Co-Occurrence of Violence on the Severity of Abuse in Intimate Relationships.

Several empirical studies have shown that women who experience violence in intimate personal relationships (IPV) commonly experience more than one form of violence. While it is recognized that individual trajectories of IPV vary over time, little is known about the temporal dynamics of this co-occurrence or its consequences. This study describes the different forms of violence experienced by women and looks at whether it is possible to predict when severe violence (physical and sexual) is most likely to occur. Data in the study comes from interviews with 70 women who had been victims of intimate partner violence. The life history calendar method was used to facilitate identifying kinds and levels of violence and the month in which violence took place. Individual victimization trajectories were found to be heterogenous and likely to change in the short term. The women in our sample experienced more than one form of intimate partner violence and co-occurrence of different forms of violence was common in individual trajectories. The characteristics of the kind of violence experienced were important in understanding the temporal aspects of acts of severe violence. The increased knowledge about patterns of violence provided by these results should help to develop better ways to intervene to prevent such events.

Nightly variation of disorder in a Canadian nightclub.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to study nightly disorder within a single bar over an extended period, in order to analyse variations across time (n = 258 nights). METHODS: The security staff of a large Canadian nightclub agreed to note detailed information on every intervention in which they were involved. Bouncers wrote detailed narratives of each incident of aggression and incivility that occurred in the bar. Environmental characteristics (e.g. number of admissions and alcohol sales) were collected by one of the co-authors. RESULTS: "Hot nights" were observed. The number of problem events was particularly high on Tuesday nights, which had the highest number of customers admitted and higher alcohol sales. The average alcohol sale per customer was also higher during long weekends, and alcohol sales were positively related to problem events. Finally, path analyses revealed that the presence of more bouncers was a deterrent. CONCLUSIONS: The level of disorder in a bar varies greatly over time. Contrary to what is often postulated, bars are not always high- or low-risk. The results strongly support responsible alcohol-serving policies and highlight the benefits of adequate surveillance.

Installation of a bridge barrier as a suicide prevention strategy in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether the installation of a suicide prevention barrier on Jacques-Cartier Bridge led to displacement of suicides to other jumping sites on Montréal Island and Montérégie, Québec, the 2 regions it connects. METHODS: Suicides on Montréal Island and Montérégie were extracted from chief coroners' records. We used Poisson regression to assess changes in annual suicide rates by jumping from Jacques-Cartier Bridge and from other bridges and other sites and by other methods before (1990-June 2004) and after (2005-2009) installation of the barrier. RESULTS: Suicide rates by jumping from Jacques-Cartier Bridge decreased after installation of the barrier (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.13, 0.43), which persisted when all bridges (IRR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.27, 0.55) and all jumping sites (IRR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.54, 0.80) in the regions were considered. CONCLUSIONS: Little or no displacement to other jumping sites may occur after installation of a barrier at an iconic site such as Jacques-Cartier Bridge. A barrier's design is important to its effectiveness and should be considered for new bridges with the potential to become symbolic suicide sites.

Quand la réadaptation blesse? Éducateurs victimes de violence.

The aim of this study is to understand violence directed against behaviour technicians in juvenile rehabilitation centres. The findings are based on a survey conducted among 586 educators working in one of ten youth centres across Quebec. In this article we will first assess the occurrence of violent acts. Then, we will examine individual and contextual factors that predict physical aggression. More than half (53.9 %) of the educators surveyed reported to have been physically assaulted at least once in the past year. Regarding individual factors, being affected by the exposure to aggressive behaviours and the frequency of psychological aggression increase the risk of victimization. With respect to situational factors, the age of the clientele and the legal basis for placement (i.e. civil or criminal) influence the occurrence of violent acts towards staff members. Our analyses also show that physical violence not only affects staff members but also the institution. The identification of predictors of violence can guide prevention programs in youth centres. Moreover, they can help target behaviour technicians who are at risk of being assaulted in order to prevent their victimization.