"Finding My Worth as a Sexual Being": A Qualitative Gender Analysis of Sexual Self-Concept and Coping in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is likely to have impacts on adult survivors' sexuality, particularly on their sexual self-concept. However, little is known about how survivors cope with CSA-related sexual impacts, including sexual self-concept impairments. Thus, this study aimed to examine the interplay between sexual self-concept and coping strategies in CSA survivors by (1) documenting the manifestations of their impaired sexual self-concepts; (2) identifying their strategies to cope with the sexual impacts of CSA; and (3) examining gender differences on sexual self-concept impairments and coping strategies. Content analysis was conducted on semi-structured interviews with 25 women and 26 men adult survivors of CSA recruited via social networks and victim support organizations. Analyses yielded three conceptual categories: (1) Developing an unconsolidated and unfavorable sexual self-concept following CSA; (2) Avoiding CSA-related sexual impacts and impaired sexual self-concept; (3) Approaching CSA-related sexual impacts with more authenticity. Men often managed their suffering and compensated for their impaired sexual self-concept by engaging in sexual dominance and over-investment, by accepting their sexual difficulties and relying on medication to overcome them. Women tended to restrict themselves and disconnect sexually to avoid suffering, complied with their partners' sexual demands out of a sense of duty, prioritized sexual intimacy over orgasm, and seek professional help. Interventions with survivors should promote the development of approach strategies to cope with sexual difficulties, including self-concept impairments, and foster sexual authenticity.

Associations between small-area sociodemographic characteristics and intimate partner violence in Montréal, Québec

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects many individuals and can have a significant impact on their health and well-being. In order to inform prevention strategies, several studies have focused on the determinants of IPV. However, knowledge on the association between neighbourhood characteristics and IPV remains scarce. The social disorganization theory posits that certain neighbourhood characteristics are associated with violent behaviours. This theory has been used to explain spatial variations in IPV, but most studies have been conducted in the United States. Little is known about the effect of neighbourhood factors in urban contexts outside of the United States.

Design and methods

Using police data from 2016 and 2017, this study estimated the association between sociodemographic characteristics of neighbourhoods (socioeconomic status, single-parenthood, residential instability and ethnocultural heterogeneity) and IPV victimization in Montréal, Québec.

Results

Results suggest a neighbourhood-level variation in IPV, and that neighbourhood-level characteristics are associated with IPV victimization. Specifically, the likelihood of IPV is higher in neighbourhoods with the lowest SES level (OR = 2.80, 95%CI: 2.47-3.17, p < 0.001) and the lowest level of residential instability (OR = 0.81, 95%CI: 0.70-0.93, p = 0.003) as well as the highest proportion of single-parent households (OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.65-2.15, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Although neighbourhood-level interventions to reduce IPV are rare, our results highlight the importance of developing such preventive strategies. Prevention programs targeting high-risk neighbourhoods may prove effective in reducing IPV.

Reproductive Coercion by Intimate Partners: Prevalence and Correlates in Canadian Individuals with the Capacity to be Pregnant

OBJECTIVES

Despite the large body of research on violence against women, violence that specifically targets women's reproductive autonomy and control over their reproductive health, called reproductive coercion (RC), is poorly documented in Canada. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of RC behaviors in an adult Canadian community sample and to explore associated factors.

STUDY DESIGN

A self-report online questionnaire was administered from September 2020 to April 2021 in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Participants were recruited via social media, sexual and reproductive health clinics, community-based anti-violence organizations, and the project's partner organizations. The questionnaire contained validated RC questionnaire items and new items drawn from previous qualitative work. The sample comprised 427 participants, mostly self-identified as women (92%), aged 18 to 55 years (M = 29.01; SD = 6.64). Descriptive analyses and binary logistic regressions were conducted using SPSS 27.

RESULTS

The results of this study show that 63.9% of participants reported at least one lifetime experience of RC. According to our data, contraceptive sabotage was the most common form (62.8%). Of the participants who had been pregnant, 9.8% reported control of pregnancy outcomes. Each RC category shows a different pattern of correlates. The findings also reveal that intimate partner violence (IPV) increases the likelihood of contraceptive sabotage. Moreover, the study suggests that low education level and IPV increase the risk for control of pregnancy outcomes.

