Prevalence of strangulation in survivors of sexual assault & domestic violence

Via:  http://goo.gl/s3TbEr

Handgun Carrying among White Youth Increasing in the United States: New Evidence from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2002-2013

The objective of the present study was to examine trends and correlates of handgun carrying among adolescents ages 12-17 in the United States. Data was derived from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) involving non-Hispanic white, African American, and Hispanic respondents ages 12-17 (n = 197,313) and spanning the years 2002-2013. Logistic regression was used to examine significance of trend year and correlates of previous 12-month handgun carrying. The overall self-reported prevalence of handgun carrying was 3.4%. 

The prevalence of handgun carrying during 2004-2005 was significantly higher for African-Americans (4.39%) compared to non-Hispanic whites (3.03%). However, by 2012-2013, non-Hispanic whites (4.08%) completely diverged and reported carrying handguns significantly more than both African-American (2.96%) and Hispanic (2.82%) youth. 

Male gender and a number of externalizing behaviors were significant correlates of handgun carrying; however, we also found evidence of differential correlates with regard to such factors as drug selling, parental affirmation, and income by race/ethnicity. 

To our knowledge, this is the largest study of handgun carrying among youth in the United States. Findings indicate that although at historically low levels handgun carrying is on the rise but only among non-Hispanic Whites. 

Differential correlates among racial/ethnic groups suggest prevention programming and policies may need modifications depending on group and geographic locale targeted.

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By:  Vaughn MG1, Nelson EJ2, Salas-Wright CP3, DeLisi M4, Qian Z5.

• 1School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Tegeler Hall, 3550 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103, United States. Electronic address: mvaughn9@slu.edu.
• 2Department of Epidemiology, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63104, United States. Electronic address: nelsonej@slu.edu.
• 3School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin, 1925 San Jacinto Blvd D3500, Austin, TX 78712-0358, United States. Electronic address: salaswright@utexas.edu.
• 4Criminal Justice Studies, Iowa State University, 203A East Hall, Ames, IA 50011-1070, United States. Electronic address: delisi@iastate.edu.
• 5Department of Epidemiology, Saint Louis University, Salus Center 473, St. Louis, MO 63104, United States. Electronic address: zqian2@slu.edu. 
• Prev Med. 2016 Apr 7. pii: S0091-7435(16)30048-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.03.024

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Alcohol Availability & Violence among Inner-City Adolescents: A Multi-Level Analysis of The Role of Alcohol Outlet Density

Researchers recognize that the connection between alcohol and peer violence may relate to community level ecological factors, such as the location of businesses that sell alcohol. 

Building on previous research among adults, this study examines the relationship between alcohol outlet density and violent behaviors among adolescents, taking into account demographic characteristics, individual alcohol use, and neighborhood level socioeconomic indicators. Data drawn from a diverse Emergency Department based sample of 1,050 urban adolescents, combined with tract level data from the state liquor control commission and U.S. Census, were analyzed. 

Results of multivariate multi-level regression analysis indicate that alcohol outlet density is significantly related to adolescents' violent behaviors, controlling for demographic characteristics and individual alcohol use. Census tract level socioeconomic indicators were not significantly associated with youth violence. 

Findings suggest that alcohol outlet density regulation should be considered as part of broader violence prevention strategies for urban adolescents.

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/2e4v4A

By:  Stella M. Resko, M.S.W., Ph.D.,¹ Maureen A. Walton, M.P.H., PhD,² C. Raymond Bingham, PhD,^3,4 Jean T. Shope, PhD,^3,4 Marc Zimmerman, PhD,³ Stephen T. Chermack, PhD,^2,5 Frederic C. Blow, PhD,^2,5 and Rebecca M. Cunningham, MD^3,6,7

¹Wayne State University, School of Social Work and Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Detroit, MI

²University of Michigan Addiction Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor, MI

³University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI

⁴University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, MI

⁵Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research Evaluation Center, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI

⁶University of Michigan, Department of Emergency Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI

⁷Department of Emergency Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint Michigan

Correspondence should be addressed to: Stella M. Resko, Ph.D., 4756 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48109. Phone (313) 577-4445, fax (313) 577-877

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Adolescents as Perpetrators of Aggression within the Family

Although family violence perpetrated by juveniles has been acknowledged as a potentially serious form of violence for over 30 years, scientific studies have been limited to examining the incidence and form of home violence. 


The present study examined the prevalence of family aggression as perpetrated by youths; we examined groups drawn from clinic-referred and forensic samples. Two audits of case files were conducted to systematically document aggression perpetrated by referred youths toward their family members. The purpose of the first audit was fourfold: i) to identify the incidence of the perpetration of family aggression among clinical and forensic samples; ii) to identify whether there were any reports of weapon use during aggressive episodes; iii) to identify the target of family aggression (parents or siblings); and iv) to identify the form of aggression perpetrated (verbal or physical). 

