Psychosocial Intervention

Understanding the Effect of Loneliness on Quality of Life in Older Adults from Longitudinal Approaches
Torres Z, Oliver A and Tomás JM
To study the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and quality of life (QoL) in adults to identify key mechanisms to better design future psychosocial interventions. 13,222 participants from three consecutive waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), aged 65 or older, 56.3% women. They were analyzed using cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM), and multi-group models disaggregated by gender. The RI-CLPM provided a better fit than the CLPM. Both models showed the stability of QoL and loneliness. All autoregressive paths were significant, and a negative association between concurrent QoL and loneliness was observed across all waves. The CLPM supported a reciprocal relationship, while the RI-CLPM only confirmed the effects of loneliness on QoL. Women reported higher levels of loneliness and poorer QoL, but no gender differences were identified in the longitudinal association. Addressing loneliness in early stages could be a better preventive measure to promote quality of life in both genders.
Integrated Motivational Strategies for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators with Substance Use: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Expósito-Álvarez C, Roldán-Pardo M, Gilchrist G and Lila M
Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators with alcohol and/or other drug use problems (ADUPs) have been identified as one of the main high-risk and highly resistant groups of perpetrators requiring special attention in intervention programs for IPV perpetrators. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate whether an individualized motivational plan adjusted to ADUPs (IMP-ADUPs) was superior to standard motivational strategies (IMP) in reducing ADUPs, and IPV and increasing treatment adherence in IPV perpetrators. Data from a full sample of IPV perpetrators ( = 140) and a subsample of participants with ADUPs ( = 55) were collected at pre- and post-intervention and 12-month follow-up. Final outcomes included alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis use, self-reported IPV, risk of recidivism assessed by facilitators, and official IPV recidivism. Proximal outcomes included treatment adherence (stage of change, intervention dose, active participation, and dropout). Both intent-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were conducted. The IMP-ADUPs condition was superior to the IMP in reducing alcohol use at post-intervention in both the full sample and ADUPs subsample. The full sample of participants in the IMP-ADUPs condition were in a more advanced stage of change post-intervention and showed increased active participation during the intervention process than IMP participants. All participants were in a more advanced stage of change at post-intervention and reduced their alcohol use and their risk of recidivism at post-intervention and 12-month follow-up. These results underscore the need to develop individualized treatment approaches to address participants' risks and needs and promote their motivation to change.
Which Psychosocial Strengths Could Combat the Adolescent Suicide Spectrum? Dissecting the Covitality Model
Falcó R, Falcon S, Moreno-Amador B, Piqueras JA and Marzo JC
Covitality is a meta-construct of positive intra/interpersonal self-schemas that organize and process life experiences. Its synergy favors psychosocial adjustment and prevents mental health problems during adolescence. At these ages, suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The purpose of this study was to determine which psychosocial strengths of the covitality model could combat adolescent suicide spectrum. Participants were 5,528 Spanish adolescents aged 12-18 years, 50.74% females. The assessment protocol was completed in schools, under the supervision of the research staff. Statistical analyses were conducted using hurdle models, i.e., modeling zero-inflated count data. This process provided two sets of outcomes: the association - in probabilistic terms - between psychosocial strengths and the absence of suicide indicators (i.e., non-occurrence) and the association of these assets - via regression coefficients - with increased experimentation (i.e., duration/quantity). All psychosocial strengths of the covitality model were related to the non-ocurrence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but not all to a shorter duration/quantity of their phenotypic manifestations. Covitality obtained greater association values on suicidal tendencies than its components analyzed independently. Belief in self and engaged living were the second-order factors with the higher estimating capacity. Specifically, emotional self-awareness, enthusiasm, gratitude, family support, and behavioral self-control were key first-order assets. These findings suggest that training adolescents in covitality assets could be an effective strategy for universal prevention against premature suicide. Moreover, this study provide evidence on which psychosocial strengths could counteract each phenotypic manifestation of suicide in order to customize selective and indicated preventive actions.
