Search Results (378)

Background/Objectives: Elder abuse remains a significantly underreported public health issue. The study examines how elder abuse is detected through a passive, suspicion-based case-finding pathway in an Italian university hospital emergency department (ED) and what the findings imply for improving systematic screening. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed elder abuse cases accessed at Careggi University Hospital ED (Florence, Italy) from 2017 to 2022. Eligible patients were aged ≥65 years and had suspected or confirmed elder abuse identified through Rosa Code protocol activation, abuse-related ICD-10 codes, and forensic consultation records. Two investigators independently reviewed eligible charts using predefined inclusion criteria and a standardized data-extraction form. Missing or unclear documentation was quantified descriptively, and no imputation was performed. Results: Sixty-seven elder abuse cases were identified during the six-year period, corresponding to a reported detection rate of 0.8% among the records screened for this study (mean: 11.2 cases/year). All eligible cases were captured through Rosa Code activation; ICD-10 and forensic-record searches did not identify additional cases. The majority of victims were women (76.1%), with a mean age of 75.5 years, and 76.1% had documented comorbidities. Physical abuse was the most common form (61.2%), predominantly perpetrated by family members (93.8%) within the victim’s home (64.2%). Head and neck injuries were most frequent (43.3%). A notable 50% decline in reported cases occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite law enforcement notification in 78% of cases, 65.7% of patients were discharged home. Conclusions: The study’s detection rate (<1%) falls critically short of international benchmarks (3–5%), underscoring urgent need for systematic screening using validated tools and staff training and multidisciplinary safeguarding pathways in Italian emergency departments. Full article

Violence against women and intimate partner violence in particular are recognized as significant social issues. This article explores the dynamic interplay between intimate partner violence, public opinion, and legislative changes in Bulgaria. The data we used were collected through in-depth interviews and focus groups with professionals working on issues of domestic violence and violence against women in Bulgaria. Using a specific case of violence as an example, the study argues that public pressure is a catalyst for changes in the legal framework for protection against domestic violence. However, the findings suggest a propensity for certain measures to be influenced by penal populism, often taking on the characteristics of symbolic policymaking—declaring political commitment, but showing vulnerabilities in their practical application. In this context, the perspective of policy implementation and unintended consequences reveals how gaps in institutional capacity, coordination, and enforcement produced outcomes that differed from those declared publicly. The article concludes that an integrated approach going beyond penal populism and symbolic policy demonstrations is necessary. To effectively combat domestic and intimate partner violence in Bulgaria, there is a need for a long-term strategy that considers the intricate relationships between public attitudes, policymaking, and the actual implementation of legislation. Full article

Since at least 2020 public concern around “cults” in Australia has emerged from a period of relative abeyance to once again become headline news, attracting significant free-to-air television coverage, numerous podcasts, and growing online activism. This has led to the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry in the State of Victoria. Drawing on a contextual constructionist framework, this article traces the social construction of this episode of “cult controversy” by mapping the contemporary Australian “cult scene,” examining how what groups wider Australian society perceives as “cults” has shifted in recent years and some of the changing dynamics of how these groups and their opponents interact with wider society. This article suggests that this so-called “cults crisis” has been primarily driven by three significant and overlapping changes in the “cult scene”: a younger generation of media-savvy anti-cult activists, comprising journalists, content creators, and (primarily) Second Generation Adult (SGA) former members; a more receptive socio-political and legal context in which the “cult problem” has converged with wider societal concerns around child abuse and domestic and family violence; and a broadening of the definitional parameters of what is classified as a “cult” in contemporary Australia public discourse to include a number of conservative evangelical and Pentecostal churches. Full article

