A meta-analysis of the prevalence of child sexual abuse disclosure in forensic settings.

BACKGROUND: Identification, substantiation, prosecution, and treatment of child sexual abuse often rely heavily on a disclosure from the victim in the absence of corroborating evidence. For some, disclosure can be impeded by developmental or motivational barriers, thus compromising child safety and wellbeing. The literature on disclosure prevalence and mitigating influences does not yield a coherent picture. A more accurate estimate will help to inform investigation strategies to facilitate disclosure. OBJECTIVE: This study provides a meta-analysis of available research examining the prevalence of sexual abuse disclosure in forensic interviews with children under 18 years, and examines a range of factors that may influence the likelihood of disclosure. METHOD: Databases were searched for published and unpublished studies up to May 2017. In total, 2393 abstracts were assessed for eligibility, 216 full-text articles were reviewed, and 45 samples (with 31,225 participants) provided estimates of effect sizes. RESULTS: The mean prevalence of child sexual abuse disclosure in forensic settings was 64.1% (95% CI: 60.0-68.1). Between-study variability was explained by: (1) child age and gender, with higher prevalence in older children and females; (2) prior disclosure, with higher prevalence when present; and (3) study year, with higher prevalence in more recent studies. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis confirms an upward trend in child sexual abuse disclosure prevalence. However, more than a third of children do not disclose when interviewed, with those who are younger, male, and without a prior disclosure at greatest risk. Important implications for forensic interviewing protocols and future research are discussed.

The dishonest gambler: Low HEXACO honesty-humility and gambling severity in a community sample of gamblers.

Personality dimensions have been found to be important in understanding the aetiology of disordered gambling. While the majority of research has focused on the Five-Factor Model of personality, recent empirical evidence also indicated that the honesty-humility factor of the HEXACO personality model may be a key personality correlate of gambling behaviour. In the present research, we extend the understanding between personality and gambling severity by further assessing whether HEXACO dimensions are associated with both current gambling status and gambling severity in a community-recruited sample of gamblers (N = 427). In addition, we examined whether motivations to engage in gambling (enhancement, coping, social and financial) mediated the relationship between personality and gambling severity on the Problem Gambling Severity Index. Demographic covariates were controlled for in our analyses. The results indicate that honesty-humility was the only personality dimension that significantly predicted gambling status (non-gamblers vs. current gamblers). In addition, lower scores on honesty-humility, conscientiousness and openness were significantly associated with gambling severity. Lastly, coping motives were the only significant mediator in the relationship between honesty-humility and increased gambling severity. The results offer further support to the notion that honesty-humility may be an especially pertinent personality dimension in understanding the aetiology of disordered gambling. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Associations between the HEXACO model of personality and gambling involvement, motivations to gamble, and gambling severity in young adult gamblers.

Background and aims Substantial research has examined the role of personality in disordered gambling. The predominant model in this work has been the five-factor model (FFM) of personality. In this study, we examined the personality correlates of gambling engagement and gambling severity using a six-dimensional framework known as the HEXACO model of personality, which incorporates FFM characteristics with the addition of honesty-humility. In addition, the potential mediating role of gambling motives in the personality and gambling severity relationship was explored. Methods A sample of undergraduate gamblers (n = 183) and non-gamblers (n = 143) completed self-report measures of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and the Gambling Motives Questionnaire-Financial, as well as self- and observer report forms of the HEXACO-100. Results Logistic regression results revealed that scores on honesty-humility were positively associated with non-gambling over gambling status. Furthermore, it was also found that honesty-humility, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were each uniquely associated with PGSI severity scores. The results of the mediational analyses suggest that each personality factor has different gambling motivational paths leading to PGSI gambling severity. Discussion and conclusions The findings of this study contribute to the literature on behavioral addictions by providing an increased understanding of individual personality factors associated with likelihood of gambling, overall gambling severity, and gambling motives. Ultimately, these findings suggest that the honesty-humility dimension may be a target for the prevention efforts against problematic gambling outcomes.

