Purpose: To estimate a) the state of the research of violent behavior and victimization of patients suffering with schizophrenia; b) to identify the prevalence of violent behavior and victimization in patients with schizophrenia and to study predictors of violent behavior. Method: a) detailed analysis of relevant studies in the PubMed database; b) data on violent behavior and victimization in the last six months, physical and sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence, substance abuse and post traumatic stress disorder were gathered in 158 patients with psychotic illness and matched comparison group. Additional information was collected from collateral informants. Several regression analysis was used to identify factors independently associated with recent violent behavior. Results: a) From relevant studies of patients suffering with schizophrenia 72% (n=176) exemined aggressive behavior, 23% (n=55) victimization, and 5% (n=13) both. b) In the sample, the presence of a psychotic disorder was associated with an increased risk of assaults (OR=3.80; 95% CI 2.060-7.014). Additional risk factors in persons with and without psychosis included recent physical victimization (OR=7.09; 95% CI 3.922-12.819), childhood maltreatment (OR=3.15; 95% CI 1.877-5.271), the level of drug use (OR=1.13; 95% CI 1.063-...

Objetivos: Desenvolver e validar instrumento que auxilie o pediatra a determinar a probabilidade de ocorrência do abuso sexual em crianças. Métodos: Estudo de caso-controle com 201 crianças que consultaram em ambulatórios de pediatria e locais de referência para vítimas de abuso sexual, entre março e novembro de 2004: grupo caso (com suspeita ou revelação de abuso sexual) e grupo controle (sem suspeita de abuso sexual). Aplicou-se, junto aos responsáveis, um questionário com 18 itens e cinco opções de respostas segundo a escala Likert, abordando comportamento, sintomas físicos e emocionais apresentados pelas crianças. Excluíram-se nove crianças sem controle esfincteriano e um item respondido por poucas pessoas. A validade e consistência interna dos itens foram avaliadas com obtenção de coeficientes de correlação (Pearson, Spearman e Goodman-Kruskal), coeficiente α de Cronbach e cálculo da área da curva ROC. Calculou-se, após, a razão de verossimilhança (RV) e os valores preditivo positivos (VPP) para os cinco itens do questionário que apresentaram os melhores desempenhos. Resultados: Obteve-se um questionário composto pelos cinco itens que melhor discriminaram crianças com e sem abuso sexual em dois contextos. Cada criança recebeu um escore resultante da soma das respostas com pesos de 0 a 4 (amplitude de 0 a 20), o qual, através do teorema de Bayes (RV), indicou sua probabilidade pós-teste (VPP) de abuso sexual. Conclusões: O instrumento proposto é útil por ser de fácil aplicação, auxiliando o pediatra na identificação de crianças vítimas de abuso sexual. Ele fornecerá, conforme o escore obtido, a probabilidade (VPP) de abuso sexual, orientando na conduta de cuidado à criança. / Aims: Develop and validate an instrument to assist the paediatrician in determining the probability of the occurrence of sexual abuse in children. Methods: Case-control study with 201 children that attended the paediatric out-patient services and the referral facilities for victims of sexual abuse, between March and November 2004: case group (suspicion or disclosure of sexual abuse) and control group (without suspicion or disclosure of sexual abuse). The responsible adults were invited to answer a questionnaire containing 18 items and five answer options, in accordance with the Likert scale, that dealt with the behavioural, physical and emotional symptoms presented by the children. Nine children that lacked sphincter control and one item that was answered by few people were excluded. The validity and internal consistency of the items were assessed by obtaining the correlation coefficients with the (Pearson, Spearman and Goodman-Kruskal), Cronbach’s α coefficient and the calculation of the area of the ROC (Receiver Operator Characteristics) curve. Later, the Likelihood Ratio (LR) and the positive predictive values (PPVs) for the five items in the questionnaire that presented the best performance were calculated. Results: A questionnaire was obtained, composed of the five items that best discriminated children with or without sexual abuse in two contexts. Each child received a score consisting of the sum of the responses with weights from 0 to 4 (range from 0 to 20) that, through the Bayes theorem (LR), indicated his/her post-test probability (PPV) of sexual abuse. Conclusions: The proposed instrument is useful as it is easily applied, is of assistance to the paediatrician in the identification of child victims of sexual abuse. It will give, according to the score obtained, the probability (PPV) of sexual abuse, and so offer guidance in the care of the child.

