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    Listening to other people's traumatic experiences: What makes it hard and what could protect professionals from developing related distress? A qualitative investigation
    (Stress and Health, 2023) Livanou, M., Whittenbury, K., & Di Basilio, D.
    Listening to people talk about their trauma experiences involves indirect exposure to trauma (IET) and can trigger emotional distress. Existing studies about the risk factors for post‐IET distress have methodological limitations and reported inconsistent results, making their findings difficult to meaningfully synthesise. Also, most of them did not focus explicitly on trauma narratives and did not explore qualitatively the opinions and experiences of professionals who work closely with trauma survivors. The present study involved 36 professionals who worked with trauma survivors and used a qualitative design to investigate: (a) the perceived impact of the survivors' accounts, (b) the factors they deemed as important to be psychologically prepared for trauma accounts, and (c) their strategies for coping with IET. The semi‐structured interviews conducted yielded rich data that was analysed thematically and organised in 13 subordinate themes, and 4 master themes. Listening to trauma narratives was thought to lead to emotional distress when it challenges the listener's ‘basic assumptions’ of safety and justice, when the listener has reduced sense of control and operates outside their ‘window of tolerance’, when empathic responses are too strong, and psychological preparedness for trauma‐ narratives is perceived as insufficient. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice are discussed.
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    Contributing factors to secondary traumatic stress and vicarious posttraumatic growth in therapists
    (Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2023) Cleary, E., Curran, D., Dyer, K., Simms, J., & Hanna, D.
    Alongside the recognized potential negative repercussions of working as a psychological therapist, there is growing interest in the potential positive impacts of engaging in such work. The current study used a cross-sectional online survey design to explore the impact of a range of demographic, work-related, and compassion-related factors on levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) in an international sample of 359 psychological therapists. Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated that burnout, lower levels of self-compassion, having a personal trauma history, reporting a higher percentage of working time with a trauma focus, and being female were the statistically significant contributors to STS scores, explaining 40.8% of the variance, F(9, 304) = 23.2, p <.001. For VPTG, higher compassion satisfaction, higher self-compassion, higher STS, a higher percentage of working time with a trauma focus, fewer years qualified, being male, and having a personal trauma history were all statistically significant contributors, explaining 27.3% of the variance, F (10, 304) = 11.37, p <.001. The findings illustrate the potential risk and protective factors for developing STS and clarify factors that may increase the likelihood of experiencing VPTG. Implications for psychological therapists and the organizations and institutions for which they work are considered along with potential directions for future research in the discussion.
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    “I Was Trying to Be the Mother to Her That I Didn’t Have”: Mothers’ Experiences of Child Sexual Abuse and Intergenerational Maltreatment
    (Violence Against Women, 2023) Marshall, C., Fernet, M., Brassard, A., & Langevin, R.
    Child sexual abuse (CSA) can have lasting negative impacts on one’s sense of safety and trust, ultimately affecting the quality of relationships, and increasing the likelihood of future victimization experiences. The present study provides a qualitative description of the themes that were generated through interviews conducted with 23 mothers who experienced CSA (dis)continuity (12 continuity, 11 discontinuity). The mothers described a variety of experiences related to parent–child and romantic relationships and parenting behaviors, which could be further researched and targeted by interventions to reduce the risk of intergenerational cycles of maltreatment
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    Child Sexual Abuse: Forensic Medical Assessment of the Traumatic Injuries Over the Victim’s Body
    (Cureus, 2023) Mileva, B., Goshev, M., Georgieva, M., Braynova, I., & Alexandrov, A.
    Child sexual abuse is a public health problem that affects children worldwide in all ethnic, educational, and socioeconomic groups. These assaults are extremely dangerous not only due to their direct physical traumas received at the time of the abuse, but they also have long-term consequences that can worsen the future quality of the victim’s life. A retrospective study of all cases related to child sexual abuse for five years was performed by materials of the Clinic of Forensic Medicine and Deontology, Sofia, Bulgaria. Ninety-five cases involve children from both genders. The traumatic injuries were carefully examined and classified according to their localization over the victim’s bodies and based on the time that had passed after the reported assaults. In cases of sexual violence, the most informative and pointing at the exact type of violence are the injuries situated in the anogenital area. Too often, there is a lack of physical findings, depending on the type of sexual violence or associated with the prolonged time that passes after the crime. Children are unaware of what they have to do after suffering such traumas, or they are scared to share their experience with different family members, which can lead to late forensic examination and lack of physical and biological findings, which are the most critical traces in the criminal prosecution of the crimes and this can be a possibility for the perpetrator not to be charged for his unlawful actions.
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    Development and Implementation of a Preventive Intervention for Youth with Concerns About Their Sexual Thoughts and Behaviors: A Practitioner Narrative
    (Journal of Prevention, 2023) Bright, M., Gordon, B., Bodi, C., Ortega, D., & Coleman, J.
