Search Results (66)

Background/Objectives: School bullying is a significant issue that negatively impacts children’s well-being, emphasizing the need to identify family-related factors contributing to bullying victimization. This study explored the potential link between parental marital quality and school bullying victimization by employing a moderated mediation model. Methods: Parent–child attachment, measured separately as father–child and mother–child attachment, was tested as a mediator, with child gender included as a moderator. Data were collected from both children and their mothers, comprising 358 mother–child pairs recruited from three primary schools in suburban Beijing, China. Results: Results revealed that greater parental marital quality was associated with a lower risk of bullying victimization, with father–child attachment mediating this relationship. Furthermore, child gender moderated the mediating effect of father–child attachment, such that the indirect pathway from parental marital quality to bullying victimization through father–child attachment was statistically significant for girls but not for boys. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of father–child attachment in preventing bullying victimization and suggest that gender-sensitive implications may be necessary. Full article

Rape is typically committed as a one-on-one crime. However, a relatively high number of rapes (2–27%) involve a single victim and multiple perpetrators. These cases are often referred to as “gang” rapes but are also termed Multiple Perpetrator Rape (MPR). Despite these data, there is a scarce amount of legal decision-making research on this issue. This study investigated legal decision making in an acquaintance rape case involving multiple perpetrators. This study was a 2(Defendant Number: one vs. three) × 2(Victim Intoxication: intoxicated vs. sober) × 2(Participant Gender: women vs. men) between-participants design. Online community members (N = 171) were randomly assigned to read a trial summary involving one of four conditions. The primary results showed that, when the case involved multiple (vs. one) perpetrators, mock jurors were more likely to vote guilty, perceived the victim to be more helpless, and reported less sympathy for the defendant and lower defendant credibility. Cognitive networks showed that jurors in the MPR condition emphasized the number of perpetrators as a primary reason for voting guilty. Finally, there was evidence of a serial indirect effect involving victim helplessness and defendant blame that explained the relation between the number of defendants and verdicts, as well as parallel indirect effects of defendant credibility, sympathy, and anger, and victim helplessness on verdicts. Implications for prosecuting MPR cases are discussed. Full article

Purpose/Objective: Children with disabilities are at a greater risk of being bullied and experience mental health and academic problems that may persist in adulthood. This study examined the association of childhood bullying experiences with current mental health (anxiety and depression) among adults with disabilities, and whether academic satisfaction mediated the relationship between childhood bullying and adult mental health outcomes. Research Method/Design: A sample of 409 adult participants with disabilities who had had their disabilities while attending school, and currently, completed an online survey assessing bullying experiences (California Bullying Victimization Scale-Retrospective), academic satisfaction (Academic Satisfaction Scale), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). Bivariate correlations and two mediation analyses were conducted to identify the direct and indirect effects of school bullying experiences on current mental health outcomes, via academic satisfaction. Results: Participants reported a moderate amount of childhood bullying and relatively high levels of depression and anxiety symptomology (with averages close to or exceeding clinical cutoffs of 10). Bivariate correlations among the four variables were all significantly moderately or strongly correlated. Bullying and academic satisfaction had direct associations with depression and anxiety. Academic satisfaction partially mediated the relationships between bullying and both mental health outcomes. Conclusions/Implications: Bullying prevention interventions and programs, especially geared toward preventing bullying in students with disabilities, are critical to stop the likely long-term impacts of bullying on mental health outcomes in disabled communities. Full article