Background/Objectives: Survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence/intimate partner violence (IPV) often require support beyond the immediate emergency encounter; however, post-acute care remains inconsistently defined, unevenly organised or conceptualised, and fragmented across service systems. This scoping review mapped international post-acute follow-up, care, assistance, and support pathways, with particular attention to organisational models, continuity mechanisms, loss to follow-up after first access, and implications for the Italian context. Methods: We conducted an international health-services scoping review of post-acute follow-up, care, assistance, and support interventions for survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence/IPV. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, APA PsycINFO via EBSCOhost, and CINAHL via EBSCOhost. Eligible studies were published from 2013 onward and had to describe an identifiable post-acute component beyond the initial emergency, forensic, or first-contact phase. The review followed a Population–Concept–Context framework and was reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. Results: Forty-four studies were included in the core synthesis, comprising 16 studies on sexual violence/sexual assault, 27 on domestic violence/IPV, and one mixed domestic, family, and sexual violence outreach model. The sexual violence literature clustered around early trauma-focused interventions, sexual assault care centre pathways, medical follow-up, follow-up attendance, and digital continuity tools. The IPV literature was broader and included psychotherapy, advocacy and case-management models, housing-first and trauma-informed stabilisation approaches, nurse-led and clinic-based services, outreach and safety-contact programmes, digital interventions, and programmes for system-involved survivors. Across both fields, the pathways most consistently described as supporting continuity combined structured re-contact, coordinated support, and multi-component responses over time. Conclusions: The mapped literature supports conceptualising post-acute responses to sexual violence and domestic violence/IPV as continuity pathways that extend beyond first contact and link healthcare, psychological, advocacy, and social supports. Systems may be better positioned to support continuity when they provide structured follow-up, warm handoffs, coordinated navigation, and context-sensitive recovery models. These findings point to provisional, evidence-informed organisational questions for strengthening post-acute pathways, including in Italy, particularly around structured re-contact, warm handoffs, survivor navigation, and integration between healthcare, anti-violence, psychological, and territorial social-support services. Full article

This article aims to discuss worldwide trends in the prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) among prisoners compared to community samples. We also aim to show how this disorder is associated with criminal behavior and types of offenses. The results of the literature review document a relatively low and stable prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder compared to the frequency of other specified personality disorders in many countries worldwide. The results suggest that the rates of narcissistic personality disorder among prisoners in many countries are higher than those in communities. It has been found that this disorder is associated with domestic violence and other violent criminal behaviors, particularly with fraud and forgery violations. It has also been shown that offenders with narcissistic personality disorder are perceived as less guilty. Furthermore, research on the treatment of offenders with narcissistic personality disorder is sparse, which indicates that the treatment of NPD is limited, and it poses a challenge for mental health professionals as well as those who work in the penitentiary system. Full article

This article examines how domestic violence victim-survivors in County Durham, the north-east of England, experience help-seeking across criminal justice systems (CJSs) and women’s organisations. County Durham, an area recording the highest rate of repeat domestic violence incidents in England and Wales yet among the lowest rates of protective order applications, makes the gap between national reform and victim-survivors’ experiences visible. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with thirteen women who experienced domestic violence and engaged with both statutory and community-based responses, the article employs a survivor-centred analytical framework informed by scholarship on coercive control and legal systems abuse. The analysis reveals four interconnected themes: (i) coercive control as a cumulative pattern of harm (ii) the continuation and escalation of abuse post-separation across emotional, digital, administrative, and legal systems; (iii) the reproduction of powerlessness and loss of agency through evidentiary demands, procedural disempowerment, and institutional disbelief within the CJS; and (iv) the contrasting role of women’s organisations, which restore agency. Building on these findings, the article argues that the CJS do not merely fail domestic abuse survivors; they may reproduce the conditions coercive control depends on. In this context, women’s organisations function not as supplementary services but as essential sites of interruption that restore agency. Full article

Domestic violence remains a critical social issue with long-term impacts on women’s well-being. Even after separation, women survivors still face multiple challenges in rebuilding their lives. Psychosocial support has been increasingly recognized as a key factor in facilitating recovery. This study employed a qualitative design to conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews with ten women survivors of domestic violence in China. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to explore how psychosocial support promotes their recovery after separation. The findings identified four interrelated forms of psychosocial support: emotional support, informational support, tangible support, and companionship support. Each type of support contributed to recovery through distinct but interconnected pathways, including emotional stabilization, enhanced decision-making capacity, reduction in material stress, and reconstruction of social connectedness. These forms of support were derived from both informal networks and formal systems. While formal support services were available, survivors mainly relied on informal support networks, with limited access to and utilization of formal resources. These findings highlight the need for more accessible, culturally responsive, and integrated psychosocial support systems. Strengthening formal services while recognizing the role of informal support networks is essential for promoting survivors’ long-term recovery and well-being. Full article