CONCLUSION

These findings underscore the importance of RC in the lives of many Canadian individuals with the capacity to be pregnant, and they highlight certain factors that place individuals at greater risk for RC. This knowledge can inform the development of prevention efforts and clinical interventions.

Who am I as a Sexual Being? The Role of Sexual Self-Concept Between Dispositional Mindfulness and Sexual Satisfaction among Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with long-lasting and pervasive impacts on survivors' sexual health, particularly on their sexual satisfaction. Dispositional mindfulness has been found to be associated with greater sexual satisfaction among adult CSA survivors. However, the mechanisms involved in this association remain understudied. The present study examined the role of sexual self-concept (i.e., sexual esteem, sexual preoccupation, and sexual depression) in the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and sexual satisfaction among CSA survivors. A total of 176 adult CSA survivors (60.6% women, 39.4% men) completed an online survey assessing dispositional mindfulness, sexual self-concept, and sexual satisfaction. Path analyses revealed that dispositional mindfulness was positively related to sexual satisfaction through a significant indirect effect of higher sexual esteem and lower sexual depression. The integrative model explained 66.5% of the variance in sexual satisfaction. These findings highlight the key roles that dispositional mindfulness and sexual self-concept play in CSA survivors' sexual satisfaction. Implications for interventions based on trauma-sensitive mindfulness targeting the sexual self-concept are discussed, as they may promote sexual satisfaction in adult CSA survivors.

"It Made Me so Vulnerable": Victim-blaming and Disbelief of Child Sexual Abuse as Triggers of Social Exclusion Leading Women to Homelessness

Although the association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and homelessness among women is well documented, few studies have investigated this topic from a feminist standpoint, examining the impact of sociocultural factors such as rape culture. Based on a qualitative life course approach, individual interviews were conducted with 21 women who experienced both CSA and homelessness. Participants were between 29 to 60 years old (M = 45 years of age). Analyses revealed that CSA disclosure experiences were characterized by victim-blaming and disbelief. Women's traumatic experiences were further aggravated by these types of reactions. Finally, CSA and negative social reactions to women's disclosures of CSA were perceived as the onset of social exclusion, which lead to their homelessness. This study shows how traumatic CSA experiences and negative social reactions to their disclosure can both contribute to social exclusion and isolation, and to homelessness through the internalization of rape myths. These findings support the importance of focusing on CSA prevention to reduce social exclusion and homelessness.

Experiences of Disclosure and Reactions of Close Ones from the Perspective of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors: A Qualitative Analysis of Gender Specificities

The disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) is a complex process that remains partially understood, despite its crucial role in survivors' recovery. Gender specific experiences of disclosure have been little investigated while this information is crucial to better tailor interventions for survivors. This qualitative study aims to 1) explore survivors' experiences in disclosing to close ones, and 2) contrast experiences of male and female survivors. Fifty-one CSA survivors (25 women and 26 men) aged 18 years or older were recruited via community services for survivors. Two main categories emerged from thematic content analysis: 1) experiences of disclosure hindering CSA recovery or 2) ones fostering CSA recovery. Men felt ignored when their close ones were focused on their own emotions of indifference, helplessness and guilt toward CSA. Men felt guilty when confronted with reactions of blame for their own inaction or disempowered when pressured to remain silent or to forgive. Women felt ignored when their close ones showed anger toward their perpetrator. Women felt guilty when they were held accountable for CSA events or disempowered when pressured to take legal actions. Women, but not men, reported feeling considered through caring and heart-to-heart discussions. Recommendations for awareness messages and practitioners are discussed.

