Impact of sexual coercion on romantic experiences of adolescents and young adults

Magnitude of Spousal Violence and Associated Factors among Midlife Women in Ethiopia

Background

Intimate partner violence is the most common form of gender-based violence and has enormous maternal health consequences. There is limited evidence concerning the magnitude and determinants of intimate partner violence amongst midlife women. Thus, this study aimed to determine the extent of and the factors contributing to spousal violence amongst midlife Ethiopian women.

Methods

The 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) data were examined, and a sample of 1628 ever-married midlife women was included. The analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the determinants of intimate partner violence. All statistical significance was declared at p value < 0.05.

Results

The prevalence of spousal violence among midlife women in Ethiopia was 31.8%. Age of women, divorced, and working status were significantly associated with spousal violence. The likelihood of spousal violence is increase among midlife women who had no formal education, less decision-making power in household, and had partner who had drinking habit.

Conclusion

This study showed that nearly one-thirds of midlife Ethiopian women have experienced spousal violence in their lifetime. Empowering midlife women by giving them decision-making tools and educating them to deal with, and prevent spousal violence may be effective strategies in reducing this problem.

Examination of Sex-Related Distress and Self-Medication Drinking Model in U.S. College Women

Adult sexual assault (ASA) in college remains a concern. Consequently, many college-aged women experience negative emotions surrounding sexual activity (sex-related distress). Consistent with self-medication theory, some drink to cope with sex-related distress, which may reduce distress, but lead to greater drinking quantity before sex and negative sexual consequences. How women with ASA histories navigate sexual situations and cope with sex-related distress is under researched. We examined ASA, sex-related distress, and drinking to cope motives to understand correlates of drinking before sex. First and second year college women (n = 300) reported on a recent sexual experience in the past six weeks. In the full sample, ASA severity was associated with a greater likelihood of drinking before sex, while general sex-related distress was associated with a lower likelihood. General sex-related distress was associated with event-specific sex-related distress and sexual consequences. There were no differences in number of pre-sex drinks or subjective intoxication during sexual activity based on ASA. In a subsample of women who drank before sexual activity (n = 179), drinking to cope with sex-related distress motives mediated the association between sex-related distress and sexual consequences. Interventions can draw on these findings to target self-medication drinking in consensual sexual situations.

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence and Mental Health Indicators Among Chinese Emerging Adults

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) among emerging adults, including heterosexuals and sexual minorities in the Chinese population, is poorly understood. Focusing on college students, the objectives of the present study were to estimate the prevalence of IPSV among Chinese emerging adults, examine the association between sexual orientation and IPSV, and evaluate the mental health and quality of life of survivors of IPSV. Data were collected from four university campuses in Hong Kong. A total of 1,015 participants were included in the data analysis. The prevalence of IPSV as identified by Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS)-2 was 12.1%. There was no gender difference in the prevalence of IPSV. Multiple logistic regression found that being older; having experienced childhood sexual abuse and having a smoking habit; and belonging to a sexual minority were factors associated with IPSV. Multiple linear regression found that IPSV survivors were more likely to have higher levels of anxiety and depression, more severe psychosomatic symptoms, and poorer quality of life in three domains: psychological, social relationships, and environment when compared with those without IPSV experience. The documented factors underscored the importance of awareness that men and sexual minorities might incur IPSV, which should receive more attention in IPSV prevention programs. Also, interventions for IPSV survivors should be targeted at improving their mental health and quality of life and sex education should place more emphasis on sexual consent and sexual health in dating relationships.

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Among Canadian University Students: Incidence, Context, and Perpetrators' Perceptions

Men's sexual violence against women is pervasive and is commonly committed against young women by intimate partners. Limited research has examined occurrence rates of intimate partner sexual violence among university students separated by various tactics and sexual acts. Using surveys with convenience samples of 142 Canadian university women and 441 Canadian university men, we examined women's self-reported intimate partner sexual violence victimization and men's self-reported perpetration rates in their most recent heterosexual intimate relationship in the past year. We examined a detailed breakdown across different tactics (i.e., verbal coercion, intoxication, and threats of harm/physical force) and sexual acts (i.e., nonpenetrative sexual contact; oral, vaginal, and anal penetration). Thirty-three percent of women reported at least one victimization experience, and 16% of men reported at least one perpetration experience. The most common tactic reported was verbal coercion for both women's victimization and men's perpetration, and the most common sexual act reported was vaginal penetration for women's victimization and oral sex for men's perpetration. We also examined contextual features and perceptions of the effects of perpetrators' most memorable incidents. These most memorable incidents often occurred either in their own or their partner's home and involved alcohol consumption. Most men reported no significant effects of their sexual violence on their relationships and sometimes normalized their behavior. We briefly discuss the implications of our results for future research and interventions.