abstract: The victim-offender overlap is a widely accepted empirical fact in criminology. While many methodological strategies have been used to study overlap, prior studies have assumed that it is uniform, taking little consideration into the potential differences within the overlap. The larger body of criminological research on pathways to crime suggests that victim-offenders also have variability in their victimization experiences and offending patterns. Not accounting for variation within the overlap has produced inconsistent findings in terms of establishing theoretical explanations for the victimization and offending relationship. Several general theories of crime have merit in their assumptions about the relationship between victimization and offending. Routine activity/lifestyle theory, low self-control theory, and general strain theory offer insight into the overlap. Variables derived from these three general theories are assessed to test their ability to explain a more complex conceptualization of the victim-offender overlap. Using data on 3,341 individuals drawn from four waves of the publically available National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a latent class analysis establishes unique victim-offender overlap taxonomies. A multinomial logistic regression is conducted to test how well theoretically derived variables from three general theories (e.g., routine activity theory, low self-control theory, and general strain theory) predict membership in the unique victim-offender overlap taxonomies. Additional multinomial logistic regressions are run using a split sample analyses to test the invariance of the findings across different social groupings (e.g., gender and race/ethnicity). Comparing the more complex operationalization of the victim-offender overlap with the baseline regression models shows notable differences. For example, depression significantly predicts membership in the general victim-offender overlap group, but when taking into consideration variation within the overlap, depression does not consistently predict membership in all taxonomies. Similar results are found for routine activity/lifestyle theory and low self-control theory. Tests of invariance across gender and race/ethnicity highlight the need to consider how theoretical explanations of the victim-offender overlap differ based on social groupings. Males and females have unique risks and needs and these should be reflected in how routines and negative emotions are measured. The findings underscore the need to consider overlap when studying the relationship between victims and offenders. Implications for theory, future research, and policy are also discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Criminology and Criminal Justice 2018

abstract: This research addressed concerns regarding the measurement of cyberbullying and aimed to develop a reliable and valid measure of cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. Despite the growing body of literature on cyberbullying, several measurement concerns were identified and addressed in two pilot studies. These concerns included the most appropriate time frame for behavioral recall, use of the term "cyberbullying" in questionnaire instructions, whether to refer to power in instances of cyberbullying, and best practices for designing self-report measures to reflect how young adults understand and communicate about cyberbullying. Mixed methodology was employed in two pilot studies to address these concerns and to determine how to best design a measure which participants could respond to accurately and honestly. Pilot study one consisted of an experimental examination of time frame for recall and use of the term on the outcomes of honesty, accuracy, and social desirability. Pilot study two involved a qualitative examination of several measurement concerns through focus groups held with young adults. Results suggested that one academic year was the most appropriate time frame for behavioral recall, to avoid use of the term "cyberbullying" in questionnaire instructions, to include references to power, and other suggestions for the improving the method in the main study to bolster participants' attention. These findings informed the development of a final measure in the main study which aimed to be both practical in its ability to capture prevalence and precise in its ability to measure frequency. The main study involved examining the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the final measure. Results of the main study indicated that the final measure exhibited qualities of an index and was assessed as such. Further, structural equation modeling techniques and test-retest procedures indicated the measure had good reliability. And, good predictive validity and satisfactory convergent validity was established for the final measure. Results derived from the measure concerning prevalence, frequency, and chronicity are presented within the scope of findings in cyberbullying literature. Implications for practice and future directions for research with the measure developed here are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Communication 2012

abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role teacher-relational bullying schemas may have in influencing the likelihood of youth seeking teachers' assistance. The first goal of the study was to assess whether supportive and helpful teacher-responses to bullying schemas (TRBS) were associated with greater likelihood of involving teachers, and unhelpful TRBSs was related to lower likelihood of teacher seeking coping. The second goal was to examine possible differences in TRBS and likelihood of seeking help based on sex, grade, personal behavioral blame, personal aggression, and victimization. Towards these aims, data were gathered from 320 fourth and sixth grade students (152 boys; 168 girls) in the fall and spring of the academic year. MANOVA analyses revealed sex and grade differences, such as sixth grade boys were least likely to tell their teacher and most likely to blame their own behavior for being bullied than any other group. Results from a series of regression analyses found personal behavior blame and peer-directed aggression was related with less likelihood of telling. In addition, the association between parents or principal TRBS and telling the teacher was moderated by personal behavioral blame. Moreover, punishment predicted lower probability of telling concurrently and longitudinally. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Family and Human Development 2013

