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PurposeThis study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on women and children in the UK who were victims of domestic abuse.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw from their experiences of working in the domestic abuse sector to reflect on the impact of lockdown restrictions on women and children, focussing on the impact of government restrictions that created an environment in which abusers could control the movement of victims.FindingsThe impact of the pandemic was significant as victims were locked into the abuse, unable to escape for fear of breaching lockdown rules. The lockdown affected victims of different forms of violence against women and girls in the UK including forced marriage and female genital mutilation, which highlighted the ramifications of intersectional inequalities for abuse victims.Originality/valueThis paper articulates the devastating impact of the pandemic on vulnerable women, and their fair and just access to the family courts. This paper concludes that women were failed by the government and that there was not nearly enough support from support agencies, which has left many at risk and suffering significant harm.
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Currently, the volume of sensitive content on the Internet, such as pornography and child pornography, and the amount of time that people spend online (especially children) have led to an increase in the distribution of such content (e.g., images of children being sexually abused, real-time videos of such abuse, grooming activities, etc.). It is therefore essential to have effective IT tools that automate the detection and blocking of this type of material, as manual filtering of huge volumes of data is practically impossible. The goal of this study is to carry out a comprehensive review of different learning strategies for the detection of sensitive content available in the literature, from the most conventional techniques to the most cutting-edge deep learning algorithms, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each, as well as the datasets used. The performance and scalability of the different strategies proposed in this work depend on the heterogeneity of the dataset, the feature extraction techniques (hashes, visual, audio, etc.) and the learning algorithms. Finally, new lines of research in sensitive-content detection are presented.
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The current study estimates the impact of the SAH order on violent crimes across public and residential locations: assault, battery, homicide, robbery, and sexual assault. Using interrupted time series analyses, it analyzes weekly crime data in Chicago, Illinois, from 2017 to 2020. The SAH order caused significant decreases in battery and sexual assault across public and residential locations. It also decreased assault in public locations only. Such decreases in assault, battery, and sexual assault were greater under the SAH order when social distancing was strictly enforced, as opposed to during the relaxation of social distancing. On the other hand, there were significant increases in homicide across public and residential locations. Robbery increased in public locations only. There were greater increases in homicide and robbery during the relaxation of social distancing, as opposed to under the SAH order. The study ultimately indicates that the impacts of the containment measures are conditional upon the offense location, type of crime, and level of social distancing being mandated. From a public policy perspective, it is important to allocate staffing and resources for law enforcement accordingly during the enduring pandemic.
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Domestic abuse is a worldwide public health and social issue which impacts the health and wellbeing of those experiencing abuse and their families. People living with a life-limiting illness are at increased risk of domestic abuse because they are often frail, isolated, and dependent on others. Little is known about domestic abuse and the coexistence of life-limiting illness and existing support for those experiencing or at risk of abuse. A scoping review was conducted to identify factors that shape and characterise experiences of adults with a life-limiting illness affected by domestic abuse and the health and social care practitioners and other organisations that support them. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and checklist for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses-Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) were applied. Five databases were systematically searched from 2000 to 2021: MEDLINE;CINAHL;PsycINFO;Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science);and ProQuest Dissertations and Global. Twenty-one papers met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in North America, with female participants living with cancer, and conducted in health and community settings. There were no studies involving third sector organisations. A range of abusive behaviours was reported resulting in missed medical appointments, delays in screening leading to late diagnosis, and palliative rather than curable treatment. Abuse also impacted on the physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing of the person experiencing the abuse, which increased stress levels and could have a detrimental effect on their health. Identifying domestic abuse within the context of life-limiting illness was reported to be challenging for health and social care professionals, as was responding to and managing a disclosure. Further research is needed to address existing knowledge in order to inform policy and practice to identify and manage domestic abuse where it coexists with life-limiting illness.
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The church has a key role to play in addressing the chronic levels of grief and trauma experienced by the youth in South Africa. It has a biblical mandate to bring hope and healing and has a unique station within South African society that positions it to bring about real transformation. ‘ Sinawe' (Zulu for [we are with you]) is a programme developed by Scripture Union South Africa to equip local churches as change agents through a relational youth ministry model that engages trauma, grief and holistic needs, both physically and spiritually. This is an important first step for churches wanting to reach and minister to young people. The South African church has an important and legitimate role to play in the lives of young people. Research indicates that although the church is considered by local residents as an important community resource, it remains ineffectual in intentional community-based youth ministry that leverages significant opportunity. This research identifies the church as an important community change agent and encourages church leaders to step into the open gap to reach local young people while providing the methodology with which to do so. This research paper examines the current South African social context, outlines a theological mandate for church involvement and presents a methodology for a supportive and effective approach to community engagement in the lives of young people led by local churches. Interdisciplinary: The article is relevant to the following disciplines within theology;missiology, family and youth ministry and pastoral care. It also has interfaces with education and sociology.
