Measuring Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW Scale

Abstract: Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major social and public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes toward IPVAW shape the social environment in which such violence takes place, and attitudes of acceptability of IPVAW are considered a risk factor to actual IPVAW. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a scale measuring acceptability of IPVAW (A-IPVAW). To this end, a sample of 1,800 respondents was recruited via social media. A second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for concurrent validity analyses. Following a cross-validation approach and using item response theory analyses, we found that the latent structure of the scale was one-…

Neighborhood Social Disorder and Attitudes Toward Partner Violence Against Women: Evidence from Latin-American Immigrants in Spain

This study analyzes the relationship between neighborhood social disorder, and attitudes toward partner vio- lence against women among immigrants. To test hypotheses, a sample of Latin-American immigrants living in Spain was used. Relationships between perceived neighborhood disorder and the following sets of attitudes toward partner violence against women were explored: perceived severity of incidents, the acceptability of partner violence, and victim-blaming attitudes. Residents perceiving high levels of neighborhood social disorder were more exposed to incidents of partner vio- lence against women, as they reported knowing more victims. Results showed that high levels of perceived neighb…

Risk Factors and treatment needs of batterer intervention program participants with substance abuse problems

espanolEl objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los principales factores de riesgo y necesidades de tratamiento de los participantes en un programa de intervencion con maltratadores (BIP) con problemas de abuso de alcohol y/o drogas (ADAP), mas alla de sus problemas de abuso de substancias, teniendo en cuenta cuatro conjuntos de variables: sociodemograficas (i.e., edad, nivel educativo, ingresos, empleo y estatus de inmigrante), trastornos de personalidad y ajuste psicologico (i.e., sintomatologia clinica, trastornos de personalidad, ira, impulsividad y autoestima), variables socio-relacionales (i.e., apoyo comunitario, apoyo intimo, eventos vitales estresantes y rechazo social percibido…

Public responses to intimate partner violence against women: the influence of perceived severity and personal responsibility.

This paper explored public willingness to act when exposed to cases of intimate partner violence against women, by analyzing the influence of perceived severity and personal responsibility on two types of responses: mediating and reporting to the police. Results (N = 419) yielded main effects of personal responsibility for both types of responses. No main effects of perceived severity were found. A significant interaction between perceived severity and personal responsibility was found only for reporting responses. Results are discussed in light of the helping behavior research tradition. Implications for public education and advocacy programs are also considered. Marisol.lila@uv.es; Enriqu…

Perceived Frequency of Domestic Violence against Women and Neighbourhood Social Disorder

Regression analyses from a nationally representative sample of 10,235 adult Spaniards, provided in 1995 from the Spanish Demands of Security and Victimization Survey, showed a small and positive relationship between high neighbourhood social disorder and perceived frequency of domestic violence against women in Spanish families, after controlling for sociodemographic variables and size of city. Among sociodemographic variables, sex had the strongest association with neighbourhood social disorder, being more than twice as large as neighbourhood social disorder.

Internet Use and Self-Rated Health Among Older People: A National Survey

Background Older people are among the segments of the population for which the digital divide is most persistent and are considered to be at risk of losing out on the potential benefits that the information society can provide to their quality of life. Little attention has been paid, however, to relationships between Internet use and actual indicators of health among older people. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between Internet use and self-rated health among older people and determine whether this association holds independently of socioeconomic position. Methods Data were from a survey about the digital divide and quality of life among older people in Spain…

Neighborhood characteristics and violence behind closed doors: The spatial overlap of child maltreatment and intimate partner violence

In this study, we analyze first whether there is a common spatial distribution of child maltreatment (CM) and intimate partner violence (IPV), and second, whether the risks of CM and IPV are influenced by the same neighborhood characteristics, and if these risks spatially overlap. To this end we used geocoded data of CM referrals (N = 588) and IPV incidents (N = 1450) in the city of Valencia (Spain). As neighborhood proxies, we used 552 census block groups. Neighborhood characteristics analyzed at the aggregated level (census block groups) were: Neighborhood concentrated disadvantage (neighborhood economic status, neighborhood education level, and policing activity), immigrant concentration…

Macrosocial determinants of social integration: Social class and area effect

Theory and research on social support have paid little attention to the existence of important macrosocial variables determining level and content of social relationships. This study examines variations in social integration as a function of social class and residential area characteristics. Results for 234 subjects living in high and low risk neighbourhoods indicated that differences between higher and lower social class groups follow different patterns in different residential areas. Also, same social class position appeared to have different significance as a function of residential area characteristics. The levels of three social integration measures—community integration and satisfacti…

Towards understanding the Nordic paradox: A review of qualitative interview studies on intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major public health problem in countries around the world, including the Nordic region. Contrary to what would be expected, as the Nordic countries are rated among the most gender equal in the world, survey data suggests that the lifetime prevalence rates of IPVAW in Sweden and neighboring Nordic countries are among the highest in the EU. This phenomenon, which has been termed the Nordic paradox, requires elucidation. The aim of this review is to explore what previous qualitative studies, based on interviews with or field observations of victims, perpetrators, or professionals working in the area, primarily in Sweden, have to teach us abo…

Contextual Factors Related to Alcohol Abuse Among Intimate Partner Violence Offenders.

The association between alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence (IPV) has been reiterated in numerous studies. Some authors have found higher levels of risk factors in intimate partner violence offenders (IPVOs) with alcohol problems than in IPVOs without such problems.The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship of contextual variables with harmful alcohol use in a sample of IPVOs.This cross-sectional research analyzes data from 231 IPVOs. In addition to demographic data, information was collected on alcohol use, ethnicity, accumulation of stressful life events and perceived social support and rejection. The sample was divided into hazardous and nonhazardous alcohol users…

Intimate partner violence against women and victim-blaming attitudes among Europeans.

In summary: Academics and policy-makers face many challenges in their efforts to reduce intimate partner violence against women. Investing in public education and awareness initiatives is critically important, as is ensuring that these initiatives are well informed, appropriately targeted and properly designed. Finally, constant monitoring will be needed to assess the effectiveness of efforts to change public attitudes that further victimize the women who are victims of intimate partner violence. Language: en

The Willingness to Intervene in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women (WI-IPVAW) Scale: Development and Validation of the Long and Short Versions

Willingness to intervene when one becomes aware of a case of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) reflects the level of tolerance and acceptance of this type of violence in society. Increasing the likelihood of intervention to help victims of IPVAW is also a target for prevention strategies aiming to increase informal social control of IPVAW. In this study, we present the development and validation of the Willingness to Intervene in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence (WI-IPVAW) scale. We report data for both the long and short versions of the scale. We analyzed the latent structure, the reliability and validity of the WI-IPVAW across four samples (N = 1648). Factor analyses suppo…

Psychological intimate partner violence against women in the European Union: a cross-national invariance study

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a worldwide public health problem. One of the most frequent forms of this type of violence in western societies is psychological IPVAW. According to the European Union (EU) Fundamental Rights Association (FRA) the prevalence of psychological IPVAW in the EU is 43%. However, the measurement invariance of the measure addressing psychological IPVAW in this survey has not yet been assessed. Methods The aim of this study is to ensure the cross-national comparability of this measure, by evaluating its measurement invariance across the 28 EU countries in a sample of 37,724 women, and to examine how the levels of this type of vi…

Mapping child maltreatment risk: a 12-year spatio-temporal analysis of neighborhood influences.

