A Longitudinal Study of Risk Factors for Sexual Victimization in Puerto Rican Youth.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status are associated with youth-reported sexual victimization from childhood through young adulthood. METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data from 2 population-based samples of Puerto Rican youth living in the South Bronx (as a minoritized group) and Puerto Rico (as a nonminoritized group). Waves 1 to 3 were collected annually beginning in 2000 (youth age 5-13). Wave 4 was collected 2013 to 2017 (youth age 15-29). We estimated multivariable associations between youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status at Wave 1 (independent variables); and youth-reported sexual victimization at Waves 1 to 4 (dependent variables). RESULTS: None of the factors was associated with youth-reported sexual victimization at Wave 1 (N = 1911). Among youth reporting no previous history of sexual victimization at Wave 1 (n = 1823), youth in the South Bronx vs Puerto Rico were more likely to report sexual victimization at Waves 2 or 3 (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 3.62 [1.46-8.97]). Older youth were less likely to report sexual victimization (OR [95% CI] = 0.77 [0.65-0.91]) (all P < .01). Among youth reporting no history of sexual victimization at Waves 1 to 3 (n = 1782), youth in the South Bronx (OR [95% CI] = 2.53 [1.52-4.22]), female youth (OR [95% CI] = 2.81 [1.83-4.30]), and youth whose parents had more than a high school degree (OR [95% CI] = 2.25 [1.38-3.67]) were more likely to report sexual victimization at Wave 4 than their counterparts (all P ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: Future research should investigate how living as a minoritized youth may contribute to an increased risk of sexual victimization.

Lifetime and Child Sexual Violence, Risk Factors and Mental Health Correlates Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults in Haiti: A Public Health Emergency.

Very little is known in Haiti and the Caribbean regarding child and lifetime sexual victimization. Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents and young adults aged 15-24, this study aimed to document the prevalence, risk factors and mental health correlates of lifetime and child sexual violence in Haiti. A national cross-sectional surrvey was conducted in Haiti, using a multistage sampling frame, stratified by geographical department, urban or rural setting, gender, and age groups (15-19 and 20-24 years). The final sample included 3586 household participants (47.6% female). A weighted sample of 3945 individuals was obtained and used in the following analyses. Overall rate of lifetime and child sexual violence was, respectively, 27.44% (95% CI 25.94-28.94) and 11.27% (95% CI 10.18-12.35). Lifetime sexual violence rate was significantly higher among female participants (29.02%; 95% CI 27.5-30.55) compared to male (25.73%, 95% CI 24.26-27.2), χ2 = 4.63, p < .05, but there was no significant gender difference for child sexual victimization. Experiences of family physical violence, emotional abuse by mother and father, divorce of parents, and other physical violence were strongly associated with higher odds of sexual victimization. Participants who reported having experienced sexual violence are more at risk to meet criteria of PTSD (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.66-2.32; p < .0001), depression (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.47-2.02; p < .0001), psychological distress (OR =1.72, 95% CI 1.47-2.02; p < .0001), and substance abuse (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.13-1.57; p < .0001). Findings demonstrate that sexual violence is a public health emergency in Haiti. They provide evidence for the development of prevention and intervention programs.

Self-Reported Sexual Victimization Among Chilean Children and Youth.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sexual victimization among a representative sample of children and youth from Chile and to analyze the sex and age differences. The First National Survey of Poly-victimization collected cross-sectional data via a self-report survey of 19,648 children and youth (aged 12-18 years). Lifetime victimization was reported by 31.9% of children and youth (23.9% of males and 39.7% of females) and 21.9% reported victimization in the past year (16.8% of males and 26.9% of females). Girls presented higher percentages of lifetime sexual victimization with and without physical contact in practically all of the items. However, boys had a higher prevalence in statutory rape. Younger participants reported a prevalence of sexual victimization of 23.1%, while older participants reported a prevalence of 40.0%. Youth between the ages of 15 and 18 years had a higher prevalence of lifetime sexual victimization in practically all its forms, except for verbal sexual harassment. The results show that Chilean children and youth are exposed to sexual victimization in an extensive way, which demands an immediate response by public policy.

Predicting Sexual Victimization Among College Students in Chile and Turkey: A Cross-Cultural Analysis.