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PurposeThis study aims to investigate how customers' perceived risks of sharing economy (SE) affect their self-protective behaviors when using SE, leading to their future behavioral intention. Additionally, this study looks into whether there are any differences between accommodation-sharing and ride-sharing customers in the aforementioned relationships.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey targeting two groups of SE customers (i.e. accommodation sharing and ride sharing) was used. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, the mechanism of how SE customers' perceived risks of SE affect their self-protective behaviors, which in turn influence their future behavior intention. A multigroup analysis was performed to assess the difference between the two groups of SE customers. Finally, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to see the potential differences between the five classifications of self-protective behaviors in their perceived risks.FindingsSE customers' psychological risks positively affected their hygiene protective behaviors and social protective behaviors, influencing their behavior intention and relative intention (compared with traditional services). Social risk had a negative impact on SE customers' hygiene protective behaviors. There was a significant difference between accommodation sharing and ride sharing customers in their psychological mechanism of how perceived risks influence their self-protective behaviors.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study help SE platforms and service providers better understand their customers' perceived risks of their services and suggest them to promote their customers' self-protective behaviors so that perceived risks can be mitigated, thereby generating strong behavior intentions. As the results indicated that there is a significant difference between the two major forms of SE (i.e. accommodation sharing and ride sharing) in their customers' perceived risks and self-protective behavior, SE platforms can further refine their operational and marketing efforts based on the findings.Originality/valueThis study offers a comprehensive understanding of SE customers' self-protective behaviors by examining the effects of SE customers' different perceived risks on their self-protective behaviors during the unprecedented pandemic. Furthermore, the comparison of the two most popular forms of SE (i.e. accommodation sharing and ride sharing) provides new perspectives to understand customers' behavior in the SE context.
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[...]most individuals who are under correctional control serve time in the community on probation or parole. Because health care for older adults is exceedingly complex and costly when compared to younger adults, this large and growing older adult population under correctional control (prisons, jails, parole or probation) ought to sound an alarm through the public health and carceral fields. Service providers in community-based settings such as area agencies on aging, senior centers and leaders in long-term care are encouraged to prepare for an influx of elders with a criminal legal history and to examine current strengths and potential barriers in rising to the challenge of compassion in the wake of custody.
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South African women remain vulnerable to gender-based violence, including femicide. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major and very complex public concern in the country currently. This makes IPV the most widespread method by which men perpetrate violence against women. It is not clear if women are empowered with IPV Information, Motivation and Behavior skills (IBM) to protect themselves against IPV occurrences. This article presents the developed PreCCL (prevention, community-based, corrective and law enforcement) strategies to empower women against intimate partner violence in Limpopo Province, South Africa. PreCCL strategies were developed based on qualitative and quantitative IBM (Information, Motivation and Behaviour) of IPV results as well as evidence-based information from the review of literature. Delphi technique was used to organize one stakeholder engagement meeting with a panel of 38 experts knowledgeable regarding Vhembe district IPV issues (namely managers from Vhembe Thohoyandou victim empowerment centre, members of the Executive council of the 6th administration of Limpopo provincial Legislatures, heads of departments or directors from the department of health, social development and community safety and security, chairperson of gender equity, TVEP managers, as well as women who were victims from Vhembe where the study was conducted, and chairperson of gender equity, disability women and children). The purpose of the stakeholder engagement meeting was consultation and buy-in of experts in the field regarding feasible and practical evidence-based intervention strategies for local communities. The setting for stakeholder engagement meeting was Vhembe District Tshifulanani at Munnandinnyi and Hadumasi the Victorious Community offices. However, due to COVID-19 regulations other stakeholders failed to attend, and the rating scales were emailed to them together with the PreCCL strategies. The participants were asked to rate the PreCCL strategies on a given Likert scale in terms of relevance, importance, potential effectiveness and recommendation for adoption. The 0.67 Cronbach Alpha reliability score of the Likert scale was found acceptable for this study. Of the 65 questionnaires sent out, only 38 were returned, which was 58.5% response rate. Data were analyzed quantitatively using SPSS. The strategies were rated relevant in addressing IPV in the district by most (n = 36;97,4%;Mean ± SD = 3.0 ± 0.7) of the stakeholder, whereby (n= 6;15.8%;Mean ± SD=3.8 ±1.2) strongly agreed and (n =30;78,9%) agreed. In terms of importance, most (n = 32;84.3%) of the respondents rated the strategies very important in addressing IPV in the communities. The strategies were rated potentially effective in addressing IPV by most (n =34;89.5%;Mean ± SD (3.2 ± 0.6) of the stakeholder. The majority (n = 34;89.6%) of the stakeholders recommended the adoption of the developed strategies in current state. Conclusion: PreCCL strategies to empower women against IPV occurrences, which were developed based on IBM qualitative and quantitative results as well as review of literature are considered relevant and potentially effective by stakeholder who recommend their adoption by the Department of Social Development, Limpopo Province.
