Dispelling a Myth: Reevaluating the Predictive Validity of Rape Myth Acceptance for Likelihood of Engaging in Sexual Violence.

Sexual violence prevention on college campuses has received significant recent attention. A prevalent intervention paradigm has centered around re-educating young people around consent and reduce endorsement of "rape myths," based on the correlation between rape myths and sexual violence incidents. Yet many of these programs have not measurably reduced sexual assaults. We evaluated the predictive value of a rape myth measure, as compared with other predictors (criminal history, childhood victimization, aggressive tendencies, substance use, and empathy), in predicting self-reported acts of forcible and incapacitated sexual assault in college-age men (N = 304) from 45 U.S. states. Across three logistic regression model pairs, rape myths were weakly associated with violence when considered as sole predictors. However, this predictive power dissipated when other predictors were included. Comprehensive models accounted significantly better for variability in outcomes; with criminal history demonstrating consistent predictive effects. Based on these findings, we recommend further research into prevention programming based on other predictors of violence.

Autonomic nervous system activity and callous-unemotional traits in physically maltreated youth.

BACKGROUND: Research into callous-unemotional (CU) traits often focuses exclusively on biological risk factors without integrating social factors. This gap exists despite a growing body of research showing that the social environment may actually impact physiological functioning, which could in turn affect behavior. OBJECTIVE: The current study addresses this limitation by examining physical maltreatment and heart rate stress reactivity as potential risk factors for CU traits. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This research was conducted in a community sample of Chinese youth (mean age = 11.83 years, 44.3 % female). METHODS: Each child separately reported frequency of physical maltreatment experiences by his or her mother and father over the past 12 months. Children completed a self-report measure of CU traits. RESULTS: Frequency of maternal physical maltreatment was associated with uncaring traits in females, but not in males. Paternal physical maltreatment was associated with uncaring traits in both males and females and with callous traits in females only. While paternal physical maltreatment was associated with lower heart rate reactivity in females, maternal physical maltreatment was associated with higher heart rate reactivity in females. CONCLUSION: Findings provide mixed support for a potential physiological pathway through which child maltreatment may impact callous traits and provide a multilevel, biosocial lens through which to understand CU traits.

Born this way? A review of neurobiological and environmental evidence for the etiology of psychopathy.

Across a significant body of research, psychopathy has often been conceptualized as a biologically based malady. In this research, genetic and neurobiological differences have been conceptualized to underlie psychopathy, while affected individuals' life experiences only influence expressed psychopathic features and their severity. Psychopathy research has largely ignored developmental evidence demonstrating significant influences of environment on both biological and behavioral processes, resulting in several prominent criticisms (Edens & Vincent, 2008; Loeber, Byrd, & Farrington, 2015). The current review was conducted with two main aims: (a) to collect and consider etiological evidence from the extant body of research on genetic and neurobiological factors in psychopathy; and (b) to evaluate findings from genetic, neurotransmitter, brain structure, and brain function studies in the context of relevant evidence from developmental research. Examples from research on adversity and traumatic stress, a common correlate of psychopathy, were used to highlight current research gaps and future directions to aid in the integration of developmental and neurobiological research agendas. While some promising evidence exists regarding possible underlying neurobiological processes of psychopathic traits, this evidence is insufficient to suggest a largely biological etiology for the disorder. Further, information from developmental and epigenetic research may suggest complex, multidimensional trajectories for individuals experiencing psychopathy. Based on these observations, the authors make several recommendations for future research, as well as for current clinical application and practice.