Background: Workplace violence refers to acts that occur inside or outside the workplace, ranging from verbal harassment, bullying, threats and physical assaults against workers to homicide. Workplace violence in health care settings is an incident involving verbal, physical or sexual assault against healthcare workers by patients, their relatives or others that poses a threat to healthcare workers. Violence in healthcare settings is a significant public health problem, not only for the victims of violence, but also for society because of its direct and indirect, short and long-term effects. Objectives: The aim of this study is to adapt the Workplace Violence Scale in Healthcare to Turkish, to conduct validity and reliability studies, and to determine its psychometric properties in order to overcome the problems faced by health policy makers in assessing workplace violence and to ensure that they implement appropriate interventions. Methods: In the research in which 191 healthcare workers were included in the pilot study and 627 healthcare workers in the main sample, data were collected using the Sociodemographic Data Form and the Workplace Violence Scale in Healthcare. SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0 programs were used to analyse the data. In the scale validity and reliability study stage, Explanatory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis methods were used after the language and content validity analyses. Results: The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.946, and it was observed that the CR values of the scale consisting of five subdimensions and 37 items were over 0.70 and the AVE values were over 0.50. At the same time, in order to reveal the stability of the scale over time, the test-retest method was applied, and it was seen that the correlation coefficients obtained were 0.97 for the whole scale and between 0.80 and 0.94 for its subdimensions, indicating an excellent level of reliability. Conclusions: As a result of this study, it was accepted that the Workplace Violence Scale in Healthcare, developed with five subdimensions (frequency of workplace violence, impact of workplace violence on the individual, reasons for not reporting workplace violence legally, risk factors increasing workplace violence and workplace violence prevention strategies) and 37 items, can be used as a comprehensive and standard measurement tool that evaluates to measure workplace violence in healthcare settings. With this scale, future studies will be able to determine the type of violence (physical/verbal) that patients and their relatives use against healthcare professionals, how often healthcare professionals are exposed to violence, and how they, their families and social circles are affected physically and psychologically by the violence they experience (psychologically and socially). In addition, the results from the sections of the scale that ask about the risk factors for violence, the reasons why violence is not legally reported, and the practices used to prevent violence can guide health and legal policy makers. Full article

(1) Background: The pathways perspective considers how different biological, psychological, and social experiences affect women compared to men and how these experiences can lead to initial justice-involvement and recidivism. The relational model provides context for understanding women’s pathways to the criminal justice system. Interpersonal relationships have strong effects on women’s likelihood to offend. The relationship between risk factors like childhood victimization, adult relationship dysfunction, self-esteem, and self-efficacy are less clear. (2) Methods: Using a sample of justice-involved women, the current study uses a path analysis to investigate the impact of childhood physical abuse on adult relationship dysfunction and if this relationship is mediated by self-esteem and/or self-efficacy. (3) Results: Childhood physical abuse was found to have a significant negative effect on self-esteem and self-efficacy as well as a significant positive effect on adult relationship dysfunction. Indirect relationships were not significant. (4) Conclusions: The current study verifies previous pathways analysis but does not support self-esteem and self-efficacy as mediators of adult relationship dysfunction. Full article

The literature identifies coercive violence in dating relationships as one of the most prevalent forms of violence and a precursor to more severe types of abuse. While the relationship between the sexual double standard (SDS) and religion with intimate partner violence has been studied, there is a lack of research exploring the direct and indirect influence of religiosity through the promotion of the SDS. This gap is particularly evident when considering measurement invariance by gender, despite these variables being shaped by gender norms. Using a sample of Chilean university students, this study examined the structure and factorial invariance by gender of the Sexual Double Standard Scale (DSS) (N = 909) and the Relationship Control Factor Subscale (RCFS) (N = 855). Additionally, the study analyzed, for each gender, the impact of religiosity on experiences of coercive victimization within relationships, considering the mediating role of the SDS (N = 781). Both instruments revealed different structures by gender, leading to the development of independent models for men (N = 278) and women (N = 500). Religiosity emerged as a risk factor for victimization in both study groups. However, it also exhibited a protective effect specifically for women. Full article

This study examined the sequential mediating roles of anxiety and depressive symptoms in the effect of school bullying victimization on suicidal ideation. This study utilized a convenience sample of college students across South Korea, and an online survey was conducted. This quantitative research analyzed data collected from 1037 participants. The sample consisted of an equal gender distribution, with a mean age of 23.65 years (range: 18–30). Additionally, 30% of participants reported a household income of four million won or less (approximately USD $3076). More than half of the participants’ parents had attained a college education or higher. Also, multiple mediation analyses were conducted to examine whether anxiety and depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. In the results, multiple mediation analyses showed that school bullying victimization does not have a direct effect on suicidal ideation. On the other hand, school bullying victimization has an indirect effect on suicidal ideation through anxiety and depressive symptoms, controlling for covariates. Based on these research results, implications for school bullying prevention and intervention were discussed. Full article