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Book Review Book Review ;The Distance Cure: A History of Teletherapy, by Hannah Zeavin (MIT Press, 2021) Elizabeth Ellcessor University of Virginia eae2f@virginia.edu We are surrounded by remote or "virtual” therapy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote therapy services have been increasingly promoted by insurance companies, podcast advertisements, Reddit forums, and corporate wellness offices as a plausible solution to the rising rates of depression and other mental health concerns exacerbated by death, unemployment, and endless uncertainty. For people with interest or experience using telehealth or app-based mental health services, the last two chapters offer analyses of computer-driven and self-directed therapies. Efforts to broader access to therapy have often relied upon increased mediation to reduce costs and simultaneously reduce the availability of dedicated professional attention.
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This study examines how sexual assault criminal legal proceedings and victim advocacy services for survivors have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We interviewed 12 victim advocates at a sexual assault service organization in a large Midwestern city that was particularly impacted by the pandemic. Results indicate that there have been major disruptions to sexual assault case timelines and communication with victims. Victim advocacy for survivors has also been affected, especially the provision of court advocacy and accompaniment. We discuss implications of these findings for sexual assault survivors, service providers, and future emergency preparedness planning for the criminal legal system.
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In this study I aimed to conduct a qualitative research on the influence of alcohol on domestic violence using hybrid questionnaires (online and F2F) on three distinct groups of alcohol consumers in Bucharest (medium, high and low). I used the online scientific platform "SurveyMonkey" for the questionnaire application and data collection. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, AUDIT-C model was used to assess alcohol consumption in the 2 months (October, November 2021) according to three key consumption indicators: frequency of alcohol consumption, alcohol level, average amount consumed per drink and frequency of excessive alcohol consumption Change in consumption was recorded analogously to AUDIT-C variables (frequency of alcohol consumption, amount of alcohol consumption and excessive alcohol consumption), whereby consumption indicators are related to the degree of change. So, is there a link between degree of consumption, frequency and domestic violence? The results, together with a range of psychiatric, psychoanalytic and psychological theories, provide a variety of explanations for the violent behavior perpetuated in family relationships, denouncing their impact and harmful effects on personality upbringing, psychological profiling, and especially on the belonging and role of the dysfunctional family.