Care Competencies Training Enhances Adolescents' Well-being: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Nguyen CP, Beyers W, Valcke M and Dinh HT
This intervention study seeks to assess the impact of a care competencies training program on students' well-being. This randomized controlled trial involved 191 Vietnamese adolescents (65.4% female, age = 16 years and 8 months) in a 7-week intervention study that used video vignettes to build their care competencies. Validated scales were used to determine their care competencies (Care Competencies Questionnaire for Adolescents) and well-being (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale) at three points in time: before, immediately after, and two months after the intervention. The full-information maximum likelihood approach was applied to latent growth curve modeling (LGM) in Mplus 8.5 to estimate the initial level (i.e., intercept) and the change (i.e., slope) in care competencies and well-being among adolescents over time. Factor scores of LGMs were saved for correlation and multiple linear regression analysis by using SPSS (version 26.0) to explore the relationships between the changes in care competencies/failures and the changes in well-being. Results showed that, next to a significant increase in care competencies and a significant decrease in care failures, other well-being variables also significantly changed in the intervention group. In the intervention group, but not in the control group, changes in care competencies and failures consistently and significantly predicted changes in well-being. The results support the potential of the video vignette-based intervention to promote the development of adolescents' care competencies.
A Controlled Evaluation of a Psychosocial Outreach Support Program for Adults with Severe Mental Illness
Savaglio M, Vincent A, Bentley M, Gaul J, Poke S, Watson N and Skouteris H
Serious mental illness (SMI) remains a leading cause of disability worldwide. However, there is limited Australian evidence of community-based programs to enhance the psychosocial wellbeing of adults experiencing SMI. Foundations is a long-term community-based psychosocial outreach support program delivered in Tasmania, Australia. A longitudinal non-randomised controlled trial was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the Foundations program on adults' psychosocial functioning, clinical symptomology, and hospital readmissions, in comparison to standard care only. Participants were adults aged 18-64 years experiencing SMI. Control participants received standard clinical care only. Intervention participants were engaged in the Foundations program in addition to standard care. Data were collected at program commencement, midpoint, closure, and six-months post-closure. Linear mixed modelling was used to examine differences between groups. Intervention participants achieved better psychosocial functioning in comparison to the control group by program closure and at six-month follow-up. No significant differences were observed for clinical mental health symptomology or hospital readmission rates. Length of readmission stay was significantly shorter for intervention participants. The findings highlight the additional value of community-based, recovery-oriented, psychosocial outreach support alongside clinical mental health care to enhance the psychosocial wellbeing of adults experiencing SMI.
Dual-factor Models of Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence
Magalhães E
Dual-factor models of mental health propose that mental health includes two interrelated yet distinct dimensions - psychopathology and well-being. However, there is no systematization of the evidence following these models. This review aims to address the following research question: what evidence exists using dual-factor models? The current systematic review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines on the following databases: Web-of-science, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, ERIC, and MEDLINE. The screening process resulted in 85 manuscripts that tested the assumptions of dual-factor models. Evidence revealed psychometric substantiation on the two-dimensionality of the dual-factor model, and 85% of the manuscripts provided evidence related to classifying participants into different mental health groups. Most studies showed that the Complete Mental Health or Positive Mental Health group is the most prevalent status group, and longitudinal evidence suggests that most participants (around 50%-64%) remain in the same group across time. Regarding the factors associated with mental health status groups, studies reviewed in this manuscript focus mainly on school-related outcomes, followed by supportive relationships, sociodemographic characteristics, psychological assets, individual attributes, physical health, and stressful events. This review highlights the importance of considering the two dimensions of mental health when conceptualizing, operationalizing, and measuring mental health. Fostering mental health must go beyond reducing symptoms, and practitioners would be able to include well-being-related interventions in their regular practice to improve individuals' mental health outcomes.
The Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Suicide-related Emergency Calls in a European City: Age and Gender Patterns, and Neighborhood Influences
Marco M, López-Quílez A, Sánchez-Sáez F, Escobar-Hernández P, Montagud-Andrés M, Lila M and Gracia E
The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive spatio-temporal analysis of suicide-related emergency calls in the city of Valencia (Spain) over a six-year period. To this end we first examined age and gender patterns and, second, the influence of neighborhood characteristics on general and gender-specific spatio-temporal patterns of suicide-related emergency calls. Geocoded data on suicide-related emergency calls between 2017 and 2022 ( = 10,030) were collected from the 112 emergency service in Valencia. Data were aggregated at the census block group level, used as a proxy for neighborhoods, and trimesters were considered as the temporal unit. Two set of analyses were performed: (1) demographic (age and gender) and temporal descriptive analyses and (2) general and gender-specific Bayesian spatio-temporal autoregressive models. Descriptive analyses revealed a higher incidence of suicide-related emergency calls among females and an increase in calls among the 18-23 age group from 2020 onwards. The general spatio-temporal model showed higher levels of suicide-related emergency calls in neighborhoods characterized by lower education levels and population density, and higher residential mobility, aging population, and immigrant concentration. Relevant gender differences were also observed. A seasonal effect was noted, with a peak in calls during spring for females and summer for males. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive mental health targeted interventions and preventive strategies that account for gender-specific disparities, age-related vulnerabilities, and the specific characteristics of neighborhoods.
Home-visiting Parenting Programs to Improve Mother-Infant Interactions at Early Ages: A Systematic Review
Alves CRL, Seibel BL, Gaspardo CM, Altafim ERP and Linhares MBM
To systematically review studies examining the effects of home-visiting preventive parenting programs (HV-PPs) on improving the quality of mother-child interactions in early childhood. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol, we identified 3,586 studies published between 2018 and 2022 by searching the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, BVS/LILACS, SciELO, and PsycNET/PsycINFO. After applying the eligibility criteria, 17 articles were selected for review. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries (53%) and the remainder were conducted in upper-middle-income countries, predominantly using a randomized controlled trial design and with strong methodological quality. The 17 studies applied 13 different HV-PPs, predominantly using video feedback, based on various dosages and schedules. Most studies (77%) showed significant positive effects on mother-child interactions by improving mainly positive maternal behaviors (e.g., sensitivity and responsiveness). Positive effects occurred independent of the study design, sample characteristics, measures, and constructs assessed. However, the findings suggest that the combination of fewer than six sessions, durations shorter than three months, and a very early start did not impact mother-child interactions, as expected. Few studies have explored negative maternal behaviors, children's behaviors, and dyadic interactions such as mutuality and synchrony. HV-PPs positively impacted mother-child interactions in early childhood despite the large heterogeneity across program designs, outcome measures, and overlapping constructs. Based on the results, we discuss the practical and economic implications of using parenting programs as a preventive approach.
Parent Peer Advocacy, Mentoring, and Support in Child Protection: A Scoping Review of Programs and Services
Saar-Heiman Y, Damma J, Lalayants M and Gupta A
Parent peer advocacy, mentoring, and support programs, delivered by parents with lived child protection (CP) experience to parents receiving CP intervention, are increasingly recognized internationally as inclusive practices that promote positive outcomes, but little is known about what shared characteristics exist across these types of programs and what variations may exist in service delivery or impact. This scoping review examines 25 years (1996-2021) of empirical literature on these programs to develop a systematic mapping of existing models and practices as context for program benefits and outcome achievement. Studies were selected using a systematic search process. The final sample comprised 45 publications that addressed research on 24 CP-related parent peer advocacy and support programs. Data analysis explored how programs were studied and conceptualized and examined their impact on parents, professionals, and the CP system. Substantial variation in program settings, target populations, aims, advocate roles, and underlying theoretical frameworks were identified. Across program settings, existing empirical evidence on impact and outcomes also varied, though positive impacts and outcomes were evident across most settings. Findings from this review highlight the need to account better for parent peer advocacy and support program variations in future practice development to ensure alignment with inclusive and participatory principles and goals. Future research is also needed to address current knowledge gaps and shed light on the impact of these differences on individual, case, and system outcomes.