Abstract Background ‘Place’ matters in understanding prevalence variations and inequalities in child maltreatment risk. However, most studies examining ecological variations in child maltreatment risk fail to take into account the implications of the spatial and temporal dimensions of neighborhoods. In this study, we conduct a high-resolution small-area study to analyze the influence of neighborhood characteristics on the spatio-temporal epidemiology of child maltreatment risk. Methods We conducted a 12-year (2004–2015) small-area Bayesian spatio-temporal epidemiological study with all families with child maltreatment protection measures in the city of Valencia, Spain. As neighborhood units…

Disadvantaged neighborhoods and the spatial overlap of substantiated and unsubstantiated child maltreatment referrals

Abstract Background Considerable debate exists on whether the substantiation decision is a reliable measure for rates of maltreatment. Studies have shown that risks among children victims of maltreatment versus children investigated but unsubstantiated are similar. Objective This paper aims to respond to two research questions: (1) Do most child maltreatment referrals, substantiated and unsubstantiated, come from the same neighborhoods? (2) Do substantiated and unsubstantiated referrals share the same neighborhood risk factors? Participants and settings We used geocoded data from substantiated (n = 1799) and unsubstantiated (n = 1638) child maltreatment referrals in Valencia, Spain (2004–20…

Exploring Neighborhood Influences on Small-Area Variations in Intimate Partner Violence Risk: A Bayesian Random-Effects Modeling Approach

This paper uses spatial data of cases of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) to examine neighborhood-level influences on small-area variations in IPVAW risk in a police district of the city of Valencia (Spain). To analyze area variations in IPVAW risk and its association with neighborhood-level explanatory variables we use a Bayesian spatial random-effects modeling approach, as well as disease mapping methods to represent risk probabilities in each area. Analyses show that IPVAW cases are more likely in areas of high immigrant concentration, high public disorder and crime, and high physical disorder. Results also show a spatial component indicating remaining variability attribut…

The university campus environment as a protective factor for intimate partner violence against women: An exploratory study

Some neighborhood characteristics linked to social disorganization theory have been related to intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). The study of other neighborhood-level factors that may influence IPVAW risk, however, has received less attention. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of university campuses on IPVAW risk. To conduct the study, IPVAW cases from 2011 to 2013 in the city of Valencia, Spain, were geocoded (n = 1,623). Census block groups were used as the neighborhood analysis unit. Distance between each census block group and the nearest university campus was measured. A Bayesian spatial model adjusted for census block group-level characteristics was perf…

El maltrato infantil : un análisis ecológico de los factores de riesgo

Male Police Officers’ Law Enforcement Preferences In Cases of Intimate Partner Violence Versus Non-Intimate Interpersonal Violence

This article explores male police officers’ law enforcement preferences across different scenarios of interpersonal violence, involving intimate (partner violence against women) and non-intimate relationships (between- and within-gender). The influence of police officers’ sexist attitudes and empathy on their law enforcement preferences was also analyzed within and across these scenarios. The sample consisted of 308 male police officers. Results showed that police officers prefer a stronger and unconditional law enforcement approach in cases of violence against women, both in intimate and non-intimate relationships. Benevolent sexism was linked to a preference for a more conditional law en…

Use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other drugs in adolescence: effects of family and neighborhood

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los factores de protección o riesgo de los estilos educativos parentales para el consumo de alcohol, tabaco, cannabis y otras drogas, considerando la interacción de los estilos parentales con la peligrosidad del barrio. A partir de las respuestas de 628 adolescentes, 369 mujeres (58.8%) y 259 hombres (41.2%) entre 15 y 17 años (M = 16.03 años, DT = 0.79 años), se clasificaron las familias según el estilo educativo (autorizativo, indulgente, autoritario o negligente) y el riesgo percibido en el barrio (alto o bajo). Los resultados no mostraron interacciones, pero sí efectos principales de los estilos educativos y del riesgo percibido. Los adolescentes…

Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the European Union: A Systematic Review

Abstract. Attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) are increasingly recognized as central to understanding of this major social and public health problem, and guide the development of more effective prevention efforts. However, to date this area of research is underdeveloped in western societies, and in particular in the EU. The present study aims to provide a systematic review of quantitative studies addressing attitudes toward IPVAW conducted in the EU. The review was conducted through Web of Science, PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, PUBMED, and the Cochrane Library, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reco…

¿Qué estilo de socialización parental es el idóneo en España? Un estudio con niños y adolescentes de 10 a 14 años

ResumenEl objetivo de esta investigacion fue analizar que estilo de socializacion parental es idoneo en Espana midiendo el ajuste psicosocial de los hijos. Una muestra con 948 ninos y adolescentes de 10 a 14 anos (52% mujeres) indicaron las practicas de socializacion de sus padres. Las familias se clasificaron en una de las cuatro tipologias clasicas (autorizativa, autoritaria, indulgente o negligente) a partir de las respuestas de los hijos al PARQ/C (Rohner, 1990). Se usaron como criterios las cinco dimensiones del autoconcepto medidos por el AF5 (Garcia y Musitu, 1999), seis indicadores de ajuste psicologico medidos por el PAQ (Rohner, 1990), tres indicadores de competencia personal y tr…

Intimate partner violence against women and the Nordic paradox

Nordic countries are the most gender equal countries in the world, but at the same time they have disproportionally high prevalence rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. High prevalence of IPV against women, and high levels of gender equality would appear contradictory, but these apparently opposite statements appear to be true in Nordic countries, producing what could be called the 'Nordic paradox'. Despite this paradox being one of the most puzzling issues in the field, this is a research question rarely asked, and one that remains unanswered. This paper explores a number of theoretical and methodological issues that may help to understand this paradox. Efforts to unders…

Preliminary evaluation of an analog procedure to assess acceptability of intimate partner violence against women: The Partner Violence Acceptability Movie Task (PVAM)

Acceptability of partner violence against women is a risk factor linked to its perpetration, and to public, professionals’ and victims’ responses to this behavior. Research on the acceptability of violence in intimate partner relationships is, however, limited by reliance solely on self-reports that often provide distorted or socially desirable accounts that may misrepresent respondents’ true attitudes. This study presents data on the development and initial validation of a new analog task assessing respondents’ acceptability of physical violence toward women in intimate relationships: the Partner Violence Acceptability Movie task (PVAM). This new analog task is intended to provide a more i…

Representation of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Swedish News Media: A Discourse Analysis.

Despite being rated as some of the world’s most gender equal countries, Sweden and neighboring Nordic nations show high rates of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). As the news media contribute to the shaping of public attitudes, this article pursues a two-step discourse analysis of how IPVAW was represented in seven Swedish newspapers during 2018. Although an individualistic discourse on IPVAW was found to be most prevalent, articles where perpetrators were presented as non-Swedish more frequently contained a structural framing of IPVAW. This confirms previously noted tendencies toward individualization and othering of IPVAW in Sweden.

La innovación educativa desde la metodología: Mejora de las actitudes y competencias científicas de los alumnos (Educational innovation in research methodology: Improving students' scientific skills and attitudes)

A programme of educational innovation was implemented to improve the attitude toward research methods for psychology students. Students used real data to test their own hypotheses using different statistical methods. Specifically, they implemented two key methodological principles in research methods: sample size and ordinal claims (Frick, 1996). Students had to work in teams, using Internet data bases for developing the theoretical background of the study, the definition of the objectives, the definition of variables, data analysis, and discussion of results. We assessed the attitudes towards research methods before and after the study. Results showed that: 1) the students improved their s…

Neighborhood Characteristics, Alcohol Outlet Density, and Alcohol-Related Calls-for-Service: A Spatiotemporal Analysis in a Wet Drinking Country

Alcohol outlets have been associated with different social problems, such as crime, violence, intimate partner violence, and child maltreatment. The spatial analysis of neighborhood availability of alcohol outlets is key for better understanding of these influences. Most studies on the spatial distribution of alcohol outlets in the community have been conducted in U.S. cities, but few studies have assessed this spatial distribution in other countries where the drinking culture may differ. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of alcohol outlets in the city of Valencia, Spain, and its relationship with neighborhood-level characteristics, as well as to examine t…

Assessing Victim-Blaming Attitudes in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence against Women: Development and Validation of the VB-IPVAW Scale

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is the most common form of violence suffered by women and constitutes a serious public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes towards IPVAW are key to understanding the social context in which this type of violence occurs. Victim-blaming attitudes are among those that reflect public tolerance and acceptability of IPVAW and are often used to explain or justify IPVAW. In this study we develop and validate a new instrument to assess victim-blaming attitudes in cases of IPVAW. A sample of 1,800 participants was recruited through social media and a second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for validation purposes. Throug…

Percepciones y Actitudes hacia la Violencia de Pareja contra la Mujer en Inmigrantes Latinoamericanos en España

Este trabajo analiza, en primer lugar, las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer de los inmigrantes latinoamericanos y de la población española y, en segundo lugar, explora los correlatos de las actitudes hacia la denuncia de casos de violencia de pareja contra la mujer en una muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Para ello, se utilizan 3 fuentes de datos que incorporan dos muestras representativas de la población española y un muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre españoles e inmigrantes en las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer. Los análisis también muestran qu…

