Building a Culture of Intimate Partner Violence Prevention in Alberta, Canada Through the Promotion of Healthy Youth Relationships

The Cumulative Impact of Recurrent Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence on Emotion Dysregulation: A Longitudinal Investigation

Intimate partner violence (IPV) disproportionately affects women and has been linked to a range of negative psychological outcomes, including emotion dysregulation. Although IPV is often recurrent and tends to escalate in severity over time, few studies have examined the potential effects of recurrent experiences of IPV on emotion dysregulation. The current study employed a longitudinal design to examine the cumulative impact of recurrent experiences of IPV on emotion dysregulation. Participants were 491 young adult community women (Mage = 21.74; 61.3% White, 35% African American/Black) who completed self-report measures of IPV and emotion dysregulation every 4 months for 28 months. Multilevel structural equation modeling techniques revealed that, at the within-person level, increases in cumulative IPV were associated with increases in global emotion dysregulation across the 28 months. In particular, the accumulation of IPV experiences over time was associated with increases in difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed and accessing effective emotion regulation strategies. At the between-person level, greater average cumulative IPV was associated with greater mean levels of global emotion dysregulation, as well as four specific dimensions of emotion dysregulation, including difficulties accepting emotional responses, accessing effective emotion regulation strategies, and both engaging in goal-directed behaviors and controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed. These findings suggest the potential cumulative impact of IPV on both global and more specific dimensions of emotion dysregulation. Results also highlight emotion dysregulation as a potentially important construct to assess and target in interventions for women experiencing recurrent IPV.

Jealousy as a correlate of intimate partner homicide-suicide versus homicide-only cases: National Violent Death Reporting System, 2016-2020

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study was to compare jealousy as a correlate of intimate partner homicide-suicide cases to homicide-only cases using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), a state-based surveillance system maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jealousy is categorized as jealous feelings or distress over a current or former intimate partner's relationship or suspected relationship with another person.

METHODS

NVDRS data from a 5-year period (2016-2020) was used to estimate frequencies and identify significant differences in jealousy and other sociodemographic, mental health, relationship, and incident-related correlates of intimate partner homicide-suicide compared to homicide-only cases. Cases were included if they involved an intimate partner single homicide or a single homicide followed by suicide.

RESULTS

The study sample included 5335 cases (intimate partner homicide-suicide n = 1402; homicide-only n = 3933). A significantly higher percentage of intimate partner homicide-suicide cases reported jealousy preceding the event (9%) compared to homicide-only cases (6%). Compared with homicide-only cases, homicide-suicide cases had 3.5 greater odds of recording jealousy as a precipitating event.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that intimate partner homicide-suicide cases are distinct from homicide-only cases both in terms of individual- and incident-level and situational factors, including the presence of jealousy.

Adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence: A meta-analysis

Intimate partner violence (IPV) represents a significant public health concern. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent one risk factor for IPV, however, the results of existing research on the association between ACEs and IPV demonstrate mixed findings. The present research sought to meta-analytically examine the association between ACEs and (a) IPV perpetration and (b) IPV victimization. Moderator analyses were conducted to determine factors that may impact the association between ACEs and IPV involvement. Electronic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO in August of 2021. One-hundred and twenty-three records were screened for inclusion. All studies included a measure of ACEs and IPV victimization or perpetration. Among the 27 studies and 41 samples included in the meta-analysis, 65,330 participants were included. The results of the meta-analyses demonstrated that ACEs were positively associated with IPV perpetration and victimization. Significant methodological and measurement moderators further inform our understanding of ACEs and IPV involvement. The present meta-analyses demonstrates that trauma-informed approaches to IPV screening, prevention, and intervention may be useful, given that individuals who are involved with IPV may be more likely to possess a history of ACEs exposure.

Youth Attitudes to Domestic and Family Violence: A Scoping Review of Young People's Attitudes and Perceptions in Australia

Domestic and family violence (DFV) has been described as a "national emergency" in Australia, with a suite of policies and interventions introduced over the past decade to better support women and their children. Within these frameworks, young people have been identified as agents of change for primary prevention; however, little is known about their attitudes and knowledge of DFV. This scoping review thus sought to establish the attitudes and knowledge of DFV held by young people (under 25 years old) in Australia. Nine international databases were searched, yielding 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The studies were quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods in design, with the findings demonstrating that young Australians have good knowledge about DFV. However, the review also indicates problematic areas around young people's understanding of the harms of DFV with many continuing to hold victim-blaming attitudes. In addition, much of the existing research is survey-based in nature, there is no strong uniformity across the studies, nor is there an engaged approach to research design. Moreover, the current measures used in research are not sufficient to gauge where young people gain knowledge about DFV, nor do they explain under what conditions attitudes change or what are the medium- and long-term effects of DFV prevention work. We therefore contend that future research ought to be interdisciplinary and intersectional in nature and collaborate with a range of young people in order to understand their full potential as agents of social change and primary prevention.

Measuring capacity to use evidence-based interventions in community-based organizations: A comprehensive, scoping review

Introduction:

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are well-positioned to incorporate research evidence, local expertise, and contextual factors to address health inequities. However, insufficient capacity limits use of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in these settings. Capacity-building implementation strategies are popular, but a lack of standard models and validated measures hinders progress in the field. To advance the literature, we conducted a comprehensive scoping review.

Methods:

With a reference librarian, we executed a comprehensive search strategy of PubMed/Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, and EBSCO Global Health. We included articles that addressed implementation science, capacity-building, and CBOs. Of 5527 articles, 99 met our inclusion criteria, and we extracted data using a double-coding process

Results:

Of the 99 articles, 47% defined capacity explicitly, 31% defined it indirectly, and 21% did not define it. Common concepts in definitions were skills, knowledge/expertise, and resources. Of the 57 articles with quantitative analysis, 48 (82%) measured capacity, and 11 (23%) offered psychometric data for the capacity measures. Of the 99 studies, 40% focused exclusively on populations experiencing inequities and 22% included those populations to some extent. The bulk of the studies came from high-income countries.