Beyond the Initial Assault: Characterizing Revictimization in Intimate Partner Violence and Its Implications for Women's Health
Muñoz-Rivas MJ, Ronzón-Tirado R, López-Ossorio JJ and Redondo N
Recent research has emphasized the importance of addressing specific victim-related factors to reduce victims' vulnerability and prevent future revictimization experiences. This study aimed to analyze the vulnerability profiles of women who were victims of intimate partner violence, including those who had experienced a single incident of violence and those who had endured revictimization. Participants were 338 women with active judicial protection measures registered in the system of support for victims of gender violence (VioGén) in Madrid, Spain. The analysis considered sociodemographic characteristics, victimization history, perceived triggers of violence, women's responses and feelings, as well as clinical outcomes linked to revictimization history. The study revealed that many victims faced socioeconomic vulnerability. Furthermore, the findings underscored the intricate link between the likelihood of enduring chronic violence and women's awareness of early indicators of violence risk, their initial responses to aggression, communication skills, and recurrent behaviors in the context of an established violent dynamic. This study offers valuable insights for law enforcement to identify the risk of revictimization. Furthermore, findings raise awareness about the particularly vulnerable situation of some women to repeated victimization experiences and provide relevant information for clinical intervention.
Differential Treatment Response of Proactive and Reactive Partner Abusive Men: Results from a Laboratory Proximal Change Experiment
Babcock JC, Kini S, Godfrey DA and Rodriguez L
The current study reexamines data from Babcock et al. (2011) proximal change experiment to discern the differential utility of two communication skills-based interventions for proactive and reactive partner violence offenders. Partner violent men were randomly assigned to the Editing Out the Negative skill, the Accepting Influence skill, or to a placebo/timeout and reengaged in a conflict discussion with their partners. Proactivity was tested as a moderator of immediate intervention outcomes. The ability to learn the communication skills, changes in self-reported affect, observed aggression, and psychophysiological responding were examined as a function of proactivity of violence. Highly proactive men had some difficulty learning the Accepting Influence skill and they responded poorly to this intervention. They responded positively to the Editing Out the Negative technique, with less aggression, more positive affect, and lower heart rates. Low proactive (i.e., reactive) men tended to feel less aggressive, more positive, and less physiologically aroused after completing the Accepting Influence technique. This study lends support for tailoring batterer interventions specific to perpetrator characteristics.
Early Family Experiences, Drug Use, and Psychosocial Adjustment across the Life Span: Is Parental Strictness Always a Protective Factor?
Villarejo S, Garcia OF, Alcaide M, Villarreal ME and Garcia F
This study analyzes whether parental strictness, which is shared by authoritative parenting (strictness and warmth) and authoritarian parenting (strictness without warmth) styles, always acts as a main protective factor against drug use and psychosocial maladjustment in children. This conclusion has already been stated in numerous classic studies, though emergent research suggests that there are benefits to parental warmth regardless of whether strictness is present or not. Sample were 2,095 Spanish participants (1,227 females, 58.6%), 581 adolescent children (aged 12-18 years, 27.7%) and 1,514 adult children (72.3%). The measures were the main parenting style dimensions (warmth and strictness), drug use, and a set of indicators of psychosocial adjustment. A 4 × 2 × 4 MANOVA was applied for all outcomes with parenting style, sex, and age as independent variables. Indulgent parenting (warmth without strictness) was related to less drug use than parenting without warmth (authoritarian and neglectful). Additionally, indulgent and authoritative parenting styles were related to better scores on psychosocial adjustment than authoritarian and neglectful styles, although the indulgent parenting was the only style related to the optimal scores being equal or even more effective than the authoritative style. Contrary to classical studies, present findings suggest that it is the parental warmth instead of the parental strictness that seems to be effective in protecting against drug use and psychosocial maladjustment.