Adaptation and validation of the Victim-Blaming Attitudes in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women (VB-IPVAW) Scale in Ecuadorian population

Resumen La violencia de pareja contra la mujer (VPM) constituye un grave problema de salud pública con importantes consecuencias para la salud física y psicológica de las mujeres. Las ac titudes de culpabilización de la víctima pueden contribuir a crear un clima de aceptación social en el que la VPM se perciba como una conducta normativa, influyendo en las respuestas de los individuos, comunidades, e instituciones frente a este problema. Ecuador es uno de los países de Latinoamérica donde la prevalencia de VPM es más alta, y las investigaciones sobre esta temática son todavía escasas. El objetivo de este estudio es adaptar y validar la Escala Española de Actitudes de Culpabilización de la V…

Educational innovation in research methodology: Improving students' scientific skills and attitudes

Se aplicó un programa de innovación educativa para mejorar las actitudes hacia la metodología de los estudiantes de las asignaturas de las ciencias del comportamiento. Los estudiantes utilizaron datos reales para contrastar sus propias hipótesis utilizando diferentes análisis estadísticos, aplicando dos principios metodológicos claves para el contraste: el tamaño de la muestra y los enunciados ordinales (Frick, 1996). Esta investigación de los estudiantes implicó el trabajo en grupo, emplear bases de datos en Internet para el desarrollo del marco teórico, definición de los objetivos del estudio, definición de variables, estrategias para el análisis y discusión de los resultados. Cuando term…

School adjustment among Spanish adolescents: influence of parental socialization / El ajuste escolar en los adolescentes españoles: influencia de la socialización parental

AbstractThe values and attitudes toward education that parents transmit to their children considerably affect their school adjustment. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between academic adjustment in Spanish adolescents and parental socialization styles. Participants in the study were 487 adolescents (53.9% females) between 12 and 14 years old (M = 13.13, SD = 0.79). Based on their responses on a parental socialization scale, families were classified according to the classic four parenting styles typology (authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian or neglectful). Academic performance, number of school years repeated, academic self-concept and disruptive school behaviour w…

Beliefs in the necessity of corporal punishment of children and public perceptions of child physical abuse as a social problem.

THE COMMUNITY AS A SOURCE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT: EVALUATION AND IMPLICATIONS AT THE INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY LEVELS

En este trabajo se presentan tres estudios. El estudio 1 se llevó a cabo con el objetivo de explorar las propiedades psicométricas y estructura factorial del cuestionario de apoyo comunitario percibido. El estudio 2 examina la relación del apoyo comunitario con diversos indicadores del ajuste psicológico. El estudio 3 se realizó para comprobar si existen diferencias en la percepción de apoyo comunitario entre participantes de áreas residenciales normales y de alto riesgo. Los resultados confirman que la percepción de apoyo comunitario está relacionada positivamente con en el ajuste psicológico, así como que las condiciones de la comunidad de residencia influyen en la percepción de apoyo com…

La medida de la aceptabilidad de la violencia de pareja contra la mujer: desarrollo y validación de la escala A-IPVAW

Abstract: Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major social and public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes toward IPVAW shape the social environment in which such violence takes place, and attitudes of acceptability of IPVAW are considered a risk factor to actual IPVAW. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a scale measuring acceptability of IPVAW (A-IPVAW). To this end, a sample of 1,800 respondents was recruited via social media. A second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for concurrent validity analyses. Following a cross-validation approach and using item response theory analyses, we found that the latent structure of the scale was one-…

Evaluación del desorden en los vecindarios: validación de una escala observacional de tres factores

This study presents data on the development and preliminary validation of an observational scale assessing neighborhood disorder. Independent observations by trained raters of neighborhood disorder were conducted in 552 census block groups in the city of Valencia (Spain). Intraclass correlation coefficients assessing inter-rater reliability indicated fair to substantial levels of agreement among raters. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a final three-factor model scale measuring physical disorder, social disorder, and physical decay. Results for the internal consistency showed large composite reliability indices indicating good reliability for all neighborhood disorder factors. Evidenc…

PERSONAL AND SITUATIONAL DETERMINANTS OF RELATIONSHIP-SPECIFIC PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

This study explores personal (self-esteem, perceived stress, and depressive mood) and situational (undesirable life events) variables as determinants of relationship-specific perceptions of social support. Structural equation analyses from two-wave panel data (N = 583) of adult participants from a community-based urban sample revealed that, after controlling for initial levels of perceived social support, psychological characteristics (high levels of stress and depression, and low levels of self-esteem) and situational determinants (number of undesirable life events) were both negatively related to perceived social support from specific significant relationships over time. Multigroup analys…

Perceived neighborhood social disorder and residents' attitudes toward reporting child physical abuse.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the relationship between perceived neighborhood social disorder and attitudes toward reporting child physical abuse. METHOD: Data from a national probabilistic sample (N=9,759) were used. Responses about the perception of neighborhood social disorder, perceived frequency of child physical abuse in Spanish families, and willingness to report a case of child physical abuse to the police were collected through face-to-face interviews in respondents' homes. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that perceived neighborhood social disorder was negatively related to residents' attitudes toward reporting child physical abuse. These results …

Ajuste psicológico y culpabilización de la víctima en maltratadores: el papel del apoyo social y los eventos vitales estresantes

Intimate partner violence offenders often use victim-blaming attributions to explain their own violent behavior. These attributions represent an important challenge for intervention programs for intimate-partner violence offenders. The main objectives of this study were to analyze both the influence of social support and stressful life events on the psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depressive symptomatology) of intimate partner violence offenders and the relationship between offenders' psychological adjustment and their victim-blaming attributions. The sample consists of 314 men convicted of intimate partner violence who were referred to a community-based intervention program. Resu…

Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence among Male Offenders: The Role of Set-Shifting and Emotion Decoding Dysfunctions as Cognitive Risk Factors.

Attitudes towards the acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) contribute to an increased risk of IPVAW perpetration, and these attitudes are common among IPVAW offenders. Research suggests that IPVAW offenders present cognitive deficits related to information processing. Little is known, however, about how these deficits are related to the acceptability of IPVAW. The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between specific cognitive deficits (i.e., deficits in attention switching, set-shifting, and emotion decoding abilities) and the acceptability of IPVAW in a sample of 84 IPVAW offenders. Results revealed that IPVAW offenders with deficits in attent…

Consumo de alcohol, tabaco, cannabis y otras drogas en la adolescencia: efectos de la familia y peligro del barrio

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los factores de protección o riesgo de los estilos educativos parentales para el consumo de alcohol, tabaco, cannabis y otras drogas, considerando la interacción de los estilos parentales con la peligrosidad del barrio. A partir de las respuestas de 628 adolescentes, 369 mujeres (58.8%) y 259 hombres (41.2%) entre 15 y 17 años (M = 16.03 años, DT = 0.79 años), se clasificaron las familias según el estilo educativo (autorizativo, indulgente, autoritario o negligente) y el riesgo percibido en el barrio (alto o bajo). Los resultados no mostraron interacciones, pero sí efectos principales de los estilos educativos y del riesgo percibido. Los adolescentes…

Covariates of Subjective well-being among Latin American immigrants in Spain: the role of social integration in the community

The aim of this study is to test the influence that social integration in the community might have on subjective well-being (SWB) beyond the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, self-esteem, stressful life events, and social support from intimate and confidant relationships. We explore this set of relationships among Latin American immigrants in Spain, a group at risk of social exclusion. Results show a positive and statistically significant relationship between social integration and SWB, after controlling for the statistical effects of the other variables. Promoting social integration in the community among immigrant population might grant them access to wider community resource…

Actitudes de la policía ante la intervención en casos de violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja: influencia del sexismo y la empatia

This study analyzed the influence of sexism (benevolent and hostile) and empathy on police attitudes towards intervening in partner violence against women (preferences to enforce the law depending on whether the victim is willing to press charges against the offender). The sample was 409 police officers. Results from a 2x2x2 factorial design yielded main effects of benevolent sexism, and a significant interaction between hostile sexism and empathy. Implications for training and selection of police officers working in the area of partner violence against women are considered.

Prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Sweden and Spain: A psychometric study of the 'Nordic paradox'.

