Evolution and study of a copycat effect in intimate partner homicides: A lesson from Spanish femicides

Objectives This paper focuses on the issue of intimate partner violence and, specifically, on the distribution of femicides over time and the existence of copycat effects. This is the subject of an ongoing debate often triggered by the social alarm following multiple intimate partner homicides (IPHs) occurring in a short span of time. The aim of this research is to study the evolution of IPHs and provide a far-reaching answer by rigorously analyzing and searching for patterns in data on femicides. Methods The study analyzes an official dataset, provided by the system VioGén of the Secretaría de Estado de Seguridad (Spanish State Secretariat for Security), including all the femicides occurred in Spain in 2007-2017. A statistical methodology to identify temporal interdepen-dencies in count time series is proposed and applied to the dataset. The same methodology can be applied to other contexts. Results There has been a decreasing trend in the number of femicides per year. No interdependen-cies among the temporal distribution of femicides are observed. Therefore, according to data, the existence of copycat effect in femicides cannot be claimed. Conclusions Around 2011 there was a clear change in the average number of femicides which has not picked up. Results allow for an informed answer to the debate on copycat effect in Spanish femicides. The planning of femicides prevention activities should not be a reaction to a perceived increase in their occurrence. As a copycat effect is not detected in the studied time period, there is no evidence supporting the need to censor media reports on femicides.The work by Torrecilla has been partially supported by Spanish Grant MTM2016-78751-P. The research of Liberatore has been supported by the Government of Spain, grant MTM2015-65803-R, and by the Government of Madrid, grant S2013/ICE-284

Intimate partner violence complaints during COVID-19 lockdown in Spain: a cross-sectional and a case–control study

Background: During the COVID-19 lockdown, a large proportion of the women exposed to intimate partner violence had to live with their abusers full-time. This study analyzes the new official complaints that were filed during the lockdown in Spain. Methods: Data from the Comprehensive Monitoring System for Cases of Gender Violence from the Ministry of the Interior, Spain. Using logistic regression models, the complaints registered during the lockdown were compared to those registered in the previous year. Subsequently, we analysed association between the seriousness of the incident reported and the period in which the complaint was filed. Results: Official complaints decreased by 19% during the lockdown. The probability of complaints during lockdown mainly increased when victims had a relationship with the abusers [odds ratio (OR) = 1.33] and when they lacked social support (OR = 1.22). The probability that the complaints were associated with previous jealousy (OR = 0.87), previous harassment behaviours (OR = 0.88) or the victim’s fear for minors’ safety (OR = 0.87) decreased. In addition, during lockdown increased the probability that the complaints filed were due to incidents of severe physical violence (OR = 1.17); severe psychological violence against women with minors in their charge (OR = 1.22); and severe violence due to threats (OR = 1.53) when the woman had previously suffered harassment. Conclusions: The decrease in new complaints during the studied period and the increase in their severity evidence difficulties in seeking help due to the lockdown. In situations of confinement, it is necessary to design measures that protect women with a lack of social support, and at those who live with the aggressor.This study was financed through the project ‘Gender violence and social and health responses during the COVID-19 crisis’ by the Fondo Supera COVID-19 CRUE-Santander for the period 2020–21 (Ref. FSCovid19-03)

Environment for Education on Industry 4.0

[EN] A new industrial production model based on digitalization, system interconnection, virtualization and data exploitation, has emerged. Upgrade of production processes towards this Industry 4.0 model is one of the critical challenges for the industrial sector and, consequently, the training of students and professionals has to address these new demands. To carry out this task, it is essential to develop educational tools that allow students to interact with real equipment that implements, in an integrated way, new enabling technologies, such as connectivity with standard protocols, storage and data processing in the cloud, machine learning, digital twins and industrial cybersecurity measures. For that reason, in this work, we present an educational environment on Industry 4.0 that incorporates these technologies reproducing realistic industrial conditions. This environment includes cutting-edge industrial control system technologies, such as an industrial firewall and a virtual private network (VPN) to strengthen cybersecurity, an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) gateway to transfer process information to the cloud, where it can be stored and analyzed, and a digital twin that virtually reproduces the system. A set of hands-on tasks for an introductory automation course have been proposed, so that students acquire a practical understanding of the enabling technologies of Industry 4.0 and of its function in a real automation. This course has been taught in a master’s degree and students have assessed its usefulness by means of an anonymous survey. The results of the educational experience have been useful both from the students’ and faculty’s viewpoint.SIAgencia estatal de investigación MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033Comité español de Automática y Siemens a través del premio ‘Automatización y Digitalización. Industria 4.0

Intimate partner violence in Madrid: a time series analysis (2008–2016)