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Bu araştirmanin amaci yeni koronavirüs hastaliǧini (Covid-19) yenmiş bireylerde travma sonrasi büyümede travma sonrasi stres belirtileri, psikolojik saǧlamlik ve umudun rolünü incelemektir. Araştirmanin çalişma grubunu yaşlari 18 ve 72 arasinda deǧişmekte olan 454 katilimci oluşturmuştur. Katilimcilarin ortalama yaşi 32.91, standart sapmasi 11.18 olarak bulunmuştur. Katilimcilar demografik bilgi formunu, Travma Sonrasi Büyüme Envanterini, Sürekli Umut Ölçeǧini, Travma Sonrasi Stres Tani Ölçeǧini ve Yetişkinler için Psikolojik Dayaniklilik Ölçeǧini cevaplamiştir. Araştirma sonucunda cinsiyete göre kadinlarin travma sonrasi büyüme düzeylerinin erkeklerin travma sonrasi büyüme düzeylerinden anlamli bir şekilde yüksek olduǧu bulunmuştur. Hastaliǧi geçirme düzeyine göre hastaliǧi aǧir atlatanlarin travma sonrasi büyüme düzeyleri hastaliǧi hafif ve orta atlatanlarin travma sonrasi büyüme düzeylerinden daha yüksek olduǧu sonucuna ulaşilmiştir. Hastaliktan iyileşme süresine göre ise hastaliǧi uzun sürede atlatanlarin travma sonrasi büyüme düzeyleri kisa sürede atlatanlarin travma sonrasi büyüme düzeylerinden daha yüksek olduǧu belirlenmiştir. Son olarak araştirma sonuçlari travma sonrasi stres belirtileri, psikolojik saǧlamlik ve umut deǧişkenlerinin travma sonrasi büyümenin olumlu yönde ve anlamli bir yordayicisi olduǧunu göstermiştir. Salgin hastalik döneminde ruh saǧliǧi uzmanlari ve saǧlik çalişanlari tarafindan yapilacak olan travma sonrasi stres belirtileri, psikolojik saǧlamlik ve umut odakli psikososyal müdahaleler insanlarin bilinmeyen bir hastaliǧa dayanmalarina ve bu hastaliǧin hayatlarinda oluşturduǧu travmayla başa çikmalarina yardimci olarak travma sonrasi büyüme düzeylerini artirmaya olanak saǧlayabilir.Alternate :The aim of this research is to examine the role of post-traumatic stress symptoms, resilience and hope in post-traumatic growth in individuals who have overcome the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The study group of the research consisted of 454 participants aged between 18 and 72. The mean age of the participants was 32.91, and the standard deviation was 11.18. Participants answered the demographic information form, Post Traumatic Growth Inventory, Trait Hope Scale, Post Traumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, and Adult Resilience Scale. The results showed that posttraumatic growth levels of women were significantly higher than men's posttraumatic growth levels. Moreover the posttraumatic growth levels of those who had the disease severely were higher than the post-traumatic growth levels of those who had the disease mildly and moderately. According to the recovery time from the disease, the post-traumatic growth levels of those who had the disease for a long time were found to be higher than the post-traumatic growth levels of those who had the disease in a short time. Post-traumatic stress symptoms, resilience and hope were found to be positive and significant predictors of post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic stress symptoms, psychological resilience and hope-focused psychosocial interventions by mental health professionals and healthcare professionals during the epidemic may help people to endure an unknown disease and cope with the trauma that this disease has created in their lives, thus increasing their post-traumatic growth levels.
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Yet, while there is indeed evidence of accessibility and inclusivity initiatives in the live music industry (Bossey, 2020), the supposed benefits of concerts and music festivals as open, inclusive, egalitarian, and positive are undermined by reports of sexual assault and the need for safe space policies within those same sites (Arnold, 2018;Hill et al., 2019). Moving to live music regulation practices, Jacopo Costa's article examines Espace Django, a French concert venue that benefits, like many French institutions, from state funding. [...]Arno van der Hoeven et al. analyse the methodologies used for measuring the value of live music and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these.
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Globally, life expectancy is increasing, as is the need for effective care responses to chronic health conditions, global emergencies and health disparities. Alongside this is a shortage of skilled caregivers. This four-country qualitative study investigates the views of ‘care’ and ‘care careers’ of Generation Z (the next generation to join the workforce). Four cross-cultural themes emerged: conceptualising care;objects and subjects of care;recognising the challenges of care;and appreciating care work. Discussed in relation to Tronto’s analysis of care, these themes illuminate Generation Z’s commitment to care and highlight the need for organisational and political action to attract young people to care careers.
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Research suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic reports of rapes and serious sexual offences to the authorities have declined while calls to domestic violence helplines have soared. This article focuses on the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on reporting to the police in cases of rape, serious sexual offences and domestic abuse in one police force in England. Data from the force’s crime reporting system was provided from 2018 to 2021, including over 10,000 reports of rapes and serious sexual offences and over 5,000 reports of domestic abuse. An Interrupted Time Series analysis was used to evaluate the impact of lockdown on reporting rates, with segmented regression to measure the changes in reporting before and after the start of the pandemic in March 2020. This article is the first of its kind to explore the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and domestic violence at more than an aggregate level, demonstrating how COVID-19 has had a variable impact on different groups of victims, and how stay at home orders specifically have impacted on reporting rates. These data provide novel and valuable insights into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the reporting of sexual violence and domestic abuse.
