Variation in bystander behavior related to sexual and intimate partner violence prevention: Correlates in a sample of college students.

Objective: Innovations in violence prevention mobilize peers as active bystanders, yet little is known about what motivates helping in such contexts. We examined correlates of actual helpful behavior (rather than only attitudes) related to the prevention of sexual and intimate partner violence among college students at one university in the United States. Method: Four hundred and six (406) undergraduate students at the University of New Hampshire completed self-report surveys. We assessed attitudes (e.g., rape myth acceptance, bystander confidence) in relation to self-reported helping behavior. Results: Different predictors were significant for the self-report measures of attitude compared to behaviors. Students who self-reported a greater sense of responsibility for ending sexual and relationship violence and greater expressed confidence as a bystander and perceptions of greater benefits of stepping in to help, self-reported greater helping behavior. We found some differences in correlates of helping behavior by type of helping behavior. Conclusions: Correlates of helping differ when actual behaviors performed in the community compared to attitudes were assessed. Prevention strategies that increase community members' sense of responsibility for ending violence, build confidence in helping, and support norms that encourage active bystanders are needed to increase helping behavior to ameliorate this widespread community problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

不同机械约束下压装PBX炸药反应演化行为

为研究机械约束下炸药反应演化行为,加深对武器装药意外点火后反应烈度演化影响因素及机制的认识,对压装PBX炸药反应演化过程进行实验研究。设计一种机械约束装药点火实验装置,采用激光干涉仪和压力传感器分别测量壳体膨胀速度和内部压力,分析不同约束下两种HMX基压装PBX炸药装药的反应演化行为;结合空气冲击波超压测试结果和装置、炸药残骸回收分析,表征装药的反应烈度。研究结果表明：2 MPa机械约束下,PBX-1和PBX-2装药反应最高压力不超过200 MPa,壳体膨胀速度在70 m/s左右,装药反应烈度为爆燃;50 MPa机械约束下,PBX-1和PBX-2装药在百微秒甚至几十微秒内压力超过1 GPa,壳体膨胀速度达到500 m/s,装药发生爆炸反应;不同炸药的力学性能会造成装药反应演化过程存在一定差异,但机械约束影响更明显,新装置2 MPa和50 MPa机械约束装药反应压力和约束壳体速度相差接近1个数量级。     

Community Safety Indicators: Are We Measuring What Counts?

Recent reviews of crime prevention practice conclude that the local level of governance is most effective at coordinating various key actors and implementing workable policy. However, the question of how to evaluate effectiveness of these efforts is notoriously difficult to answer. Domestic violence, in particular, is largely under-reported to police, generational in nature, highly politicised, and contingent on external social and economic variables. This article will use the State of Victoria, Australia, as a case study to examine how attempts to develop demonstrated progress measures on safer streets, homes and workplaces have foundered because of lack of gender analysis, political interference and the inability to translate the current language of good governance into meaningful measures for locally based community safety efforts.

     

Exploring social media usage in improving public perception on workplace violence against healthcare workers

Workplace violence against healthcare workers has been a major social problem in many countries. A misunderstanding between patients and physicians is the primary cause of violence . The recent rise of social media offered a new communication channel between the government and the public. This study aims to explore and examine the use of social media to improve public perception about the medical workplace violence by considering a recently issued policy in China. We collected 12,250 posts before, during and after the implementation of the policy from Weibo, which is similar to Twitter. Sentiment classification and topic clustering methods were used to analyze the data. One-way ANOVA was applied to assess the changes of public sentiments over time. Results showed that the proportion of posts with negative sentiment statistically significantly decreased after the release of the policy, indicating the effectiveness of social media in improving public perception about the medical workplace violence, to a large extent. Topic clustering results regarding the policy showed that most people supported the policy. However, some believe that punishment measures contained in the policy need to be strengthened and that more attention should be paid to the hospitals and medical staffs, as well as how to effectively protect the interests of patients. Based on these findings, we suggested government to effectively and scientifically use social media to address medical workplace violence from the perspective of the public and further consider its causes in terms of both patients and medical staffs, and building an expert witness system seems to be helpful. Measures for guaranteeing the safety of medical staffs should be built by comprehensively evaluating the potential risk. These results can help governments increase the engagement of their citizens.     

What are we teaching our students by not asking about abuse?

Comments on the article by K. Becker-Blease and J. Freyd (see record 2006-03947-003), which addressed the ethics of asking and not asking research subjects about abuse. Their article encourages researchers to more openly consider the risks and benefits of not asking research participants about abuse. They also point out that the alleged risks are not supported by evidence, and there are costs associated with avoiding the questions. On the basis of some of the current authors' own work, they briefly comment on additional benefits of asking about abuse as well as an additional alleged risk involved in asking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Grady Nia Project: A culturally competent intervention for low-income, abused, and suicidal African American women.

Background information is provided on the link between intimate partner violence and suicidal behavior, as this association sets the stage for interventions for this population. Attention then is paid to the theoretical components of an innovative culturally competent intervention for abused and suicidal, low-income African American women, entitled Grady Nia Project. The intervention is guided by the theory of triadic influence. Cultural competence components essential to implementing an intervention with this unique population and guided by this model are articulated. The Grady Nia Project is then described in detail, focusing on the context in which the intervention is conducted, the content of the 10 sessions, and treatment satisfaction and outcome data. Implications for culturally informed practice with abused, suicidal African American women are noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contextualizing women domestic violence survivors' economic and emotional dependencies.

Comments on the article by Robert Bornstein, "The Complex Relationship Between Dependency and Domestic Violence," (see record 2006-11202-003). Bornstein's attention to both types of dependency and women's experiences of domestic violence. I believe that his discussion of these complex relationships and social policy recommendations may be enhanced with a more integrated and contextual conceptualization of emotional and economic dependency. In response, I offer three points to further illustrate and contextualize the relationship between women's emotional and economic dependencies and abuse risk. First, researchers have demonstrated consistently that emotional and economic resources across multiple ecological contexts are necessary to reduce women's abuse risk. Second, Bornstein's theoretical conceptualizations of dependency do not take into account women's past learning experiences and future outcome expectations. Third, Bornstein mentioned briefly only a few cross-cultural considerations regarding women's emotional and economic dependencies and abuse experiences. I have found interesting cultural differences in the relationships between women's abuse experiences and emotional and economic factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Animal abuse issues in therapy: A survey of therapists' attitudes.

Animal abuse issues can have implications for therapy as a possible predictor of future violence toward humans, as a diagnostic indicator, and sometimes as a feature of a client's abuse history. The authors used a survey to examine the experiences and attitudes of 174 therapists dealing with animal abuse issues in therapy. The authors found that 28% encountered animal abuse issues in the past 5 years and 87% viewed animal abuse as a mental health issue. Attitudes about changing mandated abuse reporting laws to include animal abuse were assessed. Dilemmas therapists face are discussed and suggestions for addressing animal abuse issues are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of a Group Preventive Intervention on Risk and Protective Factors Related to Dating Violence.

A group intervention was designed to impact protective and risk factors related to dating violence in college students. The group used a manualized approach to address gender-role stereotypes and conflicts, healthy and nonhealthy entitlement attitudes, and communication and anger management skills. The experimental group consisted of 28 undergraduates who attended 4 1.5-hr group sessions. The experimental group was compared with a control group of 30 undergraduates who did not receive an intervention. The experimental group demonstrated significant reduction in (a) the restricting of emotions, (b) acceptance of traditional and stereotypical gender roles, and (c) the use of escalating strategies in conflict and negative attributions toward the target of anger. The experimental group also demonstrated significant increases in self-awareness of anger and healthy entitlement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)