The Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale: A New Multidimensional Measure of Technology-Based Intimate Partner Aggression

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide initial validation for a measure of adult cyber intimate partner aggression (IPA): the Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale (CARS). Drawing on recent conceptual models of cyber IPA, items from previous research exploring general cyber aggression and cyber IPA were modified and new items were generated for inclusion in the CARS. Two samples of adults 18 years or older were recruited online. We used item factor analysis to test the factor structure, model fit, and invariance of the measure structure across women and men. Results confirmed that three-factor models for both perpetration and victimization demonstrated good model fit, and that, in general, the CARS measures partner cyber aggression similarly for women and men. The CARS also demonstrated validity through significant associations with in-person IPA, trait anger, and jealousy. Findings suggest the CARS is a useful tool for assessing cyber IPA in both research and clinical settings

The Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale: A New Multidimensional Measure of Technology-Based Intimate Partner Aggression

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide initial validation for a measure of adult cyber intimate partner aggression (IPA): the Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale (CARS). Drawing on recent conceptual models of cyber IPA, items from previous research exploring general cyber aggression and cyber IPA were modified and new items were generated for inclusion in the CARS. Two samples of adults 18 years or older were recruited online. We used item factor analysis to test the factor structure, model fit, and invariance of the measure structure across women and men. Results confirmed that three-factor models for both perpetration and victimization demonstrated good model fit, and that, in general, the CARS measures partner cyber aggression similarly for women and men. The CARS also demonstrated validity through significant associations with in-person IPA, trait anger, and jealousy. Findings suggest the CARS is a useful tool for assessing cyber IPA in both research and clinical settings

Bilateral infraorbital nerve blocks decrease postoperative pain but do not reduce time to discharge following outpatient nasal surgery

While infraorbital nerve blocks have demonstrated analgesic benefits for pediatric nasal and facial plastic surgery, no studies to date have explored the effect of this regional anesthetic technique on adult postoperative recovery. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that infraorbital nerve blocks combined with a standardized general anesthetic decrease the duration of recovery following outpatient nasal surgery. At a tertiary care university hospital, healthy adult subjects scheduled for outpatient nasal surgery were randomly assigned to receive bilateral infraorbital injections with either 0.5% bupivacaine (Group IOB) or normal saline (Group NS) using an intraoral technique immediately following induction of general anesthesia. All subjects underwent a standardized general anesthetic regimen and were transported to the recovery room following tracheal extubation. The primary outcome was the duration of recovery (minutes) from recovery room admission until actual discharge to home. Secondary outcomes included average and worst pain scores, nausea and vomiting, and supplemental opioid requirements. Forty patients were enrolled. A statistically significant difference in mean [SD] recovery room duration was not observed between Groups IOB and NS (131 [61] min vs 133 [58] min, respectively; P = 0.77). Subjects in Group IOB did experience a reduction in average pain on a 0–100 mm scale (mean [95% confidence interval]) compared to Group NS (−11 [−21 to 0], P = 0.047), but no other comparison of secondary outcomes was statistically significant. When added to a standardized general anesthetic, bilateral IOB do not decrease actual time to discharge following outpatient nasal surgery despite a beneficial effect on postoperative pain

Effects of Alcohol Intoxication and Neurocognitive Processing on Intimate Partner Aggression

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a serious public health concern that occurs with alarming frequency, results in both physical and psychological harm to victims, and costs billions of dollars per year due to healthcare costs and loss of productivity. These adverse consequences highlight the need to understand risk factors of IPA perpetration. Attempts to identify these risk factors have focused mostly on broad factors that may predispose someone to perpetrate aggression, including individual demographic and dispositional characteristics (e.g., low socioeconomic status, psychopathy). Although valuable, this knowledge cannot reveal the specific circumstances that may prompt an individual to perpetrate aggression against a partner (O’Leary & Slep, 2006). The present study addresses this issue by examining two important situational processes that may play important roles in predicting IPA. Drawing on the alcohol myopia model (Steele & Josephs, 1990), the present study utilizes an experimental approach to test a model in which attentional deficits in neurocognitive processing, which have been independently linked to IPA, are hypothesized to mediate associations between acute alcohol intoxication and partner aggression. This process model was examined in a community sample of individuals with and without histories of IPA perpetration. This project used an experimental design involving lab-based alcohol administration, as well as an assessment of neurocognitive processing using high density EEG technology to assess event related potentials (ERP). A well-validated paradigm for eliciting aggressive verbalizations in the context of romantic relationships is also employed. Results indicated a significant IPA and alcohol interaction in which only individuals with a history of IPA who were intoxicated exhibited increased aggressive verbalizations during anger arousal. Tests of the proposed mediated moderation model were not significant. The importance of targeting alcohol use in the treatment of IPA and implications for the development of intervention and prevention strategies will be discussed, as will possible explanations for the lack of mediated moderation. Advisor: David DiLill

