bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Childhood Maltreatment History as a Risk Factor for Sexual Harassment Among U.S. Army Soldiers
Authors: Rosen Leora N. , Martin Lee
Published: September 2018

Four different types of childhood maltreatment were examined as predictors of unwanted sexual experiences and acknowledged sexual harassment among male and female active duty soldiers in the United States Army. Predictor variables included childhood sexual abuse, physical-emotional abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect. Three types of unwanted sexual experiences in the workplace were examined as outcome variables: gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and coercion. Both sexual and physical-emotional abuse during childhood were found to be predictors of unwanted sexual experiences and of acknowledged sexual harassment in the workplace. Among female soldiers, the most severe type of unwanted experience—coercion—was predicted only by childhood physical-emotional abuse. Among male soldiers childhood sexual abuse was the strongest predictor of coercion. A greater variety of types of childhood maltreatment predicted sexual harassment outcomes for male soldiers. Childhood maltreatment and adult sexual harassment were predictors of psychological well-being for soldiers of both genders.
Intergenerational Transmission of Violence, Self-Control, and Conjugal Violence: A Comparative Analysis of Physical Violence and Psychological Aggression
Authors: Avakame Edem F.
Published: September 2018

This paper is a sequel to Avakame (1998), a study which sought to determine whether (a) violence in families of origin affects males’ psychological aggression toward wives, and (b) whether the intergenerational transmission effect is solely direct or mediated by Gottfredson and Hirschi’s concept of self-control. The current research extends these questions to females’ psychological aggression as well as males’ and females’ physical violence. The models were estimated using data from the 1975 National Family Violence Survey. Like its precursor, results of the present research suggest that it is useful to (a) distinguish between mothers’ and fathers’ violence and (b) recognize that the intergenerational transmission of violence may be mediated by self-control. Specifically, results suggested that, whether considering physical violence or psychological aggression, fathers’ violence is most likely to exert the direct social learning effect.
Violent Pornography and Abuse of Women: Theory to Practice
Authors: Cramer Elizabeth , McFarlane Judith , Parker Barbara , Soeken Karen , Silva Concepcion , Reel Sally
Published: September 2018

To examine violent pornography use and associated violence against women, an ethnically stratified sample of 198 abused women were asked about their partners’ use of pornographic materials, and if they had been asked or forced to look at, act out, or pose for pornographic scenes or pictures. Overall, 40.9% of the women reported the abuser used pornographic material, with the proportion significantly higher for Whites (58.7%), compared to Blacks (27.1 %) or Hispanics (38.5%). When groups were formed according to the abuser’s use of pornography and associated involvement of the woman, violence scores as measured on the Index of Spouse Abuse, Danger Assessment, and Severity of Violence Against Women scales were significantly higher (p = <.001) for women reporting the abuser requested or forced her to look at, act out, or pose for pornographic scenes. Severity of violence was not related simply to whether or not the abused used pornography. This analysis is a beginning step toward understanding how pornography influences woman abuse.
The Validation of the Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory.
Authors: Tolman Richard M.
Published: September 2018

To evaluate the validity of the Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory (PMWI), 100 women were interviewed. Both PMWI subscales (dominance/isolation and emotional/verbal) successfully discriminated among three groups: physically abused women (BW) scored significantly higher than both relationship distressed/nonabused (RD) and relationship satisfied/nonabused women (RS). Both subscales of the PMWI were highly correlated with the nonphysical abuse subscale of the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA). A 14-item short version of the PMWI also successfully discriminated between the BW and RD groups. When the battered women were divided into service seeking (SB) and nonservice seeking battered women (CB), a more complex picture emerged. The SB group scored significantly higher than the RD and RS group on all PMWI long and short subscales. However, the CB group differed from the RD group only on the short dominance/isolation subscale.
A Comparison of Gang and Individual Rape Incidents
Authors: Ullman Sarah E.
Published: September 2018

This study examined differences between gang and individual offender rape incidents reported to the Chicago police. Analyses showed that victims and offenders in gang rape incidents were younger, more likely to be unemployed, but not different in marital status or race than victims and offenders in individual rapes (e.g., single offender, single victim crimes). Gang rapes were characterized by more alcohol and drug involvement, fewer weapons, more night attacks, less victim resistance, and more severe sexual assault outcomes compared with individual rapes. Regression analyses revealed distinct correlates of physical injury outcomes for gang and individual rape incidents. Implications for treatment and prevention of these types of assaults are discussed.
The Association Between the Perception of Threat in a Dating Situation and Sexual Victimization
Authors: Breitenbecher Kimberly H.
Published: September 2018

