Indicadores de pérdida de control, tolerancia y abstinencia en relación al uso de Internet en universitarios

Los objetivos de este estudio fueron, por un lado, analizar la prevalencia de diversos indicadores de pérdida de control, de tolerancia y de abstinencia en relación a la conducta de conexión a Internet y, por otro, examinar las posibles diferencias existentes entre mujeres y varones en las variables de uso problemático estudiadas. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 1301 estudiantes universitarios de ambos sexos, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 30 años, que completaron un cuestionario sobre el uso de Internet. La mayoría de los indicadores de uso problemático presentaron prevalencias inferiores al 10% de la muestra total. Además, el 4,7% de los universitarios presentó a la vez cinco o más de los indicadores analizados. Estos resultados sugieren que, si bien la mayor parte de los individuos hacen un uso adecuado de Internet, existe un porcentaje no despreciable de estudiantes que podrían experimentar dificultades para el control de la conducta de conexión a Internet. En relación a las diferencias entre hombres y mujeres, los varones presentaron con mayor frecuencia más de la mitad de los indicadores estudiados. A pesar de estas diferencias, la autopercepción de los varones de la posible existencia de un uso problemático no fue mejor que la de las mujeres. Finalmente, los hallazgos son discutidos e interpretados a la luz de la evidencia empírica previa.The goals of this study were, on the one hand, to analyze the prevalence of diverse indicators of loss of control, tolerance, and abstinence in the behavior of connecting to Internet and, on the other hand, to examine possible differences between men and women in the variables of problematic use being studied. The sample was made up of 1301 university students of both sexes, ages between 18, 44 and 30 years, who completed a questionnaire about the use of Internet. Most of the indicators of problematic use presented prevalences lower than 10% of the total sample. Moreover, 4.7% of the university students presented simultaneously five or more of the indicators analyzed. These results suggest that, although most of the individuals use Internet adequately, there is a significant percentage of students that could experience difficulties to control the behavior of connecting to Internet. With regard to the differences between men and women, the men presented more than half of the indicators studied with more frequency. Despite these differences, the males' self-perception of the possible existence of problematic use was no better than that of the women. Lastly, these findings are discussed and interpreted in the light of previous empirical evidence

The relationship between the frequency of gender-based violence exposure and Adolescents' psychosocial adjustment: a multilevel meta-analysis

Gender-based Violence Exposure (GVE) is not usually a punctual event in a child's life. However, research into the differential adjustment related to the frequency of GVE is still inconclusive, especially regarding older children and adolescents, hindering the empirical integration and synthesis of this topic. The aim of this metaanalysis was to quantitatively synthesize the documented relationship between the frequency of exposure to GBV and adolescents' adjustment. We analyzed whether the relationships differed by sex, age, study design, violence conceptualization, and measurements. A comprehensive search of online databases was conducted into peerreviewed studies published between January 2000 and September 2020. The searches yielded an initial total of 4850 studies, after screening 35 independent samples, 16,291 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Data were pooled using multilevel meta-analytic models. Overall, our findings provide evidence of the existence of a dose-response relationship between exposure to GVE and adolescents' adjustment. This relationship was especially significant for aggressive behavior, antisocial behavior, and dating violence. These results highlight the need for early intervention programmes to avoid the consolidation and chronicity of adolescent emotional and behavioral problems, and the need for further research on the variables associated with the adolescent's adjustmentThis work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain (Grant number: PGC2018-096130-B-I00) and the funding for the predoctoral contract (PRE2019-091184

Estudio transcultural de víctimas de violencia en el noviazgo: Tipología, caracterización e implicaciones de intervención

Background: Dating violence (DV) is still a global problem of enormous proportions. Scientifi c and social consensus highlights the necessity of performing typological analyses in order to better understand the diverse violent experiences and intervention needs of the victims. Method: The sample comprised 1,308 Mexican and Spanish adolescents aged between 12 and 18, who had been victims of DV. Two-step cluster analyses were performed for each country using the frequency and severity of the victimization as grouping variables, which was followed by an analysis of the differences between clusters in personal and relationship characteristics. Results: The analyses suggested three clusters in both countries: Victims of psychological aggression, Victims of psychological and physical aggression, and Victims of psychological, physical, and sexual aggression. The early start of the fi rst dating relationship and the prolonged exposure to aggression throughout different relationships were associated with the most victimized groups. Conclusions: The fi ndings highlight the need to start intervention strategies at a young age targeting the promotion of skills to recognize and confront violence before it is established as a pattern of coexistence with the signifi cant otherAntecedentes: la violencia en el noviazgo (VN) es un hecho constatado a nivel internacional, resulta necesario profundizar en el conocimiento de la diversidad de las experiencias de las víctimas a través de análisis tipológicos que permitan mejorar las estrategias de intervención existentes. Método: el objetivo del estudio fue identifi car los perfi les de las víctimas de VN en dos países latinos usando como variables de agrupación los tipos de agresión. Participaron 1.308 adolescentes mexicanos y españoles víctimas de VN. Se llevaron a cabo two-step cluster analysis en ambos países en función de la tipos y frecuencia de las agresiones; seguidos de comparaciones entre grupos en las características personales y de la relación. Resultados: los análisis sugieren la formación de tres agrupaciones cluster en ambos países. Los grupos más victimizados se caracterizaron por el inicio temprano de las relaciones y la exposición prolongada a las agresiones en diferentes relaciones. Conclusiones: los hallazgos apuntan a la necesidad de adaptar las intervenciones a edades más tempranas, con el objetivo de promover el desarrollo de habilidades para reconocer y enfrentar la violencia antes de que se normalice, aumente o establezca como un patrón de convivencia establ