Informal Help-Seeking Process Regarding Romantic Issues and Dating Violence: a Qualitative Study

The present study focused on the informal help-seeking process, facilitators and barriers in the context of romantic relationship difficulties and dating violence (DV). This study also aimed to describe gender specificities involved in the help-seeking process. Data analysis was performed relying on the help-seeking and change model developed for intimate partner violence (American Journal of Community Psychology, 36, 71-84, 2005). A direct content analysis was conducted on semi-structured interviews of 80 youths. All participants reported having experienced at least one romantic relationship difficulty and half of them reported at least one experience of DV victimization in their current romantic relationship. Motives to seek support and help were mentioned by the participants, namely the need to be advised on how to solve their difficulties, to express their emotions and vent about their feelings, to obtain an external point of view, to be listened to and comforted, and to be validated on their interpretation of the situation. When experiencing difficulties, participants chose confidants according to the following qualities: share bond of trust, similar experiences, mutual help and reciprocity, relevant experiences in dating relationships, and a context of respect and non-judgment. Reluctance to ask for help was expressed by participants, namely discomfort about sharing intimate information or revealing feelings to a friend or family member, lack of support, and fear of being judged or vulnerable. Findings highlight the strategic role of peers and the importance of offering them tools to intervene as first responders in DV situations.

Problematic Substance Use, Help-Seeking, and Service Utilization Trajectories among Seniors: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Problematic substance use has a significant impact on the health of a large proportion of people aged 65 years and older. Along with population growth, there is an increase in seniors enrolling for treatment in Québec (Canada). This study explores the perspectives of older adults related to their substance use experiences, help-seeking and utilization of addiction treatment services. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 seniors receiving addiction treatment in two area in Québec. Thematic analysis highlight that seniors' experiences, life contexts, and social participation influence their substance use. Help-seeking process can be triggered by realizing the extent of substance use, while barriers and facilitators shape this experience. Utilization of addiction treatment services was mainly perceived positively. Several characteristics and components of services enable seniors to have positive experiences. Substance use can be employed as an adaptation strategy to get through hardships or ease loneliness and boredom. Talking to people, such as family, friends or professionals, is important to older adults' developing trust and engaging in a process to change substance use habits. Based upon these results, clinical recommendations to take into account the complex needs of seniors seeking treatment and related to their social environment are formulated.

The Social Network of Victims of Domestic Violence: A Network-Based Intervention Model to Improve Relational Autonomy

This study aims to understand when and how domestic violence victims' relational autonomy changes and to propose an intervention model stemming from the findings. Using qualitative and social network analysis, we study the actions of network members, as well as changing features of victims' networks. Results show that victims base their decisions on their expectations toward others, and on a desire to preserve their autonomy. Their relational autonomy tends to increase when they leave abusive partners and stay in shelters, but maintaining relational diversity proves challenging once they exit shelters. A network-based model of intervention that aims to improve the victims' relational autonomy is proposed.

Who are the young poker players? A latent class analysis of high school teenagers

For the last 20 years, poker has been one of the most popular forms of gambling for adults. Although various studies have demonstrated the specific characteristics of these players, few studies have focused on teenagers playing poker. However, a better understanding of this activity among this vulnerable group would help to develop more effective strategies for preventing gambling problems. Thus, this study aims to identify, through latent class analysis, subgroups in that population and to assess co-occurrence across various characteristics typically associated with gambling behavior. The sample was constituted of 759 adolescents (70.8% boys; M age = 15.44 years, range = 14-19) recruited in high schools and who had played poker in the last year. The statistical fit indices revealed a four-class solution. Class 1 almost exclusively played simulated poker. Class 2 played poker exclusively in the school context. Class 3 played poker almost exclusively at home. Class 4 showed a very diversified pattern regarding their modalities of poker playing. Results of the logistic regression suggested that gambling related variables (e.g., time spent playing, reading about gambling strategies and diversity of gambling funding) were significant predictors of class membership. This study shows that there is a variety of profiles among young poker players. Although one profile has few risk factors, others have more factors associated with adults' gambling problems. These profiles suggest that specific prevention strategies are probably appropriate to reach these different groups of young people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Consistency of Adolescents' Self-Report of Gambling Age of Onset: A Longitudinal Study

