Authors examine prevalence of sexual violence and stalking victimization by the same perpetrator, reporting perpetrator types, intimate partner context and impacts for this combination of victimization. Data are from the 2010-2012 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, a nationally representative adult telephone survey. Analyses examined the characteristics of the victimization, presence of other intimate partner violence by the same perpetrator, and victim impacts (e.g., injury). An estimated 8.1% (9.8 million) of women and 1.6% (1.9 million) of men in the United States were stalked and sexually victimized by the same perpetrator, most often an intimate partner. Over 90% of female and male victims experienced sexual violence, stalking, psychological aggression, and physical violence by the same intimate partner perpetrator. Impacts of both intimate partner and non-intimate partner perpetrated victimization were most commonly fearfulness, concern for safety, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Sexual violence combined with stalking is common in the context of intimate partner violence. Early prevention efforts (i.e., in youth) addressing the context of intimate partner violence may be helpful in reducing these forms of violence and their impacts.

In this response to Sarah Ullman's 2020 Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma article, Rape Resistance: A Critical Piece of all Women's Empowerment and Holistic Rape Prevention, the author highlights the importance of a holistic and comprehensive strategy for sexual violence prevention that involves many approaches across the social ecological model, as outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's STOP SV technical package, including effective empowerment-based training approaches. She describes that more work is needed to evaluate and identify evidence-based approaches, including those that address prevention within marginalized groups and those grassroots approaches that are already being implemented but have not been evaluated. She ends by stressing that the field has much to gain from this kind of collective, multi-sector effort.

Thousands of women Veterans experience intimate partner violence (IPV) each year. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has encouraged IPV screening in Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs) since 2014. Through retrospective analysis of VHA administrative data from fiscal year (FY) 2014 into FY2020, we examined IPV screening implementation outcomes of reach and adoption, as well as screen-positive rates using descriptive and multivariate linear regression analyses. We examined reach and screen-positive rates overall and as a function of childbearing age (18-44 vs. 45+ years). In FY2014 only one VAMC was screening women for IPV; by FY2020, over half of VAMCs had adopted IPV screening. This rollout of IPV screening was associated with a large increase in the number of women primary care patients screened (from fewer than 500 in FY2014, to nearly 35,000 in early FY2020). Overall, among women screened, 6.7% screened positive for IPV; this rate was higher among women of childbearing age (8.1% vs. 5.6%). Despite the spread of IPV screening practices during the early years of implementation in VHA, additional work is needed. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of implementation outcomes associated with VHA's IPV screening efforts, and lays the groundwork for ongoing evaluation and quality improvement.

Although military sexual assault (MSA) has been well-established as a risk factor for psychopathology (e.g., PTSD, depression), little research has examined the association between MSA and self- and other-directed violence. Furthermore, there has been a growing empirical focus on potential gender differences in the effects of MSA, but few of these studies have examined gender differences in self- and other-directed violence. In a sample of 1571 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans (21.0% women), we examined the effect of MSA on difficulty controlling violent behavior and attempting suicide among veteran men and women, above and beyond the influence of childhood sexual abuse, combat trauma, PTSD, and major depressive disorder. Results of a logistic regression revealed that MSA increased risk of attempting suicide and difficulty controlling violence among women but not men. Thus, the results suggest that MSA may be a risk factor for both types of violence in women. Furthermore, because PTSD was associated with both types of violence in both men and women, MSA may also confer risk of violence PTSD.

Adolescent girls in low-resource settings account for over 7.3 million births annually (generally unplanned). Unplanned teen pregnancies are increasing in low-resource settings. As part of a funded Round 20 Grand Challenges Exploration project (Healthy Minds for Adolescent Mothers), we investigated unplanned teen pregnancies in Haiti's Cité Soleil shantytown, teens' biopsychosocial challenges, and desirable interventions. Key stakeholders (N = 23): pregnant teens (13-17-year-olds, n = 8; 18-19-year-olds, n = 8) and health providers (18 or older, n = 7), participated by age group and role in focus groups (FGs). ATLAS.ti facilitated the analysis of transcribed FG audio recordings. Ninety-four percent (n = 15) of teens reported "Banm prèv," translated "Give me proof," as a cause of their unplanned pregnancies. Banm prèv describes when teens are propositioned by men who demand proof of their unpretentiousness or virginity. A subtle, covert, locally unchallenged phenomenon that is supported by damaging gender norms, Banm prèv constitutes an illusionary choice between teens' yielding non-consensual control of their bodies and the tacit alternative of gang rape. Banm prèv underscores teens' difficulty discerning consensual from coerced sex. Associated unplanned pregnancies occasion guilt, shame, stigma, depression, anxiety, and trauma in teens. Cité Soleil teens need contextually relevant, community-supported, age-appropriate interventions that challenge existing norms, build on cultural strengths, and include comprehensive sexuality education, including knowledge of reproductive rights. A traditional, contextually familiar, engaging, and humorous story-telling tradition, i.e., krik-krak, packaged in video format, is a useful framework for interventions to reduce depressive symptoms, stress, and anxiety for Cité Soleil teens experiencing unplanned pregnancies.

