20 years of research into violence and trauma: past and future developments

Criminal victimization, cognitive social capital and mental health in an urban region in Germany: a path analysis

PURPOSE

There is ample evidence that experiencing a criminal victimization is associated with lasting emotional problems among victims. To date, the mechanisms behind this association are not well understood. Based on the theoretical assumptions derived from a transactional stress-appraisal and coping model this study analyses the role of cognitive social capital (SC) in the association between criminal victimization (CV) and victims' mental health.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, computer-aided telephone survey including a representative sample of 3005 persons from three German cities was conducted. Respondents were asked about CV during their lifetime, cognitive SC, perceived victimization risk, perceived safety and perceived ability to prevent victimization. The PHQ-4 was used as a measure of anxiety and depression. The data were analyzed by means of logistic regression models and a path model controlled for sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Lifetime CV with any type of crime was associated with a clinically relevant increased risk of mental disorder (PHQ-4 ≥ 9; OR 1.8, p ≤ 0.05). Path analyses revealed that the direct association between CV and PHQ-4 (β = 0.454; p ≤ 0.01) was significantly diminished by cognitive SC (β =  - 0.373; p ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that cognitive SC is an individual resilience factor against negative experiences related to CV and that it holds the potential to diminish negative mental health consequences of CV. Further research should explore to what extent an enhancement of cognitive SC can help to prevent anxiety and depression among crime victims.

Health Care Professionals as Victims of Stalking: Characteristics of the Stalking Campaign, Consequences, and Motivation in Italy

Stalking is a phenomenon characterized by a set of repetitive behaviors, intrusive surveillance, control, communication, and search of contact with a victim who is afraid and/or worried and/or annoyed by such unwanted attention. Literature analysis shows that Health Care Professionals (HCPs) are at greater risk of being stalked than the general population. As described by Mullen, Pathé, Purcell, and Stuart, stalkers may have different motives: relational rejection, an infatuation, an inability to express their own emotions and recognize those of others, or a desire for revenge. The aim of this study was to explore stalkers' motivation as perceived by their victims, characteristics of stalking campaigns, and consequences. A copy of the Italian modified version of The Network for Surviving Stalking (NSS) Questionnaire on Stalking, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State Trait Inventory (STAI) Y1-Y2 scales were distributed in six Italian state hospitals. Participants included 1,842 HCPs, 256 (13.9%) of which had been victims. The majority of victims reported that stalkers were Rejected (96, 37.5%), Intimacy seekers (41, 16%), Incompetent suitors (60, 23.4%), and/or Resentful (43, 16.8%; χ² = 163.3, p = .001). Stalking campaigns were characterized by several behaviors, principally contact (by telephone calls, text message) and following. The stalking campaign caused in victims both physical and emotional consequences, the most frequent being weight changes, sleep disorders, weakness, apprehension, anger, and fear. The most used coping strategies were moving away and moving toward, the less used was moving inward. Intervention programs and preventive measures (both individual and organizational) for HCP victims and those who could be considered at risk are also discussed.

Exposure to Family Violence, Perceived Psychological Adjustment of Parents, and the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Palestinian University Students

The article presents the results of a study on the relationship between exposure to (i.e., witnessing and experiencing) different patterns and types of family violence during childhood, during adolescence, and during young adulthood, on one hand, and adult post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), on the other. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,969 Palestinian students using a self-administered questionnaire. The results reveal that the more the participants witnessed and experienced psychological aggression (PS) and physical violence (PH) in their families of origin, the more they exhibited PTSS. Furthermore, the results indicate that a significant amount of the variance in the participants' PTSS could be attributed to their exposure to family violence, over and above the amounts of variance that were explained by their sociodemographic characteristics and by their perceptions of their parents' psychological adjustment. The limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.

Italian nurses' experience of stalking: a questionnaire survey

A literature analysis shows that nurses are at greater risk of being stalked both by ex-partners and acquaintances (such as colleagues and patients) and by unknown stalkers. The aim of this study was to explore Italian nurses' experience of stalking. A copy of the Italian modified version of the Networking for Surviving Stalking (NSS) Questionnaire on Stalking, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and State Trait Inventory (STAI) Y1-Y2 scales were distributed to 2,000 nurses working in 4 Italian state hospitals. There were 765 nurses who returned the questionnaire (38.4%), 107 of whom had been victims (14.0%). On average, victims had been stalked for more than 12 months by an acquaintance (41.1%), whose behavior included unwanted communications, following, control, and threatening behavior. The coping strategies used most involved offensive and interactional tactics. Stalking has both emotional and physical consequences for victims, although depression levels were not as high as we expected (BDI M = 11.05, SD = 8.84; STAI Y1 M = 42.11, SD = 11.75; STAIY2 M = 44.04, SD = 12.90). The need to adopt legal, organizational, and individual strategies is also discussed.

Exposure to aggression and the impact on staff in a child and adolescent inpatient unit

Aggression is common in mental health services, but little research has examined exposure to aggression and its impact on staff in children and adolescent settings. Staff members within a child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit were interviewed to examine exposure to aggression and perceptions about the impact of aggression. Involvement in episodes of physical aggression was common (84.8%, 28/33) and was linked to difficulty attending work and other emotional and professional sequelae. These findings suggest that aggression is an important issue for staff working in child and adolescent settings and that aggression may impair the therapeutic capacity of staff.

Posttraumatic stress disorder among Sri Lankan University students as a consequence of their exposure to family violence

The article presents the results of a study on the association between exposure to family violence (i.e., witnessing interparental violence and experiencing parental violence) during childhood and adolescence and adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study was conducted among a self-selected convenience sample of 476 students from Sri Lanka, using a self-administered questionnaire. The findings indicate that the more participants witnessed interparental violence and the more they experienced parental violence, the more they exhibited PTSD symptoms. Moreover, the findings reveal that participants' exposure to family violence explains a significant amount of the variance in their PTSD over and above the variance that can be attributed to their sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, number of siblings, and family's socioeconomic status) and to their perceptions of the environment and functioning of their families. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Sleep as a mediator in the pathway from violence-induced traumatic stress to poorer health and functioning: a review of the literature and proposed conceptual model

Millions of children are exposed to various forms of violence every year, resulting-for many of them-in psychological problems, decreased social functioning, and poorer overall quality of their relationships and lives. This article reviews the scientific literature investigating the role of sleep as a key mediator in the pathway between violence-induced traumatic stress and resulting negative health and behavioral outcomes. Based on evidence revealed by this review and general research on how exposure to violence influences child health and development, a conceptual model is proposed that posits sleep's role as an important mediator of health effects and that incorporates other factors believed to shape linkages between exposure to violence and health and behavioral outcomes in children. Recommendations are given for future research to test the proposed model.