Perceived Reportability of Intimate Partner Violence against Women to the Police and Help-seeking: A National Survey
Juarros-Basterretxea J, Fernández-Álvarez N, Torres-Vallejos J and Herrero J
The literature has consistently found that victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women are reluctant to make their situation visible and report it to the police. Whether victims perceive and define IPV behaviors as reportable is key to understanding in which cases the police are seen as potential providers of help or whether other potential sources of help (family, friends, professionals, etc.) are preferred. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the influence of perceived reportability of IPV on women's selection of the police as a source of help compared to not seeking help or selecting other sources of help. Structural equation modeling was applied to data from 479 female participants drawn from a nationally representative sample of 1,112 male and female Chilean adolescents and young adults conducted by the National Youth Institute of Chile. The results showed that perceived reportability was a significant predictor of choosing the police as a source of help compared to other informal sources of help, such as family and friends. However, perceived reportability did not affect help-seeking choices between the police and other formal help sources (psychologists, public services). Participants' IPV victimization and attitudes toward IPV also played a specific role in selecting the police as a source of help. These findings highlight the complexity of the visibility of women's IPV victimization to the police and the need to examine its explanatory mechanisms.
Can Virtual Reality be Used for the Prevention of Peer Sexual Harassment in Adolescence? First Evaluation of the Virtual-PRO Program
Sánchez-Jiménez V, Rodríguez-de Arriba ML, Ortega-Rivera J and Muñoz-Fernández N
The present study analyzed the Virtual-PRO program's efficacy in preventing peer sexual harassment by promoting the bystanders' active intervention and incorporating a virtual reality (VR) component. The impact of the program on sexist attitudes, moral disengagement, the intention to intervene as bystanders, and the involvement in sexual aggression and victimization was tested. Virtual-PRO is a VR-enhanced sexual harassment curricular prevention program of six one-hour sessions. The evaluation comprised a pre-test, a post-test after the intervention, and a follow-up measure at three months. In the study, 579 Spanish adolescent students aged between 12 and 17 years ( = 14.76, = 0.88; 47.1% boys) were randomly grouped into experimental ( = 286) and control ( = 293) conditions. The Virtual-PRO program effectively controlled participants' levels of sexism and reduced moral disengagement in the experimental group compared to the control group three months after the intervention. The program also showed positive results in changing bystander behavior, increasing the intention to intervene when the victim was not a friend. Finally, visual/verbal and online victimization decreased in the experimental group and increased in the control group. No differences were found for physical sexual victimization and sexual aggression. The first trial of the Virtual-PRO program is promising and highlights the use of VR as a sexual harassment prevention tool. Follow-up measures are essential to determine the impact of interventions accurately.
Systematic Review of the Evaluation of Foster Care Programs
Vallejo-Slocker L, Idoiaga-Mondragon N, Axpe I, Willi R, Guerra-Rodríguez M, Montserrat C and Del Valle JF
The aim of this study was to conduct an exhaustive synthesis to determine which instruments and variables are most appropriate to evaluate foster care programs (foster, kinship, and professional families). This evaluation includes the children, their foster families, their families of origin, professionals, and foster care technicians.
Non-Disclosure and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescent Victims of Bullying: An Analysis from the Family and School Context
Estévez-García JF, Cañas E and Estévez E
In recent years, suicide rates among bullying victims have raised much concern among educators and health professionals. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of preventable death among adolescents, data that warn about the need to monitor the signs before victims' suicidal behavior to prevent this fatal outcome. In the present study, the role of victims' silence about their victimization situation was analysed, as well as the particular impact of family and school environments. More specifically, we examined the mediating role of the victim's non-disclosure between the parental styles (observing the father's and mother's roles separately) and the school climate, concerning suicidal ideation in victims. The sample consisted of 2,977 adolescents (48.5% boys), aged 11-17 years ( = 14.1, = 1.42), of whom 635 (21.3%) reported having been victims of bullying in the past year. The results showed that parental styles of rejection and indifference were positively related to victims' non-disclosure of bullying and suicidal ideation. Conversely, a positive school climate showed a negative relationship with victims' disclosure of the bullying situation and suicidal ideation. The findings also indicated that non-disclosure mediates the relationship between the mother's parental style and suicidal ideation. These findings expand knowledge about the role of bullying victims' social context and the variable disclosure with regards to suicidal ideation in adolescents victimized by peers at school.
