Emotional reactivity,trauma-related distress,and suicidal ideation among adolescent inpatient survivors of sexual abuse

Adolescent psychiatric inpatients suffer high rates of childhood sexual abuse, trauma-related distress, and suicidality. This study evaluated the hypothesis that three domains of resiliency (i.e., Sense of Mastery, Sense of Relatedness, and Emotional Reactivity) would mediate the effect of trauma-related distress upon suicidal ideation, while accounting for symptoms of depression, and that the indirect effect of trauma-related distress upon suicidal ideation would be greater among survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Chart review patients included 550 adolescents admitted to a public psychiatric hospital in a Northwestern US State from 2010 to 2015. Adolescents completed self-report measures of trauma-related distress, depression, resiliency, and suicidal ideation. Half of the adolescents in this study reported past history of childhood sexual abuse, and more than half disclosed history of attempted suicide. There was a group noninvariant indirect effect of trauma-related distress upon suicidal ideation via emotional reactivity among survivors of childhood sexual abuse (β = 0.10, 95% ACI: 0.04 to .17), as well as a group invariant direct effect of depression symptoms (β = 0.88, p < .001). The other two domains of resiliency, sense of mastery and sense of relatedness did not mediate the association between trauma-related distress and suicidal ideation. These findings demonstrate the importance of emotional reactivity with regard to suicidal ideation, as well as the association between depression symptoms and suicidal ideation in this clinical population, and suggest the potential utility of skills-based interventions, and the need for trauma-informed policy and procedures in adolescent psychiatric inpatient settings.     

Parental alienation,coaching and the best interests of the child: Allegations of child sexual abuse in the Family Court of Australia

BackgroundAllegations of child sexual abuse provide complex challenges to family court systems.ObjectivesDespite being highly criticised in the academic research, this analysis examined whether and how the gendered concepts of parental alienation syndrome or parental alienation more broadly are still being used to rebut allegations of child sexual abuse in family court cases in Australia. Parental Alienation is broadly understood as the deliberate actions of one parent to disrupt and prevent children’s ongoing relationships with their other parent, in this case through allegations of abuse.MethodsWe examined 357 publicly available judgements of the Family Court of Australia between 2010 and 2015. Judgements were analysed qualitatively for key themes using N-VIVO software.ResultsFive themes emerged in the data, including use of the concept of parental alienation, coaching, mothers as manipulative, mothers as mentally ill, and impact of the best interest of the child.ConclusionsResults indicate that judgements made in the Family Court of Australia are both similar and divergent from those made in other jurisdictions internationally. The complexity of responding to allegations of child sexual abuse for parents is discussed.     

Characteristics of victims and perpetrators of intrafamilial sexual abuse

BackgroundIntrafamilial sexual abuse (SA) is one of the most traumatic experiences a person can experience and comes with lifelong effects. Considering the increase in the number of children in orphanages due to intrafamilial SA in Turkey, addressing this problem in more detail is crucial. For this reason, this study aims to determine the characteristics of intrafamilial SA cases.MethodIn this study, the characteristics of 216 intrafamilial SA cases who were referred to the Ankara Child Advocacy Center between 2010 and 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. The ages of the victims varied between 3 and 17.ResultsThe most common identity of the perpetrator was the biological father (50%), biological sibling (14.4%), stepfather (13.9%), and parent’s boyfriend (12%). Of the perpetrators, 6.5% were female and 93.5% were male. Of the victims, 3.3% had a history of pregnancy. In addition, one out of four victims (27.3%) had experienced physical violence from their parents, the socioeconomic level of the majority of the families (90.2%) was low, the education levels of their parents were low (high-school-level education and below), and one of two families (52.6%) experienced domestic violence. Furthermore, the perpetrators in the biological intrafamilial SA group exhibited similar behavior with the sociolegal group in terms of penetration, and the age distribution of the victims was similar.ConclusionsConsequently, this study has revealed a lot of new information about intrafamilial SA cases. These findings will hopefully be useful in identifying and preventing victims at risk for intrafamilial SA.     

Examining the link between emotional childhood abuse and social relationships in midlife: The moderating role of the oxytocin receptor gene

