What can Campuses Learn From Community Sexual Assault Response Teams? Literature Review of Teams’ Purpose, Activities, Membership, and Challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 678-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Carlson ◽  
Marcy Quiason ◽  
Alesha Doan ◽  
Natabhona Mabachi

Sexual assault is a public health issue, with college-age students reporting high levels of victimization. Following an increase in national attention and federal initiatives, college and universities’ sexual assault response efforts are being examined. The practice of community sexual assault response teams (SARTs) may provide campuses with a model strategy to coordinate campus and community service delivery and planning, still underdeveloped or missing at many institutions. This literature review summarizes in side-by-side fashion the most current empirical literature about community SARTs and campus team approaches (CTAs) in four domains: (1) defined purpose, (2) activities to achieve purpose, (3) membership, and (4) challenges to functioning. Two searches were conducted. The community SART inclusion criteria were (a) an empirical study focusing on community SARTs as the level of analysis, (b) located in the United States, (c) published between 2010 and 2017, and (d) written in English. The inclusion criteria for the CTA were (a) an empirical study on CTAs to sexual assault and/or intimate partner violence as the level of analysis and (b) written in English. Eight articles met the criteria for community SARTs, and six articles met the criteria for CTAs. Differences between community SARTs and CTAs included community SARTs shared and more discretely defined purpose and subsequent activities. Further directions offered for the conceptual and practical development of a CTA to address sexual assault include the need for clearer definition of a team’s purpose leading to response-focused coordination of activities.

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802199128
Author(s):  
David S. Lapsey ◽  
Bradley A. Campbell ◽  
Bryant T. Plumlee

Sexual assault and case attrition at the arrest stage are serious problems in the United States. Focal concerns have increasingly been used to explain police decision making in sexual assault cases. Because of the popularity of the focal concerns perspective and potential to inform evidence-based training, a systematic review and meta-analysis are needed to condense the literature. In this study, we assess the overall strength of the relationship between focal concerns variables and police decisions to arrest in cases of sexual assault. Our assessment of the effects of focal concerns variables on arrest decision making in sexual assault cases followed the systematic review protocols provided by the Campbell Collaboration of Systematic Reviews. Specifically, we used the Campbell Collaboration recommendations to search empirical literature and used meta-analysis to evaluate the size, direction, and strength of the impact of focal concerns variables on arrest decisions. Our search strategy detected 14 eligible studies and 79 effect sizes. The meta-analysis found several robust and statistically significant correlates of arrest. In fact, each focal concerns concept produced at least one robust arrest correlate. Overall, focal concerns offers a strong approach for explaining police decisions in sexual assault cases. Although practical concerns and resource constraints produced the strongest arrest correlates, results show the importance of additional case characteristics in officers’ decision to arrest.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tasha Gross ◽  
Clarita Lefthand-Begay

Abstract BACKGROUND: Tribal communities in the United States (U.S.) have a long history of subjection to unethical and exploitive medical and research practices. Today, many Tribal nations are establishing procedures in order to protect themselves from further harm and to advance culturally informed research practices. These procedures are also meant to ensure that their communities benefit from research conducted within their communities. Informed consent is a key element in protecting human subjects, but it may not be sufficient in the tribal context, as its conception is rooted in Western understandings of protection. Specifically, the informed consent emphasizes the individual, rather than the community as a whole, which is just as important in the context of conducting research with Native communities.METHODS: We conduct a systematic literature review to answer two related questions: How is informed consent being conceived of by U.S. tribes? And how is informed consent being required by U.S. tribes? Our inclusion criteria include articles focusing on informed consent within the U.S. tribal context, written in English in 2010-2020. Articles that did not fit our inclusion criteria were excluded. Two reviewers independently reviewed and coded 30 peer-reviewed articles by using content analysis and, in an iterative process, agreed on emerging codes and themes. RESULTS: A number of themes arise in the selected literature, including the conception of informed consent as a process, its operation at various levels (individual, collective, and government-to-government), possible alternatives to informed consent, and the need for specificity about ownership of samples and data, benefits and/or risks, and the methods and procedures that researchers use in the course of study.CONCLUSIONS: Our key results point to a need for clear and transparent information for prospective research participants and for consent forms and processes to include the collective, as well as the individual. This will better align with the cultural values and political standing of sovereign tribes in the U.S.


