A Focus on Strength-based Outcomes of Wartime Sexual Violence in a Sample of Ethnically Diverse Women from Bosnia and Herzegovina

There has been a surge of academic interest in wartime sexual violence since the Bosnian and Rwandan wars in the 1990s. However, there is a paucity of research on the outcomes of wartime sexual violence for women and the research is limited in two important ways. One, women’s outcomes have been largely examined from the trauma of rape discourse, a deficit-based perspective that rape is necessarily (and permanently) traumatic. Two, there is a lack of ethnic diversity in the study samples that seems to be primarily fueled by ‘rape as genocide’ or ‘rape as ethnic cleansing’ discourses. The purpose of this study was to examine outcomes of women’s wartime sexual violence, focusing on strength-based outcomes and how these may be associated with women’s ethnic origin. Tape-recorded semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 ethnically diverse women (i.e., Muslim, Serb, and Croat) who were victimized by sexual violence during the Bosnian war (1992-1995). The women were recruited through “Women Victims of War” – an organization that works with victims of wartime sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to allow women’s complicated post-rape experiences to emerge. Within the context of the study’s purpose, five relevant superordinate themes emerged from the analysis. The first superordinate theme, “multi-faceted outcomes (consequences and strengths) of complex trauma in war”, was common to all participants and addresses the consequences of complex trauma on the women’s lives as well as the strengths gained or retained after the wartime events, including the rape(s). The second superordinate theme, “life with intersectional identities”, was also common to all participants. This theme was about the women’s perceived perceptions of the motivations for the wartime events (including sexual violence) which can be summarized as being primarily about gender and nationality/ethnicity. In the third superordinate theme, “loneliness”, women discussed the direct and indirect impact of the war on the loneliness they felt. This theme was present only for non-Muslim women. A fourth superordinate theme, “avoidance of the word ‘rape’”, was noted in a small group of women who never used the language “rape” or “sexual assault” or “sexual abuse” when describing their experiences. Finally, in the fifth superordinate theme, “culture as contributing to upholding patriarchal ideals in recovery process”, one woman discussed the direct connection she made between her process of recovery and the culture’s perceptions of sex and sexual assault. Analysis of the interviews suggested that a deficit-based lens and its prescription that sexual violence is necessarily and permanently traumatic does not take into account the strengths that women retain or develop as part of the recovery process. Furthermore, although there are many similarities in the outcomes of women with diverse ethnic backgrounds, there are also important differences (i.e., loneliness) that may be crucial in understanding the implications of relying on the \u27rape as genocide\u27 or \u27rape as ethnic cleansing\u27 discourses

Judgments of arrest and attitudes toward women\u27s self-defence in situations of intimate partner violence

Recent changes in police enforcement of the policy of mandatory arrest in heterosexual domestic violence situations have resulted in increased rates of women being arrested for assault even though their violence was in self-defence. Fifty-five university students participated in the online pilot study (phase 1) examining the perceptions of stereotypic and non-stereotypic female self-defence. The most (scratching) and least stereotypic (use of a kitchen knife) behaviours were then inserted into scenarios in the main study. Forty-five potential police officers from university and college settings participated online in the main study (phase 2) which examined attitudes and reactions to the victim, perpetrator, perceived appropriate interventions and acceptability of violence of both individuals, when a woman has used violence in self-defence. Though the majority of participants condemned the man\u27s violence and would arrest him, a sizeable proportion of participants did not view the woman\u27s self-defence as acceptable and would not rule out arresting her

Personality and motivations associated with Facebook use

Facebook is quickly becoming one of the most popular tools for social communication. However, Facebook is somewhat different from other Social Networking Sites as it demonstrates an offline-to-online trend; that is, the majority of Facebook Friends are met offline and then added later. The present research investigated how the Five-Factor Model of personality relates to Facebook use. Despite some expected trends regarding Extraversion and Openness to Experience, results indicated that personality factors were not as influential as previous literature would suggest. The results also indicated that a motivation to communicate was influential in terms of Facebook use. It is suggested that different motivations may be influential in the decision to use tools such as Facebook, especially when individual functions of Facebook are being considered

The influence of shyness on the use of Facebook in an undergraduate sample

Researchers have suggested that individual differences will help to determine which online communication tools appeal to and are used by different individuals. With respect to the domain of computer-mediated communication, shyness is a particular personality trait of interest, as forums provide opportunities for social interactions that shy individuals might otherwise avoid. The present study investigated the personality trait of shyness and its relation with certain features of an online communication tool (Facebook). We hypothesized that shyness would be significantly related to the quantity of time spent on Facebook, the number of contacts added to one’s Facebook profile, and attitudes toward Facebook. Our findings supported that shyness was significantly positively correlated with the time spent on Facebook and having favorable attitudes toward the social networking site. Furthermore, shyness was significantly negatively correlated with the number of Facebook “Friends.” Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research are addressed