Interparental violence and children’s long-term psychosocial adjustment: the mediating role of parenting practices

Subject to file availability and provided the posting includes a prominent statement of the full bibliographical details, a copyright notice in the name of the copyright holder (Cambridge University Press or the sponsoring Society, as appropriate), and a link to the online edition of the journal at Cambridge Journals Online.The objectives of this study were: (a) to examine the direct and indirect relationships among witnessing interparental violence, parenting practices, and children’s long-term psychosocial adjustment; (b) to analyze the possible gender differences in the relationships specified. The sample consisted of 1295 Spanish university students (M age = 21.21, SD = 4.04). We performed statistical analyses using structural equation modeling. The results showed that witnessing parental violence as a child is related to poor long-term psychosocial adjustment during the child’s adult years. Furthermore, we found that parenting practices fully mediated the relation between witnessing interparental violence and the child’s longterm adjustment. The multigroup analyses showed that most of the relations among the variables did not differ significantly by gender. However, the relation between harsh discipline and antisocial behavior was stronger for males, whereas the relation between harsh discipline and depressive symptoms was stronger for females. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for the clinicians and specialists who plan and develop intervention programs for populations at risk.Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: a) analizar las relaciones directas e indirectas entre la exposición a la violencia marital, la conducta parental y el ajuste psicosocial a largo plazo de los hijos; b) examinar la posible existencia de diferencias en las relaciones analizadas en función del sexo del participante. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 1295 estudiantes universitarios (74.4% mujeres; Medad = 21.21, DT = 4.04). Para analizar las hipótesis del estudio se estimaron varios modelos de ecuaciones estructurales. Los hallazgos sugieren que la relación entre violencia marital y ajuste psicosocial de los hijos a largo plazo se produce de forma indirecta a través de un deterioro de diversos aspectos de la conducta parental. Concretamente, las dimensiones de disciplina severa, afecto/apoyo parental y consistencia interparental e intraparental mediaron la relación entre la exposición a la violencia parental y sintomatología depresiva a largo plazo de los hijos. Por su parte, la disciplina severa y la consistencia intraparental mediaron la relación entre la violencia parental y las conductas antisociales. Los análisis por sexo revelaron que la mayoría de las relaciones observadas fueron similares entre hombres y mujeres. No obstante, la relación entre la disciplina severa y la conducta antisocial fue más fuerte para los varones, mientras que la asociación entre la disciplina severa y la sintomatología depresiva fue más elevada para las mujeres. Finalmente, se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados para la planificación de programas de intervención con poblaciones de riesgo

Does time heal all wounds? How is children’s exposure to intimate partner violence related to their current internalizing symptoms?

The effects of time and the longitudinal course of the children’s internalizing symptoms following Intimate Partner Violence Exposure (IPVE) are still of great interest today. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the frequency of IPVE, adverse experiences after the cessation of the IPVE and the time elapsed since the termination of the violent relation on the prevalence of anxiety and depression among children. Participants were 107 children and their mothers who had been victims of IPV and had existing judicial protection and restraining orders. Hierarchical logistic regression models were estimated to analyze children’s adjustment, considering the effect of the time elapsed since the termination, frequency of IPVE, experiences of revictimization, maternal pathology, and anxious anticipation of the mother at the prospect of future harm. Exposure to multiple events of violence at the hands of multiple ex-partners and higher scores in the mother’s anxious anticipation were significant predictors of children’s pathological depression and anxiety. Our results emphasize the need for early psychological evaluation of women and children’s victims of IPV to provide timely interventions that avoid symptoms from becoming chronic. Strategies to bring support and emotional security to the victims after the end of the violent relationship are desirableThis work has been funded by a research grant from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain (PGC2018-096130-B-I00). And the predoctoral contract (PRE2019-091184