Studies suggest that youth who are exposed to their first gambling experience at an earlier age are at increased risk of developing problems. However, studies reporting age of onset of gambling exposure as a risk factor for gambling problems are cross-sectional by design and the relationship between both variables are sometimes inferred over extending periods of time. Methodologically speaking, it could induce a recall bias, a fact already documented in numerous areas of research related to high-risk conducts in adolescence. Thus, the goal of this study was twofold: to longitudinally describe, among adolescents, the level of discrepancy between reports of age of initiation to gambling activities, and to assess if the discrepancies could be associated with a certain number of known predictors of gambling participation. Additionally, recall period effect (e.g. time passed between answering the same question) was also assessed. Data were collected from a large longitudinal study on gambling among youth and four measurement times at 1-year interval were used, with only young people who have been introduced to gambling retained in the analyses (n =297; 63.3% boys; mean age = 15.25 years). Results revealed significant inconsistencies about age of initiation to gambling activity between measurement times. Moreover, results also revealed that age (e.g. being older) and time passed are significantly associated to the level of inconsistencies of self-reported age of initiation of gambling activity. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Psychosocial Difficulties in Adolescents nine Months after a Railway Accident

A railway accident which occurred in Lac-Megantic in Quebec, Canada, caused disruption for an entire community. This study examines the psychosocial difficulties in a group of exposed adolescents aged between 11 to 17, nine months after the tragedy. The analyses were conducted on a sample of 515 adolescents, attending high school, and living near the impact area. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mental health problems (depression, anxiety), and problem use of alcohol or drugs prevalence were estimated. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for PTSD clinical threshold. Almost half (43.4%) of adolescents reported being severely exposed to the railway accident and one third (31.3%) have reported a PTSD. Serious injuries, depression and anxiety (p < .05) were associated with greater risks for adolescents with a PTSD. However, sex, victimization, and emerging problems or problem use of alcohol or drugs are not associated with the PTSD. The results of the study highlight the relationship between a traumatic event such as the railway accident and the presence of PTSD nine months after, as well as risk factors for PTSD in adolescents. Paying close attention to mental health problems in adolescents when a traumatic event occurs and provide adequate aid is essential.

Gender Difference in Internet Use and Internet Problems among Quebec High School Students

OBJECTIVES

There are presently no data available concerning Internet addiction (IA) problems among adolescents in Canada and the province of Quebec. The goal of this study is thus to document and compare the influence of gender on Internet use and addiction.

METHOD

The study data were collected from a larger research project on gambling among adolescents. Activities conducted online (applications used and time spent) as well as answers to the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were collected from 3938 adolescents from grades 9 to 11. The two most often employed cut-off points for the IAT in the literature were documented: (40-69 and 70+) and (50+).

RESULTS

Boys spent significantly more time on the Internet than did girls. A greater proportion of the girls made intense use of social networks, whereas a greater proportion of the boys made intense use of massively multiplayer online role-playing games, online games, and adult sites. The proportion of adolescents with a potential IA problem varied according to the cut-off employed. When the cut-off was set at 70+, 1.3% of the adolescents were considered to have an IA, while 41.7% were seen to be at risk. At a 50+ cut-off, 18% of the adolescents were considered to have a problem. There was no significant difference between the genders concerning the proportion of adolescents considered to be at risk or presenting IA problems. Finally, analysis of the percentile ranks would seem to show that a cut-off of 50+ better describes the category of young people at risk.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study make it possible to document Internet use and IA in a large number of Quebec adolescents.

Toward a Transnational and Cross-Cultural Analysis of Family Violence

This article summarizes issues and priorities for prevalence surveys and intervention studies raised by researchers and practitioners at an international symposium on transnational and cross-cultural research on family violence, convened near Montréal, Canada, in June 2003. The major conceptual questions were What is meant by transnational or cross-cultural research? and What should be included in the definition of family violence? The major methodological questions were What level of standardization of measurement is needed to reliably make comparisons across nations and cultures? and Should the measures be of “acts” of abuse and violence or the “effects” of those acts?

Drug-crime Relations among Drug-Consuming Juvenile Delinquents: A Tripartite Model and More

From a phenomenological perceptual stance, we aim, in this article at revealing youths' own personal perceptions regarding the drug-crime nexus in their trajectories. Within a qualitative research approach, autobiographical accounts were used with 38 young drug users and delinquents between 16 and 18 years old (22 boys and 16 girls). With the reference point of this article being Goldstein's (1985) tripartite drug-crime model, our results show support for parts of this model as well as nuances to it. Also, another type of drug-crime nexus emerged from these accounts. More specifically, a “psychopharmacological” and a “monetary” drug-crime link were described by youths, and an absent or intermediary relation too. Goldstein's systemic model did not merge in this study. Personal feelings, meanings and logic of youths permit us to elaborate on and further qualify these drug-crime nexuses in the trajectories of young drug users and delinquents.

