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PURPOSE: To examine the association between physical, sexual, or physiological harm in pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in a large, contemporary birth cohort. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used California-linked vital statistics and hospital discharge data from 2016 to 2020. We included singleton, non-anomalous births with a gestational age of 23-42 weeks. Violence in pregnancy was identified using International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. Chi-square tests and multivariable Poisson regression models were used to evaluate associations of violence in pregnancy with perinatal outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 1,728,478 pregnancies met inclusion criteria, of which 3,457 (0.2%) had reported violence in pregnancy. Compared to those without violence in pregnancy, individuals who experienced violence had an increased risk of non-severe hypertensive disorders (aRR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.22, 1.51), preeclampsia with severe features (aRR = 1.34; 95% CI 1.11, 1.61), chorioamnionitis (aRR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.48, 1.91), anemia (aRR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.50, 1.68), antepartum hemorrhage (aRR = 2.17; 95% CI 1.19, 3.95), and postpartum hemorrhage (aRR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.48, 1.85). Violence in pregnancy was also associated with increased risk of Apgar score < 7 at 5 min (aRR = 1.37; 95% CI 1.11, 1.71) and neonatal hypoglycemia (aRR = 1.26; 95% CI 1.07, 1.48). CONCLUSION: Violence experienced in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Understanding how universal screening and early recognition of violence in pregnancy may reduce disparities in maternal morbidity for this understudied population is critical.

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A sizeable literature has shown that child marriage is associated with an increased risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). However, this research has been cross-sectional, and the temporality of the association has not been investigated. Specifically, no study has yet examined whether IPV is a predictor of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. This study uses prospective longitudinal data on a cohort of adolescent girls from the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health to evaluate whether IPV victimization predicts child marriage or adolescent pregnancy. Using survival models, we find that adolescent girls who experienced physical IPV (measured at survey baseline, in 2017-2018) are more likely to enter child marriages (measured at survey follow-up, in 2021) (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.7 [1.44, 5.08]). Experiencing sexual IPV is also significantly associated with adolescent pregnancy (HR = 1.97 [1.16, 3.33]). These findings indicate the need for greater intervention to ensure healthy adolescent relationships, as well as further research to understand how abusive relationships shape early transitions to adulthood.

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When examining sexual assault, men are often hidden from the literature. The current study employed a mixed-methods, convergent parallel design to examine the experiences of 22 male survivors of sexual assault (mean age = 44.19, SD = 13.28, range 18-65; 91% European American; 50% heterosexual). Survivors were administered an online survey using quantitative and qualitative questions to assess rape myths, gender roles, self-esteem, self-efficacy, resiliency, coping, overall mental and physical health, and diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sexual dysfunction. Three key themes emerged from the integration of quantitative and qualitative data: (a) Help is Elusive, (b) Internal Struggles and External Strengths, and (c) Living with Clinical Diagnoses. This study adds to an important area of the literature that increases understanding of men's experiences with sexual violence and honors the voices of these survivors.

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Incarcerated individuals frequently enter prison with a history of high-risk lifestyle behaviours likely to contribute to the transmission of infectious disease. Prisons offer a unique setting in which to advance health equity to an underserved population by disseminating information and education. Sexual health education has the potential to mitigate negative health consequences in the incarcerated population and improve sexual health practices upon community re-entry, benefiting both incarcerated individuals and communities. Limited empirical research examines sexual health information and education in US correctional facilities. Handbooks, given to all people upon incarceration, have the potential to provide vital information and education to promote safe sexual practice and prevent disease transmission. This work, guided by 22 critical sexual health education recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, examines the presence (or absence) of recommended sexual health information and guidance in prison handbooks. Handbooks (n = 74) from 49 of 50 US states were qualitatively analysed with results revealing limited information, education or guidance about sexual health/safe sexual practice during incarceration or afterwards. Utilising handbooks for comprehensive sexual education could be a critical step towards reaching members of an already at-risk underserved population.