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The COVĪD-ig pandemic has disrupted the travel and tourism sector more than any previous natural or human-caused event. Recognizing the pandemic as an opportunity for self-reflection, calls to action implore the sector to reimagine, reevaluate, and restructure tourism to be more sustainable, balanced, and equitable. Meanwhile, COVID-1g will exacerbate the public health and environmental risks of tourism, widening unjust health disparities between tourists and locals. In response, we offer a novel framework centering public health and community consent as a model for future research and programming in tourism.
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SUMMARYMental health services are recognised to have an important role in responding to domestic abuse, but approach across the UK's National Health Service (NHS) is inconsistent. We describe an example of taking a whole- organisation approach to responding to domestic abuse in one NHS mental health foundation trust.
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BackgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic put unprecedented pressure on health services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH). Timely access to SRH prevents poor outcomes for individuals, and for population health. To inform future pandemic preparedness, we explored experiences of providing and accessing SRH services in England (within a multi-country, WHO-funded study).MethodsIn-depth interviews with a purposive sample of staff (about Covid-19’s impact on staff and services) and clients aged 18+ (about experiences of seeking/receiving care) of three contrasting SRH services in southeast England: a sexual health clinic, an abortion provider, and a sexual assault referral centre (SARC). Descriptive Thematic Analysis.ResultsStaff (n=8) interviews consistently revealed three themes: (i) Service disruption: severe disruption occurred during the March-July 2020 lockdown, but where feasible SRH services were transferred to telephone (e.g. consultations) and post (e.g. some contraceptive methods, medical abortion, STI self-sampling). Some core services (e.g. STI treatment, SARC services) continued in person. Access was widened during subsequent lockdowns. (ii) Staff impact: staff reported working from home, or providing services in person often with shortages of protective equipment, or redeployment to acute hospital care. Impacts included stress, loneliness, and (for redeployees) mismatches between skill-sets and new responsibilities. (iii) Adjustment and resilience: staff reported continual adjustment in mode of service delivery and breadth of services provided. Remote service delivery was generally welcomed, but considered more time-consuming to deliver. Colleagues’ absences were burdensome and stressful for staff.Provisional themes from clients (n=10, recruitment ongoing) include: (i) Perceptions of services as Covid-safe: despite reporting varying concerns about Covid-19’s severity and personal vulnerability. (ii) Navigating new routes to care: whilst some clients reported being able to access care rapidly and easily, services delivered in person were not always promptly available, which could be distressing.DiscussionPrompt access to SRH could not always be maintained, despite efforts by staff/services. Remote delivery of some elements of SRH is popular with staff and clients. Staff concerns contrast with clients’ perceptions of SRH services as Covid-safe.People who did not use SRH – for whom perceived risk of Covid-19 may have been a barrier to seeking care – should be included in future research. When services were under particular pressure due to staff shortages, referral for client interviews slowed. Experiences of seeking/receiving care at these especially challenging times may therefore be under-explored.Interviews repeated later in 2022 will capture change over time. A quantitative Health Facility Assessment will complement our qualitative findings.
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988 Table 1ConclusionThere were less medicals carried out in 2020, likely a reflection of the reduction in face to face contact with health professionals. The pandemic heightened risk factors for abuse which our data appear to reflect. 26% of infants with concerns for NAI following JPFME had head injuries on imaging and 20% had occult fractures on skeletal survey. This is higher than the average yield expected for this age group described in the literature. These audit findings at a local level, support findings published by a large centre for Paediatric abusive head trauma in the UK in 2020.This audit further provides evidence to consider the risk of occult injuries and support the existence of policies and protocols with a low threshold for information sharing and investigation. This also highlights the importance of training those working with families with young babies to support parents with keeping their babies safe and reducing the risk of non-accidental head injuries in the form of standardised training packages for example.
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564 Figure 1Methods[Figure omitted. See PDF]ConclusionThe North East London CSA hub continued to adhere to RCPCH quality standards. Our recommendations focused on reducing waiting times, facilitating greater support from the play therapy team, amending the clinic assessment proforma, and improving awareness of psychological services. Our aim for 2021-2022 is to collect patient experience data to better understand our patients’ needs.ReferencesReview of pathway following sexual assault for children and young people in London (2015), Goddard et al.Service specification for the clinical evaluation of children and young people who may have been sexually abused (2015), RCPCH.BASHH National Guideline on the Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Related Conditions in Children and Young People (2021), Ashby et al.