An assessment of self-concept and violence within a delinquent adolescent population

The purpose of this study was to provide further data on the relationship between self-concept and violence focusing on a delinquent adolescent population. Recent research has explored the relationship between self-concept and violence with most of the research being done with adult populations. Within the literature, there are two opposing views on the question of this relationship. The traditional view supports the idea that low self-esteem is a cause of violent behavior while the non-traditional view supports the idea that high self-esteem may be a contributor to violent behavior. ^ Using a sample of 200 delinquent adolescents 100 of whom had committed acts of violence and 100 who had not, a group comparison study was done which addressed the following questions, (1) within a delinquent population of violent and non-violent adolescents, is there a relationship between violence and self-concept? (2) what is that relationship; (3) using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, can it be determined that attributes such as behavior, anxiety, popularity, happiness, and physical appearance as they relate to self-concept are more predictive than others in determining who within a delinquent population will commit acts of violence. For the purposes of this study, delinquent adolescents were those who had official records of misconduct with either the school or juvenile authorities. Adolescents classified as violent were those who had committed acts such as assault, use of a weapon, use of deadly force, and sexual assault while adolescents classified as non-violent had committed anti-social acts such as, truancy, talking back and rule breaking. ^ The study concluded that there is a relationship between adolescent violence and self-concept. However, there was insufficient statistical evidence that self-concept is a predictor of violence. ^

Depression, interpersonal violence and lack of social support as barriers to cervical cancer screening among recently immigrated Latinas

Background. Various psychosocial factors have been demonstrated to be barriers for cervical cancer screening among Latinas in the United States, but few studies have researched whether depression and interpersonal violence act as psychosocial barriers to cervical cancer screening. ^ Methods. The proposed study assessed whether depression, interpersonal violence, lack of social support and demographic characteristics such as age, income, education and years in the United States acted as barriers to cervical cancer screening among cantineras in Houston, TX. This secondary data analysis utilized data from a previous cross-sectional study called Project GIRASOL- Community Outreach to Prevent Cervical Cancer among Latinas. The data from the baseline survey (sample size 331) was analyzed using Pearson chi-square and multiple logistic regression. ^ Results. Multiple logistic regression indicates that none and low levels of social support from relatives, depression, and total IPV are significant predictors of non-compliance to cervical cancer screening. ^ Conclusions. Future health interventions or physicians that promote cervical cancer screening among cantineras or recently immigrated Latinas with similar socio-demographic characteristics should try to identify whether Latinas are suffering from depression, interpersonal violence or lack of social support and provide proper referrals to alleviate the problems and positively influence screening behavior. ^

Assessing residents' readiness to screen for domestic violence: Utilizing the transtheoretical model - stages of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy

Domestic violence is a major public health problem, yet most physicians do not effectively identify patients at risk. Medical students and residents are not routinely educated on this topic and little is known about the factors that influence their decisions to include screening for domestic violence in their subsequent practice. In order to assess the readiness of primary care residents to screen all patients for domestic violence, this study utilized a survey incorporating constructs from the Transtheoretical Model, including Stages of Change, Decisional Balance (Pros and Cons) and Self-Efficacy. The survey was distributed to residents at the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical School in Houston in: Internal Medicine, Medicine/Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Data from the survey was analyzed to test the hypothesis that residents in the earlier Stages of Change report more costs and fewer benefits with regards to screening for domestic violence, and that those in the later stages exhibit higher Self-Efficacy scores. The findings from this study were consistent with the model in that benefits to screening (Pros) and Self-Efficacy were correlated with later Stages of Change, however reporting fewer costs (Cons) was not. Very few residents were ready to screen all of their patients.^

Qualitative study: Understanding Mexican American women's experience in intimate partner violence

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of Mexican American women living with intimate partner abuse relevant to the process of disclosure of abuse. Limited research exists on the experiences of women who are of Mexican descent living with intimate partner abuse and their disclosure of abuse. Factors that influence disclosure for other populations are well articulated in the literature however, these factors have not been adequately verified in persons of Mexican descent. Data are reported from in-depth interviews with 26 clients at a shelter and an outreach agency in a south Texas-Mexico border community. Semi-structured interview guide was used to elicit information over an 11 month period. A grounded theory ethnography approach was used to analyze data. Verification strategies and constant comparison techniques (e.g. investigator responsiveness, methodological coherence, sampling adequacy, an active analytic stance, and saturation) enhanced rigor of analysis. Nineteen Mexican immigrant women and seven Mexican American women participated in the study. Several themes were discerned related to women's experiences in abuse: painful living, questioning endurance, and confronting reality. In almost every participant's account there was a description of repeated victimization by her intimate partner or partners, and again, by others within and outside her network. The participants discussed several cultural factors (e.g. embarrassment, concerns for family, avoidance of causing pain to family, protection of partner, avoidance of being judged) that hindered their decisions whether or not to disclose. Participants noted that healthcare workers rarely asked probing questions regarding abuse. The timing and process of disclosure took many turns for women in this study. Some of the factors hindering women from disclosing were found to be influenced by cultural practices. The consequences of disclosure for many of the women led them to re-victimization. Implications for practice to avoid missed opportunities with women living in abuse are to: ask questions routinely to encourage disclosure of abuse and offer community resource information for women living in abuse or both.^