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Campus sexual assault is a problem that overwhelmingly affects cisgender women and transgender, genderqueer/questioning, and nonbinary (TGQN) students. Yet, students of any gender may be perpetrators or victims of assault. Thus, it is important that prevention programs incorporate a range of scenarios that depict different genders as both perpetrators and victims, while also acknowledging the differential risk between gender groups. Gender-specific programming is one way of achieving this goal. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we synthesized studies evaluating campus sexual assault prevention programs implemented with specified gender groups in the United States. Through a comprehensive literature search, we identified 38 studies that met eligibility criteria and were disseminated through 2021 (N = 22 women's studies; N = 16 men's studies; N = 0 TGQN studies). Programs overwhelmingly portrayed women as victims and men as perpetrators or bystanders while largely ignoring experiences of TGQN students. A greater proportion of women's programs included risk reduction content that relayed tactics participants may use to avoid victimization. A greater proportion of men's programs included bystander content that emphasized ways participants may stop others from committing sexual assault. Women's programs had a small but significant and favorable effect on victimization, but studies evaluating these programs did not measure perpetration outcomes. Men's programs had a non-significant effect on perpetration but victimization outcomes were not measured. Gender-specific prevention programming should begin to reflect the differential risks of perpetration and victimization across gender identities, and the effects of this program content should be rigorously evaluated.

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The transgender population experiences disproportionate rates of sexual assault (SA) compared with the cisgender population. Sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) have specialized education to provide care to victims of SA across the lifespan; however, training related to the care of transgender individuals following sexual assault is not always represented in SANE education. This leads to a lack of knowledge and confidence in providing care to transgender victims and can result in inequitable care and poor outcomes. To explore forensic nurses' knowledge and confidence in the care of the transgender population following SA, a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was employed and distributed to two professional forensic nursing organizations. A total of 240 survey responses were received. The majority of participants reported that content related to transgender sexual assault (TGSA) was not part of their SA education. Nearly 60% perceived their knowledge and confidence in providing TGSA care as "beginner" or "developing" and almost all "agree" or "strongly agree" that additional TGSA education would be beneficial to them. As over half of participants have provided care to a TGSA patient and more than 80% expect to provide care in the future, it is imperative include standardized content related to TGSA care as part of core SANE curriculum and to offer continuing education to address the gap in current SANE TGSA knowledge and practice.

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Research on abuse is often piecemeal and focused on specific forms, populations, and social situations. As a result, these studies tend to ignore the web of abuse resulting from the interactive effects of various forms of abuse over the life course, together referred to as "lifetime abuse." An examination of abuse from the point of view of older adults is likely to provide a lifetime perspective based on linking child abuse to elder abuse over the life course and an assessment of its consequences. Despite the growing awareness and resulting body of knowledge regarding this phenomenon, proposed theoretical formulations about it remain limited. The present article aimed to conceptualize the multifaceted phenomenon of lifetime abuse and to gain a deeper perspective of the topic by understanding its dimensions, meanings, and experiences in older age, based on a critical review of empirical studies. A model is suggested, which can be useful for future exploration and understanding of lifetime abuse. Based on a critical review of previous studies, we suggest a theoretical framework of lifetime abuse from the perspective of older adults, identifying three key domains: (a) perception of time and life review in old age; (b) cumulative and interactive abusive life events; and (c) resilience versus vulnerability over the life course. We propose a heuristic model to explore and understand lifetime abuse. We believe our proposed model is open to reflection and elaboration and is intended to raise questions that could enhance the need for our understanding of lifetime abuse in old age.

