SEX BEFORE VIOLENCE: GIRLS, DATING VIOLENCE, AND (PERCEIVED) SEXUAL AUTONOMY

This article explores the phenomenon of girl violence by examining teen dating violence and girls\u27 experiences with intimate abuse both as victims and as perpetrators. While there is a tendency to view women\u27s experiences as victims of violence as separate and distinct from their experiences as victims of violence, the two phenomena are interrelated. A girl\u27s violent victimization can lead her to victimize someone else, just as her own violence can lead her to violent victimization. These conversations about young women and sexual behavior are especially important for lawyers and advocates. While the implementation of legal strategies such as civil restraining orders and more aggressive criminal prosecutions provide victims of intimate violence greater legal options, there have been no studies which suggest that these strategies help prevent violence among teens. It is necessary to explore more proactive strategies, such as programs geared to reducing dating violence and sex education classes that fully inform adolescents of the risks of early sexual activity

SEX BEFORE VIOLENCE: GIRLS, DATING VIOLENCE, AND (PERCEIVED) SEXUAL AUTONOMY

This article explores the phenomenon of girl violence by examining teen dating violence and girls\u27 experiences with intimate abuse both as victims and as perpetrators. While there is a tendency to view women\u27s experiences as victims of violence as separate and distinct from their experiences as victims of violence, the two phenomena are interrelated. A girl\u27s violent victimization can lead her to victimize someone else, just as her own violence can lead her to violent victimization. These conversations about young women and sexual behavior are especially important for lawyers and advocates. While the implementation of legal strategies such as civil restraining orders and more aggressive criminal prosecutions provide victims of intimate violence greater legal options, there have been no studies which suggest that these strategies help prevent violence among teens. It is necessary to explore more proactive strategies, such as programs geared to reducing dating violence and sex education classes that fully inform adolescents of the risks of early sexual activity

Are sexual media exposure, parental restrictions on media use and co-viewing TV and DVDs with parents and friends associated with teenagers' early sexual behaviour?

Sexual content in teenagers' media diets is known to predict early sexual behaviour. Research on sexual content has not allowed for the social context of media use, which may affect selection and processing of content. This study investigated whether sexual media content and/or contextual factors (co-viewing, parental media restrictions) were associated with early sexual behaviour using 2251 14–15 year-olds from Scotland, UK. A third (<i>n</i> = 733) reported sexual intercourse. In multivariable analysis the likelihood of intercourse was lower with parental restriction of sexual media and same-sex peer co-viewing; but higher with mixed-sex peer co-viewing. Parental co-viewing, other parental restrictions on media and sexual film content exposure were not associated with intercourse. Findings suggest the context of media use may influence early sexual behaviour. Specific parental restrictions on sexual media may offer more protection against early sex than other restrictions or parental co-viewing. Further research is required to establish causal mechanisms

Spartan Daily April 25, 2012

Volume 138, Issue 44https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/1043/thumbnail.jp

Spartan Daily April 25, 2012

Volume 138, Issue 44https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/1043/thumbnail.jp

Transmission of viruses via our microbiomes.

BackgroundBacteria inhabiting the human body have important roles in a number of physiological processes and are known to be shared amongst genetically-related individuals. Far less is known about viruses inhabiting the human body, but their ecology suggests they may be shared between close contacts.ResultsHere, we report the ecology of viruses in the guts and mouths of a cohort and demonstrate that substantial numbers of gut and oral viruses were shared amongst genetically unrelated, cohabitating individuals. Most of these viruses were bacteriophages, and each individual had distinct oral and gut viral ecology from their housemates despite the fact that some of their bacteriophages were shared. The distribution of bacteriophages over time within households indicated that they were frequently transmitted between the microbiomes of household contacts.ConclusionsBecause bacteriophages may shape human oral and gut bacterial ecology, their transmission to household contacts suggests they could have substantial roles in shaping the microbiota within a household

The effect of relationship status on communicating emotions through touch

Research into emotional communication to date has largely focused on facial and vocal expressions. In contrast, recent studies by Hertenstein, Keltner, App, Bulleit, and Jaskolka (2006) and Hertenstein, Holmes, McCullough, and Keltner (2009) exploring nonverbal communication of emotion discovered that people could identify anger, disgust, fear, gratitude, happiness, love, sadness and sympathy from the experience of being touched on either the arm or body by a stranger, without seeing the touch. The study showed that strangers were unable to communicate the self-focused emotions embarrassment, envy and pride, or the universal emotion surprise. Literature relating to touch indicates that the interpretation of a tactile experience is significantly influenced by the relationship between the touchers (Coan, Schaefer, & Davidson, 2006). The present study compared the ability of romantic couples and strangers to communicate emotions solely via touch. Results showed that both strangers and romantic couples were able to communicate universal and prosocial emotions, whereas only romantic couples were able to communicate the self-focused emotions envy and pride