    This practitioner narrative describes the development of an innovative, primary and secondary prevention resource to provide confidential resources to youth with questions about potentially problematic sexual interests and behaviors. WhatsOK is a website and free confidential helpline for youth who are potentially at risk to sexually harm or have harmed someone in the past. By encouraging self-efficacy, helpline counselors respond to these inquires in order to prevent harmful events or lessen the impact. This practitioner narrative begins with an explanation of the planning process, then describes the implementation, piloting and refining the resource, and, finally, explains how evaluation was incorporated. The development of the WhatsOK helpline services was conducted with the goal of creating an evidence-informed resource for youth with concerns about sexual thoughts and behaviors.
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    The Cost of Crime: A Study on Human Trafficking
    (State University of New York College at Buffalo, 2021) Krug, Kirsten
    Human trafficking is a billion dollar industry that impacts hundreds of thousands of individuals each year. Each year the United States alone spends millions of dollars on law enforcement programs designated to combat human trafficking. This thesis examines the impact of those programs as deterrents for individuals who are willing to commit this type of violent crime, as well as why they might commit crime in the first place. In addition to providing an economic analysis of the impact of arrest and jail as deterrents on trafficking, the thesis will also look into what may cause an individual to fall victim to being trafficked as well as opportunities to reduce the risk.
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    Moving to Telemental Health in a Child Advocacy Center Environment
    (Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center, 2020) Western Regional Children's Advocacy Center
    Issue Brief
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    Toolkit for Re-emerging Child Advocacy Centers
    (Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center, 2020) Southern Regional Children's Advocacy Center
    The purpose of this toolkit is to provide guidance and sample documents regarding how Child Advocacy Centers can re-emerge and provide services while protecting the health of their staff, clients, MDT partners, board members, and visitors. These recommendations are based upon guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).
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    Alabama Uniform Human Trafficking Initiative
    (School of Social Work, The University of Alabama, 2020) Chris Lim, Valerie Trull
    The purpose of this report is to disseminate the findings of our research and to offer recommended next steps towards solutions. It will be disseminated to all of the agencies and organizations involved in the implementation of the AUHTI processes and protocol, both physically and electronically. Additionally, it will be disseminated though trainings and presentations within the state of Alabama. This report has been written and structured to accomplish those ends. It is not intended to be academic, but rather accessible for the general audience who would be responsible to implement the findings.
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    Health care consumption and psychiatric diagnoses among adolescent girls 1 and 2 years after a first-time registered child sexual abuse experience: a cohort study in the Stockholm Region
    (European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2020) Rajan, G., Syding, S., Ljunggren, G., Wändell, P., Wahlström, L., Philips, B., ... & Carlsson, A. C.
    Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a crime against human rights with severe health consequences, and suicidal actions, stress, eating disorders, and borderline disorder are common among survivors of CSA. The objective of this study was to analyze how health care consumption patterns developed among adolescent girls in the Stockholm Region, Sweden, 1 and 2 years after the first registration of CSA experience appeared in their medical record, as compared to age-matched controls without such registration. In this cohort study, number of healthcare visits, comorbidities, and prescribed drugs were collected through the Stockholm Region administrative database (VAL), for girls age 12–17 with registration of CSA experience in their medical record (n = 519) and age-matched controls (n = 4920) between 2011 and 2018. Healthcare consumption patterns remained higher among the girls with a registered CSA experience compared to the controls, both 1 and 2 years after the first CSA experience registration. Highest odds ratios (ORs) were found for suicide attempts [OR 26.38 (12.65–55.02) and 6.93 (3.48–13.49)]; stress disorders [25.97 (17.42–38.69) and 15.63 (9.82–24.88)]; psychosis [OR 19.39 (1.75–214.13) and 9.70 (1.36–68.95)], and alcohol abuse [OR 10.32 (6.48–16.44) and 6.09 (1.98–18.67)], 1 and 2 years, respectively, after the first CSA experience registration. The drug prescriptions were also significantly higher among the girls with a CSA experience registration than for the controls. The results highlight the need to systematically evaluate and develop assessment, treatment planning, and interventions offered to adolescent girls after their first CSA experience registration.
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    Identifying and addressing barriers to treatment for child sexual abuse survivors and their non-offending caregivers
    (Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2020) Theimer, K., Mii, A., Sonnen, E., McCoy, K., Meidlinger, K., Biles, B., ... & Hansen, D. J.
    Mental health treatment is a critical part of an effective and compassionate response to the disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA). Given the vast negative consequences for children and families following CSA, engagement in treatment can benefit youth and their non-offending caregivers. Yet, these families face unique barriers to treatment initiation, adherence, and effectiveness. The identification of these barriers allows clinicians, researchers, and policy makers to increase treatment utilization, engagement, and value. The current review and its recommendations derive from the existing literature combined with knowledge gained from a clinical research team with more than 20 years of experience offering a treatment program for CSA survivors and their non-offending family members. The review organizes barriers around factors related to individual characteristics of children and caregivers, perceptions and beliefs commonly held following CSA, and challenging family interactions in the context of individual and group treatment for CSA. Finally, barriers related to systemic and societal factors are examined given the importance of understanding the legal and cultural context in which families seek and engage in treatment. Recommendations for further research, suggestions for clinicians, and considerations for policy change to decrease the identified treatment barriers for families impacted by CSA are provided.