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When considering police within violence and victims research, the emphasis typically falls on the police as responders to victims; however, little research has explored the perspective of police officers as victims of violence themselves. Through a systematic literature review of contemporary assaults toward police, 11 empirical articles were identified and analyzed with 4 main themes emerging: the retaliatory nature of police-citizen dynamics, specific predictors of police assaults, environmental features of assaults, and the impact of assaults. These findings provide evidence-based insights, identify research gaps, and help guide future research agendas, ultimately providing a foundational resource for policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and researchers in developing targeted interventions and policies to enhance officers' safety, foster positive police-community relations, and promote a safer and more resilient society.

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OBJECTIVE: In Japan, amidst insufficient legal provisions and governmental support, in 2010, the first rape crisis center, the Sexual Assault Crisis Healing Intervention Center Osaka (SACHICO) was established. We compared SACHICO visitor data from 2010 to 2021 with National Police Agency statistics to clarify the current situation of sexual assault victims in Japan and considered future issues for Japan to address. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional study that analyzed the data described below. All visitations to SACHICO between April 2010 and December 2021 were considered targets for data totaling. Data on crime statistics were gathered from the official governmental statistics portal site. RESULTS: A total of 12 036 visitations occurred, of which 3189 were first-time consultations; 3100 initial medical examinations were conducted, and no medical examination was conducted in the remaining 89 cases (2.7%). The number of initial medical examinations increased 3.7 times from 2010 to 2021. Victims under the age of 19 comprised 60% of the total number of initial medical examinations (1863/3100). The reporting rate for all 3100 initial medical examinations was only 31.3% (969/3100) of the cases. The proportion of forcible sexual intercourse versus forcible indecency were the converse of those observed among acknowledged cases nationwide and in Osaka Prefecture. For several years, the number of initial medical consultations at SACHICO has exceeded that of acknowledged cases in Osaka Prefecture. CONCLUSION: Support for victims of sexual assault in Japan is still insufficient. It is necessary to strengthen the system of rape crisis centers system to realize an unbroken chain of support for victims.

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BACKGROUND: Gender-based violence is a tool that primarily functions to maintain gendered power hierarchies. Manifestations of gender-based violence, sexual assault and street harassment have been shown to have significant effects on mental wellbeing in the global North, however there is little research centering the experiences and consequences of gendered harassment in the Africa region. METHODS: We analyzed a cross-sectional random sample of 372 women attending a major university in Eswatini in 2017 to measure the prevalence of street harassment among female university students and assess the relationship between experiences of sexual assault, sexualized street harassment, and mental health outcomes in this population. RESULTS: We found that in the previous 12 months, women reported experiencing high levels of sexual assault (20%), street harassment (90%), and depression (38%). Lifetime sexual assault, past 12 months sexual assault, and street harassment were all significantly associated with symptoms of depression. We created a structural model to test hypothesized causal pathways between street harassment, previous experiences of sexual assault, and symptoms of depression, with social support as a potential mediator. We found that a history of sexual violence significantly mediated the association between street harassment and depression, and that social support mediated a large proportion of the association between both forms of gender-based violence and depression. CONCLUSION: Sexualized street harassment is associated with increased depressive symptomology for nearly all women, however the effects are especially pronounced for women who have previous experiences of sexual violence. Sexualized street harassment functions as a tool to maintain gendered power hierarchies by reminding women of ongoing threat of sexual violence even in public spaces. Social support and solidarity among women is a potentially important source of resiliency against the physical and mental harms of all forms of gender based violence.

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Sexual minority (SM) men's sexual revictimization (SR; i.e. experiences of adult victimization among childhood sexual abuse survivors) is an understudied topic despite evidence that SM men are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence (SV) over the life course. This study addresses this gap utilizing a diverse sample (n = 2859) of SM men (age 18-30) from the U.S. Results demonstrated that over 10% of SM men had experienced SR. Further, strength-based (e.g. sense of LGBTQIA2S+ community) and minority-stress (e.g. internalized homonegativity) related factors were examined as moderators of the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sexual assault victimization (ASAV) in the past six months. One factor emerged as a significant moderator of the CSA-ASAV relationship: perceived discrimination. Practice-based implications are provided.