The high prevalence of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in countries with high levels of gender equality has been defined as the "Nordic paradox". In this study we compared physical and sexual IPVAW prevalence data in two countries exemplifying the Nordic paradox: Sweden (N = 1483) and Spain (N = 1447). Data was drawn from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Survey on violence against women. To ascertain whether differences between these two countries reflect true differences in IPVAW prevalence, and to rule out the possibility of measurement bias, we conducted a set of analyses to ensure measurement equivalence, a precondition for appropriate and valid cross-cul…

The Spatial Overlap of Police Calls Reporting Street-Level and Behind-Closed-Doors Crime: A Bayesian Modeling Approach

Traditionally, intimate-partner violence has been considered a special type of crime that occurs behind closed doors, with different characteristics from street-level crime. The aim of this study is to analyze the spatial overlap of police calls reporting street-level and behind-closed-doors crime. We analyzed geocoded police calls in the 552 census-block groups of the city of Valencia, Spain, related to street-level crime (N = 26,624) and to intimate-partner violence against women (N = 11,673). A Bayesian joint model was run to analyze the spatial overlap. In addition, two Bayesian hierarchical models controlled for different neighborhood characteristics to analyze the relative risks. Resu…

Responsive versus Treatment-Resistant Perpetrators in Batterer Intervention Programs: Personal Characteristics and Stages of Change.

This article aims to identify different personal characteristics in treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant perpetrators of intimate partner violence who completed a batterer intervention program (BIP). The sample consists of 105 perpetrators of intimate partner violence who were court-mandated to a community-based cognitive behavioral program. Perpetrators were classified by professionals as resistant or responsive to treatment based on the stage of change they reached upon completion of the program. The results show that before starting the intervention program, treatment-resistant perpetrators scored higher than treatment-responsive perpetrators in external responsibility attributio…

Autoestima y depresión: relaciones directas versus indirectas

ResumenEste trabajo analiza la relacion entre la autoestima y la depresion. Debido a que la formacion de la autoestima reside fundamentalmente en procesos de interaccion social (Cooley, 1902; Baldwin, 1908; Mead, 1934), la configuracion de la autoestima se realiza en funcion de los distintos ambitos o contextos en los que interactua el individuo, creando de este modo diferentes aspectos o dimensiones de autoevaluacion. Desde nuestra orientacion teorica, la relacion de la autoestima con la depresion depende de la dimension que se analice: se observara una relacion directa en aquellos aspectos del self muy vinculados al rol social preferente mientras que se observara una relacion indirecta -m…

Social isolation from communities and child maltreatment: a cross-cultural comparison.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine: (1) the differences between Spanish and Colombian cultures in relation to community social support variables, and (2) the relationships between community social support variables and child maltreatment in both cultures. Method: The study was based on 670 nonabusive families and 166 abusive families. The parents were asked to complete the Community Social Support Questionnaire. This instrument measures community social support in terms of Community Integration and Satisfaction, membership in voluntary organizations and community participation, and use of Community Resources of Social Support. Results: Differences between both cultures were fo…

Dropout from Court-Mandated Intervention Programs for Intimate Partner Violence Offenders: The Relevance of Alcohol Misuse and Cognitive Impairments

There is considerable interest in offering insight into the mechanisms that might explain why certain perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) drop out of interventions. Although several socio-demographic variables and attitudes towards IPVAW have been proposed as risk factors for IPVAW perpetrators&rsquo

Police attitudes toward policing partner violence against women: do they correspond to different psychosocial profiles?

This study analyzed whether police attitudes toward policing partner violence against women corresponded with different psychosocial profiles. Two attitudes toward policing partner violence were considered—one reflecting a general preference for a conditional law enforcement (depending on the willingness of the victim to press charges against the offender) and the other reflecting a general preference for unconditional law enforcement (regardless of the victim’s willingness to press charges against the offender). Results from a sample of 378 police officers showed that those police officers who expressed a general preference for unconditional law enforcement scored higher in other-oriented…

ASSESSING NEIGHBORHOOD DISORDER: VALIDATION OF A THREE-FACTOR OBSERVATIONAL SCALE

AbstractThis study presents data on the development and preliminary validation of an observational scale assessing neighborhood disorder. Independent observations by trained raters of neighborhood disorder were conducted in 552 census block groups in the city of Valencia (Spain). Intraclass correlation coefficients assessing inter-rater reliability indicated fair to substantial levels of agreement among raters. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a final three-factor model scale measuring physical disorder, social disorder, and physical decay. Results for the internal consistency showed large composite reliability indices indicating good reliability for all neighborhood disorder factors.…

Does country-level gender equality explain individual risk of intimate partner violence against women? A multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA) in the European Union

Abstract Background Gender equality is widely accepted as an important explanatory factor for the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. However, the relationship is not straightforward, as high country-level gender equality is not always associated with lower IPV prevalence. We apply ‘multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy’ (MAIHDA) to (i) quantify the extent to which the country of residence determines individual risk of IPV and (ii) investigate the association between country-level gender equality and individual experience of IPV, and to which extent this association explains the observed between-country differences. Methods Usin…

Evaluación de las actitudes de culpabilización de la víctima en casos de violencia de pareja contra la mujer: desarrollo y validación de la escala VB-IPVAW

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is the most common form of violence suffered by women and constitutes a serious public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes towards IPVAW are key to understanding the social context in which this type of violence occurs. Victim-blaming attitudes are among those that reflect public tolerance and acceptability of IPVAW and are often used to explain or justify IPVAW. In this study we develop and validate a new instrument to assess victim-blaming attitudes in cases of IPVAW. A sample of 1,800 participants was recruited through social media and a second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for validation purposes. Throug…

More Likely to Dropout, but What if They Don’t? Partner Violence Offenders With Alcohol Abuse Problems Completing Batterer Intervention Programs

There is general consensus that alcohol abuse is a risk factor to be considered in batterer intervention programs. Intimate partner violence perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems are more likely to dropout of batterer intervention programs. However, there is little research on intimate partner violence perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems completing batterer intervention programs. In this study, we analyze drop-out rates among perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems and explore whether perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems completing a batterer intervention program differ from those who do not have alcohol abuse problems in a number of outcomes. The sample was 286 males convicte…

Autoconcepto y consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia

Este estudio analiza la relacion entre el autoconcepto evaluado con una medida multidimensional, el cuestionario Autoconcepto Forma 5 (AF5), y el consumo de sustancias en los adolescentes. A partir de las respuestas de 632 adolescentes (47,5% mujeres), entre 12 y 17 anos (M = 14,88 anos, DT = 1,71 anos), los resultados mostraron relaciones negativas entre el autoconcepto familiar, academico y fisico, y el consumo de sustancias. Si bien se encontraron aparentes relaciones positivas con la dimension social del autoconcepto, estas relaciones desaparecieron al controlar el efecto estadistico del sexo y la edad de los adolescentes. Ademas, se incluyen otros indices de ajuste (psicologico, compet…

Improving empathy with motivational strategies in batterer intervention programmes: Results of a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES Empathy (i.e., the ability to decode emotions, as well as cognitive and emotional empathy) is involved in moral reasoning, prosocial behaviour, social and emotional adequacy, mood and behaviour regulation. Hence, alterations in these functions could reduce behaviour control and the adoption of specific types of violence such as intimate partner violence (IPV). Although interventions for IPV perpetrators focus on reducing IPV risk factors and increasing protective factors to prevent this kind of violence, the study of the effectiveness of these programmes in promoting changes in empathy (cognitive and emotional) has been neglected. DESIGN Hence, the main aim of this study was to c…

Parenting Warmth and Strictness across Three Generations: Parenting Styles and Psychosocial Adjustment

Recent emergent research is seriously questioning whether parental strictness contributes to children’s psychosocial adjustment in all cultural contexts. We examined cross-generational differences in parental practices characterized by warmth and practices characterized by strictness, as well as the relationship between parenting styles (authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian, and neglectful) and psychosocial adjustment in adulthood. Parenting practices characterized by warmth (affection, reasoning, indifference, and detachment) and strictness (revoking privileges, verbal scolding, and physical punishment) were examined. Psychosocial adjustment was captured with multidimensional self-conce…