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    Representative board governance-What role do nonprofit board directors have in representing the interest of their constituents
    (Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, 2020) Piscitelli, A., & Geobey, S.
    The current ethos of most nonprofit boards of directors focuses on role clarity between board directors and the executive director. The board’s role is to collectively set strategic direction and provide oversight while leaving day-to-day operations to staff. Yet, many individual directors join a board to make an impact on the organization by addressing very specific operational concerns and/or to represent a stakeholder group, and this creates tension at the board table. This article explores whether there is necessarily a trade-off between the representative and good governance roles of a nonprofit board director. It will demonstrate that the tension between representing member interests and governing nonprofits is a false dichotomy. Reconciling these two interests offers some potential avenues for improved organizational accountability.
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    A Path Forward for Advancing Nonprofit Ethics and Accountability: Voices from an Independent Sector Study
    (Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 2020) Ito, K., & Slatten, L. A.
    The nonprofit sector continues to grow in size, assets, and influence. However, a critical eye in recent years has brought scrutiny from many stakeholders to the operations of nonprofit organizations (NPOs). Accountability, transparency, and ethical behavior are now part of the everyday language of NPO leaders, staff, volunteers, donors, and board members. This study synthesizes research on a specific set of guidelines developed by Independent Sector and provides a substantive review of key concepts and developments related to nonprofit ethics and accountability. The results should prove useful for NPO staff, stakeholders, regulators, the media, and others interested in improved governance.
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    On Exiting from Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Insights from Sex Trade Experienced Persons
    (Dignity: A Journal on Sexual Exploitation and Violence, 2020) Heinz, A.
    As a woman who exited after seven years in licensed commercial sexual exploitation in Canada, I share my reflections on my experience, which led to the development of the Insights from Sex Trade Experienced Persons (InSTEP) Model. The model was constructed based on interviews with “service providers” in the sex trade. Twelve exited women share their experiences inclusively. InSTEP is geared toward a population of quasi-autonomous providers who have alternate economic options. Three levels are introduced in the InSTEP model to describe the continuum of agency among service providers; Level 1: trafficked/controlled; Level 2: quasi-autonomous; Level 3: autonomous. The InSTEP Model focuses on Level 2 providers and identifies optimal times when helping professionals or agencies could be most effective in offering exit support. Opportunities for change are contextualized within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943) and the Prochaska and DiClemente’s (1983) Stages of Change.
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    The association of depression with child abuse among Indonesian adolescents
    (BMC Pediatrics, 2020) Dhamayanti, M., Noviandhari, A., Masdiani, N., Pandia, V., & Sekarwana, N.
    Background: Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health problems among adolescents. Mental health problems might be the result of child abuse considering that their prevalences are increasing simultaneously in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to determine the association between depression and a history of abuse among adolescents. Methods: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted on 786 junior high school students from Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia. Subjects were selected using two-stage cluster sampling. The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool (ICAST) questionnaires were applied to assess depression and a history of abuse, respectively. Depression was diagnosed by a psychiatrist after a positive score on the CDI. The data were analysed using chi-square tests and multiple regression. Results: A history of child abuse was associated with depression in adolescents. All dimensions of child abuse had a significant association with depression. Psychological violence had the highest risk factor for the occurrence of depression (PR = 6.51), followed by exposure to violence and physical violence. Sexual violence was not a common dimension of child abuse among students. Psychological violence had the strongest association with depression, and victims were three times more likely to develop depression (POR = 3.302, p = 0.004). Conclusion: Psychological violence was proven to be a strong risk factor for developing depression symptoms among adolescent students. While each victimization domain remained a significant predictor of depression, the experience of multiple domains during a child’s life-course may predict mental health risk. Early detection and interventions to prevent abuse and its consequences are critical.
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    Position Paper on Declining Rates of Child Sexual Abuse
    (National Children's Advocacy Center, 2017) National Children's Advocacy Center
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    Constructing the Foundation for Research Into Practice (RIP)
    (National Children's Advocacy Center, 2016) King, D. N., & Wells, M. K.
    Slide presentation accompanying presentation at the 21st International Summit and Training on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT), San Diego, CA, August 2016.
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    The Neglect of Neglect: Is Research Informing Practice?
    (National Children's Advocacy Center, 2012) King, D. N., Markushewski, C., & Wells, M. K.
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    CALiO™ – Cornerstone of Evidence-Based Practice for Nationally Dispersed Field Professionals -presentation
    (National Children's Advocacy Center, 2016) King, D. N., & Wells, M. K.
    PowerPoint slides that accompanied the paper presentation.
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    Building CALiO – A Repository and Digital Library for Field Practitioners
    (National Children's Advocacy Center, 2016) King, D. N., & Wells, M. K.
    This presentation describes the mission, development and implementation of CALiO, the Child Abuse Library Online, which is the primary digital library for multidisciplinary teams of professionals throughout the United States and in dozens of other countries.