Development of a hidradenitis suppurativa patient decision aid

Background: Patient decision aids (PDAs) are tools that facilitate informed shared decision-making between patients and health care providers. To address a previously identified need in treatment decision-making in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), we developed an HS-PDA.Methods: Development of the HS-PDA was based on International Patient Decision Aids Standards. Evidence was derived from the North American Clinical Management Guidelines for HS.Results: Content from guidelines was transformed into patient-friendly language and reviewed by three physicians and two patient representatives. Feedback on HS-PDA content, presentation and practicality was obtained from 7 HS patients and 5 physicians. Revisions were made following thematic analysis. All patients felt the content on treatment options contained the right amount of information and 5 found it helpful to see these options contextualized to their values. Each stated they would use the HS-PDA during treatment decision-making. Three and four physicians respectively indicated the content was accurate and language was patient-friendly.Limitations: Small sample sizes may limit generalizability.Conclusion: This HS-PDA was developed in accordance with international standards based on current HS guidelines with input from patients and physicians. It is available online without cost

Development of a hidradenitis suppurativa patient decision aid

Background: Patient decision aids (PDAs) are tools that facilitate informed shared decision-making between patients and health care providers. To address a previously identified need in treatment decision-making in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), we developed an HS-PDA.Methods: Development of the HS-PDA was based on International Patient Decision Aids Standards. Evidence was derived from the North American Clinical Management Guidelines for HS.Results: Content from guidelines was transformed into patient-friendly language and reviewed by three physicians and two patient representatives. Feedback on HS-PDA content, presentation and practicality was obtained from 7 HS patients and 5 physicians. Revisions were made following thematic analysis. All patients felt the content on treatment options contained the right amount of information and 5 found it helpful to see these options contextualized to their values. Each stated they would use the HS-PDA during treatment decision-making. Three and four physicians respectively indicated the content was accurate and language was patient-friendly.Limitations: Small sample sizes may limit generalizability.Conclusion: This HS-PDA was developed in accordance with international standards based on current HS guidelines with input from patients and physicians. It is available online without cost

Proceeding report of the Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances (SHSA)

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic debilitating skin condition that impairs the productivity and the quality of patients` lives. HS has recently drawn lots of attention among scholars to further expand their knowledge but it still loads with uncertainties and gaps to be explored. This publication addresses these uncertainties, and provides a road-map for researchers, scholars and clinicians from different disciplines for their future studies about HS. This is a proceeding report of the first Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances (SHSA), and it reviews the scientific sessions about the epidemiology, pathophysiology, presentations, and management of HS. This symposium was a great opportunity for experts in the HS field to exchange their knowledge, and improve their mutual understanding of this disease

Global perspective of familial hypercholesterolaemia: a cross-sectional study from the EAS Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC)

Background The European Atherosclerosis Society Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC) global registry provides a platform for the global surveillance of familial hypercholesterolaemia through harmonisation and pooling of multinational data. In this study, we aimed to characterise the adult population with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and described how it is detected and managed globally. Methods Using FHSC global registry data, we did a cross-sectional assessment of adults (aged 18 years or older) with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of probable or definite heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia at the time they were entered into the registries. Data were assessed overall and by WHO regions, sex, and index versus non-index cases. Findings Of the 61 612 individuals in the registry, 42 167 adults (21 999 [53·6%] women) from 56 countries were included in the study. Of these, 31 798 (75·4%) were diagnosed with the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria, and 35 490 (84·2%) were from the WHO region of Europe. Median age of participants at entry in the registry was 46·2 years (IQR 34·3–58·0); median age at diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia was 44·4 years (32·5–56·5), with 40·2% of participants younger than 40 years when diagnosed. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors increased progressively with age and varied by WHO region. Prevalence of coronary disease was 17·4% (2·1% for stroke and 5·2% for peripheral artery disease), increasing with concentrations of untreated LDL cholesterol, and was about two times lower in women than in men. Among patients receiving lipid-lowering medications, 16 803 (81·1%) were receiving statins and 3691 (21·2%) were on combination therapy, with greater use of more potent lipid-lowering medication in men than in women. Median LDL cholesterol was 5·43 mmol/L (IQR 4·32–6·72) among patients not taking lipid-lowering medications and 4·23 mmol/L (3·20–5·66) among those taking them. Among patients taking lipid-lowering medications, 2·7% had LDL cholesterol lower than 1·8 mmol/L; the use of combination therapy, particularly with three drugs and with proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin type 9 inhibitors, was associated with a higher proportion and greater odds of having LDL cholesterol lower than 1·8 mmol/L. Compared with index cases, patients who were non-index cases were younger, with lower LDL cholesterol and lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases (all p<0·001). Interpretation Familial hypercholesterolaemia is diagnosed late. Guideline-recommended LDL cholesterol concentrations are infrequently achieved with single-drug therapy. Cardiovascular risk factors and presence of coronary disease were lower among non-index cases, who were diagnosed earlier. Earlier detection and greater use of combination therapies are required to reduce the global burden of familial hypercholesterolaemia. Funding Pfizer, Amgen, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Sanofi–Aventis, Daiichi Sankyo, and Regeneron