Short-Term Outcomes of a Healthy Relationship Intervention for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in the US Military: Pilot Pretest-Postest Study.

Background: Sexual harassment (SH) and sexual assault (SA) are serious public health problems among US service members. Few SH and SA prevention interventions have been developed exclusively for the military. Code of Respect (X-CoRe) is an innovative web-based, multilevel, SA and SH intervention designed exclusively for the active-duty Air Force.

Exploring reciprocal links between early adolescent coping and internalizing symptoms.

Introduction: The rising prevalence of depression and anxiety among adolescents is a public health concern. Early adolescence is a key developmental period to reduce risks for internalizing symptoms through primary prevention programs, yet additional research is needed on modifiable factors, such as coping skills, to target to mitigate risk factors. Therefore, we investigated the reciprocal link between coping style and internalizing symptoms among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of early adolescents (n = 1273) from 12 middle schools over 1 year.

Abstinence beliefs in early adolescence and sexual risk behavior two years later.

Introduction: The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate and sexually transmitted infection rates among developed countries. One common approach that has been implemented to reduce these rates is abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that advocate for delaying sexual intercourse until marriage. These programs focus on changing adolescents' beliefs toward abstinence until marriage; however, it is unclear whether adolescents' beliefs about abstinence predict their sexual behavior, including sexual risk behavior (SRB).

Teen dating violence and the COVID-19 pandemic: trends from a longitudinal study in Texas.

Purpose: Teen dating violence (TDV) is a global public health and safety issue causing health impacts to youth people. This study aimed to examine: (1) the impact of the pandemic on TDV victimisation rates and (2) socioecological factors associated with sustained risk for TDV victimisation during the first year of COVID-19.

Methods: Data are from an ongoing randomised controlled trial of a TDV prevention programme in Texas (n=2768).

Firearm access, carriage and use in an ethnically diverse sample of young adults in Texas, USA.

Despite the high rates of firearm ownership and firearm-related injuries and mortalities in Southern US states, understandings on the factors contributing to these are lacking. Using wave 10 (2021) data from a longitudinal study, we examined firearm-related experiences among 636 ethnically diverse young adults (mean age=26 years; 62% female) in Texas, USA. Just over half of participants had ready access to firearms, with 22.

Racial Discrimination and Interpersonal Violence in Asian American Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: Racial discrimination targeting Asians in the United States has increased sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a well-established link with mental/physical health outcomes, little is known about how racial discrimination relates to interpersonal violence, particularly in adolescents. To address this gap in knowledge, we examined cross-sectional and longitudinal (1-year follow-up) associations between racial discrimination and interpersonal violence perpetration and victimization in Asian American adolescents in a large US city.

Sexual violence against sexual minority women in STEM: Compound backlash.

Background: Recent research has found that gender parity (i.e., the ratio of women to men) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines is associated with sexual violence (SV) victimization for women.

Safety and Academic Outcomes of College Campus-Based Advocacy Services.

Intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual assault, and stalking are consequential public health and safety issues with wide reaching impacts on emerging adults, including those on college campuses in the United States. In response to high rates of violence among college student populations, universities are developing campus-based advocacy (CBA) programs, which aim to support survivors of interpersonal violence through supportive connections, resource acquisition, and safety planning. However, little data exists related to their impact on key student-survivor outcomes.

Cumulative Incidence of Physical and Sexual Dating Violence: Insights From A Long-term Longitudinal Study.

Decades of inquiry on intimate partner violence show consistent results: violence is woefully common and psychologically and economically costly. Policy to prevent and effectively intervene upon such violence hinges upon comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon at a population level. The current study prospectively estimates the cumulative incidence of sexual and physical dating violence (DV) victimization/perpetration over a 12-year timeframe (2010-2021) using diverse participants assessed annually from age 15 to 26.

Sexual violence in early adolescence is associated with subsequent teen pregnancy and parenthood.

Being a victim of sexual violence (SV) is associated with risk for teen pregnancy in cross-sectional research. However, longitudinal data are necessary to determine if SV victimization plays a causal role in early pregnancy. To address this gap in research, we test whether experiencing SV victimization in early adolescence is associated with pregnancy and having children by mid-adolescence.