The extant research on deviant workplace behavior has mainly examined the consequences of such behavior from a “victim-centric” perspective, while ignoring the psychological and behavioral responses of the employees who engaged in it. Drawing upon moral cleansing theory, we adopt a “victimizer-centric” perspective and contend that employees experience moral deficits after engaging in deviant workplace behavior, which consequently lead to subsequent proactive behavior. We also propose that the indirect relationship between deviant workplace behavior and proactive behavior is contingent upon individuals’ moral courage. Specifically, employees with high moral courage are more inclined to perform subsequent proactive behavior upon perceiving a moral deficit than those with low moral courage. Our hypotheses are supported by empirical data from an experimental study involving 128 participants in the United Kingdom (Study 1) and a multi-wave survey-based field study with a sample of 180 employees conducted in the United States (Study 2). Our research provides contributions to the literature on deviant workplace behavior by demonstrating how and when deviant workplace behavior can lead to subsequent compensatory behavior, as well as practical insights for both employees and organizations. Full article

This study clarified the negative aspects of the self-imposed evacuation of mothers of small children seeking to avoid radiation exposure from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident on 11 March 2011. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 mothers, employing open-ended inquiries based on an interview guide. Our analysis of their responses using the Ka-Wakita-Jiro (KJ) method categorized the results into eight distinct groups comprising 142 labels. These categories included continued anxiety about the health effects of radiation, differences in risk perception, changes in spousal relationships, the inability to make friends and find support, living as a single parent, financial concerns, the unfamiliar feel of the area to which they evacuated, and uncertainty about the future. Despite their hardships, the mothers continued their self-imposed evacuation to avoid radioactivity. Our findings underscore that their anxieties about radiation exposure persisted even after self-imposed evacuation, leading to deteriorated relationships with key individuals who would have been involved in raising their children. These results offer valuable insights into the challenges experienced by the indirect victims of the nuclear accident, such as the mothers of small children. Full article

Violence in intimate partner relationships among young adults has become a global health problem given its prevalence and its negative effects on physical and psychological well-being. The severity of the problem has given rise to a large body of research that has attempted to find the variables associated with victimization in young couples (for example, attachment style, emotional regulation skills or empathy, among others). Moreover, traditionally, many of these investigations have only considered the point of view of female victims within a gender violence approach. However, in recent times, more and more evidence of the existence of mutual violence in young relationships has been found. These findings, combined with simplistic explanations of the phenomenon, have proven to be insufficient to prevent it. In this context, the main objective of this study was to investigate how some variables linked to dating violence interact with each other, modifying the mutual violence young people suffer and exercise. Considering this, different instruments were administered (the Experience in Close Relationships Scale (ECR-R); Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS-E); Basic Empathy Scale (BES); and Multidimensional Couple Violence Scale (EMVN)) to a sample of 557 young Chileans. The analysis of the results, based on the construction of a moderated mediation model, reveals that difficulties in emotional regulation are a predictor of violence in intimate partner relationships, whose direct and indirect effects on the violence exercised can be moderated by that partner’s attachment style. The findings also reveal that there is no association between empathy and violence, and they highlight that both men and women are victims and aggressors at the same time. This demonstrate the need to consider prevention and intervention strategies aimed at both sexes, since intimate partner violence is mutual and reciprocal. Full article

In the context of the existing research on families, sibling violence is a less explored area. However, it has seemingly received more attention recently, and it can assume a relevant role in understanding the maladaptive behavior of youngsters and bullying. Additionally, adolescents involved in bullying and self-esteem are associated with disruptive violence inside the family context. This study’s sample consisted of 286 students, aged between 12 and 17 years, from both sexes. This study intends to explore the association between sibling violence and bullying behavior in peers and the mediator effect of self-esteem. The measures for data collection were a demographic questionnaire, the Social Exclusion and School Violence Questionnaire, The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (Portuguese version for siblings), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results show a negative effect between negotiation in the sibling relationship (victimization) and social exclusion and verbal aggression related to bullying behavior. Self-esteem represents a total and negative mediator in this connection. Our results also show a variety of indirect outcomes amongst the negotiation dimension, psychological aggression and injury between siblings, and the social exclusion and verbal aggression dimensions (on the aggression and victimization scales). The results will be discussed according to the attachment theory but considering the importance of affective bonds with siblings as a predisposing factor to an adaptive development course. Full article

This study investigated the effect of the poly-victimization pattern of traumatic childhood experiences on aggression via the impulsivity traits positive urgency, negative urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, and sensation-seeking in 102 poly-victims of childhood trauma (71.57% were females; M_age = 35.76; SD_age = 15.91). Analyses with poly-victimization as an independent variable, impulsivity traits as parallel mediators, (1) reactive aggression or (2) proactive aggression as dependent variables, and gender as a covariate revealed that the poly-victimization did not have a direct or indirect effect on reactive or proactive aggression, nor did it have an effect on any of the impulsivity traits. Moreover, lack of premeditation had a positive direct effect on reactive aggression, while gender was a significant covariate in both models, with males reporting more aggression than females. Findings suggest that the poly-victimization does not influence impulsivity traits and aggression in adulthood. However, in males, the poly-victimization had a positive and moderate correlation with reactive aggression and negative urgency, while these correlations were absent in females. This finding implies that males are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of childhood poly-victimization than females. Full article