Background: Stalking is a well-established and studied crime in the forensic field. Nevertheless, research on the psychological aspects of stalking behaviors remains limited due to the lack of specific assessment tools. This two-phase research project aims to propose and validate a new instrument—the Stalking Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)—to identify the possible latent psychological dimensions characterizing early stalking tendencies. Methods: During the first phase of questionnaire development, a thematic focus group comprising five psychologists generated 55 items. These items underwent preliminary screening with a sample of 85 students to assess clarity and redundancy; this process addressed semantic issues and resulted in a revised 48-item version. In the second validation phase (Study 1), the 48-item SAQ was administered to a sample of 349 male students whose demographic profiles matched those typically associated with potential stalkers; following this, 15 items were retained. In Study 2, the 15-item SAQ was cross-validated on an independent sample of 380 male students. To assess its validity, correlations were analyzed with a battery of personality inventories, including the LSRP, ECR-R, AQ, PESES, SRSS, RelRQ, ASI-S, and BIDR-6. Results: Following item and factor analyses, a model comprising two latent factors—Insistence (SAQ-INS) and Exaggerated Jealousy (SAQ-EXJ)—and 15 indicators emerged. Internal consistency was robust, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87. In Study 2, as hypothesized, SAQ-EXJ correlated positively with anger and hostility (AQ) and with antisocial and impulsive traits (LSRP-F2), although these associations were modest (r = 0.30). Among the significant Pearson’s correlations, three were found to be substantial (r > 0.50): specifically, those between the SAQ and anxious attachment style (ECR-Ranx), relational rumination (RelRQ), and sexism (ASI-S). Conclusions: In conclusion, the final SAQ structure revealed two primary factors—Insistence and Exaggerated Jealousy—that account for stalking as a continuous construct. These factors demonstrated significant associations with several critical personality traits. The final questionnaire comprises 24 items, including nine fillers; consequently, it is efficient to administer and suitable for both research and psycho-educational interventions among adolescents and other potentially vulnerable populations. Full article

Domestic Violence affects 1 in 3 women worldwide. Empirical evidence from India suggests that women and girls experience a continuum of violence and discrimination from prenatal stages till death in families that largely continue to operate within a dominantly patriarchal framework. However, the literature on domestic violence in India suffers from problems pertaining to reductive and episodic framing, focusing on short-term prevalence, and frames the impact on survivors largely in terms of clinical constructs such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. This work argues for a broader, thematic framing of domestic and familial violence and contends that the psychological sequelae of this kind of chronic and systemic discrimination and violence cannot be captured using rigid clinical constructs that dominate psychological literature. We propose a conceptual framework, i.e., SPECTRA (Socially and Psychologically Embedded Continuous Trauma in Relational Architecture), which is partially aligned with the propositions of complex trauma. However, we also critique the origin of complex trauma within hegemonic psychiatry and highlight the need for creating a culturally adapted expansion—to shift the emphasis from an individually rooted, diagnostic framework to a culturally contextualized continuous trauma framework. We utilize seven illustrative case studies to define the tenets of the SPECTRA model. Full article

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant global public health issue that requires accessible, scalable, and contextually appropriate interventions. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies provide a promising platform to deliver support, information, and safety planning tools for individuals at risk of IPV. This study aimed to develop and pilot-test iCanPlan, a mobile application designed to support IPV prevention in Thailand. The application evaluates IPV risk, identifies indicators of danger, and provides a countrywide list of assistance sources. iCanPlan consists of four main components: (1) an IPV risk assessment tool, (2) a list of support resources, (3) educational materials presented in the form of infographics, and (4) encouraging quotes from well-known public figures. The app features a clean, user-friendly interface with intuitive navigation and color-coded components to enhance usability. In addition, a preliminary study was conducted with 30 experts from multidisciplinary fields, including gender-based violence research, social work, psychology, public health, and non-governmental organizations. Participants used the application for one month and subsequently evaluated it using a structured questionnaire based on heuristic evaluation principles. The questionnaire assessed usability, safety features, content quality, cultural appropriateness, language clarity, ethical considerations, and overall evaluation using a five-point Likert scale. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) in SPSS. The findings demonstrated excellent performance across all domains, with high mean scores for usability (M = 4.93), safety features (M = 4.73), and content quality (M = 4.82), while cultural appropriateness, language clarity, ethical considerations, and overall evaluation achieved perfect scores (M = 5.00). These results indicate strong agreement among experts regarding the application’s usability, safety, and relevance. The study highlights the potential of iCanPlan as a culturally appropriate and user-friendly digital intervention for IPV prevention. Further research involving the target population is needed to evaluate its effectiveness and long-term impact on help-seeking behavior and IPV-related outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite legal progress and achievements regarding trans* rights in Portugal over recent decades, trans* individuals still face high levels of violence and discrimination, especially within family and intimate relationships. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of professionals working in the domestic violence field with the trans* population and service provision within the National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence (RNAVVD). Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants, including psychologists, social workers, and program directors from organizations supporting victims of domestic violence in Portugal. Data were analyzed using Codebook Thematic Analysis to identify themes, resulting in two main themes: (1) Experiences in Working with Victimized Trans* Individuals; and (2) Framework of Portugal’s National Support Network. Results: The results showed that trans* individuals face significant vulnerabilities due to family and intimate partner violence, systemic discrimination, and inequalities in essential services. Young trans* individuals are seen as being particularly at risk due to the impacts of violence and lack of family support on their autonomy, and additional barriers to entering the labor market. Participants also identified barriers faced by this population when trying to access victim support services (e.g., lack of specialized training and low availability of specialized and culturally competent services), while highlighting efforts by LGBTQIA+ services to meet their psychosocial needs. Conclusions: In conclusion, public institutions must address the specific needs of trans* individuals by developing policies and services that adopt a cross-sectoral, intersectional approach across society. Full article