Motivational strategies, working alliance, and protherapeutic behaviors in batterer intervention programs: A randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Motivational strategies are among the most promising approaches to improve the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs (BIPs). An individualized motivational plan (IMP) is one of these motivational strategies. The present study aimed to explore whether adding an IMP to a standard BIP improved the participant-facilitator working alliance and participants' protherapeutic behaviors. To this end a randomized controlled trial was conducted. One hundred fifty-three men convicted of intimate partner violence were randomly assigned to either a standard BIP (control condition, n = 79) or a standard BIP plus IMP (experimental condition, n = 74). Working alliance (i.e., general workin…

The Indulgent Parenting Style and Developmental Outcomes in South European and Latin American Countries

This chapter reviews recent literature analysing relationships between parenting styles and developmental outcomes. As opposed to traditional results obtained with Euro-American samples, evidence from emergent research in South European and Latin American countries indicates that adolescents from indulgent families scored equal or even better than those from authoritative families in many key indicators of psychosocial adjustment, and that the indulgent parenting appears as the optimum parenting style in these samples. This research suggests that authoritative parenting is not always necessarily associated with optimum developmental outcomes and that relationships between parenting styles a…

El consumo abusivo de alcohol en inmigrantes latinoamericanos que participan en programas de intervención para maltratadores: importancia de la adherencia al tratamiento

En este estudio se analizan las tasas de abandono del tratamiento en hombres inmigrantes latinoamericanos con problemas de consumo de alcohol (PCA) derivados a programas de intervención con maltratadores y se explora si aquellos que consiguen finalizar la intervención se diferencian de los que no tienen PCA en variables resultado de la intervención. La muestra la componen 107 hombres latinoamericanos condenados por violencia contra la mujer. Al contrario de lo esperado, no se confirman mayores tasas de abandono entre los participantes con PCA. Independientemente de tener o no PCA, los participantes que finalizaron el programa mostraron mejoría en todas las variables objetivo de la intervenc…

Familia y psicología social: una relación sin formalizar

ResumenEn este articulo se reflexiona sobre la escasa atencion que la psicologia social ha prestado tradicionalmente a la familia. En primer lugar, se analiza si la familia esta presente en los terrenos que tradicionalmenteacota la psicologia social. En segundo lugar se realiza un estudio cuantitativoy cualitativos de la categoria “familia” en el Psychological Abstracts. En tercer lugar se hace una revision de la principales areas de investigacion que han configurado el estudio de la familia en las ciencias sociales. Se constata que aunque la relacion de la familia y la psicologia social no se ha formalizado o institucionalizado (en terminos de su presencia en manuales o en su formato como …

Measuring perceived community support: Factorial structure, longitudinal invariance, and predictive validity of the PCSQ (perceived community support questionnaire)

Social support from intimate and confiding relationships has received a great deal of attention; however, the study of the community as a relevant source of support has been comparatively lacking. In this article, we present a multidimensional measure of community support (Perceived Community Support Questionnaire, PCSQ). Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on data from three samples of adult population (two-wave panel: sample 1, N = 1009 and sample 2, N = 780; and an independent sample 3, N = 440), results show that community integration, community participation, and use of community organizations are reliable indicators of the underlying construct of perceived community s…

Measuring Perceived Severity of Intimate Partner Violence against Women (IPVAW) among the General Population and IPVAW Offenders

ABSTRACT Public perceptions of the severity of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) incidents are an important factor that has been linked to key issues regarding this type of violence, such as acceptability or tolerance, personal sense of responsibility, attitudes toward intervention, and the public's, professionals', and victims' responses to IPVAW. The aim of the present study was to provide further validity evidence for the perceived severity of IPVAW scale (PS-IPVAW), by assessing its measurement invariance between gender and age groups, and between men from the general population and male IPVAW offenders. Item response theory was also used to assess the discrimination of th…

Validation of the Working Alliance Inventory–Observer Short Version with male intimate partner violence offenders

The working alliance is a key element to increase intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders' motivation, adherence to treatment, and active participation in batterer intervention programs (BIPs). The objective of the present study is to assess the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Working Alliance Inventory-Observer Short Version (WAI-O-S) with a sample of IPV offenders. The sample was 140 men convicted for IPV and court-mandated to a community-based BIP. Inter-rater agreement and reliability were evaluated by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient. To test the latent structure a Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis approach was used. To test criterion-related v…

La innovación educativa desde la metodología: Mejora de las actitudes y competencias científicas de los alumnos

Se aplicó un programa de innovación educativa para mejorar las actitudes hacia la metodología de los estudiantes de las asignaturas de las ciencias del comportamiento. Los estudiantes utilizaron datos reales para contrastar sus propias hipótesis utilizando diferentes análisis estadísticos, aplicando dos principios metodológicos claves para el contraste: el tamaño de la muestra y los enunciados ordinales (Frick, 1996). Esta investigación de los estudiantes implicó el trabajo en grupo, emplear bases de datos en Internet para el desarrollo del marco teórico, definición de los objetivos del estudio, definición de variables, estrategias para el análisis y discusión de los resultados. Cuando term…

Differences in treatment adherence, program completion, and recidivism among batterer subtypes

Abstract The present study aimed to cross-validate Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart's typology in a Spanish sample of court-referred intimate partner violence batterers. The study also analyzed the typology's capability to predict treatment attendance, completion, and IPV recidivism two years after the treatment. The sample consisted of 210 batterers court referred to a batterer intervention program. Using cluster analysis, three batterer subtypes were identified in accordance with the original typology: family-only batterers, borderline/dysphoric, and generally violent-antisocial. The typology predicted program attendance, completion, and recidivism. Batterers from the generally violent-antiso…

The Intimate Partner Violence Responsibility Attribution Scale (IPVRAS)

The aim of this study is to present a psychometrically sound instrument to assess intimate partner violence offenders’ responsibility attributions: the Intimate Partner Violence Responsibility Attribution Scale. The scale was administrated to 423 adult male intimate partner violence offenders court-mandated to a community-based intervention program. A three factor structure (responsibility attribution to the legal system, responsibility attribution to the victim, and responsibility attribution to the offender personal context) was supported using confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability of the scales in this study was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha, ρ and greatest lower bound. The Intima…

Neighborhood Risk, Parental Socialization Styles, and Adolescent Conduct Problems

Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la influencia de los estilos parentales de socialización (autoritario, autorizativo, indulgente y negligente) y el nivel de riesgo percibido en el barrio en tres indicadores de problemas de conducta en la adolescencia (conducta escolar disruptiva, delincuencia y consumo de sustancias). La muestra está compuesta por 1.017 adolescentes, con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y 17 años. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de cuatro diseños factoriales multivariados revelaron únicamente efectos principales de los estilos parentales y del nivel de riesgo percibido en el barrio. Los adolescentes de padres indulgentes y autorizativos presentaron menores probl…

Parental Socialization Styles and Psychological Adjustment. A Study in Spanish Adolescents // Los estilos parentales de socialización y el ajuste psicológico. Un estudio con adolescentes españoles

Contribuyendo al actual debate de la literatura acerca del estilo educativo parental optimo para el mejor ajuste psicosocial de los hijos, el objetivo de este estudio fue analizar que estilo se relaciona con el mejor ajuste psicologico de los adolescentes espanoles. Participaron en el estudio 772 adolescentes, 358 hombres (46.4%) y 414 mujeres (53.6%), entre 12 y 17 anos ( M = 14.95, DT = 1.59). Se clasifico a las familias segun su estilo de actuacion (autorizativo, indulgente, autoritario o negligente). Como criterios se evaluaron autoconcepto y desajuste psicologico en sus medidas multidimensionales. Los resultados muestran que el estilo indulgente, basado fundamentalmente en el afecto y …

Correlates of victim-blaming attitudes regarding partner violence against women among the Spanish general population.

This article analyzes correlates of victim-blaming attitudes regarding partner violence against women (PVAW) among the Spanish general population ( N = 1,006). Results showed that victim-blaming attitudes were more common among respondents who were older, less educated, and who placed themselves at the bottom of the social scale. Furthermore, the odds of expressing victim-blaming attitudes were higher among respondents who thought that PVAW was common in society, considered it more acceptable, and knew women victims of partner violence in their circle of friends and family. Implications for public education are discussed.

The Nordic Paradox. Professionals’ Discussions about Gender Equality and Intimate Partner Violence against Women in Sweden

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a global public health issue often assumed to be associated with gender inequality. The so-called Nordic Paradox, the apparently contradictory co-existence of high levels of IPVAW and of gender equality in Nordic countries, has not been adequately explained. This study explores discussions about how this apparent paradox can be understood among 30 IPVAW professionals working in southern Sweden, through a thematic analysis of focus groups and individual and paired interviews. The analysis highlights complexities of gender (in)equality and its links with IPVAW in Sweden, of relevance for the addressing and prevention of IPVAW.