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An extensive body of evidence shows the impact of being the direct victim of a serious assault. However, much less is known about the impact on the family and close relatives of victims, who may be considered indirect victims. Based on analyses of the 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, a face-to-face, cross-sectional probability-sample survey of 7519 adults aged 16 and over in England, this article estimates what proportion of the population was closely related to a victim of serious assault, and whether this experience was associated with a higher prevalence of feeling unsafe, depression and anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress, self-harm, and suicidality. Descriptive and multivariable regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for complex survey design and potentially confounding factors. Results show that one in twenty adults (4.5%, n = 345) was closely related to a victim of serious assault (95% confidence interval (CI):4.0-5.2%). Close adult relatives of assault victims were more likely than the rest of the population to have been direct victims of violence and abuse themselves, to have experienced multiple other adversities, and to live in more deprived neighbourhoods. However, even when controlling for these experiences, relatives of victims had adjusted odds of feeling unsafe in the neighbourhood where they lived 2.36 times higher than the rest of the population (CI:1.26-4.44), and their odds of having a depressive or anxiety disorder were 1.37 times higher (0.99-1.90). These analyses indicate that relatives in England may already be vulnerable, with potential to also be further affected by the experiences of family members. To more fully account for the effects of violence in society, research with indirect victims of serious violence in the context of their own experiences of direct victimization and wider adversities is required. This could be factored into a broader remit for victim support services which includes support for victims' families.

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Although national criminal offender DNA databases (NCODDs) including autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) have been a successful tool to identify criminals for decades in many countries, yet there are many criminal cases they cannot solve. In cases with mixed male-female samples, particularly sexual assault, expanding NCODDs with Y-chromosomal STR (Y-STR) profiles allows database matching in the absence of autosomal STR profiles. Although Y-STR matches are not individual-specific, this can be largely overcome with rapidly mutating Y-STRs (RM Y-STR) allowing separation of paternally related men. Expanding NCODDs with Y-STR profiles is also beneficial for law enforcement in cases without known suspects via familial searching. Expanding NCODDs with Y-STR profiles may raise concerns about genetic privacy and fundamental human rights. A legal analysis of the European Convention on Human Rights revealed that when primarily for reidentifying convicted sex offenders, it would be in line with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, while a generalized approach primarily for familial searching and involving all types of offenders may not. This paper aims to stimulate a debate among various stakeholders regarding the benefits and risks of expanding NCODDs with Y-STR profiles that in some countries has already been practically implemented.

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Understanding the mechanisms underlying sexual aggression perpetration is critical for the development of targeted, evidence-based prevention. The current study evaluates the effects of state emotion regulation (ER), acute alcohol intoxication, and Confluence Model constructs on sexual aggression perpetration intentions. Single, male social drinkers, aged 21-30 years, with a history of sexual risk-taking (N = 90) were randomly assigned to an alcohol (BrAC = 0.1%) or sober control condition and completed measures of hypothetical sexual aggression intentions, state ER, and Confluence Model constructs. Logistic regression demonstrated men high in hostile masculinity expressed significantly greater sexual aggression intentions. In addition, men with poor state ER endorsed significantly greater sexual aggression intentions, although this relationship only held for the men in the sober condition. Results suggest that interventions targeting state ER may be beneficial to sexual aggression perpetration prevention programming.

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TikTok is the second most popular social media platform among American teenagers, suggesting it may be a way to reach young people with sexual violence-related messages. This qualitative content analysis focused on what TikTok users share about sexual violence. The content of the videos fell into two primary types of information, people sharing experiences of sexual violence (i.e., what happened, how they responded, impacts of experiences) and people sharing other information related to sexual violence (i.e., education, raising awareness). The study results demonstrate that people use TikTok as a platform to share their messages about sexual violence-related topics, underscoring the potential of this platform for prevention and recovery messages targeted toward individuals who directly or indirectly experience sexual violence.