Purpose: This study analyzes whether there are time patterns in different intimate partner violence (IPV) indicators and aims to obtain models that can predict the behavior of these time series. Methods: Univariate autoregressive moving average models were used to analyze the time series corresponding to the number of daily calls to the 016 telephone IPV helpline and the number of daily police reports filed in the Community of Madrid during the period 2008–2015. Predictions were made for both dependent variables for 2016. Results: The daily number of calls to the 016 telephone IPV helpline decreased during January 2008–April 2012 and increased during April 2012–December 2015. No statistically significant change was observed in the trend of the number of daily IPV police reports. The number of IPV police reports filed increased on weekends and on Christmas holidays. The number of calls to the 016 IPV help line increased on Mondays. Using data from 2008 to 2015, the univariate autoregressive moving average models predicted 64.2% of calls to the 016 telephone IPV helpline and 73.2% of police reports filed during 2016 in the Community of Madrid. Conclusions: Our results suggest the need for an increase in police and judicial resources on nonwork days. Also, the 016 telephone IPV helpline should be especially active on work days

Intimate femicide followed by suicide: a descriptive study in Spain

El feminicidio de pareja seguido de suicidio (F-S) es un fenómeno criminal poco estudiado en España, a pesar de las devastadoras y duraderas repercusiones sociales y familiares que provoca y la alarma social que genera. El presente estudio descriptivo pretende mejorar el conocimiento sobre este fenómeno para diseñar estrategias que permitan su prevención. Se analiza una muestra de 40 casos extraídos del estudio del Equipo de Revisión pormenorizada de Homicidios de Violencia de Género. Los datos señalan que los F-S presentan una edad media de 53 años, una diferencia de edad con la víctima de siete años, tienen antecedentes depresivos, sobre todo aquellos perpetradores de más de 60 años, y una elevada presencia de celos, conductas de control y conductas de acoso. Los perfiles de víctimas con mayor vulnerabilidad personal y social no son ajenos a la violencia más grave. De esta forma, los hallazgos muestran que un 10% presenta algún tipo de discapacidad, un 22.5% un trastorno mental, junto con víctimas con problemas de abuso de sustancias, especialmente el consumo de alcohol (17.5%). En el 37.5% de los casos, el F-S se perpetró con la misma arma.Intimate femicide followed by suicide (F-S) is a criminal phenomenon under researched in Spain, despite the devastating and durable social and family repercussions caused and social alarm generated. The present descriptive study aims to increase the empirical knowledge about this phenomenon to design strategies that allow its prevention. A sample of 40 cases extracted from the in-depth study of intimate partner homicides in Spain is analyzed. Findings showed that the F-S have an average age of 53 years old, a difference of age with the seven-year victim, have a depressive background, especially those perpetrators of more than 60 years, and a high presence of jealousy, control behaviors and harassment behaviors. The profiles of victims with greater personal and social vulnerability are not unaffiliated with the most serious violence. In this manner, findings showed that 10% of victims presented some type of disability, 22.5% a mental disorder, as well as victims with substance abuse problems, especially alcohol consumption (17.5%). In 37.5% of cases, the F-S was perpetrated with the same weapon.2021-2

Prospective study of diagnostic accuracy in the detection of high-grade prostate cancer in biopsy-naïve patients with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer who underwent the Select MDx test

[Objectives] This study aimed to externally validate the diagnostic accuracy of the Select MDx test for Significant prostate cancer (Sig PCa) (ISUP > 1), in a contemporaneous, prospective, multicenter cohort with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) between 3 and 10 ng/ml and a non-suspicious digital rectal examination.[Methods and Participants] For all enrolled patients, the Select Mdx test, the risk calculator ERSPC3 + DRE, and a prostatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were carried out. Subsequently, a systematic 12-core trans-rectal biopsy and a targeted biopsy, in the case of a prostate imaging–reporting and data system (PIRADS) > 2 lesion (max three lesions), were performed. To assess the accuracy of the Select MDx test in the detection of clinically Sig PCa, the test sensitivity was evaluated. Secondary objectives were specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and area under the curve (AUC). A direct comparison with the ERSPC + DRE risk calculator and MRI were also performed. We also studied the predictive ability to diagnose Sig PCa from the combination of the Select MDx test with MRI using clinical decision-curve analysis.[Results] There were 163 patients enrolled after meeting the inclusion criteria and study protocol. The Select MDx test showed a sensitivity of 76.9% (95% CI, 63.2–87.5), 49.6% specificity (95% CI, 39.9–59.2), 82.09% (95% CI, 70.8–90.4) NPV, and 41.67% (95% CI, 31.7–52.2) PPV for the diagnosis of Sig PCa. COR analysis was also performed, which showed an AUC of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.56–0.71). There were no differences in the accuracy of Select MDx, ERSPC + DRE, or MRI. The combination of Select MDX + MRI showed the highest impact in the decision-curve analysis, with an NPV of 93%.[Conclusion] Our study showed a worse performance for the SelectMdx test than previously reported, within a cohort of patients with a PSA 3–10 ng/ml and a normal DRE, with results similar to those from ERSPC + DRE RC and MRI, but with an improvement in the usual PSA pathway. A combination of the Select Mdx test and MRI could improve accuracy, but studies specifically evaluating this scenario with a cost-effective analysis are needed.This study received grant support from Ferrer to support the test performance, research meetings, and Central Registration Depository and CRO monitoring of the information platform for multicenter studies (AEU-PIEM/2018/0004).Peer reviewe