Whither RDS? An investigation of Respondent Driven Sampling as a method of recruiting mainstream marijuana users

Background

An important challenge in conducting social research of specific relevance to harm reduction programs is locating hidden populations of consumers of substances like cannabis who typically report few adverse or unwanted consequences of their use. Much of the deviant, pathologized perception of drug users is historically derived from, and empirically supported, by a research emphasis on gaining ready access to users in drug treatment or in prison populations with higher incidence of problems of dependence and misuse. Because they are less visible, responsible recreational users of illicit drugs have been more difficult to study.

Methods

This article investigates Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) as a method of recruiting experienced marijuana users representative of users in the general population. Based on sampling conducted in a multi-city study (Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver), and compared to samples gathered using other research methods, we assess the strengths and weaknesses of RDS recruitment as a means of gaining access to illicit substance users who experience few harmful consequences of their use. Demographic characteristics of the sample in Toronto are compared with those of users in a recent household survey and a pilot study of Toronto where the latter utilized nonrandom self-selection of respondents.

Results

A modified approach to RDS was necessary to attain the target sample size in all four cities (i.e., 40 'users' from each site). The final sample in Toronto was largely similar, however, to marijuana users in a random household survey that was carried out in the same city. Whereas well-educated, married, whites and females in the survey were all somewhat overrepresented, the two samples, overall, were more alike than different with respect to economic status and employment. Furthermore, comparison with a self-selected sample suggests that (even modified) RDS recruitment is a cost-effective way of gathering respondents who are more representative of users in the general population than nonrandom methods of recruitment ordinarily produce.

Conclusions

Research on marijuana use, and other forms of drug use hidden in the general population of adults, is important for informing and extending harm reduction beyond its current emphasis on 'at-risk' populations. Expanding harm reduction in a normalizing context, through innovative research on users often overlooked, further challenges assumptions about reducing harm through prohibition of drug use and urges consideration of alternative policies such as decriminalization and legal regulation.

Girls and weapons: an international study of the perpetration of violence

The purpose of this study was to describe delinquent girls' weapons preferences where and how often they carried weapons and to identify the most important factors that explained four different weapon-related violent outcomes. A large, high-risk sample of female adolescents consisting of 510 girls aged 14-17 in four cities were interviewed using the same questionnaire and methods. Tabular and logistic regression analyses were applied. Knives emerged as the most frequently reported weapon in all cities. Rates of both lifetime victimization and perpetration of violence with weapons were high in all sites. Starting to carry a weapon as a result of violence was reported by 40% of the girls in Toronto, 28% in Philadelphia, 25% in Amsterdam, and 16% in Montreal. The major predictors of weapon perpetrated violent behaviours included ethnic origin, early onset of delinquent activities, participation in delinquent acts in the past 12 months, gang fighting and carrying a weapon as a result of violence. Site, age and heavy alcohol consumption had a minor impact, and drug use, drug selling, and neighborhood features, none. Despite numerous differences in weapons' prevalence across cities, the logistic regression found that site was only significant in use of an object (Toronto) and not significant in threatening or hurting someone with either a knife or a gun or actually hurting others with a weapon. These findings suggest commonality in serious female violence that extends beyond borders and cultures.

Juvenile drug use and delinquency: youths' accounts of their trajectories

This study focuses mainly on youths' opinions about their delinquency and drug use trajectories. A qualitative approach was taken for this phenomenological research. The life account method was used to conduct a total of 62 interviews: 36 boys and 26 girls recruited in youth detention and addiction treatment centers, youth centers, high schools, and on the streets of three cities in Quebec between 1996 and 2002. Thematic analysis was used, and the deviant trajectories of the youths are broken down into five stages. Our study provides an incomplete view of these youths' more or less deviant trajectories. It would be interesting to do a follow-up study.