The second audit aimed to replicate the findings and to show that the results were not due to differences in multiple deprivation indices, clinical diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorders, and placement into alternative care. A sampling strategy was designed to audit the case notes of 25 recent forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) cases and 25 demographically similar clinic-referred CAMHS cases in the first audit; and 35 forensic cases and 35 demographically similar clinic-referred CAMHS cases in the second audit. Using ordinal chi-square, the forensic sample (audit 1=64%; audit 2=82.9%) had greater instances of family violence than the clinical sample (audit 1=32%; audit 2=28.6%). 

They were more likely to use a weapon (audit 1=69%; audit 2=65.5%) compared to the clinical sample (audit 1 and 2=0%). Examining only the aggressive groups, there was more perpetration of aggression toward parents (audit 1, forensic=92%, clinical=75%; audit 2, forensic=55.17%, clinical=40%) than toward siblings (audit 1, forensic=43%, clinical=50%; audit 2, forensic=27.58%, clinical=30%). 

Based on these findings, we would urge professionals who work within the child mental health, particularly the forensic area, to systematically collect reports of aggression perpetrated toward family members.

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By:  Kuay HS1, Lee S2, Centifanti LC3, Parnis AC4, Mrozik JH5, Tiffin PA6.

• 1Department of Psychology, University of Durham, Durham, UK; Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, The Adolescent Forensic Outpatient Service, The Westwood Centre, Westlane Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK; School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. Electronic address: h.s.kuay@durham.ac.uk.
• 2Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, The Adolescent Forensic Outpatient Service, The Westwood Centre, Westlane Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK; Sunderland South Tyneside Community Children and Young People's Service, Monkwearmouth Hospital, Sunderland, UK.
• 3Department of Psychology, University of Durham, Durham, UK.
• 4Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, The Adolescent Forensic Outpatient Service, The Westwood Centre, Westlane Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK; Redburn Young Peoples Unit, Ferndene Hospital, Moor Road, Prudhoe, Northumberland, UK.
• 5Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, The Adolescent Forensic Outpatient Service, The Westwood Centre, Westlane Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.
• 6Department of Health Sciences, The University of York, Heslington, York, UK; Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, The Adolescent Forensic Outpatient Service, The Westwood Centre, Westlane Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK. 
• Int J Law Psychiatry. 2016 Mar 23. pii: S0160-2527(16)30048-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2016.02.035.

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Environmental Unpredictability in Childhood Is Associated with Anxious Romantic Attachment & Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Human life history theory describes how resources are allocated among conflicting life tasks, including trade-offs concerning reproduction. The current research investigates the unique importance of environmental unpredictability in childhood in association with romantic attachment, and explores whether objective or subjective measures of environmental risk are more informative for testing life history hypotheses. 

We hypothesize that 

1. unpredictability in childhood will be associated with greater anxious attachment, 
2. anxious attachment will be associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, and 
3. anxious attachment will mediate the relationship between unpredictability in childhood and IPV perpetration. 

In two studies (total n= 391), participants in a heterosexual, romantic relationship completed self-report measures of childhood experiences, romantic attachment, and IPV perpetration. Study 1 provides support for Hypothesis 1. Hypothesis 1 is replicated only for men, but not women, in Study 2. Results of Study 2 provide support for Hypothesis 2 for men and women, and Hypothesis 3 was supported for men but not women. 

The findings contribute to the literature addressing the association of environmental risk in childhood on adult romantic relationship outcomes.

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By:  Barbaro N1, Shackelford TK2.

• 1Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA nmbarbar@oakland.edu.
• 2Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA. 
• J Interpers Violence. 2016 Mar 27. pii: 0886260516640548.

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The Roles of Family Factors and Relationship Dynamics on Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration among College Men and Women in Emerging Adulthood

Using data from the International Dating Violence Study, this study examined the roles of early socialization, family social structure, and relationship dynamics factors on physical aggression in dating among U.S. college students in emerging adulthood. 

The interaction effects between these three domains of interest (early socialization, family social structure, and relationship dynamics) were explored to understand the underlying mechanisms that influenced victimization and perpetration in dating. 

In general, we found that family and relational variables associated with dating victimization and perpetration were fairly similar. Among the early socialization variables, experience of childhood neglect and having witnessed domestic violence were significantly related to victimization and perpetration. Living in a two-parent household appeared to exert a protective effect, although associations with parental education were not statistically significant. 

Furthermore, the participants were more likely to experience victimization or impose aggression in dating relationships which were characterized by conflicts, distress, dominance, or psychological aggression. Overall, for the participants who came from a two-parent household, dominance in dating was linked to less violence. 