Factor structure, psychometric properties, and proposal for a brief-form version of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale: Validation in a court-referred partner-violent men sample

Psychopathy has been widely studied among criminal populations. Most analyses address it in institutionalized populations, however, the present study examines the psychometric properties of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) in 642 court-referred partner-violent men serving suspended prison sentences. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor structure (primary and secondary psychopathy) of the original scale. The resulting scale was a brief-form version of the LSRP that presents satisfactory data in terms of internal consistency and criterion validity, and significant positive correlations with measures of intimate partner violence (IPV), antisocial personality traits and impulsivity. In terms of known-groups validity, meanwhile, psychopathy was found to decrease with the age of the participants. In this light, the LSRP brief-form offers adequate psychometric reliability as an instrument to measure primary and secondary psychopathy in partner-violent men serving suspended sentencesThis research was supported by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (National Plan I+D+I; Reference number: PSI2008-02215

Beyond the initial assault: characterizing revictimization in intimate partner violence and its implications for women’s health

Recent research has emphasized the importance of addressing specific victim-related factors to reduce victims’ vulnerability and prevent future revictimization experiences. This study aimed to analyze the vulnerability profiles of women who were victims of intimate partner violence, including those who had experienced a single incident of violence and those who had endured revictimization. Participants were 338 women with active judicial protection measures registered in the system of support for victims of gender violence (VioGén) in Madrid, Spain. The analysis considered sociodemographic characteristics, victimization history, perceived triggers of violence, women’s responses and feelings, as well as clinical outcomes linked to revictimization history. The study revealed that many victims faced socioeconomic vulnerability. Furthermore, the findings underscored the intricate link between the likelihood of enduring chronic violence and women’s awareness of early indicators of violence risk, their initial responses to aggression, communication skills, and recurrent behaviors in the context of an established violent dynamic. This study offers valuable insights for law enforcement to identify the risk of revictimization. Furthermore, findings raise awareness about the particularly vulnerable situation of some women to repeated victimization experiences and provide relevant information for clinical interventionThis work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain (Grant number: PGC2018-096130-B-I00) and the funding for the predoctoral contract FPI (PRE2019-091184

Intimate partner violence among adolescents: prevalence rates after one decade of research

Introduction: Intimate partner violence research and intervention strategies have grown substantially over the last two decades. However, little research has examined whether the intimate partner prevalence has changed or remained stable over time in Spain. Moreover, few studies have analyzed whether intimate partner violence prevalence rates among genders and age groups have fluctuated similarly or not. Method: The aim of this study was to analyze the trends observed in intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization rates among adolescents in three sample cohorts from Spain interviewed in 2006, 2010, and 2016 (4591 Spanish adolescents; 53.6% girls and 46.2% boys). ANCOVA was used to compare the population means between the cohorts: sex, age, and the type of intimate partner violence, for example, verbal, physical, and sexual. Results: The results showed a significant decrease in intimate partner violence rates from 2006 to 2016, which was more noticeable within the first half of this decade. Throughout the decade, the girls perpetrated more verbal and mild physical assaults, while the boys perpetrated more sexual assaults. However, these results suggest a clear bidirectional intimate partner violence dynamic between the genders. Additionally, late adolescence reported a higher prevalence of aggressions. Conclusions: The results highlight the need to adapt current prevention strategies considering the differences in the intimate partner violence trajectories based on sex and age, with the aim of regaining the marked rate of decline in aggression observed up to 201

Adolescent victims of physical dating violence: why do they stay in abusive relationships?

According to recent international studies, most of the adolescent victims of physical dating violence remain satisfied and committed toward their abusive relationship, giving way to long-term relationships in which the abuse tends to persist and increase in frequency and severity. The objective of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the stay/leave decision of the adolescent victims of physical dating violence. A structural equation model was estimated to explain the direct and indirect contribution of the level of satisfaction, commitment, justification of the aggression, relationship duration, psychological coercion toward commitment, and the consequences of the abuse on the victims’ decision to continue in the abusive relationship. The sample was 456 Latinx adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. The results corroborate that the decision to leave a physically abusive dating relationship is a complex phenomenon related to subjective variables such as (a) the level of satisfaction, (b) cognitive evaluation of the aggression (especially in those couples who have been together for a long time), and (c) the exposure to psychological pressures toward commitment. Future preventive strategies must incorporate actions to help the youngest to evaluate in a more objective and adequate way, the real quality of their first relationships, and aim to modify the justification of the aggression, the recognition of the potential harm, and to foster an adequate balance between the benefits and harm of staying in the abusive relationshi