BackgroundA single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs53576, of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) has been associated with fundamental aspects of social processes and behaviors. Compared to A carriers, GG individuals have enhanced social competencies and tend to elicit more positive responses from social partners. However, the G allele of the OXTR rs53576 has also been associated with greater social sensitivity.ObjectiveThe current study examined the unique influence of emotional childhood abuse on positive and negative aspects of different types of social relationships (e.g., family, spouse/partner, and friends) in midlife and whether genetic variations of OXTR rs53576 moderated these associations.Participants and Setting: A total of 614 participants in midlife (aged 40–65), recruited for a large-scale study of Phoenix metropolitan residents (AS U Live Project), answered self-report questionnaires and provided blood samples for DNA genotyping.MethodsHierarchical multiple regression analyses tested whether emotional childhood abuse predicted social support and strain for each relationship type and whether these potential linkages differed by OXTR genotype (GG versus AA/AG).ResultsOverall, individuals with a history of emotional childhood abuse had less supportive and more strained relationships in midlife. For supportive family relationships, the effect of emotional childhood abuse was moderated by OXTR rs53576 (p < .001). Under conditions of experiencing more emotional abuse in childhood, GG individuals had more supportive family relationships in midlife compared to A carriers.ConclusionsOverall, genetic variations of OXTR rs53576 may be an important candidate in understanding the development of social functioning within the context of emotional childhood abuse.     

Childhood abuse and community violence: Risk factors for youth violence

ObjectiveTo investigate the joint effect of child abuse and neglect (CAN) and community violence (CV) on adolescents with peers that commit youth violence (YV).MethodsThis is a school-based cross-sectional study of 699 students enrolled in four public and nine private schools in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Participants were selected through a complex cluster sampling procedure. CAN was identified using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Exposure to CV was assessed by asking students if they have witnessed cases of lethal violence in the community. YV was measured indirectly through questions about having friends who have committed acts of crime. Multivariate logistic models were used to study the effects of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and emotional and physical neglect in childhood on YV, controlled for confounders, according to different levels of CV.ResultsEmotional abuse OR = 3.32 (CI 95%: 1.79–6.17), sexual abuse OR = 2.33 (CI 95%: 1.20–4.54), and physical neglect OR = 1.81 (CI 95%: 1.02–3.20) increased the odds of YV in adolescents, whether cooccurring with CV or not. Physical abuse OR = 3.95 (CI 95%: 2.29 - 6.80) and emotional neglect OR = 2.93 (CI 95%: 1.83–4.72) are only risk factors for YV involvement when associated with CV.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the relevance of CAN and CV as risk factors for YV and the potential increase in adolescents’ vulnerability when exposed to both. Policies aiming at preventing and dealing with CAN are essential strategies to reduce YV, especially in areas with high levels of CV.     

Pathways to delinquent and sex offending behavior: The role of childhood adversity and environmental context in a treatment sample of male adolescents

BackgroundExposure to greater Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has been associated with increased likelihood of general and sex offending behaviors. However, few studies consider both the impact of varied ACE exposures and other early experiences on pathways to offending behaviors in adolescents who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the impact of ACEs and sexual boundary problems within the home on the development of delinquent and sexually abusive behavior.Participants & settingData were collected from archival records of male adolescents (N = 285) who had received treatment for sexually abusive behavior at a youth facility.MethodsThis study investigated the effects of individual adverse experiences on delinquent nonsexual and sexually abusive behaviors through structural equation modeling.ResultsStructural equation modeling revealed a three-factor model for ACEs. Direction and significance of paths between ACEs and the onset, persistence, and nature of maladaptive behaviors differed. Household dysfunction was related to an earlier onset (β = 1.19, p = 0.013) and more persistent nonsexual delinquent offending (β = 1.05, p = 0.048) and contact sexual offending (β = 1.19, p = 0.010). Conversely, sexual abuse and exposure to sexual boundary problems were associated with an earlier onset of sexually abusive behavior (β = −1.08, p = 0.038) as well as indicators of adolescent-onset (β = −1.30, p = 0.002), less persistent (β = −1.53, p = 0.001), and nonviolent (β = −1.89, p = 0.001) delinquency.ConclusionsFindings suggest variations in ACE exposures differentially influence the onset, severity, and persistence of delinquent and sexually abusive behaviors among these youths.     

A Subject “Queer”-y: A Literature Review on Subject Access to LGBTIQ Materials

Through an exploration of works both within and outside the realm of library and information studies, an overview of subject access to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning (LGBTIQ) materials is presented. Common critiques of classification and organization systems, subject access to specific LGBTIQ topics, subject access in specific information institutions, and solutions proposed in the literature are discussed. Special attention is paid to points of convergence and divergence across the body of literature, and unique solutions to the problems posed by subject access to LGBTIQ materials are highlighted. A conceptual lens through which to view subject access to LGBTIQ materials is also provided.     

大学生恋爱心理探析——以韶关学院学生为例

采用问卷调查法,分层随机选取了韶关学院500名大学生作为此次调查对象,从大学生恋爱价值观、恋爱道德观、性观念、恋爱中大学生基本情况等方面的特点及其影响因素进行了调查与分析.研究结果表明:大学生恋爱价值观与道德观比较理智,性观念较为开放.性观念上男女大学生表现出较大的差异,男大学生的性观念更加开放,性观念的开放程度随着年...