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A systematic review of research exploring the impact of providing rape myth countering information to mock-jurors was conducted. The primary aim of the review was to inform the development of an educational intervention for jurors to reduce potential bias in their decision-making based on belief in prevalent rape myths. In total, the following 12 databases were searched: British Education Index, CINAHL, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Educational Administration Abstracts, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and Social Care Online. The databases were filtered to return peer-reviewed publications, written in English, and published between 1980 and 2023. The search returned 6,119 potential articles. After duplicates were removed, the 3,202 remaining publications were screened. Only studies that presented rape myth countering information to participants within a mock-juror paradigm were included. Studies that did not compare an information condition to a no-information control condition were excluded, as were those which concerned male rape myths, given the focus on female rape myth beliefs in this review. Eight studies were reviewed and were critically appraised according to validity criteria utilized by Dinos et al. Some evidence emerged to suggest that the provision of judicial directions, expert witness testimony, and complainant statements regarding rape myths can impact upon jury decision-making although the findings were mixed overall. Study limitations regarding internal and external validity were frequently present. Recommendations regarding future research questions and methods are advanced, including those that can inform the development of an effective intervention for jurors.

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INTRODUCTION: This study explored factors associated with help seeking among cisgender men college and university students who experienced sexual victimization. METHODS: We used multilevel logistic regression on data from 33 campuses (n = 4,474 students, 4,674 incidents) to model the association between cisgender men's help seeking and incident, individual, and campus factors. RESULTS: Incident, individual, and campus factors were associated with help seeking odds. Some factors were associated with increased help seeking odds (e.g. perpetrator in a position of power, being gay or having a disability, campus-level racial diversity), others with decreased odds (e.g. drinking before an incident). CONCLUSIONS: Findings have implications for programs and policies. Future studies should attend to the roles of masculinity, power, and campus contexts.

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Although increasingly prevalent in Singapore, campus sexual assault and harassment and technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) remain underresearched. Conducted by scholars across social work, gender studies, policy studies, communication, and computer science, this interdisciplinary study explores the impact of technologies such as social media and online platforms on the digital well-being of university students in Singapore who experience TFSV and campus sexual misconduct. We conducted online surveys with 314 students and interviews with 28 students, the majority of whom were women and identified as victim-survivors. Our analysis revealed participants did not perceive technologies as entirely detrimental and possessed limited awareness of digital well-being. These findings contribute to understanding young victim-survivors' digital well-being and relationship to technology in Singapore by highlighting the experiences of college students.

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Drink spiking in social settings is one of the most pervasive forms of drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA). There are no current data in Australia on the rates of drink spiking or their associated assaults. There is also little known about the prevalence of different substances involved and how the current substance use trends compare to sexual assault trends. To explore this, a recalculation of sexual assault trends to estimate substance related sexual assault was performed. Data about recent trends of mental health prescriptions and sexual assault were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The analysis of these datasets highlighted that females are the highest consumers of antidepressants and benzodiazepines. Results also indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between females and a higher incidence of sexual assault (r = 0.996, p < .001). This paper demonstrates that females are at most risk of drug-drug interactions (e.g., diazepam and ketamine) with their medications due to the higher rate of prescriptions amongst this population, and therefore more vulnerable to both opportunistic and proactive DFSA. While these findings are preliminary and not causal, they highlight trends in need of further study.

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The present study investigated social identification with "survivors" versus "victims" following sexual violence and the degree to which this predicted posttraumatic growth versus posttraumatic stress. Participants (N = 290) were adult women who had experienced sexual violence. As predicted, cumulative sexual trauma was positively associated with symptoms of both posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth. Further, people who had experienced more cumulative sexual trauma were more likely to identify with victims, which in turn predicted posttraumatic stress. Similarly, people who had experienced more cumulative sexual trauma were also more likely to identify with survivors, and this in turn predicted posttraumatic growth.