‘Constant Violence from Everywhere’: Psychodynamics of Power and Abuse Amongst Rural and Small-Town Youth

Informed by psychosocial theoretical constructs, this study explores dynamic processes that underlie behaviors of what we call youth relational violence. The paper challenges earlier studies about teen dating violence that use models of adult domestic violence to inform the work, and posits, instead, that youth relational violence is not domestic, occurs beyond the scope of committed partnerships, and varies broadly in the degree and qualities of the relational dyads in which it occurs. Data from participants in targeted and random focus groups (n = 84) consider the social and economic context of a rural and small-town region. The study makes no gender assumptions about abusive teen relationships, nor does it limit data sources and analyses to heterosexual dyads. It conceptualizes elements of power and attachment, and operationalizes them into analyzable data forms, toward the development of a theoretical model that will inform research and practice about violence between teens in relational dyads. Whereas research in the last decade has focused principally on prevalence and evaluation, this paper introduces an exploration of dynamic processes that underlie power, tolerance of abuse, vulnerability to perpetration and victimization, and degree of attachment as it relates to abuse and power dynamics.     

Bindungsmacht in Paarbeziehungen. Warum Beziehungen scheitern

Berliner Journal für Soziologie - Seit Jahrzehnten ist ein Anstieg der Zahl von Trennungen und Scheidungen zu verzeichnen. Bislang liegen allerdings nur wenige sozialwissenschaftliche...     

Youth alcohol use and dating abuse victimization and perpetration: a test of the relationships at the daily level in a sample of pediatric emergency department patients who use alcohol

Objective: This study retrospectively examined the daily-level associations between youth alcohol use and dating abuse (DA) victimization and perpetration for a 6-month period. Method: Timeline Followback (TLFB) interview data were collected from 397 urban emergency department patients, ages 17 to 21 years. Patients were eligible if they reported past month alcohol use and past year dating. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) analyses estimated the likelihood of DA on a given day as a function of alcohol use or heavy use (≥4 drinks per day for women, ≥5 drinks per day for men), as compared with nonuse. Results: Approximately 52% of men and 61% of women participants reported experiencing DA victimization ≥1 times during the past 6 months, and 45% of men and 55% of women reported perpetrating DA ≥1 times. For both men and women, DA perpetration was more likely on a drinking day as opposed to a nondrinking day (ORs = 1.70 and ORs = 1.69, respectively). DA victimization was also more likely on a drinking day as opposed to a nondrinking day for both men and women (ORs = 1.23 and ORs = 1.34, respectively). DA perpetration and DA victimization were both more likely on heavy drinking days as opposed to nondrinking days (2.04 and 2.03 for men's and women's perpetration, respectively, and 1.41 and 1.43 for men's and women's victimization, respectively). Conclusions: This study found that alcohol use was associated with increased risk for same day DA perpetration and victimization, for both male and female youth. We conclude that for youth who use alcohol, alcohol use is a potential risk factor for DA victimization and perpetration.     

A forensic medicine perspective on recurring episodes of intimate partner violence

During a three year period, 418 victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) were examined and their injuries documented at the Center for Victims of Violence (CVV) in Hamburg, Germany. All victims were questioned if their acute injuries were attributable to recurring acts of violence by the same intimate partner. The victims' experiences with recurring IPV were analyzed and associated risk factors as well as findings of acute physical injuries were integrated into the assesment. Overall, women were significantly more often victims of recurring episodes of IPV than men. In 35.4% of cases, victims of recurring IPV sustained injuries to three or more body regions. However, women who were victimized during a single act of violence, presented with the same distribution of injuries in only 21.1% of cases (p = 0.01). The results emphasize the fact that IPV often manifests itself in a spiraling escalation of physical violence. Furthermore, blunt force trauma to the head was diagnosed significantly more often (p = 0.05). The risk of sustaining a head injury was equally high for women who experienced a first-time violent episode by their ex-partner as it was for married women or women living in a non-marital partnership during recurring episodes of IPV. In an effort to reduce the increased risk for victims of IPV, health care personnel are highly encouraged to partake in forensic medicine based continuing education. This preventative measure may prepare clinicians to recognize IPV earlier as well as to treat and advise clients appropriately.     

The role of center of mass kinematics in predicting peak utilized coefficient of friction during walking

Slips frequently occur when the friction required between the foot and floor exceeds available surface slip resistance. To date, the ability to identify variables that predict an individual's friction needs during walking, or utilized coefficient of friction (COFU), remains limited. Understanding COFU in the context of pedestrian/walkway accidents is important as individuals who demonstrate higher COFU are at a greater risk of slipping. This study determined if whole body center of mass (CM) kinematics were predictive of peak COFU during walking. Ground reaction forces and kinematic data were recorded simultaneously as subjects walked. Stepwise regression analysis determined that the combination of the subject's CM-to-center-of-pressure angle and CM anterior (i.e., forward) velocity predicted 62% of the variance in peak COFU during weight acceptance (p < 0.001). The identified relationships between CM kinematics and peak COFU provide insight into how gait and individual anthropometric characteristics may increase risk for slip initiation.     

Regulatory Design for Scientific Uncertainty: Acknowledging the Diversity of Approaches in Environmental Regulation and Public Administration

Environmental regulatory design addresses scientific uncertaintythrough a range of regulatory design tools. The seven approachesidentified and considered in this article are termed (1) theacknowledgement of scientific uncertainty (2) the burden shiftingapproach (3) the ‘sound science’ approach (4) theconsequences approach (5) the consensus approach (6) the estimationapproach and (7) the adaptive management approach. Analysisof some common environmental legislative frameworks suggeststhat, rather than occurring in isolation, these seven approachesare frequently incorporated into legislative regimes in a multitudeof combinations. The article also highlights the implicationsof expressly embedding a precautionary approach within pre-existingenvironmental regulatory frameworks, such as has occurred withinAustralian environmental regimes. Finally, the article exploresthe advantages and disadvantages of each approach and the variouscircumstances that favour the adoption of a particular regulatoryapproach to scientific uncertainty. In doing so, it suggestsan agenda for future empirical research on approaches to regulatorydesign for scientific uncertainty.     

Serving those Who Served: Outcomes from the San Diego Veterans Treatment Review Calendar (SDVTRC) Pilot Program

Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) are a type of specialty treatment, problem-solving, criminal court. Though the number of VTCs has increased over the past decade, few research studies have examined their effectiveness. This paper examines the data collected concerning a particular VTC experience, the first 82 Veterans enrolled in the Veterans Treatment Review Calendar Pilot Program conducted by the California Superior Court of the county of San Diego from February 2011 until July 2014 (SDVTRC.) The evidence presented herein concerns the nature of this cohort’s population, the SDVTRC program structure in which these Veterans participated, and the outcomes of participation. SDVTRC participants showed a significant decrease in symptoms on 11 of 12 clinical measures from baseline to 12 months. Particular outcomes of the SDVTRC program were related to factors of military service, such as length of service, number of awards, and discharge status. There were also significant relationships between symptom decrease and court process factors, such as length of time in program and sanctions imparted. This court has a 0% recidivism rate, which is believed to be related to its systematic data collection process that was used to inform individualized treatment plans for participants. Implications for other VTCs are provided.