Who gets custody of the friends? Online narratives of changes in friendship networks following relationship breakdown

This article explores online narratives of the loss or change of friendships following an intimate partner relationship breakdown. Drawing on internet forum discussions, we explore individuals’ transitions from coupled to single, and the multiple ways in which this affects their friendship ties. Forum users struggled to reconcile friends’ abandonment or distance with cultural representations of friendship as providing intense emotional support during critical life transitions. Users also reflect on the impact of their recent singlehood on friendships established and maintained while coupled, with relationship breakdown illuminating previously unacknowledged couple privilege. We argue that the loss of friendships exacerbated and became part of the break-up experience, illustrating the embedded nature of relationships (Smart, 2007). Relationship breakdown is perceived as acting as an ‘ordeal’ for friendship, revealing the depth and quality of existing ties, as users reflect on their own neglect of friendships while they were coupled.

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of maternal sexuality during pregnancy

Objective To investigate the quantitative and qualitative measures of the complex relationship between sexuality and the pregnant state. Methods An anonymous questionnaire [comprising the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire, the Evaluation and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication and Happiness (ENRICH) Marital Satisfaction Scale, scale of attitudes toward sexuality, the World Health Organization (WHO) Well-Being Index and the scale of body image] was given to 243 women during antenatal classes. Results We evaluated 200 primiparous women, with an average age of 30.5 years (range 21–44), at an average gestational age of 31.6 weeks (range 19–38). We found that sexual intercourse during pregnancy is less frequent and less satisfying compared to the pre-pregnancy period. Sexuality or certain aspects of sexuality (arousal and satisfaction with sexuality) are associated with the fear of hurting the fetus, satisfaction with intimate partner relationship, general attitude toward sexuality, physical self-image and general well-being. Women who are more satisfied with their intimate partner relationship are also more satisfied with their sexuality. Conclusion Sexuality and sexual well-being during pregnancy are associated with the fear of hurting the fetus, satisfaction with intimate partner relationship, attitude toward sexuality, physical self-image and general well-being.

Police Students’ Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence in Same-Sex Relationships

The knowledge of same-sex intimate partner violence (IPV) is limited. This study aims to investigate the perception of seriousness of same-sex IPV. A vignette study was undertaken among 248 police students (69% males and 31% females) in Sweden. The vignettes portrayed an intimate partner relationship between two people and were available in four versions with the sex of the offender and victim being alternated. Perceptions of IPV were measured using the Opinions of Domestic Violence Scale (Ahmed et al., 2013). The results showed that regardless of gender, IPV was considered serious; however, same-sex IPV was perceived as less serious than victimization of a heterosexual female but more serious than victimization of a heterosexual male. Police interventions were found to be less needed for same-sex victims than for heterosexual female victims.

Retraction of Complaints Among Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Living in Poverty in Nicaragua

Retraction among female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) who report their abuser is a major problem in all societies. This article describes a study of 136 female victims of physical IPV living in poverty in Nicaragua, one of the countries with the lowest levels of development in Central America. This article analyses the aspects that differentiate women living in poverty who retracted after reporting IPV from those who did not. The results show that retraction is widespread among female victims of IPV living in poverty in León (Nicaragua). Although it is difficult to predict the retraction behaviour of the respondents, some differences between the women who retracted their complaint and those who did not were observed. A combination of five variables (including personal circumstances and beliefs about the intimate partner relationship and family) was the best alternative for discriminating between women who had retracted and those who had not.