abstract: The present study was designed to extend previous research on early adolescents' involvement in electronic aggression and victimization. A new measure for electronic victimization and aggression was created for this study in order to better assess this type of peer harassment in early adolescence. The first goal of the study was to describe young adolescents' involvement in electronic aggression and victimization by exploring the links between electronic victimization and aggression and (a) youth demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, ethnicity), (b) involvement in traditional forms of aggression and victimization, and (c) gender of the aggression/victimization context (i.e., same-sex aggressor -victim versus other-sex aggressor- victim dyad). The second goal was to examine how electronic victimization and aggression were associated with self-esteem and relationship efficacy. Participants were 826 (49.9% female) 7th and 8th grade students (M age = 12.5 years old; SD = .67). Students were administered surveys during school hours. Results indicated that girls were more likely to be involved in both electronic aggression and victimization than boys. Further, girls were more likely to be both electronic aggressors and victims simultaneously than boys. Finally, those involved with electronic aggression reported higher levels of relationship efficacy than their peers and involvement as an aggressor/victim was associated with lower self-esteem than any other involvement category. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Family and Human Development 2013

abstract: School bullying is a serious problem for children and adolescents, associated with a multitude of psychological and behavioral problems. Interventions at the individual level have primarily been social skills training for victims of bullying. However, investigators have had mixed results; finding little change in victimization rates. It has been suggested victims of school bullying have the social skills necessary to be effective in a bullying situation; however they experience intense emotional arousal and negative thoughts leading to an inability to use social skills. One intervention that has been getting increasing acknowledgement for its utility in the intervention literature in psychology is mindfulness. However, there has been no research conducted examining the effects of mindfulness meditation on victims of bullying. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop an online intervention for victims of bullying that utilizes the cutting-edge technique of mindfulness and to determine the efficacy of this intervention in the context of bullying victimization. Participants were 32 adolescents ages 11 to 14 identified by their school facilitators as victims of bullying. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to assess the efficacy of the NMT program versus a treatment as usual (TAU) social skills program. Results revealed significant decreases in victimization and increases in mindfulness among both treatment groups from pre-test to follow-up and post-test to follow-up assessments. There were no differences found between the two treatment groups for mean victimization or mindfulness scores. Overall, the NMT program appears to be a promising online intervention for bullied teens. Directions for future research and limitations of this study were also discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Counseling Psychology 2013

Objetivos: Desenvolver e validar instrumento que auxilie o pediatra a determinar a probabilidade de ocorrência do abuso sexual em crianças. Métodos: Estudo de caso-controle com 201 crianças que consultaram em ambulatórios de pediatria e locais de referência para vítimas de abuso sexual, entre março e novembro de 2004: grupo caso (com suspeita ou revelação de abuso sexual) e grupo controle (sem suspeita de abuso sexual). Aplicou-se, junto aos responsáveis, um questionário com 18 itens e cinco opções de respostas segundo a escala Likert, abordando comportamento, sintomas físicos e emocionais apresentados pelas crianças. Excluíram-se nove crianças sem controle esfincteriano e um item respondido por poucas pessoas. A validade e consistência interna dos itens foram avaliadas com obtenção de coeficientes de correlação (Pearson, Spearman e Goodman-Kruskal), coeficiente α de Cronbach e cálculo da área da curva ROC. Calculou-se, após, a razão de verossimilhança (RV) e os valores preditivo positivos (VPP) para os cinco itens do questionário que apresentaram os melhores desempenhos. Resultados: Obteve-se um questionário composto pelos cinco itens que melhor discriminaram crianças com e sem abuso sexual em dois contextos. Cada criança recebeu um escore resultante da soma das respostas com pesos de 0 a 4 (amplitude de 0 a 20), o qual, através do teorema de Bayes (RV), indicou sua probabilidade pós-teste (VPP) de abuso sexual. Conclusões: O instrumento proposto é útil por ser de fácil aplicação, auxiliando o pediatra na identificação de crianças vítimas de abuso sexual. Ele fornecerá, conforme o escore obtido, a probabilidade (VPP) de abuso sexual, orientando na conduta de cuidado à criança. / Aims: Develop and validate an instrument to assist the paediatrician in determining the probability of the occurrence of sexual abuse in children. Methods: Case-control study with 201 children that attended the paediatric out-patient services and the referral facilities for victims of sexual abuse, between March and November 2004: case group (suspicion or disclosure of sexual abuse) and control group (without suspicion or disclosure of sexual abuse). The responsible adults were invited to answer a questionnaire containing 18 items and five answer options, in accordance with the Likert scale, that dealt with the behavioural, physical and emotional symptoms presented by the children. Nine children that lacked sphincter control and one item that was answered by few people were excluded. The validity and internal consistency of the items were assessed by obtaining the correlation coefficients with the (Pearson, Spearman and Goodman-Kruskal), Cronbach’s α coefficient and the calculation of the area of the ROC (Receiver Operator Characteristics) curve. Later, the Likelihood Ratio (LR) and the positive predictive values (PPVs) for the five items in the questionnaire that presented the best performance were calculated. Results: A questionnaire was obtained, composed of the five items that best discriminated children with or without sexual abuse in two contexts. Each child received a score consisting of the sum of the responses with weights from 0 to 4 (range from 0 to 20) that, through the Bayes theorem (LR), indicated his/her post-test probability (PPV) of sexual abuse. Conclusions: The proposed instrument is useful as it is easily applied, is of assistance to the paediatrician in the identification of child victims of sexual abuse. It will give, according to the score obtained, the probability (PPV) of sexual abuse, and so offer guidance in the care of the child.

