A meta-analysis of the relationship of child sexual abuse to adult psychological adjustment
"This paper reports on meta-analyses of the relations of child sexual abuse to adult psychological adjustment. Results indicated statistically significant relationships between the experience of child sexual abuse and subsequent difficulties in psychological adjustment as measured by psychological symptomatology, depression, and self-esteem."
A pilot study of abuse among Vietnamese Amerasians
"This report describes a pilot study of the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse, and current levels of psychological distress correlated with a history of abuse, in a group of Vietnamese Amerasians bound for the United States. Abused male Amerasians reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress than nonabused male Amerasians, while abused and nonabused female Amerasians did not differ in their levels of psychological distress."
Additional Scripts for Clinic Assessment (pdf)
This document is created for healthcare professionals and provides a series of scripted questions and responses when working with victims of violence. The information is intended to help communicate all the information needed to give to a patient as well as responding to immediate safety issues and making referrals.
Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)
"This report identifies the particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence. The proposals, which focus on reducing gender inequality and discrimination, are aimed at UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls. The report critically examines existing policy frameworks, and suggests where future efforts need to be concentrated. "
Age at First Sexual Assault and Current Substance Use and Depression
This article explores how the association between sexual violence and substance use and mental health differs by race and life course stage. Although sexual violence does not heighten the risk of problem drinking for White women, minority women victimized in adulthood are significantly more likely to engage in problem drinking and use illicit drugs. This suggests that for minority women the effects of recent victimization experiences result in immediate and potentially long-lasting consequences. The findings with respect to the association between sexual violence and depression are consistent with the child and adolescent development literature. It is Hispanic women who are more likely to suffer depression as a consequence of child sexual assault.
American Indians and Suicide: A Neglected Area of Research
"Published studies indicate that American Indians experience the highest rate of suicide of all ethnic groups in the United States. This article synthesizes the epidemiology and risk factors associated with suicide among American Indians, barriers to research, prevention, mental-health services, and recommendations for research and practice."
Cumulative Experiences of Violence Among High-Risk Urban Youth
"This study examines type-specific and cumulative experiences of violence among a vulnerable population of youth. Sixty high-risk, shelter-dwelling, urban youth were interviewed regarding their history of childhood maltreatment, exposure to community violence (ECV), and experience with intimate partner violence (IPV). Results show a high prevalence and high degree of overlap among multiple types of violence exposure. Childhood physical, sexual (CSA), and emotional (CEA) abuse were interrelated and were associated with ECV. Findings suggest that cumulative exposures to violence create cumulative risk for experiencing more violence."
Current Trends in Psychological Assessment and Treatment Approaches for Survivors of Sexual Trauma (pdf)
This document provides a review and critique of current trends in mental health assessment and treatment for sexual trauma survivors with an emphasis on early intervention. Treatment approaches are restricted to psychotherapy.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH? (Spanish) (pdf)
A tri-fold patient safety card which contains a checklist to assess safety, healthy/unhealthy relationships, and children's exposure to violence. The card also provides resources and information on how to get help.
Dissociative symptoms in relation to childhood physical and sexual abuse
"This study found that subjects with a history of childhood abuse reported higher levels of dissociative symptoms than those who did not."
Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)
"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."
Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)
"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."
"The present study was designed to examine the extent to which ethnic differences in the circumstances of abuse would be related to psychological outcomes and whether the relationship of ethnicity to psychological outcomes would be independent of ethnic differences in the circumstances of abuse."
EVALUATING CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTERS’ RESPONSE TO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE (pdf)
"With funding from OJJDP, researchers have now completed a four-site evaluation of CACs that, for the first time, contrasts them with comparison communities that did not have a CAC. This Bulletin presents an overview of the results. It examines how CACs affect forensic interviewing, child victim disclosures about abuse, children’s receipt of medical exams and mental health services, prosecution and conviction of offenders, removal of children from their homes, and family satisfaction with child abuse investigations."
"This study examines lifetime trauma exposure rates in women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), or neither diagnosis and whether this is related to measures of PTSD, depression, hostility, health symptoms, and health care utilization. Findings indicate that multiple trauma exposures were prevalent in this sample and PTSD and MDD groups reported greater past year health conditions and health care utilization."