Is It Considered Violence? The Acceptability of Physical Punishment of Children in Europe

This study analyzes correlates of the acceptability of physical punishment of children in Europe. The design was a three-level ordinal logistic regression of 10,812 people nested within 208 localities (cities), nested within 14 countries of the European Union. Results showed that higher levels of acceptability were reported by men, the older, the less educated, and those who perceived that violence against children was less frequent in their own country. At the country level, the existence of laws prohibiting physical punishment of children as well as a lower number of child maltreatment deaths were significantly associated with lower levels of acceptability of physical punishment of childr…

Public Attitudes Toward Reporting Partner Violence Against Women and Reporting Behavior

Drawing from attitude-behavior research tradition, this study used a national probabilistic sample of the Spanish adult population (N= 2,432) to test hypotheses regarding correlates of public attitudes toward reporting partner violence against women, and the relationship between attitudes toward reporting and actual reporting behavior. Results show the importance of several correlates of public attitudes toward reporting. Also, our results have suggested a potential disconnect between attitudes and behavior because failure to intervene appears to be a common response of those aware of incidents of partner violence against women.

Psychosocial Intervention: A Jornada de uma Revista Rumo a Qualidade Científica, Visibilidade e Internacionalização

AbstractThis paper describes the journey that the journal Psychosocial Intervention began in 2011, with the aim of increasing its scientific quality and broadening its reach. Founded in 1992, Psychosocial Intervention began a new phase in 2011, with the advent of a new Editor-in-Chief, editorial team, and editorial policy. At that point, strategic decisions were made in the areas of editorial and review practices, language, and dissemination of the journal, which resulted in a publication of higher quality and broader reach. The description of the journey undertaken by Psychosocial Intervention is presented with the hope that this experience may be useful to scholars, scientific organizatio…

Perceived paternal and maternal acceptance and children's outcomes in Colombia

The relationship between perceived paternal and maternal acceptance and children's adjustment was analyzed. The sample consisted of 234 children and 234 parental figures (mother or primary female caregiver, and father or primary male caregiver) living in two-parent nuclear families in Colombia. The children's age range was 7 to 13 (M = 9.7). Children completed the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Child PARQ mother and father versions; Rohner, 1990), and the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ; Rohner, 1990). Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983). The analyses revealed that perceived paternal and maternal acceptance were both…

Barrios de Riesgo, Estilos de Socialización Parental y Problemas de Conducta en Adolescentes

Este articulo tiene como objetivo analizar la influencia de los estilos parentales de socializacion (autoritario, autorizativo, indulgente y negligente) y el nivel de riesgo percibido en el barrio en tres indicadores de problemas de conducta en la adolescencia (conducta escolar disruptiva, delincuencia y consumo de sustancias). La muestra esta compuesta por 1.017 adolescentes, con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y 17 anos. Los resultados obtenidos a partir de cuatro disenos factoriales multivariados revelaron unicamente efectos principales de los estilos parentales y del nivel de riesgo percibido en el barrio. Los adolescentes de padres indulgentes y autorizativos presentaron menores probl…

La importancia de las redes sociales de apoyo en la integración del enfermo mental en la comunidad

ResumenEste trabajo analiza la importancia de las redes sociales de apoyo en la integracion del enfermo mental en la comunidad. Se analizan las caracteristicas de las redes sociales de las personas con desordenes psiquiatricos. Se discute la importancia que tiene una red social de apoyo adecuada como un componente fundamental para la permanencia del enfermo mental en la comunidad y se subraya la relevancia de intervenciones dirigidas al fortalecimiento y reconstruccion de la red de apoyo social de las personas que padecen o han padecido enfermedades mentales. Finalmente se examina la contribucion de estrategias de intervencion dirigidas tanto a los pacientes como a sus familiares como los g…

sj-pdf-1-asm-10.1177_10731911211000110 – Supplemental material for A Short Measure of Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW-8 Scale

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-asm-10.1177_10731911211000110 for A Short Measure of Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW-8 Scale by Manuel Martín-Fernández, Enrique Gracia and Marisol Lila in Assessment

Los predictores clave de la reincidencia en participantes en un programa de intervención para agresores de pareja: un análisis de supervivencia

ABSTRACT Strategies to reduce intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) can be targeted at different levels. Batterer intervention programs (BIPs) are among the main treatment approaches for IPVAW offenders. The most common outcome used in the evaluation of BIP effectiveness is recidivism. Efforts to increase BIP effectiveness in reducing recidivism should focus on key predictive variables of this outcome. The aim of this study was to identify key predictors of official recidivism from a large set of variables drawn from a sample of IPVAW offenders court-mandated to a community-based BIP (N = 393), with a follow-up period of between 0 and 69 months. To this end, a survival analysis wa…

Country of residence, gender equality and victim blaming attitudes about partner violence: a multilevel analysis in EU

Background: Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a global and preventable public health problem. Public attitudes, such as victim-blaming, are important for our understanding of differences in the occurrence of IPVAW, as they contribute to its justification. In this paper, we focus on victim-blaming attitudes regarding IPVAW within the EU and we apply multilevel analyses to identify contextual determinants of victim-blaming attitudes. We investigate both the general contextual effect of the country and the specific association between country level of gender equality and individual victim-blaming attitudes, as well as to what extend a possible general contextual effect was exp…

The Nordic Paradox and intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden: A background overview

The global public health problem of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is typically tied to gender inequality. Contrary to what would be expected, however, a 2012 survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) showed lifetime prevalence rates of IPVAW in the Nordic countries which were among the highest of the 28 EU member states, despite these countries being rated as some of the most gender‐equal in the world. The aim of this article is to enable a furthered understanding of this Nordic Paradox through providing an overview of knowledge about IPVAW in Sweden in relation to the apparent paradox. It assembles information on IPVAW prevalence, on Swede…

Ambivalent sexism, empathy and law enforcement attitudes towards partner violence against women among male police officers

Police attitudes towards partner violence against women (PVAW) can play an important role in their evaluation and responses to this type of violence. The present study aims to examine ambivalent sexism and empathy as determinants of male police officers' law enforcement attitudes towards PVAW. The study sample was composed by 404 male police officers. Results suggested that male police officers scoring low in benevolent sexism expressed a general preference for unconditional law enforcement (i.e. regardless of the victim's willingness to press charges against the offender), whereas those scoring high in benevolent sexism expressed a preference for conditional law enforcement (i.e. depending…

Psychological adjustment and victim-blaming among intimate partner violence offenders: The role of social support and stressful life events

AbstractIntimate partner violence offenders often use victim-blaming attributions to explain their own violent behavior. These attributions represent an important challenge for intervention programs for intimatepartner violence offenders. The main objectives of this study were to analyze both the influence of social support and stressful life events on the psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depressive symptomatology) of intimate partner violence offenders and the relationship between offenders’ psychological adjustment and their victim-blaming attributions. The sample consists of 314 men convicted of intimate partner violence who were referred to a community-based intervention progra…

A Short Measure of Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW-8 Scale

Attitudes of acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) are considered one of the main risk factors of this type of violence. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a short version of the acceptability of IPVAW scale, the A-IPVAW-8, for large scale studies where space and time are limited. A panel of experts were asked to assess item content validity. Two samples were recruited to assemble an 8-item short version of the scale using automated test assembly, and to reassess the psychometric properties of the A-IPVAW-8 in an independent sample. Results showed that the A-IPVAW-8 had adequate internal consistency (α = .72-.76, ω = .73-.81), a stable one-factor la…

PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD VIOLENCE, PARENTING STYLES, AND DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES AMONG SPANISH ADOLESCENTS

This article analyzed perceptions of neighborhood violence of Spanish adolescents (N = 1,015) from authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful families, and its association with three sets of developmental outcomes (psychological, behavioral, and academic). Tests of main and interactive effects were conducted to answer research questions regarding the potential moderating role of perceived neighborhood violence on the relationship between parenting styles and developmental outcomes. Results yielded only main effects of parenting styles and perceived neighborhood violence on developmental outcomes, as well as an interaction between gender and perceived neighborhood violence. Pare…

Predicting social integration in the community among college students

This article aims to examine determinants of social integration in the community among college students. Two-wave panel data from an undergraduate student sample (N 310) was used to explore the effects of multiple sets of variables (personal, interpersonal, and situational) on social integration in the community. Structural equation analysis showed that personal (self-esteem and perceived stress) and situational (undesirable life events) variables made significant contributions to changes to social integration in the community. Implications of these and other findings are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The expansion of social networks beyond relationships with family and peers is…

Visible but unreported: a case for the "not serious enough" cases of child maltreatment.