Construcción y validación de los formularios de valoración policial del riesgo de reincidencia y violencia grave contra la pareja (VPR4.0-VPER4.0) del Ministerio del Interior de España

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud. Fecha de lectura: 01-03-2017Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 01-03-202

Valoración psicológica del riesgo de violencia: alcance y limitaciones para su uso en el contexto forense

Desde hace tiempo, en contextos jurídicos y científicos existe preocupación por la falta de criterios técnicos para valorar la prueba pericial por parte de jueces y tribunales, dada la influencia que puede tener en las resoluciones judiciales. En el presente trabajo se aborda esta preocupación en relación a la prueba pericial psicológica del riesgo de violencia, que ha adquirido un especial protagonismo con las recientes reformas penales. Se analizan las principales claves explicativas, a juicio de los autores, de las limitaciones en la predicción del riesgo de violencia asociadas a las pruebas más utilizadas en la actualidad con este fin —las guías actuariales y las guías de juicio clínico estructurado—, y se presentan también las ventajas que para los distintos operadores jurídicos puede tener el recurrir a estas periciales. Por último, se sugieren algunos criterios desde el punto de vista técnico que podrían facilitar un análisis crítico de las mismas por parte de jueces y tribunales

Psychopathic femicide: The influence of psychopathy on intimate partner homicide

High scores in psychopathy were associated with acts of violence, and the prevalence of this condition is greater among the prison population than among the general population. In terms of its relation to femicide, two studies, one carried out in Sweden and another in Spain with a prison population, found that psychopathy is an uncommon condition among perpetrators of femicide. This study analyzes 97 cases of femicide in the whole of Spain, in which it was possible to evaluate the degree of psychopathy of the perpetrators using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). The scores are analyzed not only directly, but also in terms of Factors and Facets. The results show an average in the total score of the PCL-R of 14.4, with only 13 subjects (13.4%) presenting scores of 25 or more, and just 3 (3.1%) of these presenting scores of 30 or higher. It was found that, in general, high scores in psychopathy are associated with shorter relationships and less time between the first complaint, the breakup, and the femicide. What is more, characteristics of the victims, such as addiction to toxic substances or economic dependency, also demonstrated a relationship to the scores of the perpetrators of femicide in the PCL-R. Lastly, it was found that the scores in the different dimensions of psychopathy are associated with different types of violence, whereby there was a noteworthy difference between the most explicit violence and control exercised over the partne

Taxonomy of homicides of women in intimate partner relationships

Intimate partner violence prevention is a challenge that has received wide international interest. Homicide is the most serious result of this type of violence, although its prevalence is low and its etiology is complex. This paper briefly reviews the description of the problem from a gender perspective and the existence of asymmetry, the perspective of violence and its description of differential risk factors, and the ecological model that connects personal, contextual, and societal variables, presenting a more integrative proposal. Studies analyzing and comparing homicide profiles are described, as well as the state of the art regarding risk assessment, with special attention to the implications for the Spanish context. Finally, due to its relevance, the existence of typologies of homicides as well as profiles closer to suicidal patterns are discussed (in dyadic homicides and familicides). The available information highlights the need to expand the study of intimate partner homicides and the difficulty of anticipating many of these cases.La prevención de la violencia contra la pareja supone un problema que ha suscitado gran interés a nivel internacional. El homicidio de pareja es el exponente más grave, aunque su prevalencia sea baja y su etiología compleja. Este trabajo revisa brevemente la descripción del problema desde la perspectiva de género y la existencia de asimetría, la perspectiva de la violencia y su descripción de factores de riesgo diferenciales y el modelo ecológico que relaciona variables personales, contextuales y comunitarias, presentando una propuesta más integradora. Se describen los estudios que analizan y comparan perfiles de homicidas, así como la situación en materia de evaluación del riesgo, todo ello con especial atención a las implicaciones para el contexto español. Por último, por su relevancia se discute la existencia de tipologías de homicidas y perfiles más próximos a patrones o dinámicas suicidas (en los homicidios diádicos y los familicidios). La información disponible pone de manifiesto la necesidad de ampliar el estudio de los homicidas de pareja y la dificultad de anticipar muchos de estos caso