Sexual Revictimization in College Women: Mediational Analyses Testing Hypothesized Mechanisms for Sexual Coercion and Sexual Assault

A precollege history of sexual victimization predicts revictimization during college, making it important to understand the mechanisms underlying the victimization-to-revictimization pathway. The study aimed to test whether heavy episodic drinking and personal and peer hookup norms mediate revictimization for two types of unwanted sexual contact: sexual coercion (attempted and/or completed sexual assault by the use of verbal coercion) and sexual assault (attempted and/or completed sexual assault by the use of force, threats, or incapacitation). At college entry, 483 first-year college women completed self-report measures of their precollege experiences, including history of sexual victimization and health behaviors (i.e., alcohol use, personal and peer hookup norms). At the end of the first and second semesters, they also completed measures assessing incident sexual victimization. Nearly one half of women (48%) reported an experience of attempted or completed sexual coercion or assault prior to entering college; 33% endorsed sexual coercion and 15% endorsed sexual assault in their first year of college. Structural equation models demonstrated that heavy episodic drinking and personal and peer hookup norms partially mediated revictimization for sexual assault, but not for sexual coercion. Sexual coercion was the most common tactic leading to unwanted sexual contact in this sample. Alcohol use and personal and peer hookup norms mediated revictimization by force, threats, or incapacitation. In contrast, the hypothesized mediators did not explain the revictimization pathway for verbally coerced assaults. Given the prevalence of sexual coercion, research needs to identify risk factors for verbal coercion to guide prevention efforts.

Myths about Sexual Aggression, Sexual Assertiveness and Sexual Violence in Adolescent Romantic Relationships

Sexual violence is a worldwide health and social issue. However, little is known about the sexual violence that occurs in the context of romantic relationships. This study analyzes the existence of sexual violence in adolescents’ romantic relationships, the possible associations between such violence (both committed and suffered) and myths about sexual aggression and sexual assertiveness, and the possible gender-related distinctions. A sample of 329 students aged between 15 and 19 (M = 16.3; SD = 0.79) was surveyed; all participants were in a romantic relationship when the data were collected. The results reveal that both genders report the existence of sexual violence in their romantic relationships; however, in heterosexual relationships, males were more often the perpetrators of sexual violence. Additionally, myths about sexual aggression and sexual assertiveness were found to be significantly associated with both perpetration and victimization. Accordingly, these predictors should be focal points in prevention programs for adolescent sexual violence. The findings of this study show the de-prioritization of sexuality education in the Spanish educational system, as well as the need to strengthen the competence of adolescents in this area.

Survival analysis and prognostic factors of time to first domestic violence after marriage among Nigeria, Kenya, and Mozambique women

OBJECTIVES

How soon an ever-married woman falls a victim of domestic violence after marriage is not documented in Africa. This study sought to assess the timing of first domestic violence (FDV) against women after marriage and determined the factors associated with the timings in Nigeria, Kenya, and Mozambique.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Data of 29,793 ever-married women of reproductive age consisting of 21,564, 4237 and 3992 from Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Nigeria (2013), Kenya (2014) and Mozambique (2011), respectively, were used. The timing of FDV was the time interval between marriage date and date of the FDV for those with reported violence but censored as the time interval between marriage date and the survey date for those without domestic violence. Survival analysis techniques were used to assess the timing and the factors influencing the timing at (P = 0.05).

RESULTS

The lifetime prevalence of domestic violence among the ever-married women in Nigeria, Kenya and Mozambique was 15.4%, 39.0% and 31.0%, respectively. The overall median time to FDV was 3 years. The risk of FDV was twice higher in Kenya (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.934; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.729-2.132) and 15% higher in Mozambique (aHR = 1.156; 95% CI: 1.156-1.223) than in Nigeria. The hazard of domestic violence was significantly higher among separated/divorced women across the three countries (aHR = 1.326; 95% CI: 1.237-1.801). Other factors associated with the timing of FDV against women were respondents' education, age at first marriage, region and location of residence, religion, ethnicity, employment status, wealth quintile, spouse consuming alcohol and husbands' educational attainment.