The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the relation between threat perception in a dating situation and sexual victimization. During an initial session, participants in the experimental condition (n =116) viewed a video that depicts a heterosexual couple interacting on a date and reflects risk factors for sexual assault. Participants in the control condition (n = 108) viewed a video that does not contain such risk factors. Participants in each condition also responded to survey instruments assessing demographic variables, history of child sexual abuse, history of adolescent sexual assault, and perception of threat cues in the stimulus videos. A subset of participants (n = 66) returned for a 5-month follow-up session and was assessed for experience of sexual assault during the follow-up period. Results fail to support an association between threat perception and sexual victimization history or an association between threat perception and sexual victimization during the follow-up period.
Capture-Recapture Analysis of Batterer Reassaults: An Epidemiological Innovation for Batterer Program Evaluation
Authors: Gondolf Edward W. , Chang Yue-Fang , Laporte Ron
Published: September 2018

Capture-recapture analysis is an analytical tool being used in epidemiological research to estimate incidence rates for missing cases and unreliable reporting. Its contribution to batterer program evaluations is examined through a capture-recapture analysis of a multisite evaluation of batterer programs (n = 853). Capture-recapture analysis is applied to various subsamples of the multisite study and to different outcomes (i.e., any reassault, “severe” reassault) to explore the utility of capture-recapture. Finally, the capture-recapture estimates are compared to only the women’s reports and to adjusted women’s reports (women’s reports supplemented with arrest records and men’s reports), which are the basis of existing batterer program evaluation. The capture-recapture reassault estimate for the 15-month follow-up is equal to the adjusted women’s reports (39%), but is 7% greater than the women reports. The subsample estimates for the individual sites appear to vary as a result of unreliable or unavailable arrest records.
What Happens When Health Practitioners Report Domestic Violence Injuries to the Police? A Study of the Law Enforcement Response to Injury Reports
Authors: Lund Laura E.
Published: September 2018

This study was undertaken to learn whether law enforcement agencies in California (“agencies”) have standard policies and procedures in place for responding to reports of domestic violence injuries from health practitioners (“HP reports”), and to describe the variation in policies and procedures across agencies. Using a structured interviewing tool with closed- and open-ended questions, a survey was taken of domestic violence experts from 39 agencies throughout California. Forty-one agencies were asked to participate in the study. Interviews were completed with 39. Almost all agencies reported that they have standard procedures in place for responding to HP reports when the reports are made by telephone. Agencies handle written HP reports differently than telephone HP reports. HP reports constitute a very small proportion of agencies’ overall domestic violence caseloads. Emergency departments are the usual source of HP reports. Although the law requires both an immediate telephone report and a written report, fewer than one quarter of sampled agencies always received both types of HP reports. Most agencies use standard response protocols when reports of domestic violence incidents are made by telephone, whether the reporting party is a health practitioner or someone else. Written HP reports do not fit into the agencies’ usual response protocol for domestic violence situations. Because agencies’ protocols are best suited to situations requiring prompt dispatch of an investigating officer, only reports made by telephone have the opportunity to promote an effective law enforcement response.
Avoiding Drunk Drivers: The Level and Sources of Protective Behavior
Authors: Applegate Brandon K. , Cullen Francis T. , Richards Pamela J. , Lanza-Kaduce Lonn , Link Bruce G.
Published: September 2018

Drunk driving has been a concern for a decade and a half, with most discussions of its control centering on offenders. Research on the extent to which citizens engage in behaviors to avoid becoming victims of drunk drivers, however, is in short supply. This project examines the level of participation in protective behaviors, and it assesses the potential sources of self- and other-protection. Our findings indicate that substantial proportions of citizens take action to protect themselves and others from victimization by drunk drivers. We also find limited support for the fear/victimization model and no support for a collective security explanation of protective behavior.
Gun Injury and Mortality: The Delinquent Backgrounds of Juvenile Victims
Authors: Loeber Rolf , DeLamatre Mary , Tita George , Cohen Jaqueline , Stouthamer-Loeber Magda , Farrington David P.
Published: September 2018

Serious injuries and deaths of three samples of boys were examined in an inner-city, longitudinal study. By age 19, almost 1 in 10 of the 506 participants in the oldest sample had been seriously wounded or killed. Two thirds of this group had been either wounded or killed by guns. Victims, compared to controls, tended to have a history of engaging in serious delinquency, gang fights, and selling drugs. They also tended to carry guns. The delinquent lifestyle of the victims was also evident from their court records. Victims tended to do poorly academically in school, received poorer parental supervision, had poorer communication with their parents, and had a long history of behavior problems.
Evaluations of Aggressive Women: The Effects of Gender, Socioeconomic Status, and Level of Aggression
Authors: Barber Michael E. , Foley Linda A. , Jones Russell
Published: September 2018

