The present study investigated the effect of social reinforcement on dating violence perpetration and victimization among college-aged individuals who are regular social media users. The purpose of the study is to add to the current body of research on dating violence as it applies specifically to the college-aged population and to assess the influence of social reinforcement from social media. An anonymous online survey distributed via email and social networks included questions about social media use, dating violence victimization and perpetration experiences, and perceptions of peer beliefs about dating violence. The results reveal that individuals who are regular social media users experience a social reinforcement effect on perpetration rates. This study has implications in understanding our deepening connections to the online world and how those connections impact real-world experiences.

Domestic violence research is an important part of both scholarly and practitioner investigations into the circumstances and legal outcomes of domestic violence incidents. To improve upon our current understanding of domestic violence court cases, this study utilizes data from the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida to examine the relationship between socio-demographic factors and domestic violence case dispositions. Using Generalized Estimating Equation modeling, Black's theory of the quantity of law, which proposes that the quantity of law observed between parties varies based on individual characteristics, is used to investigate the relationship between individual case characteristics and domestic violence case disposition outcomes. Findings from this study suggest that different stages of the disposition outcome are related to petitioner and respondent characteristics, and legal and injury factors. The findings from this study are useful to those that are interested in developing a better understanding of the relationship between domestic violence case characteristics and the resulting court dispositions.

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Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is a significant public health problem, with recent prevalence rates suggesting that 15.8% of women and 9.5% of men have experienced sexual assault by an intimate partner (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Intimate partner sexual violence is referred to by various terms, all of which can include a range of sexually abusive behaviors that occur within the context of a current or former intimate relationship. While there is a growing body of research documenting environmental influences on intimate partner violence (IPV) generally, (e.g., socioeconomic conditions, social disorganization, community violence, rurality, availability of firearms; Peterson and Krivo, 2009; Sampson et al., 2002; Voith, 2019) little research has focused solely on environmental influences on IPSV. Additionally, the majority of IPSV research has only examined individual-level predictors of IPSV (e.g., alcohol and drug use, education level, racial inequality, aggression; Bagwell-Gray, Messing, & Baldwin-White, 2015), while ignoring the possible community-level influences. The goal of the current study is to examine both a range of neighborhood and individual-level predictors to explore factors that may influence the occurrence of IPSV. Data for this exploratory project were obtained from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) online incident-based reporting system, which included reported IPSV cases in all 95 counties in Tennessee (n = 86,567). Additional community-level variables were retrieved from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps website. Neighborhood-level predictors include community violence, poverty, unemployment, income inequality, alcohol outset density, rurality, and firearm permits. Individual-level variables include the relationship type (intimate, family, acquaintance), the age of the victim and perpetrator (under 18, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65 and over), and ethnicity. Dependent variables include four categories of sexual assault (forcible rape, sexual assault with an object, forcible fondling, and forcible sodomy). Due to the rare nature of sexual assaults, a nested case control design was used to evaluate the possible community- and individual-level factors impacting occurrence of IPSV. Each individual case of IPSV (four types of sexual assault; n = 2,678) were randomly matched to 5 simple assault cases (n = 47,896) that matched on age, race, and gender. Once cases are fully matched, multinomial logistic regression will be employed to determine the strongest community- and individual level predictors of IPSV. At present, we are continuing to match cases and estimate this to be completed by May. By assessing the relations among environmental and individual influences on IPSV, this study may potentially inform community-level interventions to prevent sexual violence. An intimate partner’s susceptibility to sexual abuse may be influenced by their current environment, compounded further by known individual-level predictors of IPSV. Particularly true to IPSV, sexual assaults have been known to occur “behind closed doors,” which makes enacting social change and employing specific interventions difficult. By understanding both the individual and larger community predictors of IPSV, legal, clinical, and policy interventions may be better tailored to address the occurrence of sexual assault.

This study examines the role of income in a psychosocial resource impairment model that explains partner violence and distress. Using data from a nationally representative sample, we test whether psychosocial resources of social support and self-esteem operate differently in four income groups (poor, "working"-poor, middle and upper-income). Structural equation modeling shows that among women considered working-poor, low self-esteem is relevant for the process through which violence becomes linked to distress. Women of upper-income appear distinct with negative interactions serving as sole mediator of violence and distress. Other findings indicate impaired support may mediate the violence and distress relation for women, regardless of income. Overall, income partially moderates the impact of partner violence on distress, suggesting social contexts should be considered when examining the effects of violence.

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The involvement of women in human trafficking within the United States has received limited research attention. Human trafficking encompasses labor, sex, and organ trafficking (Roberts, 2012). In 2009 the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that women play a significant role in human trafficking. Nagel and Johnson (1994) conclude that, historically, female offenders have stayed at the edge of the criminal justice system. Generally, theories about prosecution and conviction outcomes derive from the study of male offenders. Women can be involved in all aspects of the human trafficking organizations, from the recruitment, to the supervision of prostitutes and to the finances. Pulling from the chivalry theory framework, this study used data sourced from the FBI on human trafficking offenders and their sentencing outcomes to compare the discrepancies between men and women. The current research adds to the existing literature by examining the gender discrepancy on human trafficking case outcomes. The analysis measures how gender influences court-related decisions.