Firefighters are exposed to potentially traumatic events throughout their careers, placing them at heightened risk for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms often experience interpersonal problems and relationship stress, and this may be due to emotion regulation difficulties. The current study examined the association between PTSD symptoms, couple relationship satisfaction, and emotion regulation difficulties among firefighters. Participants were comprised of 188 firefighters ( = 41.32, = 9.25, 97.3% male) who completed an online questionnaire. Results indicated that PTSD symptom severity was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction and positively associated with emotion regulation difficulties. Additionally, there was a significant negative indirect effect of PTSD symptom severity on relationship satisfaction through heightened emotion regulation difficulties. Negative alterations in cognition and mood were especially relevant to emotion regulation difficulties and relationship satisfaction. Findings highlight the importance of understanding associations between PTSD and interpersonal functioning among firefighters. Emotion regulation difficulties may offer a clinically relevant transdiagnostic factor for targeting PTSD symptoms and relationship functioning among firefighters.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) confer considerable risk for negative outcomes across the lifespan, but there is limited research examining whether the measurement of ACEs can be interpreted the same way across diverse groups of individuals. In particular, the measurement of ACEs among early child education teachers has received little attention. Given that millions of children receive care from early child education teachers, and evidence that ACEs can severely disrupt teacher's abilities to support young children, it is critical to accurately assess for and respond to teacher ACEs. The present study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the 11-item Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) version of the ACEs measure across a diverse group of teachers. Data were collected from 605 teachers in a southeastern state between 2018 and 2021. Teachers ranged in age from 18 to 81 years (35% young; 56% middle; and 9% older adults) and were diverse across race (46% White; 53% Black). Teachers completed the BRFSS version of the ACEs measure and a demographics questionnaire. Factor analyses replicated the theorized three-factor solution, with household dysfunction, emotional/psychological abuse, and sexual abuse emerging as distinct factors. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated measurement invariance across teacher age and race. Comparisons of scores indicated ACEs levels varied across teacher age and race. Overall, findings suggest the BRFSS version of the ACEs measure can be used to assess adverse childhood experiences across diverse groups of early child education teachers.

Separate lines of research show that men overestimate the extent of male peers' sexual activity, and independently, that sexually aggressive men believe that other men approve of coercive behavior. This study examined the intersection of these lines of inquiry, testing whether the degree of male participants' misperception of other men's sexual behavior differs as a function of perpetrator status. In a national sample, we presented heterosexually active men (n=497) with sexual scenarios varying in sexual acts, partner types, and circumstances. Results showed that participants significantly overestimated the typicality of all types of sexual situations for other men. Participants also misjudged the desirability of scenarios consistent with a traditional masculinity sexual script to other men; these scenarios reflected an adversarial perspective on relationships and an impersonal approach to sexuality - a known risk factor for sexual aggression. Further, sexually aggressive men overestimated the desirability of these traditional masculinity scenarios to a greater extent than non-aggressive peers. Findings suggest that interventions that provide accurate knowledge about social norms, or "typical" sexual desires and behaviors among other men, may reduce pressure to live up to perceived but perhaps inaccurate masculine ideals, as well as reduce social norm-related risks for sexually aggressive behavior.