Research finds gender differences in aggression and suggests that female violence is viewed differently from male violence. Participants were 94 female and 38 male students from a mid-size public university in the Southeast. Participants read a mock trial and answered questions about their attitudes concerning an aggressor in the scenario. The study was a 2 (male or female) by 2 (high socioeconomic status or low socioeconomic status) by 2 (verbal aggression or physical aggression) between-subjects factorial design. The participants responded to a revised version of the Attitudes Toward Women Scale (Nelson, 1988). As hypothesized aggressive women were evaluated more negatively than aggressive men and participants evaluated the female aggressor who used physical aggression more negatively than the female who used verbal aggression. The hypothesis that the female aggressor would be perceived as more in need of counseling than the male aggressor was not supported. Contrary to another hypothesis, respondents did not evaluate higher socioeconomic status aggressors more negatively than those of lower status. As hypothesized people with traditional views of women evaluated the female aggressor more negatively than people with more liberal views of women, and liberal participants evaluated the male and female aggressors similarly. The more negative evaluation of female aggressors and, in particular, females who use physical aggression, may result in unfair treatment of such females. These social biases may cloud perceptions of aggressive females, suggesting that their actions are more inappropriate than those of a male who committed the same act.
Normative Advice to Campus Crime Victims: Effects of Gender, Age, and Alcohol
Authors: Ruback R. Barry , Ménard Kim S. , Outlaw Maureen C. , Shaffer Jennifer N.
Published: September 2018

Three studies investigated the appropriateness of calling the police as a function of crime, victim, and subject factors. In particular, the studies focused on whether and how the victim’s consumption of alcohol affected normative advice to report the crime, as opposed to other options. Across the three studies, subjects viewed reporting as more appropriate for female victims, for victims who were 21 or older, and for victims who had not been drinking. In addition, females were more likely than males to believe reporting to the police was appropriate whereas males were more likely than females to favor some type of private action. Subjects viewed reporting as particularly inappropriate when the victim was underage and had been drinking. Results suggest that, because of the perceived stigma attached to victims who have been drinking, even serious victimizations may go unreported.
Initial Courtship Behavior and Stalking: How Should We Draw the Line?
Authors: Sinclair H. Colleen , Frieze Irene Hanson
Published: September 2018

As noted by Schaum and Parrish (1995), stalking blurs the boundaries between normal courtship and obsessive behavior. Consequently, stalking proves an elusive phenomenon to define and to study. Where does courtship end and stalking begin? To address this question, 197 women and 44 men from the University of Pittsburgh who had loved someone who did not love them in return were surveyed about their feelings and actions in response to this rejection. Factor analyses revealed six groupings of behaviors in response to unrequited courtship: approach, surveillance, intimidation, harming oneself, verbal abuse/mild physical harm, and extreme physical harm. Approach behavior was reported to be used more often by men, but there were no significant differences between men and women in the self-reported prevalence of other types of courtship behaviors. Correlations reveal that feelings of anger and depression were the most common predictors of violent behavior for both men and women. Pursuer-perceptions of what behaviors connoted “going too far” in pursuit of a relationship proved unreliable. However, when pursuers were asked whether their love interest was afraid of them, fear was a reaction perceived in response to intimidation. Although it is likely that pursuer perceptions of where to draw the line would differ from the view of the love object, these results suggest that engaging in intimidation would be an appropriate place to draw the line between courtship and stalking.
Stalking by Former Intimates: Verbal Threats and Other Predictors of Physical Violence
Authors: Brewster Mary P.
Published: September 2018

Scant empirical research has been conducted on the relationship between threats and violence. The purpose of this analysis is to assess the link between verbal threats of violence and actual physical violence against former intimate victims of stalking. The researcher interviewed 187 female former intimate stalking victims, asking respondents about various characteristics of their experiences. Responses to questions pertaining to threats; history of violence; stalkers’ drug and alcohol use; frequency of phone calls, “following,” and letters during stalking; and victims’ age and education were analyzed as possible predictors of three violence-related dependent variables: (a) whether or not violence occurred, (b) the number of violent incidents during stalking, and (c) physical injury during stalking. The results of linear and logistic regression models reveal that, regardless of the measure of violence, there is an independent, moderate, and statistically significant correlation between verbal threats and subsequent violence. Regression coefficients for drug abuse and alcohol abuse were also statistically significant, but only in predicting physical injury during stalking.
Stalking as a Variant of Intimate Violence: Implications From a Young Adult Sample
Authors: Logan TK , Leukefeld Carl , Walker Bob
Published: September 2018