Can College Students Use Emotion Regulation Strategies to Alter Intimate Partner Aggression-Risk Behaviors? An Examination Using I\u3csup\u3e3\u3c/sup\u3e Theory

Objective: Drawing on Finkel and Eckhardt’s I3 theory (Finkel & Eckhardt, 2013), this experimental study examined the effects of emotion regulatory efforts on aggressive verbalizations during anger arousal. Methods: Participants were 236 male and female college students with and without a history of intimate partner aggression (IPA) perpetration. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 emotion regulation strategy conditions: cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, or no instruction. They were trained to use these strategies in response to emotionally evocative dating scenarios presented via the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) paradigm. Participants’ aggressive verbalizations in response to these scenarios were coded. Results: A significant interaction emerged such that IPA perpetrators trained to use cognitive reappraisal articulated fewer aggressive verbalizations than did non-IPA perpetrators; IPA perpetrators instructed to use expressive suppression tended to articulate more aggressive verbalizations than did non-IPA perpetrators. Conclusions: Findings lend support to some of the major tenets of the I3 model, and suggest that emotion regulation strategies may be important treatment targets for IPA perpetration

The Interplay of Trait Anger, Childhood Physical Abuse, and Alcohol Consumption in Predicting Intimate Partner Aggression

The current study examined three well-established risk factors for intimate partner aggression (IPA) within Finkel and Eckhardt’s I3 model, including two impellance factors—trait anger and childhood physical abuse history—and the disinhibiting factor of alcohol consumption. Participants were 236 male and female college students in a committed heterosexual dating relationship who completed a battery of self-report measures assessing childhood physical abuse, trait anger, alcohol consumption, and IPA perpetration. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction showing that as the disinhibition factor alcohol consumption increased, the interaction of the two impelling factors, trait anger and childhood physical abuse, became increasingly more positive. Individuals who had high levels of childhood physical abuse and alcohol consumption were at greater risk of IPA perpetration when trait anger was high. Consistent with the I3 model, these findings suggest that trait anger and a history of childhood physical abuse may increase tendencies to aggress against one’s partner, whereas alcohol consumption may reduce individuals’ abilities to manage these aggressive tendencies. The importance of interplay among these risk factors in elevating IPA risk is discussed, as are the implications for clinicians working with male and female IPA perpetrators

Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment for a Sexually Abused Child and a Nonoffending Caregiver: Case Study and Discussion

This study presents the case of 11-year-old Amanda and her mother (Ms. Jones) who completed Project SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Education), a manualized group treatment for sexually abused children and their nonoffending caregivers. Amanda experienced sexual abuse by her stepfather on multiple occasions over a 4-year period. Prior to treatment, Amanda reported symptoms of anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and fear related to victimization. Ms. Jones also reported clinically significant internalizing problems for Amanda. Ms. Jones presented with stress related to parenting as well as depression and anxiety. Both Amanda and Ms. Jones completed the entire 12-session protocol. Amanda and Ms. Jones’s progress throughout treatment are described, along with implications of the case and recommendations for clinicians and students. Results support the efficacy of the group modality, the importance of including nonoffending caregivers, and the necessity of broad treatment strategies when treating children who have experienced sexual abuse

Group Treatment in a Community Setting for a Sexually Abused Child and a Non-Offending Caregiver: Case Study and Discussion

This study presents the case of an 11-year-old fifth grade female (Amanda) and her mother (Mrs. J) who both completed the Project SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Education) Group Intervention. Project SAFE is a manualized group treatment for sexually abused children ages 7-16 and their non-offending caregivers developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Hansen, Hecht, & Futa, 1998), and delivered at a local Child Advocacy Center. Amanda experienced contact sexual abuse by her 39-year-old stepfather on multiple occasions over a 4-year period. Amanda reported symptoms of anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and fear related to the victimization. Mrs. J also reported clinically significant internalizing problems for Amanda. Mrs. J presented with stress related to her role as a parent and feelings of depression and anxiety. Both Mrs. J and Amanda completed all portions of the 12- session group protocol

Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment for a Sexually Abused Child and a Nonoffending Caregiver: Case Study and Discussion

This study presents the case of 11-year-old Amanda and her mother (Ms. Jones) who completed Project SAFE (Sexual Abuse Family Education), a manualized group treatment for sexually abused children and their nonoffending caregivers. Amanda experienced sexual abuse by her stepfather on multiple occasions over a 4-year period. Prior to treatment, Amanda reported symptoms of anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and fear related to victimization. Ms. Jones also reported clinically significant internalizing problems for Amanda. Ms. Jones presented with stress related to parenting as well as depression and anxiety. Both Amanda and Ms. Jones completed the entire 12-session protocol. Amanda and Ms. Jones’s progress throughout treatment are described, along with implications of the case and recommendations for clinicians and students. Results support the efficacy of the group modality, the importance of including nonoffending caregivers, and the necessity of broad treatment strategies when treating children who have experienced sexual abuse