It is well established in the literature that the majority of sexual assault offenders are known to their victims. Given this reality, survivors of sexual assault and their support providers (SP; e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) may interact with the offenders post-assault within various contexts including social, community, and familial settings, though little research exists that explores this possibility. This study begins to address this gap through interviews with survivors and their SPs about disclosure, recovery, and help-seeking following interactions with their offender post-assault. Twenty-eight survivors mentioned interactions or appraisals of the offender, as did 12 SPs. Qualitative analysis revealed several themes including: a) various outcomes of interactions with the offender post-assault, b) emotions felt toward offender, c) gaining of perspective and/or forgiveness, d) interactions with the offender as a catalyst for disclosure, and e) importance of the offender's actual or perceived death. Results show some anecdotal support for restorative justice practices with sexual assault victims in the criminal-legal system. Clinical implications include treatment plans for survivors to prepare for the possibility of seeing their offenders post-assault.

Although experiencing bullying and other forms of assault is associated with adverse physical, emotional, and psychological consequences, the long-term consequences, especially in the aftermath of a severe trauma in adulthood, is not known. This study examined the relationship between history of being bullied and/or assaulted and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among responders to the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster. During 2015-16, a modified life events checklist was administered to responders at Stony Brook WTC Health Program. WTC-related PTSD symptoms were assessed by PTSD checklist (PCL). Longitudinal mixed models examined associations between bullying, other forms of assault, and severity and chronicity of PTSD symptoms. Approximately 13% of 920 responders had probable WTC-PTSD (PCL≥44). Being bullied in childhood was associated with increased odds of WTC-PTSD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] =7.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.12-25.34), adjusted for demographics, other stressors, and WTC exposures. PTSD odds decreased over time among those not bullied (aOR 0.82; 95% CI: 0.73-0.92), but not among victims. Experiencing physical, sexual, or verbal assaults during adulthood, also had a significant association with WTC-PTSD (aOR 4.64; 95% CI: 1.98-10.92). Findings suggest being bullied in childhood and/or assaulted in adulthood can increase PTSD risk and progression after mass trauma.

Young adults' transition into college includes risk for onset of mental health problems and sexual violence, particularly for women. Compared to men and boys, women and girls across the lifespan are more likely to be sexually abused, with the perpetrators often being someone close to them. High betrayal trauma is linked to varied mental health outcomes. Despite literature depth, many samples are not ethnically diverse, which results in uncertainty about the generalizability of these findings outside of majority White American populations. The purpose of the current study is to assess gender and high betrayal in sexual violence and mental health outcomes among ethnically diverse college students in the U.S. Participants ( = 368) were ethnically diverse college students attending a public university in the Pacific Northwest, who completed online measures assessing sexual violence and mental health outcomes. When controlling for medium betrayal sexual trauma (perpetrator: unclose other), the associations between high betrayal sexual trauma and dissociation and anxiety, respectively, were moderated by the female gender. The findings point to the utility of relational cultural therapy as a feminist framework that can identify sexism as a contributing factor to young women's increased risk for sexual violence and associated mental health problems.

History of childhood maltreatment is common among military veterans, particularly those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Childhood maltreatment is associated with negative psychosocial outcomes, including use of aggression during adulthood. Prior research has identified maladaptive cognitions as a key mediating variable in the association between early life trauma and aggression. Given the high rates of comorbid PTSD and AUD among veterans and the increased risk of aggression when these conditions co-occur, it is critical to examine malleable intervention targets, such as maladaptive cognitions, for this population. The current secondary analyses examined the mediating role of hostile cognitions on the associations between childhood maltreatment and adulthood aggression in a sample of dually diagnosed veterans. Participants were veterans with co-occurring PTSD and AUD ( = 73) who were enrolled in a larger randomized controlled laboratory trial. Participants completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, hostile cognitions, and aggressive behavior. Three models were tested to examine the mediating effect of hostility on the associations between childhood maltreatment, abuse, and neglect on aggression. Results indicated that hostility fully mediated the effect of maltreatment on aggression and partially mediated the effect of childhood abuse on aggression. The effect of childhood neglect on aggression was nonsignificant. Hostile cognitions may be a critical intervention target for veterans with co-occurring PTSD and AUD and history of childhood maltreatment, particularly for those who have experienced higher levels of childhood abuse.

Immigrant and refugee women may experience considerable multifaceted and interrelated barriers that place them at heightened risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). The objective of this analysis was to increase our understanding of immigrant and refugee women's responses to abuse. We conducted in-depth interviews with 84 women who immigrated from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Engendering Resilience to Survive emerged as the core category explaining women's strength to stay safe and survive IPV experiences. In the face of the violence they experienced, women in this sample demonstrated remarkable resilience and the ability to harness their strength to survive. Resilience as a process and outcome could facilitate empowerment, and self-directedness to access health services and resources to stay safe. The developed Engendering Resilience to Survive Model can be utilized as a framework to inform research, policy, and practice to support abused women.

