#Wetoo? Le molestie sessuali in ambito accademico Per una criminologia (anche) di genere

In the wake of the scientific interest shown towards gender-based violence by the Italian criminology and its affiliated Journal (Italian Journal of Criminology), the authors address a topic that has been much neglected so far, that is sexual harassment in academia. The paper provides definitions of sexual harassment, and explores the dimensions and aspects that characterise it. Data available in the world, specifically in Europe, are synthetically presented, along with the very few existing studies in Italy up to date. Factors that encourage the occurrence of sexual harass-ment within the academic world are explained taking into consideration the different disciplines (e.g., science or humanities). Difficulties in reporting any experience of sexual harassment endured and the “culture of silence” in which the phenomenon is embedded, are among the most prominent factors sustaining it. The negative consequences for the victims, and for academic institutions and research in general, are manifold. Particular attention is devoted to strategies to prevent and repress the sexual harassment in academia, reporting the suggestions that have emerged at an international level, the resources in the occupational and criminal law, and above all the proposals that have emerged from the scientific studies available. The implementation of criminological research – in which the authors are about to engage – is the first and one of the most important means of developing awareness about sexual harassment in academia, and its prevention.Sulla scia del crescente interesse dimostrato per la violenza di genere in tutte le sue declinazioni da parte della criminologia italiana e in particolare da parte della sua rivista, le Autrici affrontano un tema finora meno trattato, quello delle molestie sessuali in ambito accademico. Di queste si forniscono le definizioni e dunque gli elementi che le caratterizzano, si riportano i dati disponibili nel mondo, in Europa e, relativamente alle pochissime ricerche esistenti, in Italia. Sono spiegati i fattori che favoriscono il ricorrere delle molestie sessuali in università, anche in relazione ai differenti settori disciplinari. Fra questi motivi è di rilievo la difficoltà nelle denunce o addirittura la “cultura del silenzio” di cui si riferiscono le ragioni. Le conseguenze negative, che vengono elencate, sono molteplici, per le persone offese ma anche per le istituzioni accademiche e per la ricerca in generale. Particolare attenzione è riservata alle strategie per prevenire e reprimere il fenomeno, riportando i suggerimenti emersi a livello internazionale, le risorse negli ambiti giuridici lavoristico e penale, soprattutto le proposte emerse dalla ricerca. Proprio l’implementazione della ricerca criminologica – in cui le Autrici sono impegnate – è d’altro canto indicata come il primo importante mezzo per promuovere consapevolezza circa le molestie sessuali in ambiente accademico, e per avviare interventi preventivi

An update on intimate partner violence and mental health

INTRODUCTIONː Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a problem worldwide and a human rights issue. The present paper summarizes recent literature on the relationship between IPV and mental health, exploring risk factors for psychiatric patients to be victims and/or perpetrators of violent behavior in intimate relationships. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A search of PubMed, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library databases was performed, looking for papers concerning IPV and psychiatry published between 2011 and 2016. Papers were retrieved and reviewed according to PRISMA statement guidelines. Only research papers with sample sizes >50 adult subjects were included, leading to a first selection of 1486 records. Titles and abstracts were independently screened by three pairs of researchers, following predefined criteria agreed by the authors, yielding 93 articles for review. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Mental disorders, especially posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, are associated with risk for perpetrating IPV. Confounding factors of this association are substance use/dependence, childhood adversity, previous IPV perpetration. Psychiatric patients are at high risk of becoming victims of IPV, but specific risk factors for victimization in this population have been poorly investigated. Rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety and substance use disorders are higher among IPV victims than in the general population. Interpersonal variables and social factors play a key role both in the onset and in the recovery from mental disorders in the aftermath of IPV. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals suffering from a mental disorder are prone to be both victims and perpetrators of IPV. Further research efforts are needed to elucidate the risk factors for victimization, in order to devise effective risk management strategies

The Development of a Screening Tool for Childcare Professionals to Detect and Refer Infant and Toddler Maltreatment and Trauma: A Tale of Four Countries

Abstract: Child maltreatment is considered a pressing social question, compromising the present and future mental and physical health of one in four children in Europe. While children younger than three years of age are especially vulnerable, few screening instruments are available for the detection of risk in this age group. The purpose of this research was to develop a screening tool for childcare professionals working in public and private daycare settings to support them in the early identification and referral of infants and toddlers exposed to emotional and physical abuse and neglect by primary caregivers, to be used in different settings across four European countries: Belgium, Italy, Latvia, and Hungary. Method: A stratified process was used to create the screening tool: We started by using Living lab methodology to co-create the screening tool with its final users, which was followed by testing the tool with a total of 120 childcare professionals from the four participating countries. Results: During the Living Lab phase, a screening tool with three layers was developed. The initial layer includes five “red flags” that signal particular concern and require immediate action. The second layer is a quick screener with twelve items focused on four areas: neglect of basic needs, delays in development, unusual behaviors, and interaction with caregivers. The third layer is an in-depth questionnaire that aids in formalizing a thorough observation of twenty-five items within the same four areas as the quick screener. After a one-day training session, 120 childcare professionals caring for children aged 0–3 from four countries assessed the screening tool and their overall training experience. Childcare professionals reported great satisfaction with the three-layered structure, which made the tool versatile, and agreed on its content, which was considered helpful in the daycare setting for the regular evaluation of the behavior of children and their primary caregivers, thus improving the early observation of change from the normal behavior of the infant or toddler. Conclusion: The three-layered screening tool was reported as feasible, practical, and with great content validity by childcare professionals working in four European countries

Identità di genere, abuso di droga e devianza nelle popolazioni giovanili

L'autrice esamina il fenomeno dei consumi di sostanze stupefacenti nelle popolazioni giovanili con riferimento all'identità di genere, osservando come tale tema si presenti connotato in maniera peculiare rispetto a quanto già evidenziato per le popolazioni adulte. Viene infatti messo in luce come, prescindendo da problematiche comuni ad entrambe le popolazioni, quali quella della minore incidenza numerica del sesso femminile tra i tossicodipendenti, e della più marcata propensione al consumo di psicofarmaci da parte delle donne di tutte le età, il fenomeno si ponga in una dimensione specifica che richiede uno sforzo di comprensione adeguato. In particolare, viene segnalata l'importanza di affrontare il fenomeno secondo una prospettiva che non tralasci il problema del rapporto tra consumo di sostanze stupefacenti e devianza giovanile, in rapporto al quale la letteratura criminologica, alterna posizioni che individuano nella tossicodipendenza una causa della criminalità, a posizioni che vedono l'abuso di droga e la devianza come espressioni di uno stesso stile di vita

Introduction [Stalking in Europe]

This introduction presents a thematic issue of EUROPEAN JOURNAL ON CRIMINAL POLICY AND RESEARCH: Stalking in Europ