The aim of the current study was to examine the psychological responses of victims during sexual assault, focusing on tonic immobility (TI). TI is characterized by immobility in situations involving ...the threat of death or a threat to one’s physical integrity. In the current study, 143 sexual assault victims consented to participate in the survey and completed the questionnaires. An exploratory categorical factor analysis revealed that the psychological responses of victims during sexual assaults comprised two factors: TI and fear. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that victims’ fear during the sexual assault increased their TI responses. Furthermore, the high variation of violence, which was influenced by prior relationships between victims and offenders, increased fear and TI responses.
Abstract Unsolicited third-party affiliation occurs when victims of aggression receive a spontaneous affinitive contact from a bystander. Consolation is a specific type of unsolicited third-party ...affiliation showing two key components: 1) it alleviates distress in the victims and 2) is preferentially directed towards friends. Consolation was thought to be present only in humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos linked to their higher cognitive and empathic abilities. Previous investigations in monkeys found unsolicited third-party affiliation in only two species with no evidence of consolation. In the research presented here we set out to test a number of hypotheses concerning third-party affiliation in Macaca fuscata and M. tonkeana , two species that differ remarkably for social style. M. fuscata is despotic, while M. tonkeana is one of the most tolerant species of macaques. We found no evidence of unsolicited third-party affiliation in M. fuscata , but it was present in M. tonkeana . In this species we found that unsolicited third-party affiliation reduced anxiety (measured by scratching) in the victims and was directed towards friends and especially towards females who experienced higher levels of anxiety compared to males. Third-party affiliation also occurred more frequently in the absence of reconciliation. All the key features used to recognize consolation in humans and great apes are present in M. tonkeana making it difficult not to conclude that consolation exists in this species. Since consolation is most often considered to be driven by empathy, our results suggest that Tonkean macaques are capable of empathetically reacting to the victim’s state of anxiety. Our results support the Social Constraints Hypothesis showing that the degree of tolerance is a key factor in the expression of consolation. Investigating behavioral patterns driven by even the most basic forms of empathy requires the choice of an appropriate species and Macaca tonkeana is a good model to investigate the full phylogenetic range, evolutionary depth, and origin of empathy in primates.
Este artículo analiza la cuestión de las políticas de violencia de género, apoyándose, entre otras fuentes, en los resultados y conclusiones de un informe de auditoría en torno a la violencia de ...género en Andalucía (CCA, 2022). Lo haremos con una reflexión y perspectiva que procura aportar una visión de carácter crítico yendo más allá de dicho informe. Estudiamos los alcances y limitaciones de los recursos de la intervención institucional, centrándonos en los servicios de atención y acogida a las víctimas post-violencia, o que están en situaciones de alto riesgo de sufrirla. Partiendo de los hallazgos, realizamos una interpretación sociológica, para evaluar las medidas, que se prestan tras el proceso de denuncia, activadas por la Junta de Andalucía en torno a la violencia de género en el periodo 2016-2019 consistentes en la provisión de asistencia, acogida y protección en aras de la recuperación de las víctimas de la violencia machista. Según los indicadores, los recursos y servicios movilizados se encuentran estancados, y contribuyen apenas a aliviar a una fracción menor de víctimas. Los dispositivos y medidas no abordan aspectos socialmente preventivos de la violencia machista que no refieran a las mujeres atendidas, dada la infradotación de medios destinados a una intervención que se limita a asistir, acoger, proteger y apoyar a las mujeres víctimas y sus personas dependientes en una situación grave y de emergencia, con un carácter de mínimos y en términos de último recurso. This article analyses the issue of gender-based violence policies, based, among other sources, on the results and conclusions of an audit report on gender-based violence in Andalusia (CCA, 2022). We will do so with a reflection and perspective that seeks to provide a critical vision that goes beyond the report. We study the scope and limitations of institutional intervention resources, focusing on the care and shelter services for post-violence victims, or those who are at high risk of suffering it. Based on the findings, we carried out a sociological interpretation to evaluate the measures, which are provided after the reporting process, activated by the Junta de Andalucía in the period 2016-2019 regarding gender-based violence, consisting of the provision of assistance, shelter and protection for the recovery of victims of gender-based violence. According to the indicators, the resources and services mobilised are stagnant, contributing only to the relief of a minor fraction of victims. The mechanisms and measures do not address socially preventive aspects of male violence that do not refer to the women in care, given the lack of resources allocated to an intervention that is limited to assisting, sheltering, protecting and supporting women victims and their dependents in a serious and emergency situation, with a minimal character and in terms of last resort.
