Exploring the relationship between strip clubs and rates of sexual violence and violent crime.

AIMS: We examined whether (a) the number of strip clubs per capita and (b) the proportion of clubs with "high-risk characteristics" were significantly associated with rates of sexual violence (SV) and other violent crime at the county level. METHODS: Using large, public data sets, we tested effects across 926 counties (13 U.S. states), controlling for percent below the poverty line and alcohol outlets per capita. RESULTS: We found that rates of strip clubs were significantly associated with violent crime, but not SV, in all but one model (accounting for Saturday hours). Counties with greater proportions of "high-risk" strip clubs (i.e., greater days and hours of operation, drink specials, full-nudity policies, or private rooms) have higher rates of SV. All models, except the full-nudity policy model, demonstrated increased rates of violent crime. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide information for community-level violence prevention and equips stakeholders with information to create safer communities.

Childhood Neglect History, Depressive Symptoms, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration by College Students.

College students experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at an alarming rate, and preventing such violence depends on identifying factors that contribute to perpetration. Although there is extensive research that has established a link between childhood neglect and later physical IPV perpetration, less is known about the specific mechanisms through which childhood neglect leads to IPV perpetration. In the present study, we examined potential mediators of the relationship between childhood neglect and IPV perpetration by college students, with special emphasis on the role of depressive symptoms and IPV victimization. A total of 302 college students reported on their experiences of childhood maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and IPV victimization and perpetration. Results indicate that increasing levels of childhood emotional and physical neglect correspond with increasing rates of IPV perpetration, after accounting for the effect of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. This effect between childhood neglect and IPV perpetration was fully mediated by the combination of IPV victimization and depressive symptoms for the overall sample. However, when examining the model for men and women separately, only the indirect effect through victimization remained statistically significant for men. Our findings suggest that research on the link between childhood neglect and IPV perpetration should also consider the impact of IPV victimization, as neglect may lead to IPV perpetration within the context of a mutually aggressive relationship. Furthermore, these findings indicate that childhood neglect leads to long-term emotional consequences that contribute to later IPV perpetration, and treating depressive symptoms may help prevent IPV perpetration against college students who experienced childhood neglect.