INTRODUÇÃO: O consumo excessivo de álcool é considerado um grave problema de saúde pública e apontado como um importante facilitador das situações de violência, o que sugere uma forte associação entre a ingestão de bebidas alcoólicas e a vitimização por homicídio. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a associação entre o uso de álcool e a vitimização por homicídio em indivíduos autopsiados nos postos médico-legais do município de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: Dados de 2042 vítimas de homicídio no ano de 2005 foram levantados a partir dos laudos necroscópicos obtidos dos arquivos do Instituto Médico Legal de São Paulo. As informações coletadas foram: sexo, idade, grupo étnico, meio de perpetração da morte, concentração de álcool no sangue das vítimas e circunstâncias dos homicídios, como o local, data e horário da morte. RESULTADOS: O álcool estava presente em amostras de sangue de 43% das vítimas, com uma média de alcoolemia de 1,55 ± 0,86 g/l. A prevalência de alcoolemia positiva foi maior entre os homens (44,1%) do que entre as mulheres (26,6%), p<0,01. As armas de fogo causaram a maior parte das mortes (78,6%) e o consumo de álcool foi maior entre as vítimas de homicídio cujo meio utilizado foi a arma branca (p<0,01). Houve uma maior proporção de vítimas alcoolizadas aos finais de semana do que durante os dias da semana (56,4 e 38,5%, respectivamente; p<0,01) e foi encontrada uma correlação positiva entre as taxas de homicídio e a média de concentração de álcool no sangue para a área Central da cidade (rs=0,90; p<0,01). CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados demonstram a magnitude da influência do álcool como fator de contribuição para a vitimização por homicídio no maior centro urbano da América do Sul, fornecendo subsídios para políticas públicas e estudos futuros com o objetivo de prevenir os homicídios e a violência relacionada ao consumo de álcool. / INTRODUCTION: The excessive consumption of alcohol is a serious public health issue and a major factor in triggering violent situations, which suggests a strong association between alcohol ingestion and becoming a victim of homicide. The aim of this study was to assess the association between alcohol use and victimization by homicide in individuals autopsied at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Sao Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Data from 2,042 victims of homicides in 2005 were obtained from medical examiner reports. The victims gender, age, ethnicity, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) information were collected. The method of death and homicide circumstances, as well as the date, time and place of death were also studied. RESULTS: Alcohol was detected in blood samples of 43% of the victims, and mean BAC levels were 1.55 ± 0.86 g/L. The prevalence of positive BAC levels was higher among men (44.1%) than women (26.6%), p<0.01. Firearms caused most of the deaths (78.6%) and alcohol consumption was greater among victims of homicide by sharp weapons (p<0.01). A greater proportion of victims with positive BAC were killed on weekends compared to weekdays (56.4 and 38.5%, respectively; p<0.01), and the correlation between homicide rates and the average BAC for the central area of the city was positive (rs=0.90; p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight alcohol as a contributing factor for homicide victimization in the greatest urban center in South America, supporting public strategies and future research aiming to prevent homicides and violence related to alcohol consumption.

This Master Thesis studies the power relationship between NGOs, politics and the society by performing a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) on NGO press releases concerning the case of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline in the USA. Interactions between mass media and NGOs are rising, hence the organizations are contributing to shape the ‘reality’ and the public’s perception. As CDA has a special interest in social representation and power relations, this thesis examines furthermore the representation of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the light of the theory of victimization. The Indigenous communities refused the construction near tribal reservations because the Pipeline threatens the public health, the Tribe’s water supply, existing Treaties and cultural resources. Especially with the Presidential election in late 2016 and President Trump’s signing of an executive order to advance the Pipeline construction aggravated the situation. To meet the requirements of a CDA, I transfer the concepts of a micro- and macro-level Analysis in the way of Teun A. Van Dijk and connect it in the end with the socio-cultural context. I draw on the concepts of power/knowledge as well as on the concepts of media logic to explain the power relations but also the social representations in the 28 press releases of Amnesty International USA and Greenpeace USA. I conclude with the findings that the Indigenous people are represented as the powerless victims, the NGOs use their press releases to raise awareness but also to serve their self-interests and that the NGO press releases complied the media logics.