Background: Existing research has revealed a robust association between bullying victimization and psychological distress, but less is known about the underlying mechanism of this link. cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies could be a potential mediator. The current study examined the role of functional and dysfunctional CER strategies as potential mediators of the association between bullying victimization and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among 638 high school students (53.9% boys; Mean age = 15.65, SD = 1.32). Method: Participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing bullying victimization (Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire), CER strategies (CERQ-18), and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21). The indirect relationships between bullying victimization and psychopathological symptoms via functional and dysfunctional CER strategies were tested through structural equation modeling. Results: Dysfunctional CER strategies mediated the impact of bullying victimization on depression, anxiety, and stress. In contrast, bullying victimization did not significantly influence functional CER strategies. Conclusions: The findings provide additional support for the detrimental role of bullying victimization on mental distress, also suggesting that this effect is not only direct, but indirect is well. These results are particularly relevant in light of the absence of mediation by protective factors such as the use of positive emotion regulation strategies. Full article

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic health condition thought to be influenced by personal life experiences and emotional stress sensitivity (neuroticism). In the present study, we examined the impact of cumulative trauma experiences and trait neuroticism (as a measure for emotional stress vulnerability) on physical and mental functioning of n = 211 patients diagnosed with IBD (112 Crohn’s disease, 99 ulcerative colitis). All patients were assessed for self-reported trauma histories, emotional stress vulnerability, clinical disease activity, functional gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and quality of life. Results showed that patients with severe IBD activity have endured significantly more interpersonal trauma and victimization than those with quiescent IBD. Moreover, cumulative trauma was found to exert an indirect (neuroticism-mediated) effect on patients’ symptom complexity, with trauma and neuroticism conjointly explaining 16–21% of the variance in gastrointestinal and 35% of the variance in mental symptoms. Upon correction for condition (using a small group of available controls, n = 51), the predictive capacity of trauma and neuroticism increased further, with both predictors now explaining 31% of the somatic—and almost 50% of the mental symptom heterogeneity. In terms of trauma type, victimization (domestic violence and intimate abuse) proved the best predictor of cross-sample symptom variability and the only trauma profile with a consistent direct and indirect (neuroticism-mediated) effect on patients’ mental (QoL) and physical fitness. Results are consistent with the growing body of evidence linking experiential vulnerability factors (trauma and neuroticism) and associated feelings of personal ineffectiveness, helplessness, and uncontrollability to interindividual differences in (GI) disease activity and quality of life. Full article

Do victims really help their abusive supervisors? Does abusive supervision have any positive consequence? The study aims to address this concern through extending the work by Tröster and Van Quaquebeke (2021). Using subordinates’ self-reports, Tröster and Van Quaquebeke (2021) found that abusive supervision in high-quality leader–member exchange (LMX) relationship motivates subordinates to blame themselves, subsequently making them feel guilty and make up for it by being more helpful. By integrating both subordinates’ and supervisors’ perspectives, and using multi-wave, multi-source, and multi-level data collected in China, we obtain three major findings. First, as a replication of their findings, LMX moderates the direct effect of abusive supervision on workplace self-blame, and the indirect effect of abusive supervision on workplace guilt via workplace self-blame. The positive direct and indirect effects are stronger when LMX quality is higher. Second, different from their findings, LMX moderates the indirect effect of abusive supervision on supervisor-directed helping (evaluated by supervisors) via workplace self-blame and workplace guilt such that the negative indirect effect is stronger when LMX quality is higher. Third, as an extension, supervisor-evaluated LMX (SLMX) moderates the effect of workplace guilt on supervisor-directed helping such that the negative effect is stronger when SLMX is lower-quality. Put together, LMX and SLMX moderate the indirect effect of abusive supervision on supervisor-directed helping via workplace self-blame and workplace guilt. The negative indirect effect is stronger when LMX quality is higher, but SLMX quality is lower. Our study challenges previous speculations on the positive or beneficial consequences of abusive supervision, and thus contributes to the literature on abusive supervision. Full article