There is a limited but growing literature which suggests that stalking is a variant of intimate violence. The purpose of this study was to examine physical, psychological, and stalking victimization and perpetration among males and females. Alcohol use was also examined. The sample was 46 male and 84 female undergraduate students who reported stalking victimization and perpetration after a difficult breakup, and psychological and physical victimization and perpetration during that specific relationship. Overall, 27% of the sample study was classified into the stalking victimization group, which is consistent with other stalking prevalence rates among college samples. For females, stalking victimization was significantly associated with physical and psychological abuse victimization. For males, stalking victimization was significantly associated with psychological abuse victimization. However, there was also a strong significant reciprocal relationship of stalking and psychological abuse victimization and perpetration, especially for males. Also, alcohol use was significantly associated with victimization and perpetration of stalking and psychological abuse for males. The data from this study contribute to the hypothesis that stalking is a variant of or extension of intimate violence, especially for females. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Exploring the Connection Between Pornography and Sexual Violence
Authors: Bergen Raquel K. , Bogle Kathleen A.
Published: September 2018

This article examines the relationship between sexual violence and pornography. Data about women’s experiences of sexual violence and their abusers’ use of pornography were collected at a rape crisis center from 100 survivors. Findings include that 28% of respondents reported that their abuser used pornography and that for 12% of the women, pornography was imitated during the abusive incident. The effects of pornography on women’s experiences of sexual violence are discussed.
Obsessive Relational Intrusion: Incidence, Perceived Severity, and Coping
Authors: Cupach William R. , Spitzberg Brian H.
Published: September 2018

Two studies investigated the phenomenon of obsessive relational intrusion (ORI), defined as repeated and unwanted pursuit and invasion of one’s sense of physical or symbolic privacy by another person, either stranger or acquaintance, who desires and/or presumes an intimate relationship. In Study 1, we sought to identify the incidence of a broad range of relationally intrusive behaviors, to identify the coping responses employed by victims of ORI, and to assess the associations between coping responses and ORI behaviors. Study 2 assessed the perceived degree of severity of ORI behaviors. Results revealed that each of 63 ORI behaviors was experienced by 3-78% of respondents in three different samples. Factor analysis revealed four types of ORI behavior: pursuit, violation, threat, and hyper-intimacy. Responses for coping with ORI consisted of interaction, protection, retaliation, and evasion. Virtually all intrusive behaviors were perceived to be annoying. Some types of ORI behaviors were perceived to be relatively more threatening, upsetting and privacy-invading than others. Although sex differences were not observed for the incidence of ORI or coping, women consistently perceived ORI behaviors to be more annoying, upsetting, threatening, and privacy-invading than did men.
An Integrative Contextual Developmental Model of Male Stalking
Authors: White Jacquelyn , Kowalski Robin M. , Lyndon Amy , Valentine Sherri
Published: September 2018

This article evaluates current research and theory on stalking as a form of male violence against women. The integrative contextual developmental model (White & Kowalski, 1998) suggests that stalking, as legally defined, is best understood as a multiply determined form of violence, with variables identifiable at several levels, the sociocultural, interpersonal, dyadic, situational and intrapersonal. The model also serves as a framework for identifying gaps in current research and suggests directions for further work.
The Prevalence and Correlates of Psychological Distress Following Physical and Sexual Assault in a Young Adult Cohort
Authors: Feehan Michael , Nada-Raja Shyamala , Martin Judith A. , Langley John D.
Published: September 2018

Among a birth cohort of New Zealand’s 21-year-olds, 41% experienced physical or sexual assault in the previous 12 months. The level of psychological distress experienced by the 374 victims was determined in interviews assessing for symptoms indicative of posttraumatic stress disorder and ratings of impairment in activities of daily living. Of the 141 women victims, 32.6% were identified as experiencing psychological distress as were 9.9% of the 233 men. For men, bivariate analyses showed psychological distress was significantly associated with factors indicative of increased assault severity, and for women an increased likelihood of distress was associated with the location of assault and the relationship to the assailant. Positive indicators of social support were not significantly associated with less adverse psychological outcomes. However, for both men and women, resisting the assailant was associated with a reduced likelihood of psychological distress. Multivariate analyses revealed that for both women and men, unemployment uniquely predicted variance in distress, over and above that accounted for by characteristics of the assault.
The Epidemiology of Physical Attack and Rape Among Crack-Using Women
Authors: Falck Russel S. , Wang Jichuan , Carlson Robert G. , Siegal Harvey A.
Published: September 2018