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among firefighters are prevalent and well-documented. Insecure adult attachment style (AAS) and distress tolerance (DT) present two factors with demonstrated relevance to the etiology and maintenance of PTSD. Few studies have examined these constructs in relation to PTSD symptomatology among firefighter populations. The present investigation examined the indirect effect of insecure romantic AAS (i.e., anxious AAS, avoidant AAS) on PTSD symptom severity through DT among firefighters. Exploratory analyses examined this model with each of the PTSD symptom clusters as outcomes. The sample was comprised of 105 firefighters (age=40.43, =9.15, 95.2% male) recruited from various departments in the southern U.S. An indirect effect was calculated using 10,000 bootstrapped samples. Indirect effects models in the primary analyses were significant when both anxious AAS (.20, =.10, =.06-.43) and avoidant AAS (=.28, =.12, =.08-.54) were evaluated as predictors. Effects were evident after accounting for gender, relationship status, years of fire service, and trauma load (i.e., number of potentially traumatic event types experienced). Exploratory analyses revealed that anxious and avoidant AAS are both indirectly related to the PTSD intrusion, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity symptom clusters through DT. Anxious AAS also demonstrated an indirect association with PTSD avoidance symptoms through DT. Attachment styles may influence PTSD symptoms among firefighters through a firefighter's perceived ability to withstand emotional distress. This line of inquiry has potential to inform specialized intervention programs for firefighters. Clinical and empirical implications are discussed.

Globally, there is a high prevalence of adversity exposure, and there is evidence indicating a linear association between adversity exposure, particularly childhood adversity, and adults' psychological distress. To better understand this association, researchers have examined the role of emotion regulation abilities, which are thought to impact and underlie one's psychological well-being. The present study examined the association between childhood versus adulthood adversity exposure and self-reported difficulties with emotion regulation and physiological indicators of emotion regulation (e.g., resting respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA], RSA reactivity, and RSA recovery). Further, the study assessed appraisal styles (i.e., patterns of subjective interpretations) across adverse life events as a possible moderator to help explain why some, but not all, exposed to adversity may display emotion regulation difficulties. Participants were 161 adults participating in a larger federally funded project. Results found no direct association between childhood or adulthood adversity exposure and self-reported or physiological indicators of difficulties with emotion regulation. However, adulthood adversity exposure was associated with stronger trauma appraisal styles, and stronger trauma appraisal styles were associated with greater self-reported difficulties with emotion regulation and greater RSA reactivity. Results also showed interactions between greater childhood adversity and stronger trauma appraisal styles for lower resting RSA and greater RSA recovery. The present study demonstrates that emotion regulation is complex, dynamic, and has multiple dimensions and that childhood adversity may impact internal regulatory processes, but only in conjunction with trauma appraisal styles, which are associated with adulthood adversity.

Adult Basic Education (ABE) in the United States is an important tool for underrepresented and underserved communities to achieve the goal of high school graduation following noncompletion of K-12 education. Largely in urban settings, ABE centers serve millions of students annually, especially historically and contemporarily marginalized groups. ABE provides critical resources and skills to meet the educational needs of diverse peoples seeking to advance their station in life. ABE centers may serve students with potentially traumatic events (PTE), diagnosable trauma, and related poorer outcomes. Alarmingly, a paucity of research exists that examines the presence of PTEs for ABE students, particularly people and women of color. In the present research, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item measures were used to weigh depression and anxiety scores across the Life Events Checklist for the DSM-5 (LEC-5) trauma types in a sample (N=170) of predominantly women of color. We examined three respondent groups based on proximity and frequency of PTEs: (1) denied; (2) witnessed/learned about; and (3) experienced. Results indicate that those experiencing higher levels of PTEs (namely, sexual assault, unwanted/uncomfortable sexual experience, and sudden accidental death) also experienced higher ratings of depression and anxiety. More research is indicated, as women of color within ABE settings could benefit from tailored resources for prevention, intervention, and treatment.