Is dating violence associated with substance use and sexual risk behaviors among urban, minority, middle school youth

Background. One in 4 adolescents reports some form of dating violence each year. Dating violence among high school adolescents has been linked with several morbidity issues. However, the association between dating violence and sexual risk and/or substance use among young adolescents has rarely been studied.^ Methods. Research hypotheses were tested using a secondary data analysis from a HIV, STI, pregnancy prevention intervention study for urban middle school students.^ Results. At baseline, 21% of youth reported experiencing physical ADV victimization, 48.2% reported non-physical victimization, and 52.6% report any victimization. After adjusting for race/ethnicity, gender, and age ever having sex, alcohol use, and illicit drug use were significantly associated with several forms of ADV.^ Conclusions. Dating violence appears to be associated with early initiation of sexual behavior, as well as alcohol and drug use. Few interventions address ADV among middle school youth. Early interventions that prevent dating violence are needed. ^

A global perspective on intimate partner violence during pregnancy: An analysis of twelve developing countries

Violence against women has been recognized as a significant worldwide human rights issue and public health problem. Women of reproductive age may be particularly at risk, and pregnancy may trigger or escalate violence. Using data available from Demographic and Health Surveys on 271,103 women of reproductive age (15-49) from Bolivia, Cameroon, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, Peru, South Africa, and Zambia, this study examined the nature of domestic violence during pregnancy in developing countries, including prevalence, demographic and risk factors, maternal and child health outcomes, perpetrators of violence, help-seeking behavior, and social support. In the majority of countries analyzed, violence during pregnancy consistently occurred at approximately one-third the rate at which domestic violence occurred overall. Younger women and women with more children were particularly at risk. Abuse during pregnancy was significantly associated with history of a terminated pregnancy and under-5 child mortality in most countries, and with neonatal and post-neonatal mortality in most Latin American countries. Women who were abused during pregnancy were most often abused by their current or former husband or boyfriend and most never attempted to seek help. In most countries that examined social support, women abused during pregnancy had significantly less contact with family and friends. Implications for practice and research are discussed. ^

Is sexual violence associated with symptoms of depression and suicide attempts

Sexual assault, depression, and suicide are all very serious issues among youth today. This study sought to quantify the association between sexual violence, symptoms of depression, and suicide attempts through the use of 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data. The YRBS is a nationally representative dataset of United States high school students, grades 9-12. It was hypothesized that sexual violence is significantly associated with symptoms of depression and suicide attempts. Through multivariate logistic regression, it was determined that students who had ever experienced forced sex were 3.10 (2.7-3.6) times as likely to be depressed, in the past 12 months, and 4.22 (3.5-5.1) times as likely to have attempted suicide. Female victims were 3.43 (2.9-4.0) times as likely to be depressed; male victims were 5.40 (3.7-7.9) times as likely to have attempted suicide. Sexual violence is significantly associated with both symptoms of depression and suicide attempt when stratified by gender, grade, and race/ethnicity. These results indicate that further study of the association between sexual violence and symptoms of depression and suicide attempts need to be conducted in order to establish temporality.^

Pregnancy intention, intimate partner violence, and the use of prenatal care in Jordan

Previous research has suggested an association between intimate partner violence and pregnancy intention status, and pregnancy intention status and the use of prenatal care services, however much of these studies have been conducted in high income countries (HIC) rather than low and middle income countries (LMIC). The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between pregnancy intention status and intimate partner violence, and pregnancy intention status and the use of prenatal care among ever-married women in Jordan.^ Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of women interviewed in the 2007 Jordan Demographic and Health Survey. The sample was restricted to ever-married women, 15–49 years of age, who had a live birth within the five years preceding the survey. Multivariate logistic regression analyses was used to determine the relationship between intimate partner violence and pregnancy intention status, and pregnancy intention status and the use of prenatal care services.^ Women who reported a mistimed pregnancy (PORadj 1.96, 95% CI: 1.31–2.95), as well as an unwanted pregnancy (PORadj 1.32, 95% CI: 0.80–2.18) had a higher odds of experiencing lifetime physical and/or sexual abuse compared with women reporting a wanted pregnancy. Women not initiating prenatal care by the end of the first trimester had statistically significant higher odds of reporting both a mistimed (PORadj 2.07, 95% CI: 1.55–2.77) and unwanted pregnancy (PORadj 2.36, 95% CI: 1.68–3.31), compared with women initiating care in the first trimester. Additionally, women not receiving the adequate number of prenatal care visits for their last pregnancy had a higher odds of reporting an unwanted pregnancy (PORadj 2.11, 95% CI: 1.35–3.29) and mistimed pregnancy (POR adj 1.41, 95% CI: 0.96–2.07).^ Reducing intimate partner violence may decrease the prevalence of mistimed or unwanted pregnancies, and reducing both unwanted and mistimed pregnancies may decrease the prevalence of women not receiving timely and adequate prenatal care among women in this population. Further research, particularly in LMIC, is needed regarding the determinants of unintended pregnancy and its association with intimate partner violence as well as with the use of prenatal care services. ^