Prevalence of Multiple Forms of Sexting Behavior Among Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: The existing literature on sexting among youth shows that sexting is a predictor of sexual behavior and may be associated with other health outcomes and risky behaviors. However, there remains a lack of consensus on the prevalence of sexting, which is needed to inform future research, intervention, and policy development. Objective: To provide a meta-analytic synthesis of studies examining the prevalence of multiple forms of sexting behavior, analyzed by age, sex, geography, and method of sexting. Data Sources: In an academic setting, electronic searches in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Web of Science were conducted for the period January 1990 to June 2016, yielding 1147 nonduplicate records. Study Selection: Studies were included if participants were younger than 18 years and the prevalence of sexting explicit images, videos, or messages was reported. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Literature review and data extraction followed established PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewers extracted all relevant data. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to derive the mean prevalence rates. Thirty-nine studies met final inclusion criteria. Main Outcomes and Measures: Meta-analyses of the prevalence of sending, receiving, and forwarding without consent, as well as having one's sext forwarded without consent. Results: Among 39 included studies, there were 110 380 participants; the mean age was 15.16 years (age range, 11.9-17.0 years), and on average 47.2% were male. Studies were available for sending (n = 34), receiving (n = 20), forwarding without consent (n = 5), and having a sext forwarded without consent (n = 4). The mean prevalences for sending and receiving sexts were 14.8% (95% CI, 12.8%-16.8%) and 27.4% (95% CI, 23.1%-31.7%), respectively. Moderator analyses revealed that effect sizes varied as a function of child age (prevalence increased with age), year of data collection (prevalence increased over time), and sexting method (higher prevalence on mobile devices compared with computers). The prevalence of forwarding a sext without consent was 12.0% (95% CI, 8.4%-15.6%), and the prevalence of having a sext forwarded without consent was 8.4% (95% CI, 4.7%-12.0%). Conclusions and Relevance: The prevalence of sexting has increased in recent years and increases as youth age. Further research focusing on nonconsensual sexting is necessary to appropriately target and inform intervention, education, and policy efforts.

Comparing undergraduate and community-recruited adult non-gamblers' motives for not gambling: Do they differ?

The field of gambling studies has extensively focused on isolating risk factors for developing a gambling disorder. Conversely, little attention has been paid to identifying protective factors against gambling disorder among people who choose to not gamble at all. Moreover, the limited number of studies that have focused on non-gamblers have neglected to differentiate current from lifetime non-gamblers. The purpose of the present study was to examine motives for not gambling among a diverse sample of adult lifetime non-gamblers recruited from the community and to compare these motives to an undergraduate student sample of non-gamblers from a previous study. Participants consisted of 219 lifetime non-gamblers (45.2% male) from the United States recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The previously recruited sample consisted of Canadian undergraduate students (n=196). Eight distinct categories of motivations for not gambling were identified in the sample of adult community non-gamblers, which corresponded closely with previous findings from the student sample. However, comparisons between the two samples revealed that adult lifetime non-gamblers were more likely to provide financial motives as reasons for not gambling. Whereas, the student sample was more likely to mention disinterest and the influence of others as reasons to avoid gambling. Results suggest that the choice not to gamble among lifetime non-gamblers may reflect a more conscious, values-based decision when compared to undergraduate non-gamblers.

Self-Generated Motives for Not Gambling Among Young Adult Non-gamblers.

Motivational models have been shown to usefully describe reasons for engaging in addictive behaviors including gambling disorder. Although most scales designed to measure motives have been derived statistically, self-generated open-ended responses have also shown utility for identifying unique motives for gambling. While the motivational structure for gambling disorder has been extensively explored, there has been a paucity of research examining motives for choosing not to gamble. This is not the case for other addictive behaviors such as alcohol use where motives for abstaining from drinking have been well defined. The primary goal of this study was to qualitatively explore and identify motives for not gambling in a sample of young adult non-gamblers using open-ended responses. A sample (N = 196) of undergraduate current non-gamblers, defined as no gambling activity over the previous 12 months, completed a series of questionnaires on demographics, gambling behavior, and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, they were asked to provide their top three reasons for not gambling in rank order. The results revealed eight specific motives for why participants chose not to gamble: 'financial reasons and risk aversion'; 'disinterest and other priorities'; 'personal and religious convictions'; 'addiction concerns'; 'influence of others' values'; 'awareness of the odds'; 'lack of access, opportunity, or skill'; and 'emotional distress'. Personal and religious convictions reasons were also related to lifetime non-drinking, suggesting that these motives are associated with decreased addictive behaviors in general. Ultimately, these results may help to inform the design of prevention strategies for gambling disorder.