When the participants faced higher levels of psychological aggression, adverse early socialization factors were associated with higher levels of dating violence victimization and perpetration. Research and practice implications were discussed.

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By:  Paat YF1, Markham C2.

• 1The University of Texas at El Paso, USA ypaat@utep.edu.
• 2University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA. 
• J Interpers Violence. 2016 Mar 27. pii: 0886260516640544

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Associations of Financial Stressors & Physical Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Background

Contextual factors, such as exposure to stressors, may be antecedents to IPV perpetration. These contextual factors may be amenable to modification through intervention and prevention. However, few studies have examined specific contextual factors. To begin to address this gap, we examined the associations between financial stressors and three types of physical IPV perpetration.

Methods

This analysis used data from Wave IV of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We used logistic regression to examine the associations of financial stressors and each type of IPV (minor, severe, causing injury), and multinomial logit regression to examine the associations of financial stressors and patterns of co-occurring types of IPV perpetration (only minor; only severe; minor and severe; minor, severe, and causing injury; compared with no perpetration).

Results

Fewer men perpetrated threats/minor physical IPV (6.7 %) or severe physical IPV (3.4 %) compared with women (11.4 % and 8.8 %, respectively). However, among physical IPV perpetrators, a higher percentage of men (32.0 %) than women (21.0 %) reported their partner was injured as a result of the IPV. In logistic regression models of each type of IPV perpetration, both the number of stressors experienced and several types of financial stressors were associated with perpetrating each type of IPV. Utilities nonpayment, housing nonpayment, food insecurity, and no phone service were associated with increased odds of perpetrating each form of IPV in adjusted analysis. Eviction was associated with perpetrating severe physical IPV but not threats/minor IPV or IPV causing injury. In multinomial logit regression comparing patterns of IPV perpetration to perpetrating no physical IPV, the relationships of financial stressors were less consistent. Food insecurity was associated with perpetrating only minor physical IPV. Comparatively, overall number of financial stressors and four types of financial stressors (utilities nonpayment, housing nonpayment, food insecurity, and disconnected phone service) were associated with perpetrating all three forms of physical IPV.

Conclusions

Combined with prior research, our results suggested interventions to improve financial well-being may be a novel way to reduce physical IPV perpetration.

Estimated proportion and 95 % confidence estimates of exposure to financial stressors and perpetration of three forms of physical IPV

	Men	Women	Difference
	Percent (95 % CI)		P-valuea
Financial stressors
Number of financial stressors			<.0001
None	77.2 (75.4–79.1)	72.3 (70.2–74.5)
1–2	16.3 (14.2–18.4)	18.8 (16.8–20.8)
3–4	5.2 (4.1–6.2)	7.3 (6.0–8.6)
5–6	1.4 (0.9–1.8)	1.5 (1.0–2.0)
Utilities nonpayment
Yes	12.7 (11.5–14.0)	17.6 (15.7–19.4)	<.0001
No	87.3 (86.0–88.5)	82.4 (80.6–84.3)
Housing nonpayment
Yes	9.4 (8.4–10.4)	10.2 (9.0–11.3)	.26
No	90.6 (89.6–91.6)	89.8 (88.7–91.0)
Food insecurity
Yes	9.9 (8.7–11.1)	14.0 (12.6–15.3)	<.0001
No	90.1 (88.9–91.3)	86.0 (84.7–87.4)
No phone service
Yes	7.8 (6.8–8.8)	10.4 (9.3–11.5)	<.0001
No	92.2 (91.2–93.2)	89.6 (88.5–90.7)
Utilities turned off
Yes	5.4 (4.6–6.3)	5.4 (4.6–6.1)	.82
No	94.6 (93.7–95.4)	94.7 (93.9–95.4)
Evicted
Yes	1.0 (0.7–1.4)	1.0 (0.7–1.4)	.93
No	99.0 (95.6–99.3)	98.9 (98.6–99.3)
Intimate partner violence perpetration
Threats/Minor physical
Yes	6.7 (5.7–7.5)	11.4 (10.1–12.7)	<.0001
No	93.4 (92.5–94.3)	88.6 (87.3–89.9)
Severe physical
Yes	3.4 (2.9–4.0)	8.8 (7.8–9.9)	<.0001
No	96.6 (96.0–97.2)	91.2 (90.1–92.2)
If Yes to physical, caused injury
Yes	32.0 (25.6–38.5)	21.0 (17.7–24.4)	.003
No	68.0 (61.5–74.4)	79.0 (75.6–82.3)

aChi-square test

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/HVAfAe

By:  Laura M. Schwab-Reese, Corinne Peek-Asa, and Edith Parker

Department of Community & Behavioral Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA 52240 USA

Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA 52240 USA

Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13123 E 16th Ave, B390, Aurora, CO 80045 USA

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Guns, Impulsive Angry Behavior & Mental Disorders: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R)

Analyses from the National Comorbidity Study Replication provide the first nationally representative estimates of the co-occurrence of impulsive angry behavior and possessing or carrying a gun among adults with and without certain mental disorders and demographic characteristics. 