Firearms are the leading cause of intimate partner violence-related murders of women in the US. This study aimed to understand differing consequences of partners' firearm possession on abused women and barriers women face in reporting threats to safety due to the partners' possession of a firearm.. Additionally, the study explored participants' perceptions of effective approaches to risk assessments and safety planning with women who are at-risk for being harmed by their partners' possession of a firearm. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with seventeen service providers and 45 immigrant women survivors of intimate partner violence were conducted. Data were analyzed using content analysis procedure. Participants shared that the partners' possession of a firearm can increase risk for firearm-related injury or fatality in situations of escalation of violence. Abused women living with a partner with firearm possession live in constant fear or threat. The presence of a firearm can also be a trigger of unwanted memories of the past and can have legal and other consequences for survivors. Impediments to reporting threats to safety were barriers such as lack of knowledge of firearm-related risks and gender and social norms. The findings can be informative for safety planning with survivors of IPV whose partners own or have access to a firearm. Comprehensive assessment of risks and barriers can be used to develop individualized and tailored safety plans for survivors with a partner who possesses a firearm.

The current study analyzes individual and social network correlates of adolescent engagement in physical intimate partner violence (IPV) utilizing socio-centric data from a high-school population of 242 adolescents from rural Colombia. We studied self-reported victimization and perpetration for boys and girls. First, we used logistic regression to explore the relationship between adolescents' IPV engagement and school peers' IPV engagement, school violence victimization, and social network position, controlling for gender and age (N=111). Second, we used social network statistical methods to investigate if there were more friendships of similar IPV status to the adolescent than expected by chance in their social networks. Our results show that the proportion of friends perpetrating physical IPV increased the probability of adolescents' IPV perpetration. Contrarywise, the proportion of friends experiencing IPV victimization decreased with the adolescent's own victimization. Being a victim (a status significantly more common among boys) was also associated with reporting perpetration for both genders. Furthermore, our results contradicted the social network literature, as we found no preferential ties among perpetrators/victims (e.g., adolescents do not seem to befriend each other by IPV engagement). Our study is unique to the global adolescent IPV literature given the scarcity of research examining physical IPV among adolescents in the context of both girls and boys in the context of their school networks. We also add to the understanding of IPV in the case of the global majority of adolescents with the highest rates of IPV victimization (living in Low and Middle-Income Countries).

A history of childhood trauma has been found to have a robust influence on juvenile delinquency, and evidence suggests that childhood sexual abuse is particularly common among female youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The current study sought to investigate impulsivity as a potential mediator of the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and juvenile incarceration amongst a community sample of low-income, urban, African American adult women. Although impulsivity has been studied among justice-involved youth, few studies have examined the influence of impulsivity within the relationship between CSA and juvenile incarceration and no known studies have explored their relationship in community populations of African American women with histories of juvenile incarceration. Results revealed that impulsivity mediated the relationship between CSA and previous juvenile incarceration. As an exploratory analysis, overall emotion dysregulation as well as other facets of emotion dysregulation did not serve as significant mediators in this relationship. These findings suggest that difficulties in impulse control may be one mechanism through which childhood sexual abuse increases risk for juvenile justice system involvement among African American women.

Condom use resistance (CUR) remains a significant problem, and many men employ coercive CUR strategies to avoid using condoms with partners who do not consent to unprotected sex. To assess the decision-making process underlying men's coercive CUR, the present study administered alcohol to assess the effects of alcohol intoxication, condom request style, and emotion regulation (ER) strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression) on intentions to use coercive CUR to have unprotected sex during a hypothetical sexual scenario. Sexually active, male social drinkers ( = 297) were randomly assigned to either consume alcohol or remain sober, and to project themselves into a hypothetical sexual scenario during which they received either indirect, direct, or insistent condom requests. Results showed that, although cognitive reappraisal had no relationship with coercive CUR or unprotected sex intentions, expressive suppression's relationship with intentions to have unprotected sex was mediated by coercive CUR and moderated by alcohol intoxication and condom request. Specifically, suppression was positively associated with coercive CUR among sober individuals who received an indirect condom request only. Such results suggest that sober men with suppressive tendencies may use coercive CUR to regulate negative emotions, such as frustration at not being able to have unprotected sex.