This prospective study examines the epidemiology of physical attack and rape among a sample of 171 not-in-treatment, crack-cocaine using women. Since initiating crack use, 62% of the women reported suffering a physical attack. The annual rate of victimization by physical attack was 45%. Overall, more than half of the victims sought medical care subsequent to an attack. The prevalence of rape since crack use was initiated was 32%, and the annual rate was 11%. Among those women having been raped since they initiated crack use, 83% reported they were high on crack when the crime occurred as were an estimated 57% of the perpetrators. Logistic regression analyses showed that duration of crack use, arrest for prostitution, and some college education were predictors of having experienced a physical attack. Duration of crack use and a history of prostitution were predictors of suffering a rape. Drug abuse treatment programs must be sensitive to high levels of violence victimization experienced by crack-cocaine using women. Screening women for victimization, and treating the problems that emanate from it, may help make drug abuse treatment more effective.
Abused Women or Abused Men? An Examination of the Context and Outcomes of Dating Violence
Authors: Harned Melanie S.
Published: September 2018

The present study examines the controversial issue of whether women and men are equally abused in dating relationships. Undergraduate and graduate students (n = 874) completed a survey about their experiences and perpetration of psychological, sexual, and physical aggression within dating relationships. To enable a more contextualized understanding of these phenomena, motives for and outcomes of dating violence were also assessed. Women and men reported comparable amounts of overall aggression from dating partners, but differed in the types of violence experienced. Women were more likely to experience sexual victimization, whereas men were more often the victims of psychological aggression; rates of physical violence were similar across genders. Contrary to hypotheses, women were not more likely to use physical violence in self-defense than men. However, although both genders experienced similar amounts of aggressive acts from dating partners, the impact of such violence is more severe for women than men.
Moral Commitment and the Effects of Social Influences on Violent Delinquency
Authors: Hannon Lance , DeFronzo James , Prochnow Jane
Published: September 2018

The present article investigates the issue of whether and how moral commitment regarding violence conditions the relationship between a set of social environmental variables and violent delinquency. Three mutually exclusive hypotheses were evaluated using data from the National Youth Survey. The first, emanating from a purely environmental perspective, holds that moral commitment to non-violence does not condition the relationships of social variables to violent delinquency. The second hypothesis predicts that social factors have their greatest effect on violent behavior among those most strongly opposed to violence. The third hypothesis anticipates that social variables have their greatest impact on violent delinquency among those with violent attitudes. The results yielded strong support for the third hypothesis. Theoretical implications are discussed.
The Effects of a High-Risk Environment on the Sexual Victimization of Homeless and Runaway Youth
Authors: Tyler Kimberly A. , Hoyt Dan R. , Whitbeck Les B. , Cauce Ana M.
Published: September 2018

Based on the structural-choice theory of victimization, the current study examines the effects of a high-risk environment on the sexual victimization of 311 homeless and runaway youth. Results from logistic regression revealed that survival sex, gender, and physical appearance were significantly associated with sexual victimization. Results from a series of interactions also revealed that the effects of deviant behaviors on sexual victimization varied by gender and age. Although males and females engaged in similar activities, young women were more likely to be victims of sexual assault. These findings suggest that engaging in high-risk behaviors predispose some people to greater risks but it is the combination of these behaviors with gender and/or age that determines who will become victimized.
The Gender Cycle of Violence: Comparing the Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect on Criminal Offending for Males and Females
Authors: Fagan Abigail A.
Published: September 2018

Despite ample evidence of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and offending, the ways in which the cycle of violence operates remain unclear. For example, feminist researchers contend that female victims are more likely to become offenders, compared to male victims, but more research is needed to substantiate this claim. Moreover, the contradictions in research findings-with retrospective research demonstrating that most offenders have histories of abuse, and prospective work indicating that the majority of victims do not become involved in crime-highlight the importance of identifying the intermediating variables that lead from maltreatment to criminality. This review summarizes investigations related to the cycle of violence, discusses the intermediating circumstances that may affect the cycle, and identifies whether or not these processes are similar for women and men.
The Inventory of Beliefs about Wife Beating: The Construction and Initial Validation of a Measure of Beliefs and Attitudes
Authors: Saunders Daniel G. , Lynch Ann B. , Grayson Marcia , Linz Daniel
Published: September 2018