Aggressive and Defensive Behaviour, Normative, and Social Adjustment in the Complex Dynamics of School Bullying
Carmona-Rojas M, Ortega-Ruiz R, Romera E and Bravo A
Bullying is a group phenomenon in which schoolchildren take on different roles. Although certain contextual elements play a key role in its evolution, very few longitudinal studies have been carried out to date which investigate how these factors interact. This study aims to explore the different class groupings as regards bullying norms and to examine the effect of the type of norm, social, and normative adjustment and pro-sociality, also of the interaction of group norms with involvement in aggression and victim defence in bullying situations. A total of 3,358 secondary school students (50.71% girls, = 13 years, = 1.34) participated in the study. Four groups of norms towards bullying were identified: anti-bullying, anti-bullying but not actively defending, indifference, and pro-bullying. Univariate linear regression models showed that normative adjustment and the type of norms had a direct inverse effect on both types of behaviour, while pro-sociality only had an effect on defence. In groups with pro-bullying norms, a greater effect of normative adjustment was observed for involvement in defence and aggression, and pro-social skills were associated with aggression. These results suggest the need to work on moral, social and emotional elements to improve school climate in schools.
Understanding of Factors Associated with Reporting to the Police, Helping Seeking, and Adopting in Self-protection among Stalking Victims: A Latent Class Analysis
Cho S, Kim C and Owens JG
Victims of stalking use multiple help-seeking behaviors including reporting their experiences to the police, obtaining a restraining order, blocking communication, and relying on informal social networks like friends, family, or therapists. The goal of this study is to, first, identify distinct subgroups of stalking victims based on their help-seeking behaviors. Next, we identify the direct effect of sex, victim-offender relationship, and offense severity on class membership. Finally, we include negative emotions as a mediating effect. Using the 2016 National Crime Victimization Survey's Supplemental Victimization Survey data, latent class analysis was utilized to identify class membership among 1,459 stalking victims. The results indicate three groups: passive help-seekers, informal help-seekers, and active help-seekers. We found that females are more likely to be assigned to the active or informal group and these two groups appear to experience more severe stalking behaviors compared to the passive group. Specifically, victims were less likely to ask for help actively and ask family, friends, and non-professional people for help for whom stalking took place by other/unable to identify individuals. Victims whose stalkers had a criminal record, whose stalkers threatened themselves or others, as well as who suffered stalking lasting for months and the most often were more likely to ask for help actively and ask family, friends, and non-professional people for help. The significance of victims' perceptions of severity of both groups is only partially mediated by negative emotions.
School-based Psychosocial Interventions' Effectiveness in Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Adolescents' Mental Health, Resilience, and Social Relations: A Four-country Cluster Randomized Study
Spaas C, Said-Metwaly S, Skovdal M, Primdahl NL, Jervelund SS, Hilden PK, Andersen AJ, Opaas M, Soye E, Watters C, Verelst A, Derluyn I, Colpin H and Haene L
School-based psychosocial interventions are increasingly put forward as a way to support young refugees' and migrants' well-being and mental health in resettlement. However, the evidence on these interventions' effectiveness remains scarce and scholars denounce particular gaps in the evidence to date, pointing to a lack of large-scale, controlled studies and studies including social outcome measures. This cluster randomized study aims to strengthen the evidence base on school-based psychosocial interventions for refugee and migrant youth by assessing the effect of two interventions, Classroom Drama and Welcome to School, on youth's mental health, resilience, and social relations in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Multilevel analyses were conducted separately for the two interventions (Classroom Drama, = 307, ages 11-19; Welcome to School, = 251, ages 11-23), using separate no-treatment control groups. Our analyses indicated a significant main, positive effect of Classroom Drama on perceived family support, and an effect on perceived support from friends that was moderated by country: in the United Kingdom, the intervention group reported an increase in perceived friend support, whereas the control group reported a decrease. Furthermore, baseline resilience moderated the effect of the Classroom Drama intervention on behavioral difficulties and well-being. No effects of Welcome to School on any of the outcome variables were found. Overall, this study provides novel, nuanced evidence on school-based psychosocial interventions for refugee and migrant adolescents.