This study examined the psychosocial characteristics of cases of child maltreatment labelled as "not serious enough." The sample consisted of cases of suspected physical abuse (N = 48), neglect (N = 13), and psychological maltreatment (N = 8) identified by teachers, and a nonabused comparison group (N = 283). Characteristics of children and their parents were evaluated at three ecological levels: individual, family, and social. Results indicated a poor personal and social adjustment of the children in the maltreatment groups, and suggest that the definition of cases of maltreatment as not serious enough does not represent the psychological reality of these children. Discriminant analysis in…

Los profesionales de la salud y la prevención de la violencia doméstica contra la mujer

Domestic violence against women is an important public health problem that cannot be ignored. Health professionals need to take part in the prevention, detection and treatment processes, acting in a coordinate way with other professionals and institutions. This paper analyzes the consequences of domestic violence against women, and underscores the fact that health professionals are part of the social circle surrounding the victims, playing an important role in its detection and prevention. Several response strategies from the health services are examined and, finally, the paper considers screening as a mechanism for early detection of domestic violence, paying special attention to the impor…

Motivational strategies in interventions for intimate partner violence offenders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

ABSTRACT Previous research suggests that the inclusion of motivational strategies in interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders could increase their effectiveness. This review evaluated the effectiveness of interventions for IPV offenders that includes motivational strategies to reduce physical and psychological IPV, treatment dropout, official recidivism to IPV offending, and to increase intervention attendance dose. The present systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using PRISMA guidelines. The following databases were searched from 1983 to 2018 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions for IPV offenders that incorporated motivational strategies…

Police involvement in cases of intimate partner violence against women: the influence of perceived severity and personal responsibility.

The influence of perceived severity and sense of personal responsibility of police officers on their level of involvement in cases of intimate partner violence against women is analyzed. Three levels of police involvement are considered: low, medium, and high. The sample consists of 143 Spanish police officers. A 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design is conducted to test hypotheses. Effects of perceived severity and personal responsibility are found only at the highest level of police involvement. For low and medium levels of involvement, no differences in perceived severity and personal responsibility of police officers are found.

Las estrategias motivacionales, la alianza de trabajo y la conducta proterapéutica en los programas de intervención con maltratadores: un ensayo clínico aleatorizado

ABSTRACT Motivational strategies are among the most promising approaches to improve the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs (BIPs). An individualized motivational plan (IMP) is one of these motivational strategies. The present study aimed to explore whether adding an IMP to a standard BIP improved the participant-facilitator working alliance and participants' protherapeutic behaviors. To this end a randomized controlled trial was conducted. One hundred fifty-three men convicted of intimate partner violence were randomly assigned to either a standard BIP (control condition, n = 79) or a standard BIP plus IMP (experimental condition, n = 74). Working alliance (i.e., general workin…

Multimethod prediction of child abuse risk in an at-risk sample of male intimate partner violence offenders

Abstract The vast majority of research on child abuse potential has concentrated on women demonstrating varying levels of risk of perpetrating physical child abuse. In contrast, the current study considered factors predictive of physical child abuse potential in a group of 70 male intimate partner violence offenders, a group that would represent a likely high risk group. Elements of Social Information Processing theory were evaluated, including pre-existing schemas of empathy, anger, and attitudes approving of parent-child aggression considered as potential moderators of negative attributions of child behavior. To lend methodological rigor, the study also utilized multiple measures and mult…

Alcohol Abuse in Latin American Immigrants Participating in Intervention Programs for Abusers: the Import ance of Adherence to Treatment

En este estudio, se analizan las tasas de abandono del tratamiento en hombres inmigrantes latinoamericanos con problemas de consumo de alcohol (PCA) derivados a programas de intervención con maltratadores, y se explora si aquellos que consiguen finalizar la intervención se diferencian de los que no tienen PCA en variables resultado de la intervención. La muestra la componen 107 hombres latinoamericanos condenados por violencia contra la mujer. Al contrario de lo esperado, no se confirman mayores tasas de abandono entre los participantes con PCA. Independientemente de tener o no PCA, los participantes que finalizaron el programa mostraron mejoría en todas las variables objetivo de la interve…

Españoles e Inmigrantes Latinoamericanos condenados por violencia de género: ¿Existe un perfil diferencial?

Resumen Diversas investigaciones destacan el rol de las diferen­cias culturales y de los factores relacionados con la inmi­gracion en la violencia contra la pareja. El objetivo de este trabajo era analizar si existe un perfil diferencial en­tre hombres maltratadores espanoles ( n  = 400) e inmi­grantes latinoamericanos ( n  = 117). Para ello se seleccio­naron variables segun el modelo ecologico y se contrasta­ron ambos grupos mediante ANOVAs, MANOVAs y Chi-cuadrados. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron dife­rencias significativas a nivel individual y contextual entre maltratadores espanoles e inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Se discuten las implicaciones de estas diferencias en la prevencion de…

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Suicide-Related Emergency Calls

Considerable effort has been devoted to incorporate temporal trends in disease mapping. In this line, this work describes the importance of including the effect of the seasonality in a particular setting related with suicides. In particular, the number of suicide-related emergency calls is modeled by means of an autoregressive approach to spatio-temporal disease mapping that allows for incorporating the possible interaction between both temporal and spatial effects. Results show the importance of including seasonality effect, as there are differences between the number of suicide-related emergency calls between the four seasons of each year.

Identifying Key Predictors of Recidivism among Offenders Attending a Batterer Intervention Program: A Survival Analysis

espanolLas estrategias para reducir la violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja pueden dirigirse a diferentes objetivos. Los programas de intervencion para agresores de pareja son uno de los principales acercamientos para su tratamiento. El resultado mas utilizado para la evaluacion de la efectividad de estos programas es la reincidencia. Los esfuerzos para incrementar la efectividad de los programas de intervencion para agresores de pareja en reducir la reincidencia deberian centrarse en las variables predictoras clave de este resultado. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los predictores clave de la reincidencia oficial a partir de un amplio conjunto de variables obte…

Social disorder, social integration, and subjective well-being among Latin-American immigrants in Spain

Social integration has consistently shown its positive effects on both physical and psychological well-being. The study of the influence of residential characteristics on both social integration and well-being, however, has been traditionally neglected. The present study analyzes the joint influence of both social disorder and social integration on the subjective well-being of 260 Latin-American immigrants living in the Valencian Community (Spain). Results show that levels of social disorder negatively influence both social integration and subjective well-being. These findings might orientate public policies that seek to improve the well-being of especially disadvantaged groups at risk of s…

Chronic high risk of intimate partner violence against women in disadvantaged neighborhoods: An eight-year space-time analysis

Abstract We conducted a small-area ecological longitudinal study to analyze neighborhood contextual influences on the spatio-temporal variations in intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) risk in a southern European city over an eight-year period. We used geocoded data of IPVAW cases with associated protection orders (n = 5867) in the city of Valencia, Spain (2011–2018). The city's 552 census block groups were used as the neighborhood units. Neighborhood-level covariates were: income, education, immigrant concentration, residential instability, alcohol outlet density, and criminality. We used a Bayesian autoregressive approach to spatio-temporal disease mapping. Neighborhoods with l…

Generally Antisocial Batterers with High Neuropsychological Deficits Present Lower Treatment Compliance and Higher Recidivism

Objective: No studies have considered whether neuropsychological performance moderates the relationship between Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart's intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) offender typologies and treatment compliance and recidivism. Therefore, we first aimed to assess whether the typologies show differences in specific neuropsychological variables such as cognitive flexibility and emotion decoding processes. Second, we also assessed whether there are differences in treatment compliance and recidivism between the IPVAW offender typologies, based on their neuropsychological performance. Method: We administered a set of neuropsychological tests (e.g., Wisconsin card sorting …

Self-Determined Goals of Male Participants Attending an Intervention Program for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: A Thematic Analysis

Treatment adherence and motivation to change are among the main challenges in intervention programs for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) perpetrators. Motivational strategies have shown promising results in increasing the effectiveness of intervention programs for IPV perpetrators. One of these motivational strategies is goal setting. The aim of this study was to analyze and categorize the self-determined goals ( n = 204) of 227 male participants attending an intervention program for IPV perpetrators. Findings of the thematic analysis suggested three levels of analysis: 4 core categories, 12 categories, and 35 codes. The four core categories were “interpersonal relationships” (39.7%), “pers…

Child maltreatment and alcohol outlets in Spain: Does the country drinking culture matters?