CONCLUSIONS

Domestic violence against married women by their intimate partners is prevalent across Mozambique, Nigeria and Kenya, with earlier occurrences in Kenya and Mozambique. Age at first marriage, education factors, religion, ethnicity and region of residence in each country affected the timing of the first incidence of domestic violence.

Sexting Coercion as a Component of Intimate Partner Polyvictimization

We examined the role of sexting coercion as a component of the intimate partner abuse (IPA) construct among young adults to determine whether sexting coercion would emerge alongside other forms of partner aggression as a cumulative risk factor for psychological, sexual, and attachment problems. In a sample of 885 undergraduates (301 men and 584 women), 40% had experienced some type of coercion. Although there was some overlap between sexual coercion and sexting coercion (21% of participants had experienced both), some individuals had experienced only sexting coercion (8%) and some only sexual coercion (11%). Women were more likely than men to be coerced into sexting. Both sexting coercion and sexual coercion were significantly and independently related to negative mental health symptoms, sexual problems, and attachment dysfunction, and, notably, sexting coercion was found to be a cumulative risk factor for nearly all of these negative effects. These data support the idea that digital sexual victimization is a new component of IPA polyvictimization, potentially increasing the negative effects experienced by victims of multiple forms of partner aggression.

Treatment-as-Usual for Couples: Trajectories Before and After Beginning Couple Therapy

Couple therapy has been shown to be a meaningful way to improve couples' relationships. However, less information is known about couples' functioning prior to entering treatment in community settings, as well as how their relationship functioning changes from initiating therapy onward. This study examined 87 couples who began community-based couple therapy during a longitudinal study of couples in the military. The couples were assessed six times over the course of 3 years, including time points before and after starting couple therapy. Using an interrupted-time series design, we examined trajectories across the start of couple therapy in relationship satisfaction, divorce proneness, and negative communication. The results demonstrated that couples' relationship satisfaction was declining and both divorce proneness and negative communication were increasing prior to entering couple therapy. After starting couple therapy, couples' functioning on all three variables leveled off but did not show further change, but previous experience in relationship education moderated these effects. Specifically, those who were assigned to the relationship education program (vs. control) demonstrated greater reductions in divorce proneness and greater increases marital satisfaction after starting therapy; however, they also started more distressed.

Sexual Coercion Perpetration and Victimization: Gender Similarities and Differences in Adolescence

Sexual coercion is a worldwide health problem that endangers the well-being of those involved. In the same line of the most recent and comprehensive studies, this study sought to investigate the extent of sexual coercion, both perpetration and victimization, among male and female adolescents. Moreover, it jointly analyzed the predictive power of different variables that have been considered as useful to design preventive programs. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study, using proportional stratified cluster sampling, was performed and 1,242 Spanish adolescents (15-19 years old) were surveyed. Results show that both genders had reported committing and suffering sexual coercion. However, perpetration was reported more often by males: no significant gender difference was found in victimization. It was also concluded that need for control and power, normative beliefs about sexual coercion, hostile sexism, negative alcohol expectancies, and sociosexual orientation were significant predictors of perpetration for both genders. Concerning victimization, need for control and power and normative beliefs were found to be significant predictors for males and females, as were negative alcohol expectancies and sexual esteem, though only for males. According to these results, both genders can be both perpetrators and victims of sexual coercion in adolescence, but not to the same extent. Moreover, preventive programs should include activities related to perpetration and victimization, taking into account the effectiveness of their components to intervene with male and female adolescents.

Examining the Prevalence and Predictors of Injury from Adolescent Dating Violence

Medical needs of youth who experience dating violence are not well understood because of limited past research examining the prevalence and predictors of injuries and medical help seeking. To address these gaps, the current study described the prevalence and predictors of injuries from dating violence from grades 8 through 12 in a large sample of youth. Results indicate that one third to one half of youth who experienced any physical and/or sexual dating violence also sustained an injury. Prevalence of injury was highest in the 8^th grade and was significantly higher for females than for males across grades 8 through 11. Youth who experienced greater amounts of violent victimization in their relationships (physical, sexual, and psychological) were at highest risk for injury. Results also suggest that victims at highest risk for injury are girls, white youth, those experiencing multiple types of violence, and those who also engage in perpetration. Given the high prevalence of injury among youth who report dating violence, healthcare professionals may be in a unique position to screen and counsel youth about dating violence. Because the highest prevalence of injury occurred before high school, prevention programs should start early and selected prevention may be used for youth at highest risk for injury.