Although attitudes and beliefs about wife beating have been regarded as important for understanding the factors that cause and perpetuate woman abuse, researchers have not had adequate instruments to measure these attitudes and beliefs. This article reports on the construction of a scale of attitudes about wife beating and an assessment of the scale’s dimensionality and validity. Data were collected from 675 students, 94 residents of a mid-western city, 71 men who batter, and 70 advocates for battered women. Five reliable subscales were derived, and seven tests of validity were supported. Sympathetic attitudes toward battered women were related, as predicted, with liberal views of women’s roles and sympathetic attitudes toward rape victims. Abusers and advocates were the most dissimilar in their attitudes. Male and female students also differed significantly. Many of the results are analogous to those in studies of attitudes toward rape. Several possible uses of the measure are described.
The Effects of Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse on the Adjustment and Attitudes of Adolescents
Authors: DiPietro Susan B.
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this study was to compare female adolescent victims of sexual abuse and their nonabused adolescent sisters with matched nonvictim control subject sister sets on measures of personality adjustment and attitudes. The study involved 60 girls between the ages of 11 and 21:15 victims of child sexual abuse, 15 nonabused adolescent sisters, and 15 nonvictim control sister sets who were matched to the victim sister sets on age, socioeconomic status, birth order of daughters, number of children in family, and race. This is the first study that has attempted to assess the adjustment of siblings in sexually abusive families. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance revealed no differences among the four groups. Results of 12 paired t-tests revealed only one significant difference between the victim sister and control sister groups. These unexpected findings are discussed, and suggestions for future studies are made.
The Effects of Threatening Versus Nonthreatening Previous Life Events on Levels of Fear in Rape Victims
Authors: Wirtz Philip W. , Harrell Adele V.
Published: September 2018

Although the link between the level of the psychological distress of victims after a rape and life events that occurred before the attack has historically been attributed to a general event-related disruption of the victim’s psychological equilibrium, recent research suggests that only specific types of preattack events—those the victim perceives as making her vulnerable to future harm—may be associated with the postassault level of fear experienced by the rape victim. To test this thesis empirically, the authors compared the levels of fear of three groups of recent victims, one and six months after the rape: those who had experienced at least one life-threatening event in the year before the attack, those who had experienced only nonthreatening (but major-impact) events, and those who had experienced no major-impact events. Victims who had experienced at least one life-threatening event in the previous year were found to have significantly higher one-month and six-month (controlling for one-month) levels of fear than did victims in either of the other two groups: the means of these latter two groups were not found to differ significantly. These results empirically validate the importance of components of the threat of future harm associated with prior life events to short-term and long-term levels of fear of rape victims and offer one basis on which to identify victims who are at particularly high risk of experiencing long-term psychological distress.
An Empirical Investigation of the Role of Pornography in the Verbal and Physical Abuse of Women
Authors: Sommers Evelyn K. , Check James V. P.
Published: September 2018

In studies of male aggressiveness and pornography, social psychologists have found evidence to support the theory that consumption of pornography by males increases their aggressiveness and antisocial attitudes toward women. The research reported here studied the presence of pornography and both sexual and nonsexual violence in the lives of two groups of women: a group of battered women drawn from shelters and counseling groups, and a comparison group of women from a mature university population. It was found that the partners of the battered women read or viewed significantly greater amounts of pornographic materials than did the partners of the comparison group. In addition, 39% of the battered women (in contrast to 3% of the comparison group) responded in the affirmative to the question, “Has your partner ever upset you by trying to get you to do what he’d seen in pornographic pictures, movies, or books?” It was also found that battered women experienced significantly more sexual aggression at the hands of their partners than did the women in the comparison group.
Childhood Experiences of Parental Physical Violence for Alcoholic Women as Compared with a Randomly Selected Household Sample of Women
Authors: Downs William R. , Miller Brenda A. , Gondoli Dawn M.
Published: September 2018

The effects of childhood experiences of parental violence on the development of alcoholism in women were examined by comparing a sample of 45 alcoholic women selected from local treatment agencies and Alcoholics Anonymous groups with 40 nonalcoholic women selected randomly from the population. Two-hour person-to-person interview schedules were administered to both samples. The Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) assessed both father-to-daughter and mother-to-daughter relationships. Type of sample was regressed on each CTS subscale, controlling for presence of parental alcoholism, number of childhood changes in family structure, present age of respondent, and present income source. Alcoholic women were found to have higher father-to-daughter negative verbal interaction, moderate violence, and serious violence than household women. Father-to-daughter positive verbal interaction was found unrelated to membership in the alcoholism sample. None of the mother-to-daughter subscales were found to predict membership in the alcoholism sample.
Women Who Sexually Abuse Children
Authors: Faller Kathleen C.
Published: September 2018

This article describes a clinical sample of 40 women who sexually abused 63 children. Sixty percent of the female perpetrators victimized two or more children. Almost three-fourths of these women sexually maltreated children in polyincestuous family situations. More than four-fifths were mothers to at least one of their victims. The most common form of sexual activity was group sex; the next most common was fondling.