Abstract Background Alcohol outlet density has been linked to rates of substantiated maltreatment both cross-sectionally and over time. Most of these studies have been conducted in Anglo-Saxon countries, especially in the U.S., but other countries, where alcohol outlets and alcohol consumption may have different social meanings, are clearly underrepresented in the literature. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze whether alcohol outlet density is associated with neighborhood-level child maltreatment risk in a South-European city. Participants and setting A longitudinal study was conducted in the city of Valencia (Spain). As spatial units, we used 552 census block groups. Family uni…

Professionals' Views on the Comparatively Low Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Spain.

The aim of this study was to understand the reasons why Spain has one of the lowest prevalence rates of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in the European Union. Using a qualitative and inductive research approach, a total of five focus groups ( n = 19) and 10 unstructured interviews with key informants were conducted. Three main categories were identified as possible explanations of the relatively low prevalence of IPVAW in Spain: law and policy, social awareness, and cultural patterns. Lessons learned and implications to improve future macrolevel intervention and prevention strategies are discussed.

Acceptability of domestic violence against women in the European Union: a multilevel analysis

Study objective: The acceptability of domestic violence against women (DVAW) plays an important part in shaping the social environment in which the victims are embedded, which in turn may contribute either to perpetuate or to reduce the levels of DVAW in our societies. This study analyses correlates of the acceptability of DVAW in the European Union (EU). Design: Three level ordinal logistic regression of 13 457 people nested within 212 localities (cities), nested within 15 countries of the EU. Sampling is multistage with random probability. All interviews were face to face in people’s homes. The outcome variable was acceptability of DVAW. Multiple correlates at the individual, locality, an…

Ensuring the comparability of cross-national survey data on intimate partner violence against women: a cross-sectional, population-based study in the European Union

Objectives To ensure the cross-national comparability of the set of questions addressing physical and sexual intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) included in the European Union (EU) Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) survey. Once the measurement invariance of these measures is established, we aim to make appropriate and valid comparisons of the levels of physical and sexual IPVAW across the EU countries. Design Cross-sectional, population-based study. Participants Data were drawn from the survey conducted by the FRA on violence against women, including the responses of 42 002 adult women from the 28 countries of the EU. Main outcome measures The set of questions addressing lifet…

What calls for service tell us about suicide: A 7-year spatio-temporal analysis of neighborhood correlates of suicide-related calls.

AbstractPrevious research has shown that neighborhood-level variables such as social deprivation, social fragmentation or rurality are related to suicide risk, but most of these studies have been conducted in the U.S. or northern European countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatio-temporal distribution of suicide in a southern European city (Valencia, Spain), and determine whether this distribution was related to a set of neighborhood-level characteristics. We used suicide-related calls for service as an indicator of suicide cases (n = 6,537), and analyzed the relationship of the outcome variable with several neighborhood-level variables: economic status, education level, po…

Percepciones y Actitudes hacia la Violencia de Pareja contra la Mujer en Inmigrantes Latinoamericanos en España

Este trabajo analiza, en primer lugar, las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer de los inmigrantes latinoamericanos y de la poblacion espanola y, en segundo lugar, explora los correlatos de las actitudes hacia la denuncia de casos de violencia de pareja contra la mujer en una muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Para ello, se utilizan 3 fuentes de datos que incorporan dos muestras representativas de la poblacion espanola y un muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre espanoles e inmigrantes en las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer. Los analisis tambien muestran qu…

Internet y apoyo social: sociabilidad online y ajuste psicosocial en la sociedad de la información [Internet and social support: Online sociability and psychosocial adjustment in the information society]

Social support from intimate and confidant relationships has been traditionally linked to a better psychological well-being. With the arrival of Internet, however, other forms of social rela tionship demand our attention. In the present article, we pay attention to online social rela tionshisps as potential sources of social support, specifically for those potentially impaired in the face-to-face interaction and, thus, at risk of so cial exclusion. In this sense, recent research sug gests that online social relationships could be parallel online social relationships in terms of the benefits derived from social support (whether online or offline).

The Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity Underlying Violence Proneness: Is It a Reliable Marker for Neurocriminology? A Systematic Review

Introduction: There is growing scientific interest in understanding the biological mechanisms affecting and/or underlying violent behaviors in order to develop effective treatment and prevention programs. In recent years, neuroscientific research has tried to demonstrate whether the intrinsic activity within the brain at rest in the absence of any external stimulation (resting-state functional connectivity; RSFC) could be employed as a reliable marker for several cognitive abilities and personality traits that are important in behavior regulation, particularly, proneness to violence. Aims: This review aims to highlight the association between the RSFC among specific brain structures and the…

Determinants of social integration in the community: an exploratory analysis of personal, interpersonal and situational variables

This article aims to explore the effects of personal, interpersonal, and situational variables on social integration in the community. Structural equation analyses from two-wave panel data (N = 536) of adult participants living in an urban area showed that personal determinants (perceived stress and depressive mood), and situational determinants (undesirable life events) were statistically related to a decrease in social integration in the community. Interpersonal determinants (emotional, guidance, and instrumental support) were positively associated with an increase in social integration in the community. Implications of these and other findings are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley &…

Perceived Neighborhood Social Disorder and Attitudes Toward Reporting Domestic Violence Against Women

This study aims to explore the relationship between perceived neighborhood social disorder and attitudes toward reporting domestic violence against women. Data from a national representative sample ( N = 14,994) of Spaniards 18 years old and older were used. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that perceived neighborhood social disorder is negatively associated with attitudes toward reporting domestic violence against women. These results take into account the potential confounding effects of gender, age, socioeconomic status, perceived frequency of domestic violence against women, and size of city on reporting attitudes. Findings support the idea that to reduce and prevent do…

Consumo de alcohol, tabaco, cannabis y otras drogas en la adolescencia: efectos de la familia y el barrio [Use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other drugs in adolescence: Effects of family and neighborhood]

The aim of this study was to analyze the protective or risk factors of parental educational styles for the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other drugs, considering the interaction of parenting styles with the dangerousness of the neighborhood. Based on the responses of 628 adolescents, 369 females (58.8%) and 259 males (41.2%) between 15 and 17 years old (<em>M</em> = 16.03 years old, <em>SD</em> = 0.79 years old), families were classified according to their educational style (authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian or neglectful) and their level of perceived neighborhood risk (high or low). Results showed no interaction effect; however, main effects of…

Evaluating Attribution of Responsibility and Minimization by Male Batterers: Implications for Batterer Programs

Men arrested and condemned for intimate partner violence assaults tend to use external attributions to justify their behavior and tend to minimize the severity of their violent acts. Responsibility assumption is one of the main goals in many batterer programs because it could facilitate behavioral changes and reduce the dropout rate. In the current study, first we aim to create two scales to assess attribution of responsibility and minimization of incidents of partner violence, and second, to classify batterers based on their levels of minimization and their attributions of responsibility. Participants were 119 male batterers attending to the first assessment session of a court mandated bat…

Acceptability of Family Violence: Underlying Ties Between Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and child abuse (CA) are two forms of family violence with shared qualities and risk factors, and are forms of violence that tend to overlap. Acceptability of violence in partner relationships is a known risk factor in IPV just as acceptability of parent–child aggression is a risk factor in CA. We hypothesized that these acceptability attitudes may be linked and represent the expression of a general, underlying nonspecific acceptance of violence in close family relationships. The sample involved 164 male IPV offenders participating in a batterer intervention program. Implicit measures, which assess constructs covertly to minimize response distortions, were a…

MOESM1 of Psychological intimate partner violence against women in the European Union: a cross-national invariance study

Additional file 1. Psychological IPVAW comparisons between countries.