Maltreatment during childhood has detrimental consequences for survivors. Among children, maltreatment predicts deficits in cognition and impairment in academic and emotional functioning. Although studied extensively in children, the extent to which cognitive deficits are evident in adulthood has been examined to a lesser extent. Executive functioning (EF) is a set of cognitive processes that help to guide behavior toward goals and is characterized by a prolonged maturational time course. As such, it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of early stress, which confers risk for psychopathology. Thus, it is critical to assess the potential impact of childhood trauma on adult EF. The present study sought to assess the impact of a history of childhood maltreatment on EF during adulthood using both self-reported and task-based measures of EF processes. Higher levels of cumulative childhood maltreatment predicted poorer EF. Furthermore, deficits were not accounted for by current symptoms of depression and anxiety, indicating that the impact of childhood maltreatment on cognitive functioning in adulthood is not the result of current internalizing psychopathology.

Campus sexual violence (CSV) is linked with poor mental health and alcohol use, with cisgender women and some people of Color at increased risk for victimization. Though undergraduates' experiences of CSV are typically studied, graduate/professional students may additionally be impacted by CSV. Campus climate surveys recruit random samples of the entire student population, thus increasing generalizability. The purpose of the study is to pilot the ARC3 campus climate survey to examine CSV, mental health, and alcohol use by gender and minority status in diverse undergraduates and graduate/professional students. Random samples of undergraduates ( = 775) and graduate/professional students ( = 525) completed a 30-min online survey. Compared to graduate/professional students and men, undergraduates and women experience more CSV. CSV was associated with alcohol use in undergraduates and poorer mental health in undergraduates and graduate/professional students. Universities' prevention and intervention strategies should include undergraduate and graduate/professional students, targeting sexism.

This study examined associations between body habitus and functions of aggression, in a sample of 474 college students from the Midwestern region of the United States (age range = 18-25y; 73% Caucasian). Two instruments of aggression, the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire from Dodge & Coie 1987 (DC) and Raine et al. 2006 (RPQ) were given as self-assessments. Body habitus measures standardized by age and gender specific weight and height were collected. Subjects considered to have a large body habitus in our study had both weight and height measures above the 75th percentile. Large body habitus was positively correlated with both proactive and reactive functions of aggression among adult males but not females; however, regression analyses indicated that body habitus was most strongly and robustly associated with proactive aggression. Findings suggest that even in a healthy homogeneous population, large body size in males is associated with aggression, particularly proactive aggression including bullying rather than retaliatory aggression. The presence of a large body physique may reinforce aggressive behavioral traits acquired through life experiences and activities evoking physical dominance. Alternatively, the relationship may reflect neurological processes related to size influenced by genetic factors and hormones leading to antisocial behaviors requiring future research on the role of genes for aggression.

Following a traumatic event, coping strategies may affect the natural course of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). In particular, cognitive coping strategies (how one thinks about stressors) may reduce PTSS by increasing individuals' perceived control over events, appraising them as less threatening, particularly for individuals who experience self-blame after trauma. Individuals who experience a traumatic event (n =344) completed assessments at baseline (T1), one month (T2), and two months (T3). We tested whether T1 cognitive coping strategies (positive reinterpretation, acceptance, religious coping) predicted reduced T3 PTSS and whether this reduction was mediated by increased perceived control at T2. We tested whether this effect was particularly strong for individuals experiencing self-blame. Positive reinterpretation predicted decreases in, religious coping predicted increases in, and acceptance had no direct effect on PTSS. Overall, acceptance showed the greatest potential for reducing PTSS through increased perceived control over one's life. In a fully moderated mediation model, positive reinterpretation significantly interacted and acceptance marginally interacted with self-blame to predict increased perceived control and, subsequently, decreased T3 PTSS. Specifically, acceptance and positive reinterpretation were most helpful for those with higher levels of self-blame. Religious coping interacted with self-blame to predict perceived control and subsequent PTSS. For trauma survivors experiencing self-blame, cognitive coping strategies that utilize compassionate self-talk, such as positive reinterpretation and acceptance, may be particularly helpful at increasing perceived control after trauma, while religious coping may have deleterious effects.

Alcohol consumption has been associated with increased risk for sexual violence victimization and perpetration. Pregaming, a popular activity among college students that involves heavy and quick drinking prior to going out for the night and often results in high blood alcohol levels (BALs), may convey increased risk for sexual violence-potentially due to greater likelihood of contact with intoxicated perpetrators and significantly impaired victim ability to consent or resist. Yet no published work has evaluated whether there is increased risk for victimization on drinking days that involve pregaming. Using a sample of 390 college student drinkers who completed a past 30-day Timeline Followback, we examined heavy drinking behavior, estimated BALs, and experience of sexual violence victimization during 1,899 drinking days, of which 30% involved pregaming. After controlling for demographics, we found that participants drank approximately two more drinks and reached significantly higher BALs on drinking days where they pregamed as compared to drinking days where they did not pregame. Nearly 6% of drinking days that included pregaming involved sexual violence victimization, compared to about 2% of drinking days where pregaming did not occur. Participants were at 2.71 times the odds of experiencing sexual violence, primarily unwelcomed comments and nonconsensual sexual touching, during drinking days with pregaming. This study represents a first step toward greater understanding of the sexual violence and pregaming link, but future research assessing perpetrator behavior and context-specific factors (e.g., amount consumed by victims and perpetrators, location of sexual violent events and peers present) are needed.