Solicitation and Sexualized Interactions of Minors with Adults: Prevalence, Overlap with Other Forms of Cybervictimization, and Relationship with Quality of Life
Ortega-Barón J, Machimbarrena JM, Caba-Machado V, Díaz-López A, Tejero-Claver B and González-Cabrera J
Sexual solicitation and sexualized interaction with minors by adults constitute one of the most pernicious risks of the Internet. Little is known about the age range in which this phenomenon is most prevalent or the relationship and overlap of this problem with other risks, such as peer-to-peer cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse. Additionally, little empirical evidence exists on whether the overlap between these types of online victimization affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to: 1) analyze the prevalence of sexual solicitation and interaction according to sex and stage of adolescence; 2) relate this problem to other forms of online victimization (cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse); 3) analyze the overlap between these forms of online victimization and differences in HRQoL scores. A cross-sectional and analytical study with 3,578 adolescents (52.7% girls) aged between 10-15 years was carried out. Of the adolescents in the study sample, 12.6% ( = 448) had received sexual requests and 6.4% ( = 230) had interacted sexually with adults. Sexual solicitation was most common among girls in middle adolescence. Of the participants, 33.9% ( = 1,216) had been involved in some form of online victimization. Peer cybervictimization and cyber dating abuse were positively and significantly correlated with sexualized solicitation/interactions with adults. Victims with the overlapping of all three types of online victimization (2.7%, = 98) presented the lowest HQRoL scores ( < .001).
Randomized Clinical Trial of a Brief Alcohol Intervention as an Adjunct to Batterer Intervention for Women Arrested for Domestic Violence
Brem MJ, Shorey RC, Ramsey SE and Stuart GL
Despite a rise in women being arrested for domestic violence and court-ordered to batterer intervention, batterer interventions remain limited in their ability to address women's treatment needs. Alcohol use is an important intervention target: one-third of women in batterer interventions have an alcohol-related diagnosis, half engage in at-risk drinking, and alcohol use contributes to intimate partner violence (IPV) and batterer intervention dropout. Research has not evaluated whether adding an alcohol intervention to batterer intervention improves women's alcohol use and IPV outcomes. We randomized 209 women (79.9% white) in Rhode Island to receive the state-mandated batterer intervention program alone or the batterer intervention program plus a brief alcohol intervention. Alcohol use (percentage of days abstinent from alcohol [PDAA], number of drinks per drinking day [DPDD], percentage of heavy drinking days [PHDD], percentage of days abstinent from alcohol and drugs [PDAAD]), and IPV perpetration and victimization frequency (psychological, physical, and sexual IPV, injury) data were collected at baseline and 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Multilevel modeling revealed that, relative to the batterer intervention alone, women who received the brief alcohol intervention reported a higher PDAA and PDAAD, fewer DPDD, and a lower PHDD across all follow-up assessments. Women who received the brief alcohol intervention perpetrated less physical IPV and experienced less injury than did women who only received the batterer intervention. For physical IPV, these differences became more pronounced over time. No other group differences or group x time interactions emerged. Adding an alcohol intervention may improve batterer intervention outcomes for women arrested for domestic violence.