Guidelines for Medico-Legal Care for Victim of Sexual Violence (pdf)
These guidelines are designed for healthcare workers to provide comprehensive care for medical, psychological and forensic needs of survivors of sexual assault. The guidelines are currently being pilot tested in various countries.
How To Integrate Assessment for Violence and Reproductive Coercion Into Clinical Practice (pdf)
A resource for healthcare providers which outlines points to train staff working with victims of violence and reproductive coercion.
This report aims to bring attention to medical, psychosocial and socio-economic consequences of sexual violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The report is based on medical data and testimonies collected in MSF's work in Eastern DRC.
"The goal of the current study was to evaluate victimization acknowledgment status as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology using structural equation modeling among a sample of 346 college rape victims. Results showed that whereas acknowledged victims reported more symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, acknowledgment status did not add to the prediction of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in a model including assault violence and other important predictors of these symptoms."
Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky
This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.
Intimate Partner Violence Among Male and Female Russian University Students
"This article reports data from three Russian sites of the International Dating Violence Study. Using a sample of 338 university students (54% female) from three Russian university sites, four different types of partner violence are examined: physical assault, physical injury, sexual coercion, and psychological aggression. The study found that male and female students were about equally likely to be victims and perpetrators of all violent and aggressive actions and that high prevalence rates were found for all types of violence, aggression, and coercion. Recommendations for prevention are made in the conclusions."
Measuring Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration: A Compendium of Assessment Tools (pdf)
"This compendium provides researchers and prevention specialists with a set of assessment tools with demonstrated reliability and validity for measuring the self-reported incidence and prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence victimization and perpetration. The information is presented to help researchers and practitioners make informed decisions when choosing scales to use in their work."
"The controversy over the commitment of sex offenders is fueled by different interpretations of sexually violent person (SVP) laws. SVP laws require that a sex offender has a mental condition that predisposes them to commit sex offenses and poses a high risk to reoffend because of serious difficulty controlling behavior. This article reviews those constructs; evaluates them from clinical, epidemiologic, and legal perspectives; and proposes interpretations that address both the major criticisms of civil commitment and the challenges in SVP assessment."
Mental Health Services for Rape Survivors: Current Issues in Therapeutic Practice
This Violence Against Women Online Resources commissioned document reviews three critical issues for mental health practitioners working with rape survivors. First, current research suggests that victims experience a variety of negative mental health effects from sexual assault, including, but not limited to, post-traumatic stress symptoms. Second, empirical evaluations of therapeutic techniques suggest that cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) can be effective in reducing short-term post-rape fear and anxiety symptoms. Finally, it is not uncommon that mental health practitioners who work with rape survivors experience distressing emotions similar to those of the survivors. Self care strategies are particularly important for therapists engaged in this kind of work.
Mothers of Sexually Abused Children: Trauma and Repair in Longitudinal Perspective
This study addressed the increase in maternal psychological stress that develops following the disclosure of their child's sexual abuse. A mother's stress is often correlated and associated with the child's coping skills and level of stress, thus it is extremely important to work with mother on relieving/alleviating their stress so as to in turn work the child at healing from their sexual trauma.
National Prison Rape Elimination Commission Report (pdf)
"This report discusses the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission's nine findings on sexual abuse in correctional facilities as well as policies and practices that must be mandatory in remedying these problems; recommendations address what leaders in government outside the corrections profession can do to support solutions."
Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students --- United States, 2003
This article in brief addresses the incidence of physical dating violence among high school adolescents and introduces risk as well as protective factors.
Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)
"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."
Prostitution is Sexual Violence
The article addresses the incorrect presumptions that prostitution is a for of work and not a form violence. The author uses research and personal interviews to argue that prostitution is a serious form of sexual violence with serious mental and physical consequences, much like all other forms of sexual violence. She also addresses the realtionship between prostitution and trafficking.
Prostitution, Violence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
"In this paper, the authors discuss a study of the violence experienced by people working as prostitutes in a city in the USA., and some of the consequent harm to physical and emotional health."
Psychological Profiles of Internet Sexual Offenders: Comparisons With Contact Sexual Offenders
"A sample of Internet sex offenders and contact sex offenders were compared on a range of psychological measures relating to offense-supportive beliefs, empathic concern, interpersonal functioning, and emotional management. Among several findings, results indicated that contact offenders were found to have significantly more victim empathy distortions and cognitive distortions than Internet offenders. Internet offenders were found to have significantly higher identification with fictional characters than contact offenders. The findings are discussed in the context of the etiology of sexual offending and the authors also give recommendations for further research on this population."