A study of factors influencing high school students' attitudes and opinions about violence

Tenth grade students in a lower income neighborhood Houston school were surveyed on violence related beliefs, attitudes, and coping ability. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect information for scale scores for statistical analysis.^ One hundred twenty six students participated of which 60% were Hispanic, 18% Black, 18% White, 2 American Indians, and 3 Asian/Pacific persons. There were 60 males, mean age 16.03, and 66 females, mean age 15.49. One-half of the sample reported repeating a grade, 53.4% of males, and 47% of females. Females' self-reported grades were slightly higher than males.^ Measures of student acceptance of violence and ability to handle conflict peacefully were studied in relation to student responses to questions about five areas: parental monitoring of the student, parent type of punishment, optimism about future prospects, frustration tolerance, and perceived peer group attitudes and practices.^ Significant gender differences included males having higher violence acceptance scores and females higher on coping with conflict peacefully. No significant race differences or gender interactions were found.^ Females' scores on future orientation were inversely related to their scores on the measure of acceptance of violence. For males, parents' punishment and perceived peer attitudes were positively related to their acceptance of violence, p $<$.0083.^ Female handling of conflict was significantly related to frustration tolerance and optimism; not significant were perceived peer attitudes, parent monitoring or punishment method. For males significantly related to handling conflict were perceived peer attitudes, parental monitoring, and severity of punishment, with the last two terms having a significant interaction effect, and inversely correlated (less monitoring, harsher punishment explained lower ability to handle conflict). ^

Associations between exposure to violence and depression in 5th grade students: Results from the Healthy Passages study

Purpose. To describe the prevalence of violence exposure and depression and their association among 5th grade students. ^ Methods.. Students (n=5,147) attending 5th grade (mean age 11.12) from three major metropolitan areas in the United States were surveyed on various health-related measures including experience with being a victim of violence (adapted from YRBS and Traumatic Events Screening Inventory) and depressive symptoms (from the DISC Predictive Scale). Prevalence was calculated for rates of violence exposure as well as depression defined as having five or more depressive symptoms. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between exposure to violence and depression. ^ Results. This study found that over 35% of students were exposed to some form of violence such as being threatened, hit, punched, kicked, beaten up, or threatened/injured with a gun or knife. Male students had a higher prevalence than female students on almost all exposure types. Over 7% of students also reported having 5 or more depressive symptoms. All forms of violence were significantly associated with depression. Students who had been a victim of violence were between 2.5 and 6.5 more likely to have five or more depression symptoms. Conslusion. The results of this study underscore the urgent need of collaborative prevention and treatment efforts for children exposed to violence. By preventing such exposure, serious effects including physical injury, mental health problems, and other detrimental outcomes may be mitigated.^

The Need for School-Based Teen Dating Violence Prevention

Schools have several competing demands, and often suffer from inefficient access to needed resources. Thus, the addition of any program into an already overtaxed school system must be met with convincing evidence that 1) a need or problem exists and is relevant to the education of students, 2) the problem is amenable to change, and 3) addressing the problem is in the best interest of educators and students. The purpose of the present paper is to present a case for inclusion of teen dating violence prevention programs in middle and high schools. We also discuss a recent survey of 219 employees of a suburban school district in southeast Texas. Specifically, we examined their perceived need for and appropriateness of a school-based dating violence prevention program. The anonymous internet-based survey revealed that a majority of participants believed that teen dating violence was a problem, 19% reported having observed an instance of teen dating violence, and 82% believed school to be an appropriate outlet for the implementation of a dating violence prevention program.

Building an Evidence-Based Approach to Address Dating Violence Prevention

Purpose: To discuss the approach and recommendations related to the adoption of school based curriculum for violence prevention. Findings: Preliminary assessments suggest that middle and high school youth experience a variety of forms of violence in social and dating relationships. Such experiences have negative academic, behavioral and emotional consequences. Conclusions: The authors have clearly illuminated the need for addressing the phenomenon of dating violence. The field could benefit from more robust evidenced-based investigations that substantiate that interventions have an impact beyond attitudinal changes toward the behavior. Such academic endeavors will provide a platform to validate the inclusion of such information in a school based curriculum as act as a call for action for broad based interventions.

Domestic Violence Resources for Women Receiving Intensive Family Preservation Services

Intimate partner violence is a common correlate of child abuse and neglect and often is not addressed in family preservation services. In many cases, the ideologies of family preservationists and advocates for women 's safety can be at odds. This article presents a study of a collaborative model of intervention, utilizing family preservation workers and community resource practitioners working with domestic violence as group facilitators. The study utilizes a pretest, post-test design to evaluate a domestic violence resource group for women who were concurrently receiving intensive family preservation services. The study examines the effect of the program on participants' self-perceptions regarding self-esteem, independence, goals, social isolation, and assertiveness. Caseworker perceptions of client characteristics also are evaluated, and qualitative responses of the effects of the program are included.