The study found that a large number of individuals in the United States self-report patterns of impulsive angry behavior and also possess firearms at home (8.9%) or carry guns outside the home (1.5%). These data document associations of numerous common mental disorders and combinations of angry behavior with gun access. Because only a small proportion of persons with this risky combination have ever been involuntarily hospitalized for a mental health problem, most will not be subject to existing mental health-related legal restrictions on firearms resulting from a history of involuntary commitment. Excluding a large proportion of the general population from gun possession is also not likely to be feasible. 

Behavioral risk-based approaches to firearms restriction, such as expanding the definition of gun-prohibited persons to include those with violent misdemeanor convictions and multiple DUI convictions, could be a more effective public health policy to prevent gun violence in the population.

Below: Estimated number per 100,000 population with gun violence risk indicator and percent ever hospitalized for a mental health problem

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/o1kv77

By:  Swanson JW1, Sampson NA2, Petukhova MV2, Zaslavsky AM2, Appelbaum PS3, Swartz MS1, Kessler RC2.

• 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.
• 2Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
• 3Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY. 
• Behav Sci Law. 2015 Jun;33(2-3):199-212. doi: 10.1002/bsl.2172. Epub 2015 Apr 8.

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Is Violence, in Part, a Lithium Deficiency State?

Violence, particularly firearm violence, leading to suicide and homicide is a significant problem worldwide. A majority of suicidal and homicidal violence involves males; homicidal violence is prevalent among young men and suicide is the leading cause of violence worldwide. 

Lithium, in pharmacological doses, has been used successfully for decades in treating bipolar disorders, and has been shown to decrease violent crime in this situation. Interestingly, lithium, in trace amounts, as occurs in some drinking water, has been inversely related to aggression, and suicidal and homicidal violence. Lithium is naturally found in vegetables, grains and drinking water, and dietary intake varies from nearly zero to 3mg daily. Elemental lithium, in trace doses, has been shown to improve mood in weeks. Moreover, lithium, in trace amounts, has no toxicity. 

In order to ensure adequate dietary intakes of elemental lithium daily for the purpose of decreasing aggression and violence, we propose considering the fortification of cereal grain products with lithium and also the addition of lithium to vitamin preparations for adults. Importantly, randomized trials in various populations are needed to test this hypothesis.

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By:  Goldstein MR¹, Mascitelli L².

¹NCH Physician Group, 1845 Veterans Park Drive, Suite 110, Naples, FL 34109, USA. Electronic address: markrgoldstein@comcast.net.

²Comando Brigata Alpina "Julia"/Multinational Land Force, Medical Service, 8 Via S. Agostino, Udine 33100, Italy. Electronic address: lumasci@libero.it.

Med Hypotheses. 2016 Apr;89:40-2. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2016.02.002. Epub 2016 Feb 10.

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Murder & Psychosis: Neuropsychological Profiles of Homicide Offenders with Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND:

Neurocognitive dysfunction, a core feature of schizophrenia, is thought to contribute to the impulsive violent aggression manifested by some individuals with schizophrenia, but not enough is known about how homicidal individuals with schizophrenia perform on neuropsychological measures.

AIMS:

The primary aim of our study was to describe the neuropsychological profiles of homicide offenders with schizophrenia. Supplementary analyses compared the criminal, psychiatric and neuropsychological features of schizophrenic homicide offenders with and without God/Satan/demon-themed psychotic symptoms.

METHODS:

Twenty-five men and women diagnosed with schizophrenia who had killed another person - 21 convicted of first-degree murder and 4 found not guilty by reason of insanity - completed neuropsychological testing during forensic evaluations.

RESULTS:

The sample was characterised by extensive neurocognitive impairments, involving executive dysfunction (60%), memory dysfunction (68%) and attentional dysfunction (50%), although those with God/Satan/demon-themed psychotic symptoms performed better than those with nonreligious psychotic content.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings indicate that impaired cognition may play an important role in the commission of homicide by individuals with schizophrenia. A subgroup with God/Satan/demon delusions seem sufficiently less impaired that they might be able to engage in metacognitive treatment approaches, aimed at changing their relationship to their psychotic symptoms, thus reducing the perception of power and omnipotence of hallucinated voices and increasing their safety

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By:  Stratton J1, Brook M1, Hanlon RE1,2.

• 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
• 2Neuropsychological Associates of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. 
• Crim Behav Ment Health. 2016 Feb 10. doi: 10.1002/cbm.1990.

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