This study examined the influence of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress (PTS) severity on accuracy of recall of autobiographical memory of traumatic events and pleasant events in very young children. Two hundred sixteen 3-6 year-old children with trauma exposure were interviewed with standardized interviews. Forty-one non-trauma-exposed controls were interviewed about stressful events for comparison. Accuracy of recall for both traumatic and pleasant events was not associated with severity of PTS. Trauma-exposed children showed significantly less accurate recall of trauma events compared to pleasant events. This difference was limited to children who experienced repeated trauma or Hurricane Katrina-related trauma experiences as opposed to single-blow types of trauma experiences. There was no difference in accuracy of recall of trauma events in the trauma-exposed group versus stressful events in the control group. There was also no difference in accuracy of recall of pleasant events between the trauma-exposed and the control groups. These findings do not support traditional theories that autobiographical recall is impaired in those with posttraumatic stress disorder or with trauma exposure. These findings demonstrate that very young children have access to and can verbalize accurate autobiographical recall of trauma events, which is important for clinical assessment and treatment.

Severe intimate partner violence (IPV) including loss of consciousness from head injuries and/or strangulation can result in traumatic brain injury (TBI), a brain pathology characterized by altered brain function, cognitive impairment, and mental health disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examines the prevalence of probable TBI (defined as loss of consciousness from a blow to the head and/or strangulation) and its association with comorbid PTSD and depression among Black women, who experience both higher rates of IPV and greater mental health burden than White and Latina women. Data come from a retrospective cohort study of 95 Black women with abuse history including IPV, forced sex, and childhood maltreatment. About one-third of women (n=32) had probable TBI. Among them, 38% (n=12) were hit on the head, 38% (n=12) were strangled to unconsciousness, and 25% (n=8) were strangled and hit on the head. Women with IPV history and probable TBI had significantly greater odds of various physical injuries including those that required medical care compared to other abused women. Probable TBI significantly increased comorbid PTSD and depression by 8.93 points (), after controlling for past violence ( =3.67, ). Findings from this study reinforce the need to screen women who lost unconsciousness due to IPV for TBI and facilitate referrals to IPV interventions and mental health treatment.

While fear and anger have been extensively studied as emotions involved in posttraumatic stress disorder, shame is an important emotion to examine in those who have experienced a traumatic event, as it is often associated with treatment avoidance and treatment resistance. Compared to guilt, which is associated with having participated in something that violates social/cultural norms or expectations, shame is associated with a negative perception of the self. The current paper sought to examine the role of shame proneness and guilt proneness, as it relates to posttraumatic cognitions and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among women reporting a history of sexual trauma. Seventy-two community-recruited women with a history of sexual trauma completed self-report measures of shame and guilt proneness and negative posttraumatic cognitions as well as a semi-structured interview assessing PTSS. There was an indirect effect of shame proneness on PTSS, through its positive association with negative cognitions about the self but not others or the world. Guilt proneness was not significantly related to PTSS or negative posttraumatic cognitions. The current paper outlines the importance of these findings and future directions for continuing to better understand the relations between shame and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and treatment.

The study explored the interplay between PTG and PTSS in older South African adults exposed to trauma. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. 195 participants from a low-resourced setting in South Africa were interviewed using the UCLA Life Adversities Screener, the PTSD Checklist (DSM-5), and the PTG-Inventory. Hayes Model SPSS Macro PROCESS for moderation was used. Overall, the relationship between cumulative trauma exposure and PTSS was moderated by the PTG level ( = -0.09, SE = 0.04, = .0113). The findings suggest that cumulative trauma exposure is a significant predictor of PTSS, and the relationship is moderated by the threshold level of PTG. Higher levels of PTG mitigated the effect of cumulative trauma exposure on PTSS.