The mean age of these women was a little over 26; they were poor and poorly educated. Their victims were also young, having a mean age of 6.4 years at the time the case was identified. About two-thirds of the victims were female and one-third were male.

Female perpetrators evidenced marked difficulties in psychological and social functioning. About half had mental problems, both retardation and psychotic illness. More than half had chemical dependency problems, and close to three-fourths had maltreated their victims in other ways in addition to the sexual abuse.
Exposure to Violence in the Families-of-Origin among Wife-Abusers and Maritally Nonviolent Men
Authors: Caesar P. L.
Published: September 2018

This study examined violence in the families-of-origin among wife assaulters and maritally nonviolent men. Participants were 26 wife abusers and 18 nonviolent men in therapy. Early exposure to marital violence and child abuse was assessed through interviews that were coded both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicated that batterers were more likely than comparison subjects to have been abused as children, to have witnessed their father beating their mother, and to have been disciplined as children with corporal punishment. Fathers were no more likely than mothers to have abused the men. There were no differences between groups in reports of parental child abuse toward siblings of the men. Differences between groups in exposure to violence were studied to explain why men who grew up in violent homes were not abusive toward their spouses. Socioeconomic status and family dynamics were examined to explain the results.
College Students’ Perspectives on Campus Health Centers as a Sexual Assault Resource: A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Halstead Valerie , Williams Jessica R. , Gonzalez-Guarda Rosa
Published: September 2018

Students’ perspectives of student health centers as a resource for sexual violence were examined. A qualitative, descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from 37 female undergraduate students in March 2016. Four focus groups were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. Three themes emerged: (a) supports and barriers to using student health centers for sexual violence; (b) student health centers’ responsibility to educate students about sexual violence; and (c) student health centers’ responsibility to use campus-wide, comprehensive sexual violence efforts. Participants provided several recommendations to assist student health centers with addressing sexual violence. To maximize utility as an on-campus sexual violence resource, student health centers should foster a climate that is supportive of students’ use of the facility and tailor their efforts to address students’ needs. Student health center recommendations and suggestions for future research are provided.
Police Officers’ Rape Myth Acceptance: Examining the Role of Officer Characteristics, Estimates of False Reporting, and Social Desirability Bias
Authors: Venema Rachel M.
Published: September 2018

This study examines police officers’ perceptions of sexual assault and those who report sexual assault to the police, using a revised version of the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale along with a measure of social desirability bias. The study includes survey responses from 174 officers from 1 mid-sized police department in the Great Lakes region. Results show low to moderate levels of rape myth acceptance scores on the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, with highest scores related to victim lying. Officers report very high estimates of false reporting, indicating some rape myth acceptance. Officer level of education, rank, and estimates of false reporting influence rape myth acceptance; however, social desirability bias is an important explanatory factor. Implications for measurement and training are discussed.
Factors Related to Co-Offending and Coerced Offending Among Female Sex Offenders: The Role of Childhood and Adult Trauma Histories
Authors: Comartin Erin B. , Burgess-Proctor Amanda , Kubiak Sheryl , Kernsmith Poco
Published: September 2018

Research suggests two important domains of women’s sexual offending: co-offending, in which additional perpetrators are present with the woman during the crime, and coerced offending, in which the woman feels pressured by someone else to commit the crime. This exploratory analysis examines these 2 domains using self-report data from 60 incarcerated female sex offenders (FSOs) in a Midwestern state. In addition to indicating whether a co-offender was present and whether they felt pressure to commit the sex offense for which they were incarcerated, participants provided demographic information about themselves, the victim, and the offense, as well as about their own trauma, substance abuse, and mental illness histories. Results indicate that childhood and adult trauma histories are related to both co-offending and coerced offending among FSOs. Implications for theory, policy and practice, and future research are discussed.
Early Predictors of Adolescent Aggression and Adult Violence
Authors: Farrington David P.
Published: September 2018

The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development is a prospective longitudinal survey of 411 London males from ages 8 years old to 32 years old. This article investigates the prediction of adolescent aggression (ages 12-14 years old), teenage violence (ages 16-18 years old), adult violence (age 32 years old), and convictions for violence. Generally, the best predictors were measures of economic deprivation, family criminality, poor child-rearing, school failure, hyperactivity-impulsivity-attention deficit, and antisocial child behavior. Similar predictors applied to all four measures of aggression and violence. It is concluded that aggression and violence are elements of a more general antisocial tendency, and that the predictors of aggression and violence are similar to the predictors of antisocial and criminal behavior in general.
Mobbing and Psychological Terror at Workplaces
Authors: Leymann Heinz
Published: September 2018

