sexual identity, attraction, and intimacy. In order to explore the relationships of self-identified categorical sexual identity (which is the most popular method of sexual orientation assessment) with attraction and intimacy, it is imperative that researchers have access to a reliable and valid measure of the lager. The present study proposes a model for conceptualizing attraction and intimacy, termed gendered sexuality, and examines the factor structure of a measure designed to assess the construct. Results suggest that four factors adequately accounted for the variance in gendered sexuality in a large sample of young adults. These factors assess attraction to females, attraction to males, intimacy with females, and intimacy with males. Exploratory analyses provided preliminary evidence of potential construct validity and suggested that discrepancies between desired and available behavior predict dissatisfaction in interpersonal role as measured by the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2. KEYWORDS sexual orientation, measurement, sexuality, sexual behavior, sexual attraction, homosexuality, sexual identity, bisexuality, love

A study compares the effects of sexual assault by present partners, past partners and nonpartners on women's mental health. It is concluded that sexual assault by a present intimate partner is very traumatic and is the strongest predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder, stress and dissociation, compared to sexual assault by a previous partner or a non-intimate partner.

The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis of the National Violence Against Women Survey was to characterize current symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among 185 men and 369 women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). In this subsample, 24% of women and 20% of men had current moderate-to-severe PTSD symptoms. PTSD scores were higher for women than men. Protective factors that appear to increase resiliency of survivors were higher education and income, being currently married, and reporting that IPV had stopped. Higher physical or psychological IPV scores, current depressive symptoms, and the survivor having left the relationship at least once were associated with risk of moderate-to-severe symptoms of PTSD. Protective factors may be used to boost resiliency of IPV survivors and reduce PTSD symptoms. Keywords: spouse abuse; posttraumatic stress disorder; depressive symptoms; resilience

Despite equivocal findings on whether men or women are more violent, the negative impact of violence is greatest for women. To determine how gender asymmetry in perpetration affects women's health status, we conducted a study in two phases with 835 African American, Euro-American, and Mexican American low-income women in Project HOW: Health Outcomes of Women. In Phase 1, we used severity and frequency of women's and male partners' violence to create six groups: nonviolent (NV), uni-directional male (UM) perpetrator, uni-directional female (UF) perpetrator and, when both partners were violent, symmetrical (SYM), male primary perpetrator (MPP), and female primary perpetrator (FPP). The MPP group sustained the most threats, violence, sexual aggression, and psychological abuse. They also reported the most fear. Injury was highest in the MPP and FPP groups. In Phase 2, we examined group differences in women's health status over time for 535 participants, who completed five annual interviews. Surprisingly, women's health in the MPP and FPP violence groups was similar and generally worse than if violence was uni-directional. Keywords: longitudinal; ethnicity: low-income women; partner violence

This article examines demographic patterns of victimization among low-income women receiving public assistance. Findings indicate that women who receive assistance have higher incidences of sexual assault and violence from partners than other poor women and that both European Americans and African Americans have higher overall victimization rates than Mexican Americans.

This study sought to investigate the relationship between the hostile attribution bias (HAB) and five forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration (physical abuse, threatening behavior, sexual abuse, relational aggression, and emotional and verbal abuse) using a sample of college students. This study was the first in the literature to investigate the association between HAB and IPV in college students' friends with benefits relationships (FWBRs), and one of the few studies to study the association between HAB and IPV in college students' romantic relationships. College students (N = 241) who reported being involved with at least one romantic relationship or FWBR in the past year were recruited from an undergraduate pool of Introduction to Psychology students. Participants took an online survey that measured IPV perpetration in romantic relationships and FWBRs during the past year and general HAB to instrumental and relational provocations. Data were analyzed using a series of logistic regressions. Results were only partially consistent with hypotheses and should be interpreted as exploratory. In romantic relationships, higher levels of HAB were associated with male physical abuse and threatening behavior and female sexual abuse. In FWBRs, higher levels of HAB were associated with female emotional and verbal abuse, and threatening behavior and sexual abuse for the full sample. Findings suggest that HAB may relate to IPV in college students' romantic and FWBRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research has indicated that cognitions and situational factors play a role in relationship satisfaction and aggression, few studies have investigated the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and relationship values. We addressed this gap by measuring college students' perpetration of and victimization by four types of IPV; namely, physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and psychological aggression over the past year. One-way ANOVAs and multiple regression analyses were used to measure the association between IPV and the endorsement of relationship values. The results suggest that past IPV perpetration and victimization correlated with the current endorsement of relationship values for males more than females. In general, male perpetrators rated relationship values such as security, investment, others' approval, and daily conflict as less important than non-perpetrators. Although male victimization explained significant variance in security, investment, and others' approval, the results were somewhat mixed as to whether victimization related to higher or lower ratings of relationship values, with the majority of the results suggesting an inverse correlation between relationship value endorsement and IPV experience. Future research can investigate mediating factors in the relationship between IPV and relationship value endorsement, as well as look at how IPV and relationship values influence decisions concerning relationship maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friends and family members' reactions to intimate partner violence (IPV) disclosure play an important role in social support because disclosure often precedes requests for support. Perceptions of social reactions to IPV disclosure are likely to vary by context. Yet, research is limited on the role of ethnicity and severity of physical violence in perceptions of social reactions. We examined perceptions of social reactions to IPV disclosure using data from Wave 6 interviews for Project HOW: Health Outcomes of Women. Participants (N = 201) were asked proportionately how many friends and family reacted positively and negatively to IPV disclosure. MANOVAs revealed significant differences in perceptions of positive social reactions by ethnicity and severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the association between witnessing interparental violence, attitudes about dating violence, and physical and psychological teen dating violence (TDV) victimization. Participants were 918 teens with dating experience. Witnessing interparental violence and acceptance of dating violence were significant predictors of TDV victimization. Acceptance of dating violence was also a partial mediator between witnessing interparental violence and TDV victimization. Witnessing mother-to-father violence and acceptance of female-perpetrated violence were the most consistent predictors. TDV programs aiming to prevent victimization could benefit from targeting youth exposed to father-to-mother and mother-to-father violence, targeting attitudes about violence, and tailoring interventions to gender-specific risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]