High School FLASH Sexual Health Education Curriculum: LGBTQ Inclusivity Strategies Reduce Homophobia and Transphobia.

Homophobic and transphobic beliefs that lead to bias-based harassment remain a critical concern for young people in the USA. The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of an inclusive comprehensive sex education program (High School FLASH) on homophobic and transphobic beliefs. Data from this study come from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the impact of High School FLASH on students' sexual behaviors and related outcomes with 20 schools in two U.

Sexual Violence against Women in STEM: A Test of Backlash Theory Among Undergraduate Women.

It has been argued that increasing the number of women in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields could mitigate violence against women by advancing gender equality. However, some research points to a "backlash" effect wherein gains in gender equality are associated with heighted sexual violence (SV) against women. In this study, we compare SV against undergraduate women majoring in STEM disciplines to those majoring in non-STEM disciplines.

Inconsistencies in Adolescent Self-Reported Sexual Behavior: Experience from Four Randomized Controlled Trials.

To examine the degree, correlates, and implications of inconsistent self-report data on sexual risk behaviors of adolescents. We analyzed data from four longitudinal group-randomized controlled trials of evidence-based HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention programs in Texas and California from 2000 to 2010. Across- and within-time logical inconsistencies in sexual behavior survey responses were analyzed using multilevel logistic regression.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Use.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine whether COVID-19-induced financial impact, stress, loneliness, and isolation were related to perceived changes in adolescent mental health and substance use.

Methods: Data were from Baseline (2018) and Wave 3 (2020; mean age = 14.8; 50% female) of 1,188 adolescents recruited from 12 Texas public middle schools as part of a randomized controlled trial.

Economic Evaluation of an Intervention to Prevent Adolescent Dating Violence (Me & You).

is a multilevel, technology-enhanced adolescent dating violence (DV) prevention program that aimed to reduce DV among ethnic-minority, early adolescent, urban youth. A group-randomized control trial of Me & You, conducted with 10 middle schools from a large urban school district in Southeast Texas in 2014-2015, found it to be effective in reducing DV perpetration and decreasing some forms of DV victimization. Economic evaluations of DV interventions are extremely limited, despite calls for more economic analyses to be incorporated in research.

The link between school climate and mental health among an ethnically diverse sample of middle school youth.

School climate consistently relates to adolescent adjustment across academic, socioemotional, and behavioral domains. Although past research highlights the impact of school climate on youths' experience of internalizing symptoms and violent behavior, examination of potential links with specific externalizing processes is limited. The current study examined associations between middle school students' perceived school climate and internalizing and externalizing mental health symptoms.

A Dating Violence Prevention Program for Middle School Youth: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

Objectives: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial to test the a priori hypothesis that students attending an intervention middle school would be less likely to report physical adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) 1 year later compared with students attending a control school. Secondary objectives were to determine if the intervention reduced substance misuse, bullying, and fighting.

Methods: Twenty-four Texas public middle schools were matched by the size of student enrollment, number of economically disadvantaged students, and race and ethnicity of the student body and randomly assigned to the intervention ( = 12; 1237 participants) or the control ( = 12; 1531participants) group.

Risk for dating violence and sexual assault over time: The role of college and prior experiences with violence.

Despite increased research on emerging adults and interpersonal violence, evidence on the role of college attendance in risk for dating violence and sexual assault is mixed. We examined the role of college attendance on victimization risk in emerging adulthood. Participants were a diverse longitudinal sample of 630 emerging adults.

Multiple Forms of Sexting and Associations with Psychosocial Health in Early Adolescents.

Despite the recent surge of sexting research, the link between sexting and psychosocial health remains inconclusive. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the link between multiple forms of sexting and a range of psychosocial health problems. Data were from a randomized controlled trial of a school-based dating violence prevention program.

A Group Randomized Trial Evaluating High School FLASH, a Comprehensive Sexual Health Curriculum.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based comprehensive sexual health curriculum (FLASH) on high-school students' sexual behavior and related outcomes.

Methods: A cohort of 1,597 9th and 10th grade students representing 20 schools from two regions in the U.S.