In recent years, the existence of a significant problem in workplaces has been documented in Sweden and other countries. It involves employees “ganging up” on a target employee and subjecting him or her to psychological harassment. This “mobbing” behavior results in severe psychological and occupational consequences for the victim. This phenomenon is described, its stages and consequences analyzed. An ongoing program of research and intervention that is currently being supported by the Swedish government is then considered.
Vulnerability: Towards a Better Understanding of a Key Variable in the Genesis of Fear of Crime
Authors: Killias Martin
Published: September 2018

Previous research on fear of crime has identified, among women and other sub-groups of the population, high fear levels which could not be adequately explained by measures of exposure to risk. Several authors have argued, therefore, that vulnerability may be the key variable behind the observed distribution of fear of crime. In this paper, three dimensions of vulnerability (exposure to risk, seriousness of consequences, loss of control) are identified and integrated into an analytical framework which also takes into account physical, social, and situational factors of vulnerability. A selective international review of research reveals considerable support for the suggested model.
Gender and Homicide: A Comparison of Men and Women Who Kill
Authors: Jurik Nancy C. , Winn Russ
Published: September 2018

This study compares the patterns of homicides committed by women and men. Classic comparison studies of homicides by men and women suggest that each group kills in ways that are reflective of socially approved gender role behavior. More recently, however, research on women who kill suggests that they frequently do so in response to threats of violence by men. In contrast to the gender role and self-protection models of women’s homicides, the liberation hypothesis suggests that patterns of women’s violence will increasingly resemble patterns of violence by men. Based on our analysis of court records of 158 cases of homicides by men and women over a six-year period, we find little support for the liberation hypothesis and considerable support for the gender role and self-protection models. Compared to men, women more frequently kill intimates and kill in situations in which their victim initiated the physical aggression.
For Better or Worse: Attributions about Drunken Aggression Toward Male and Female Victims
Authors: Aramburu Beatriz , Leigh Barbara C.
Published: September 2018

Research on attributions about drunken violence has suggested that intoxication serves to decrease responsibility attributed to aggressors while increasing responsibility attributed to victims. In this study, we used a scenario depicting a violent interaction in which intoxication of aggressor and victim and victim sex were varied. Subjects made attributions of blame, causality, responsibility, and normative judgments about aggressor and victim. In general, drunkenness made things worse for the intoxicated person in terms of observers’ judgments: A drunken aggressor was blamed more than a sober aggressor, an intoxicated victim—whether male or female—was blamed more than a sober victim, and aggression toward a drunken victim was rated as more acceptable than aggression toward a sober victim. Results are discussed in terms of the use of alcohol intoxication as a gender-independent cue to blame the victim, and the increasing societal disapproval of drunkenness.
Victim Blame and the Disinhibition of Sexual Arousal to Rape Vignettes
Authors: Sundberg S. L. , Barbaree H. E. , Marshall W. L.
Published: September 2018

The present study examined the effects of differing levels of victim blame on the sexual arousal of males to rape vignettes. In the first experiment, a between-subjects experimental design was used to compare four groups of eight university males for their erectile responses to vignettes rated as low, medium, and high along a victim blame continuum. All groups found a consenting vignette more arousing than a nonconsenting vignette, however, this difference was significantly smaller for subjects in the high blame condition compared to the low and medium blame conditions. A second experiment supported the disinhibiting effect of the high victim blame manipulation using 12 university males in a within-subjects experimental design. The disinhibiting influence of victim blame on male sexual arousal to rape cues was discussed in relation to our broader understanding of sexual assault.
Predictors of Long-Term Sexual Assault Trauma among a National Sample of Victimized College Women
Authors: Gidycz Christine A. , Koss Mary P.
Published: September 2018

Several multivariate studies have attempted to delineate the major predictors of longterm, sexual assault-induced aftereffects. The present study was an attempt to extend previous work by supplementing known preassault, assault, and postassault predictors of trauma with cognitive measures. The data were cross-sectional and included responses from 1,213 victims of sexual assault who were recruited from a national sample of higher education students. Utilizing hierarchical multiple regression analyses and a cross-validation procedure, the results suggested that the prior mental status of the victims, the forcefulness of the assaults, as well as two cognitive variables related to a victim’s beliefs about sex and relationships predicted victims’ scores on standardized measures of anxiety and depression. The relationships were such that the most traumatized victims were those women who had evidenced a history of mental health problems, who had experienced the more aggressive assaults, who tended to believe that people in relationships are not trustworthy, and tended to place conservative restrictions on the sexual acts and circumstances under which sex should occur. Taken together these variables accounted for between 9%-14% of the variance in sexual assault aftereffects. The discussion emphasizes the contribution of cognitive processes to the understanding of sexual assault trauma.