Author(s):  
Butool Hisam ◽  
Mohammad Nadir Haider ◽  
Ghazala Saleem ◽  
Admin

We are observing with great concern the global spread of the COVID19 Pandemic. What is equally alarming is a less visible, albeit serious Public health issue; one that the United Nations has dubbed as the ‘Shadow Pandemic’ [1]. This is none other than the globally prevalent issue of violence against women, particularly Intimate Partner Violence. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious, possibly preventable public health problem globally. Pakistan ranks among the countries with the highest IPV rates [2]. On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the highly infectious and lethal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) to be a pandemic [3]. Drastic measures were enforced universally to curb the spread of COVID-19. Countries issued strict nationwide lockdowns to isolate the population and implemented social distancing. The economy was impacted tremendously, and many people experienced financial and emotional hardship during this mandatory confinement. While everyone was affected, one population was in a far worse situation than others. Survivors of IPV were trapped alongside their perpetrators and faced difficulty/less freedom to escape threatening situations compared to the past. It is not surprising given that historical periods of uncertainty such as war or economic crisis have resulted in increased interpersonal violence, including violence against women [4].  The Hubei province of China, the first region to undergo a lockdown, saw nearly a doubling of their rates of IPV with the start of COVID19 Pandemic.  Similarly, tragic stories gained nationwide coverage in the United States. IPV may also have risen in Pakistan, even if it is not being covered as extensively. During pandemics, fear causes us to minimize our personal needs and make sacrifices we would not normally make. This could be a reasonable approach for most but should not be for survivors of IPV. IPV survivors live in constant fear for themselves and their children; they are now devoid of their only means of mitigation; avoidance. Local woman’s support groups in Pakistan should act and spread awareness about this grim reality hiding underneath the Pandemic. Resources/funding should be made available for survivors to be able to reach out for support without having to leave the watchful eyes of their perpetrators. Public health officials ought to investigate and document the rise in IPV to help identify the leading causes of the increase. These steps will assist in developing crisis-specific guidelines to provide adequate resources for the future. Continuous....


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma Oñate Muñoz ◽  
Erica Camacho ◽  
John Torous

Language differences between patients and providers remains a barrier to accessing health care, especially mental health services. One potential solution to reduce inequities for patients that speak different languages and improve their access to care is through the delivery of healthcare through mobile technology. Given that the Latinx community serves as the largest ethnic minority in the United States, this two-phased review examines Spanish app development, feasibility and efficacy. Phase 1 explored the commercial marketplace for apps available in Spanish, while phase 2 involved a literature review of published research centered around the creation, functions, and usability of these apps using the PubMed and Google Scholar electronic databases. Of the apps available on the database, only 14.5% of them had Spanish operability. The literature search uncovered 629 results, of which 12 research articles that tested or described 10 apps met the inclusion criteria. Of the 10 apps studied in this literature review, only four apps were translated to Spanish. Our study reveals that despite increasing interest in Spanish-language apps to address mental health, the commercial marketplace is not currently meeting the demand.


Author(s):  
James McKivigan ◽  
Gregory Gilmour

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a major public health issue in the United States that accounts for approximately 50% of poisoning cases in the nation each year and around 50,000 emergency room visits. In most instances of CO poisoning, the culprit is a malfunctioning or poorly tended heating system within the home or, occasionally, commercial building, which causes the system to leak this hazardous gas. One of the more insidious aspects of CO poisoning is that the gas is odorless and colorless, and victims of CO poisoning often do not realize that there is a problem until they begin to experience the effects of poisoning and have no choice but to seek medical attention. Unfortunately, many victims of CO poisoning die before they are able to seek treatment. This paper makes use of a qualitative, systematic literature review to examine the four major parts of the brain that are most severely affected by CO poisoning. Overall, the literature review showed that the white matter, globus pallidus, basal ganglia, and cortex are the parts of the brain most severely impacted by CO poisoning. While many CO poisoning victims do make it to the hospital on time and are treated, they may nonetheless suffer long-term neurological consequences as a result of their exposure. As such, CO poisoning is a major public health issue.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Costello ◽  
Jinjin Li

Abstract Objective: Suicide is a leading cause of death around the world. In the United States, the suicide rate continues to increase with US Emergency Departments seeing over 500,000 suicide-related visits each year. Authors conducted a systematic literature review to determine the range of interventions administered in the ED. Methods: This is the first systematic literature review of this topic. The review is limited to studies conducted in Emergency Departments located in the United States with interventions that were initiated in the ED setting. Results: Of the 2,735 titles and abstracts identified, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. A narrow range of suicide prevention interventions are administered in the ED. Conclusions: Opportunities exist for additional types of suicide prevention interventions in the ED.