Conclusions:

Implementation scientists should 1) be explicit about models and definitions of capacity and strategies for building capacity, 2) specify expected multi-level implementation outcomes, 3) develop and use validated measures for quantitative work, and 4) integrate equity considerations into the conceptualization and measurement of capacity-building efforts. With these refinements, we can ensure that the necessary supports reach CBO practitioners and critical partners for addressing health inequities.

Validation of the Moral Disengagement for Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention Scale With Teacher Trainees

Once in the workforce, teachers are often asked to participate in school-based adolescent dating violence prevention efforts. However, our understanding of how willing and able future teachers are to engage in dating violence prevention is limited. This may be due, in part, to the lack of available measurement tools. Understanding willingness before teachers are in the classroom is key to exploring how to help future teachers be more ready and able to engage in prevention efforts once they are in the classroom. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to develop and test a measure that assesses one aspect of teacher trainees’ willingness to engage in dating violence prevention efforts: moral disengagement. Using two independent samples of teacher trainees ( N = 400; 64.5% White, 75.0% female, 84.5% heterosexual), we explored the factor structure of the Moral Disengagement for Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention (MD-ADVP) scale. We conducted exploratory factor analysis (Sample 1, n = 222) and confirmatory factor analysis (Sample 2, n = 178), and also examined the factor structure across sub-groups and assessed internal consistency reliability and construct validity evidence. Analyses suggest the MD-ADVP is unidimensional, and that this factor structure holds across sub-groups. We found strong evidence of both reliability and construct (convergent and divergent) validity. As hypothesized, scores on the MD-ADVP demonstrated significant negative bivariate associations with scores on three measures of adolescent dating violence prevention-related beliefs, and no association with scores on a measure of weight bias. The MD-ADVP will advance research investigating teacher preparation for adolescent dating violence prevention efforts. For example, use of the MD-ADVP can illuminate whether teacher trainees’ moral disengagement is an indicator of future implementation success. Further testing of this measure in racially and gender diverse samples is needed.

Building a Culture of Prevention: Tasks for Multi-Taskers

Building a culture of prevention presents many challenges, all of which originate from and refer back to both strengths and weaknesses of this effort. In this invited commentary, I provide an overview of these challenges and remaining open questions extracted from the original contribution enclosed in the special issue. Crucial questions that need to be addressed are the use of formal models of a "culture of prevention"; how the interplay of local values, alliances, and co-creational processes can be reflected in other experiences; and evaluation of the culture change itself.

Commentary on the Culture of Prevention

Despite significant progress in prevention science over the past 30 years in developing evidence-based interventions and policies, there has not been equal success in attracting support from policymakers and gaining acceptance by communities. In recognition of this gap, the editors of Prevention Science put out a call to scientists to help clarify and define the concept of a "culture of prevention." Such a culture would influence the creation of an infrastructure for implementing and sustaining the most effective strategies informed by research. The journal call stated a culture of prevention was a "general orientation or readiness of a group of people… to address problems by using a preventive, rather than a reactive approach." This commentary examines the concept demonstrated in the array of papers presented here in which the "culture of prevention" is applied in different contexts-occupational safety and health, substance use, school, governmental, community, around problem behaviors, and violence. It is important to note that the papers represent perspectives and experiences from several countries, including some cross-national experiences providing an international framework. While a final definition awaits further research, the commentary summarizes important elements that might constitute that evolving definition and pave the way for the implementation of more effective prevention programming.

Introduction to the Special Issue on "Promoting a Culture of Prevention: an International Perspective"

The primary goal of this special issue is to showcase novel, theory-driven, creative, and rigorous contributions to our understanding of the existence and development of a culture of prevention and readiness to prevent. The term “culture of prevention” is neither a set of practical guidelines nor a leading theory. Instead, it is a multidimensional term representing the general orientation and readiness of a group of people (be it a family, community, school, organization, nation, etc.) to deal with problems using a preventive, rather than a reactive, approach. The COVID-19 pandemic creates an opportunity for taking stock of the worldwide progress in creating a “culture of prevention.” This special issue aims to stimulate this discourse by presenting six studies and three commentaries from international scholars focused on themes and approaches for creating a culture of prevention.

Predictors of Healthy Youth Relationships Program Implementation in a Sample of Canadian Middle School Teachers

Implementation of evidence-based, Tier 1 social-emotional learning (SEL) programming that supports healthy relationships skills is recognized as a key mental health promotion and violence prevention strategy for youth. However, work specifically exploring how to support the high-quality implementation of such programming with Canadian teachers and schools is just beginning to emerge. Drawing on implementation frameworks that emphasize the importance of setting, provider, and implementation process characteristics for understanding program implementation outcomes, this prospective, longitudinal study explores implementation of the Fourth R, a SEL-based healthy relationships program, in a Western Canadian province using a sample of middle school teachers. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to illuminate relationships among teachers’ attitudes toward evidence-based programming, perceptions of organizational climate, and training experience with program implementation outcomes (dosage, quality, fidelity). Findings of this exploratory study identified that these characteristics influenced implementation dosage, quality, and fidelity in differential ways. Qualitative data drawn from teacher interviews supported quantitative findings and highlighted the importance of organizational support for high-quality implementation. We discuss areas for further study, given that there are significant gaps in knowledge about teachers’ attitudes toward evidence-based programming, school climate, and other systemic factors in the Canadian context, as well as relevance of study findings to the field of school psychology.