Sex trading and psychological distress among women recruited from the streets of Harlem
"This study examines the relationship between sex trading and psychological distress and the implications of that relationship for prevention of human immunodeficiency virus among a sample of young women recruited from the streets of Harlem."
Sexual Assault and Current Mental Health: The Role of Help-Seeking and Police Response
In this study, the authors examine the extent to which seeking help from social service agencies, family and friends, reporting to the police, or responses by the police might buffer or exacerbate the impact of sexual assault on mental health outcomes among sexual assault victims. The authors found that in many cases help-seeking and police response exacerbates the impact of sexual assault victimization. Also the association of depression and rape penetration was greater among those seeking help from social services and those reporting their victimization to the police.
Sexual Assault and the Body (pdf)
This article explores the multifaceted effects of sexual assault on the victim’s body through articles on such diverse topics as negative self image, impaired sexual function, compulsive weightlifting and dental fear.
Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)
A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.
Shattered Lives: Immediate medical care for victims of sexual violence
A recently released report depicting the experiences of victims of sexual violence, as well as those who provide immediate care to victims. The report focuses on the individual stories of those who have been sexually assaulted, and those who provide medical, counseling, and other types of support services to victims. Through these stories,the organization hopes to convey the importance of making emergency medical and other services immediately and readily accessible to victims.
Sisters Speak Out: The Lives and Needs of Prostituted Women in Chicago
This report provides information from interviews with 222 women in prostitution in the Chicago metropolitan area, reflecting their experiences with violence from customers, managers, pimps, and police, substance abuse, homelessness, and physical and mental health problems. The women were located and interviewed by prostitution survivors familiar with the prostitution industry.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new toolkit which is designed to help continue the survival of Grassroots Community-Based organizations concerned about continuing critical services for people affected by substance abuse and mental health disorders.
This report examines the links between eating disorders and violence against women and girls. It is based on information gathered from published literature as well as consultations with community workers, health practitioners, and mental health professionals. “Swallowing the Hurt” has been designed for use by frontline workers, health care and social service professionals, educators, and researchers who offer services directly for or who may interact with women and girls experiencing eating disorders or violence.
The Effectiveness of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs
This VAWnet document provides a brief summary of the structure and functions of SANE programs as they currently exist in the United States and presents the current research on the effectiveness of SANE programs in three areas: 1) providing care in an empowering setting that addresses survivors’ emotional and medical needs 2) improving the quality of forensic evidence collection relative to the methods traditionally used in hospital emergency departments 3) increasing prosecution rates in their community, due to the meticulous documenting of injuries and physical evidence.
The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls (pdf)
This report of a consultative meeting is intended to contribute to the United Nations study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Girls, requested by the United Nations Security Council. This report reflects the purpose of the meeting which was twofold: first, to examine and explore the impact of armed conflict on women and girls; and, second, to formulate strategies and tools to ensure that reproductive health programmes accurately reflect this population’s needs, specifically by addressing them through a comprehensive, gendersensitive approach.
The mental and physical health of female sex workers: a comparative study
"The objective of this study was to compare the mental and physical health, adult abuse experiences and social networks of female sex workers with data previously collected from two large community samples of age-matched women."
Trauma Among Female Veterans: A Critical Review
"This article reviews the literature documenting the nature and prevalence of traumatic experiences, trauma-related mental and physical health problems, and service use among female veterans."
"This article provides a review of recent literature related to the treatment of psychopathy in forensic settings, with particular focus on studies with sexual offenders. Research demonstrating an interaction between psychopathy and substance abuse and between psychopathy and sexual deviance is also presented. "
Violence Against Women: Classic Papers
The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are also commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.
Workers in the Shadows: Abuse and Exploitation of Child Domestic Workers in Indonesia (pdf)
"This report documents how hundreds of thousands of girls in Indonesia, some as young as 11, are employed as domestic workers in other people’s households, performing tasks such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, and child care. Most girls interviewed for the report worked 14 to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, with no day off. Almost all are grossly underpaid, and some get no salary at all. In the worst cases, girls reported being physically, psychologically, and sexually abused."
World Report on Violence against Children
"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."