This article analyses the viewpoints of Spanish youth regarding prostitution, sex workers, and their opinions on what the law surrounding sex work should be. Spain is currently in the grip of a great ...debate, tending to adopt the punishment of sex buyers. To investigate this issue, 3126 young participants aged 16–30 were surveyed through an online questionnaire in December 2020, which consisted of 21 questions. A factor analysis revealed three distinct perceptions of prostitution falling into three categories: ‘As a choice’ (22.8%), ‘as coercive’ (27.9%), and ‘as economic necessity’ (49.3%). Correspondingly, the legal positions on prostitution varied depending on the perceptions of paid sex: viewing prostitution ‘as coercive’ was associated with the criminalisation of prostitution, while considering sex work ‘as a choice’ was related to the regulation of prostitution. In conclusion, the young Spaniards surveyed do not consider all those who offer paid sex as victims of trafficking; instead, they differentiate based on the connection between trafficking and the sex industry. These diverse perceptions contribute to policy recommendations aimed at preventing the negative consequences of prostitution, implementing harm reduction measures to safeguard sex workers, and moving beyond dichotomous policies of criminalization and regulation.
‘Care’ in a policing context naturally focuses on supporting victim-survivors. The aim of this article is to consider care for police officers who have regular exposure to rape and serious sexual ...offences cases and officer gender roles. We consider the care provided to (predominantly) female victim-survivors of rape and serious sexual offences by both male and female police officers and differences by gender in how officers support their own wellbeing. The overall findings, based on a cross-sectional survey, interviews and focus groups in five police forces in England and Wales, suggest that officers’ perceptions of their ability to cope and wellbeing are affected differently by gender. The quantitative findings suggest that rape and serious sexual offences officers have high levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and burnout, but female officers are better at prioritising wellbeing than their male counterparts. This research recommends equipping officers through specialist rape and serious sexual offences training that recognises ‘care’ as a necessary component of policing.
Based on data taken from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) youth and community workers, this article highlights the occupational stressors experienced by LGBT+ professionals who provide ...emotional support to service users and theorises the potential for vicarious victimisation to occur as a result. Research suggests that the emotional harms of ‘hate’ can indirectly victimise those with a shared identity as the primary victim, through emotional contagion. However, little research has been carried out on those who support victims of hate. I theorise that vicarious victimisation may occur where an individual, who shares the primary victim’s identity, takes on their experiences through a therapeutic relationship as a negative consequence of the emotional labour performed.
Aim: This study aimed to explore the knowledge on the second victim phenomenon (SVP) in health care, more specifically within the speciality of obstetrics. Methods: An extensive electronic search of ...multiple databases, with additional hand searching of the reference lists of pertinent articles regarding the SVP, was performed from May 2017 to December 2018. Results: A review of the literature suggests consistent evidence of the substantial impact of adverse medical events on health-care professionals across a range of specialities. The effects of an adverse medical event for the health-care professional are ominous, with many experiencing feelings of sadness, guilt and anxiety, as well as some displaying symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder. Negative effects may be exacerbated for health-care professionals in the case of an adverse maternal event due to its highly sensitive and dramatic nature, involving both maternal and neonatal lives. The provision of timely and effective support at the individual and more specifically the organisational level has been positively correlated with a second victim’s recovery. Yet, limited organisations have formal support interventions designed specifically for the needs of the second victim. Conclusions: It is evident that the consequences of adverse medical events on health-care professionals can be intense and numerous. The unique nature and high sensitivities surrounding obstetric care have the potential to exacerbate the negative consequences for the health-care professional following an adverse event. Still, there remains a dearth of information of the extent of adverse medical events and the SVP in the speciality of obstetrics.
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