To address the shortage of cross-cultural research on vulnerability factors of sexual victimization, this two-wave longitudinal study examined predictors of sexual victimization among female and male college students in Chile (N = 1098) and Turkey (N = 885). These two countries were selected based on theoretical considerations regarding religiosity and gender inequality. A path model was tested that conceptualized participants' risky scripts for consensual sex, risky sexual behavior, sexual self-esteem, refusal assertiveness, and religiosity at T1 as predictors of sexual victimization in the following 12 months, as assessed at T2, mediated through past experiences of sexual victimization. As predicted, more risky sexual scripts were linked to more risky sexual behavior and lower refusal assertiveness, indirectly increasing the odds of sexual victimization in both countries. Lower sexual self-esteem predicted a higher probability of sexual victimization through lower refusal assertiveness as well as through more risky sexual behavior in both the Chilean and Turkish samples. Higher religiosity in Chile, a Christian country, and Turkey, a Muslim country, indirectly predicted a lower vulnerability to sexual victimization through less risky sexual scripts and less risky sexual behavior. In the Turkish sample only, higher religiosity predicted a higher vulnerability to sexual victimization through lower sexual self-esteem. The findings show that risky sexual scripts played a central role in the prediction of sexual victimization in both cultures, which has implications for prevention efforts.

Health issues of incarcerated women in the United States / A questão da saúde nas mulheres encarceradas nos Estados Unidos

Abstract Health care within jails and prisons in the United States is typically insufficient to meet the medical and psychological needs of female inmates. Health services are often of low quality, especially in the areas of reproductive medicine. Mental illness, substance abuse, a trauma history, and sexual victimization while incarcerated can predict a more difficult adjustment to a correctional environment. Incarcerated women who are able to maintain contact with family members, especially children, can have a better prison adjustment. Recommendations are made to improve the types and quality of health care delivered to women in jails and prisons in countries around the world.

Resumo A atenção à saúde em cadeias ou prisões nos Estados Unidos é claramente insuficiente para responder às necessidades médicas e psicológicas das mulheres encarceradas. Serviços de saúde são frequentemente de baixa qualidade, especialmente na área de medicina reprodutiva. Estresse, doença mental, uso de drogas, traumas psicológicos e abusos sexuais durante o encarceramento podem predizer maior dificuldade de adaptação ao ambiente prisional. Mulheres encarceradas que mantém contato com membros da família, principalmente crianças, tendem a melhor se adaptar. Recomendações têm sido feitas para melhorar o tipo e a qualidade da assistência oferecida às mulheres em cadeias ou prisões em países por todo o mundo.

Ofensores sexuais avaliados pelo desenho da figura humana / Sex offenders evaluated using the human figure drawing / Delincuentes sexuales evaluados por el dibujo de la figura humana

Este estudo se propôs a avaliar características psicológicas de ofensores sexuais intrafamiliares. Participaram do estudo 10 homens, entre 23 e 59 anos de idade, em situação de reclusão em um Centro de Ressocialização, pelo artigo 213 do Código Penal Brasileiro. Uma entrevista semidirigida e o Desenho da Figura Humana foram utilizadas como instrumentos. A coleta dos dados ocorreu de forma individual, sendo analisados no programa estatístico SPSS versão 22.0, para elaboração de análises descritivas simples. Os resultados dessa amostra apontam indicativos de dificuldade em lidar com impulsos corporais na busca pela satisfação imediata das necessidades, inclusive e, sobretudo, sexuais. Essas características foram recorrentes em alguns elementos dos desenhos, como a perspectiva em relação à localização na página, o tronco omitido e ausência de pupila nos olhos. Os principais resultados corroboram as características de personalidade retratadas comumente na literatura e confirmam a inexistência de um perfil psicológico para o ofensor sexual.

The aim of this study was to evaluate psychological characteristics of intra-family sexual offenders. The study included 10 men, between 23 and 59 years of age, who are inmates in a Resocialization Center as a function of Article 213 of the Brazilian Penal Code. A semi-structured interview and Human Figure Drawing were used, individually, as data collection instruments. Findings were analyzed by the statistic program SPSS version 22.0 for preparation of simple descriptive analyses. The results from this sample indicated difficulty in dealing with physical impulses in seeking immediate satisfaction of needs, including, and primarily, sexual needs. These characteristics were recurrent in some elements of the drawings, such as the location on the paper, the omission of the midsection and the absence of pupils in the eyes. The main findings corroborate the personality characteristics commonly portrayed in the literature and confirm the inexistence of a psychological profile of a sexual offender.