2020 ◽  
pp. 104365962094158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candace W. Burton ◽  
Jeanine D. Guidry

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to explore how women of color affiliated with a large public university in the United States evaluated involving authorities in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) and/or sexual assault (SA) and to discover if structural stressors such as racism or sexism influenced their thinking. Methodology: Surveys on perceived ethnic discrimination, depression, trauma history, stress, social support, resilience, and sleep disturbance were completed by 87 self-identified women of color. All women also participated in one of several focus groups on IPV and SA. Results: Roughly half of participants had experienced SA and about a third experienced IPV. Participants identifying as Latinx/Hispanic or Black/African American reported the greatest experiences of structural stressors and also felt there was not always a potential safety gain with reporting IPV and/or SA. Discussion: The results of this study suggest universities must create more culturally competent environs of safety for women of color.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Metzler Sawin ◽  
Linda L. Sobel ◽  
Sandra L. Annan ◽  
Donna L. Schminkey

Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health and criminal justice concern with significant impacts; especially high rates are seen among rural Hispanic American (HA) communities, the fastest growing population in the United States. They experience additional barriers to care including extreme poverty, lesser education, gender norms, and language and immigration issues. Method: A systematic literature review was conducted using Cooper’s framework to identify evidence supporting associations between interventions and prevention, reduction, and elimination of IPV among rural HA women. Searches conducted on databases including CINAHL, PubMed, Medline, Women’s Studies International, MedicLatina, and JSTOR used the MeSH terms Hispanic Americans (Latino/a and Hispanic), domestic violence, and intimate partner violence. Selected studies were published between January 1, 2000, and January 1, 2014. Results: Of the 617 yielded articles, only 6 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, none closely examined rurality or provided valid and reliable measures of outcomes, instead reporting program descriptions and suggested interventions. We identify key findings to guide program, screening, and tool development. Conclusion: Our study identifies a gap in knowledge, research, and effective practices and issues a call for action to create evidence-based tools to prevent, reduce, and eliminate IPV in these underserved populations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 843-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa E. Dichter ◽  
Clara Wagner ◽  
Gala True

Women who have served in the military in the United States experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-partner sexual assault (SA). The military setting presents challenges and opportunities not experienced in other employment contexts that may compound the negative impacts of IPV/SA on women’s lives. The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection of women’s experiences of IPV/SA and military service through analysis of women veterans’ narrative accounts. We conducted in-depth face-to-face qualitative interviews with 25 women veterans receiving primary care at a U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. We draw upon Adler and Castro’s (2013) Military Occupational Mental Health Model to frame our understanding of the impact of IPV/SA as a stressor in the military cultural context and to inform efforts to prevent, and support women service members who have experienced, these forms of violence. Our findings highlight the impact of IPV/SA on women’s military careers, including options for entering and leaving military service, job performance, and opportunities for advancement. Women’s narratives also reveal ways in which the military context constrains their options for responding to and coping with experiences of IPV/SA. These findings have implications for prevention of, and response to, intimate partner or sexual violence experienced by women serving in the military and underscore the need for both military and civilian communities to recognize and address the negative impact of such violence on women service members before, during, and after military service.


Partner Abuse ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. PA-2020-0033
Author(s):  
Dana J. Conzemius ◽  
Meagan J. Brem ◽  
Kara B. Wettersten ◽  
Gregory L. Stuart

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent public health issue in the United States that affects millions of individuals each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Throughout their lifetime, 43 million women will experience psychological aggression (CDC, 2019). However, a gap in the literature on traditional gender role beliefs (TGRB) and IPV poses potential expansion on our understanding of individuals who perpetrate violence and adhere to traditional gender roles. The present study investigated whether emotion dysregulation moderated the relationship between TGRB and IPV perpetration among 132 undergraduate men. We hypothesized that TGRB would positively associate with psychological and physical IPV perpetration among men with high, but not low, emotion dysregulation. TGRB positively associated with psychological IPV among men with high and average, but not low, emotion dysregulation. Emotion dysregulation, but not TGRB, positively related to physical IPV perpetration. Results suggest that emotion dysregulation may be an important target for college IPV interventions, particularly for men who endorse TGRB.


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