Despite legislative advancements, social and reputational norms continue to govern domestic conflict’s institutional visibility. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design in the United Arab Emirates, covering the period 2019–2025, this study analyzes how the transition across two successive domestic violence statutes is associated with women’s institutional trajectories. Quantitatively, 412 first-instance case files were analyzed using non-parametric tests and a CHAID decision tree. Qualitatively, interviews with women (n = 28) and institutional actors (n = 23) explain how “status flipping” occurs through counter-complaints and moral character narratives. Findings indicate that norms-based moral regulation and structural constraints (e.g., financial dependency and custody leverage) are strong correlates of escalation from case closure to formal prosecution. The CHAID model identifies structural constraints as the principal splitter in trajectory separation. Post-2024 patterns suggest an institutional lag, where implementation routines evolve more slowly than formal law. The paper contributes a model of reputation-mediated escalation and proposes procedural safeguarding to curb retaliatory cross-filing and make patterned coercive control legally legible. By situating women’s legal interactions within an interactional pathway of norms, constraints, and institutional translation, the study clarifies why “protection” can paradoxically morph into complex procedural outcomes in legally transitioning contexts. Full article

The rational-power shifted Lagrangian distribution and its corresponding regression model are discrete Lagrange probability distributions. The proposed model is constructed from a shifted Lagrangian framework with a rational-power component that introduces an additional shape parameter and provides greater flexibility in modeling dispersion and tail behavior. The derivation of the distribution is presented, and its main statistical properties are discussed, together with maximum likelihood estimation based on the expected Fisher information matrix. Using this distribution, a rational-power shifted Lagrangian regression model is formulated for analyzing count data. Simulation results are used to examine the performance of the parameter estimators and to compare the proposed model with the Poisson and modified Sunil models. A real data application using domestic violence data is also provided to illustrate its practical usefulness. The proposed model has a better fit and lower information criteria than the competing models, suggesting it could be used to model overdispersed count data. Full article

Background: One form of domestic and family violence (DFV) is financial abuse, which involves a person manipulating another person’s access to finances, assets, and financial decision-making. The aim of this study was to understand the perceived role of Australian financial institutions, government bodies and other key stakeholders in the prevention, early identification and resolution of financial abuse in small businesses. Methods: A single workshop was conducted in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2024. Representatives from five stakeholder groups were invited to participate: (i) Australian regulated financial institutions; (ii) Australian unregulated commercial lenders; (iii) government bodies; (iv) small business professional services organisations and their peak bodies; and (v) industry and representative bodies. Results: Four main themes were generated relating to the prevention, early identification and resolution of financial abuse in small businesses: (1) shining a light on financial abuse; (2) detecting and revealing red flags; (3) business lending practices create vulnerability; and (4) building a collective response. Conclusion: Whilst institutions demonstrate inherent potential for addressing family violence and financial abuse within small business contexts, realising this capacity requires substantial investment in education, contextual literacy development, collective responses and structural and legislative reform. Full article

Globally, intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern and the most prevalent type of violence against women. Social norms that condone violence have been strongly associated with intimate partner violence, making them relevant to women’s wellbeing. The identification of social norms unique to a population is necessary for interventions based on shifting social norms. Thus, the current research is aimed at examining the association between women’s attitudes toward wife-beating (a social norm) and women’s experiences of partner’s controlling behavior, physical violence, and emotional and sexual abuse in Tanzania from national representative data. The cross-sectional data used for the study were from Tanzanian women (n = 3033) aged 15–49 years who have ever been married or in a relationship and responded to the domestic violence questionnaire. Nearly, 60% of women reported that their most recent partner had engaged in controlling behavior, 27.5% had experienced physical violence, while 23% and 9.1% had experienced emotional and sexual violence, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that IPV was more common among women who had a positive attitude toward wife-beating. In addition to other behavioral and structural interventions, changing societal norms that support violence against women may be helpful to prevent IPV among Tanzanian women. Full article