Este estudio se propuso evaluar las características psicológicas de delincuentes que han cometido violencia sexual intrafamiliar. Participaron del estudio 10 hombres, entre 23 y 59 años de edad, en estado de reclusión en un centro de reinserción social, por el artículo 213 del Código Penal Brasileño. Se utilizaron como instrumentos una entrevista semi-dirigida y el dibujo de la figura humana. La recolección de los datos se realizó en forma individual y se analizaron los mismos mediante la programación estadística SPSS versión 22.0, para la elaboración de análisis descriptivos simples. Los resultados de esta muestra señalan indicativos de dificultad en lidiar con impulsos corporales, en la búsqueda de satisfacción inmediata de las necesidades, principalmente sexuales. Esas características fueron recurrentes en algunos elementos de los dibujos, como la perspectiva en relación a la ubicación en la página, el tronco omitido y ausencia de pupila en los ojos. Los principales resultados confirman las características de la personalidad comúnmente retratadas en la literatura y también la ausencia de un perfil psicológico para el delincuente sexual.

Ofensores sexuais avaliados pelo desenho da figura humana / Sex offenders evaluated using the human figure drawing / Delincuentes sexuales evaluados por el dibujo de la figura humana

Este estudo se propôs a avaliar características psicológicas de ofensores sexuais intrafamiliares. Participaram do estudo 10 homens, entre 23 e 59 anos de idade, em situação de reclusão em um Centro de Ressocialização, pelo artigo 213 do Código Penal Brasileiro. Uma entrevista semidirigida e o Desenho da Figura Humana foram utilizadas como instrumentos. A coleta dos dados ocorreu de forma individual, sendo analisados no programa estatístico SPSS versão 22.0, para elaboração de análises descritivas simples. Os resultados dessa amostra apontam indicativos de dificuldade em lidar com impulsos corporais na busca pela satisfação imediata das necessidades, inclusive e, sobretudo, sexuais. Essas características foram recorrentes em alguns elementos dos desenhos, como a perspectiva em relação à localização na página, o tronco omitido e ausência de pupila nos olhos. Os principais resultados corroboram as características de personalidade retratadas comumente na literatura e confirmam a inexistência de um perfil psicológico para o ofensor sexual.(AU)

The aim of this study was to evaluate psychological characteristics of intra-family sexual offenders. The study included 10 men, between 23 and 59 years of age, who are inmates in a Resocialization Center as a function of Article 213 of the Brazilian Penal Code. A semi-structured interview and Human Figure Drawing were used, individually, as data collection instruments. Findings were analyzed by the statistic program SPSS version 22.0 for preparation of simple descriptive analyses. The results from this sample indicated difficulty in dealing with physical impulses in seeking immediate satisfaction of needs, including, and primarily, sexual needs. These characteristics were recurrent in some elements of the drawings, such as the location on the paper, the omission of the midsection and the absence of pupils in the eyes. The main findings corroborate the personality characteristics commonly portrayed in the literature and confirm the inexistence of a psychological profile of a sexual offender.(AU)

Este estudio se propuso evaluar las características psicológicas de delincuentes que han cometido violencia sexual intrafamiliar. Participaron del estudio 10 hombres, entre 23 y 59 años de edad, en estado de reclusión en un centro de reinserción social, por el artículo 213 del Código Penal Brasileño. Se utilizaron como instrumentos una entrevista semi-dirigida y el dibujo de la figura humana. La recolección de los datos se realizó en forma individual y se analizaron los mismos mediante la programación estadística SPSS versión 22.0, para la elaboración de análisis descriptivos simples. Los resultados de esta muestra señalan indicativos de dificultad en lidiar con impulsos corporales, en la búsqueda de satisfacción inmediata de las necesidades, principalmente sexuales. Esas características fueron recurrentes en algunos elementos de los dibujos, como la perspectiva en relación a la ubicación en la página, el tronco omitido y ausencia de pupila en los ojos. Los principales resultados confirman las características de la personalidad comúnmente retratadas en la literatura y también la ausencia de un perfil psicológico para el delincuente sexual.(AU)

Vulnerability to Sexual Victimization in Female and Male College Students in Brazil: Cross-Sectional and Prospective Evidence.

Using both cross-sectional and prospective analyses, this study examined vulnerability factors for sexual victimization in 541 female and male Brazilian college students, of whom a subgroup of 250 took part in two measurements 6 months apart. Risk factors for sexual victimization (alcohol consumption, casual sex, and ambiguous communication) in participants' cognitive scripts for consensual sex were linked to sexual victimization via their translation into risky sexual behavior. Pornography use was indirectly linked to sexual victimization through its influence on risky sexual scripts and sexual behavior. Child sexual abuse predicted sexual victimization in the cross-sectional analysis, and victimization since age 14 predicted revictimization in the six months covered by the prospective period. Few gender differences were found. This study is the first prospective investigation of vulnerability factors for sexual victimization in Brazil, and similarities to evidence from North America are discussed.