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Girl bullying, also called relational aggression, is a very real and pervasive problem in schools. Studies show that bullying is as common in girls as it is in boys, but that it can be more covert and thus more difficult for school professionals to detect and address. This book covers the causes and characteristics of relational aggression and outlines assessment, prevention, and intervention methods for counsellors, administrators, teachers, and parents. Included are sample forms and checklists that educators can use to document and address bullying for both the perpetrator and the victim. This resource blends academic, empirical, and practical perspectives to answer the questions of: - What girl bullying is - Why it happens - What it looks like - How to measure it - How to help girls deal with incidents

Gold Medalist, 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Women's Studies category Structural Violence seeks to redraw the conventional map of violence against women. In order to understand violence as a fundamentally heterogeneous phenomenon, it is essential to go beyond interpersonal partner violence and analyze the workings of institutional and structural violence. Self-help books, some shelters, the courts, federal and state legislation, empirical studies, therapeutic models, and even some mainstream feminist polemics presume that all women face the same kind of violence. This assumption masks violence that does not conform to the imagined norm, such as violence against women who are sex workers, lesbians, homeless, and/or undocumented. Joshua M. Price's exploration of these issues is based on several years of research involving participant-observation in domestic violence courts and extensive interviews with activists, advocates, incarcerated women, and women who have faced various forms of violence. Both conceptually and methodologically, the book challenges narrow notions of violence against women and demonstrates implications for judicial intervention and other forms of public involvement.

While sexual violence has been present and prevalent on campus for decades, the work of recent college student activists has made it an issue of major societal and institutional concern. This book makes an important contribution to and provides a foundation for better contextualizing and understanding sexual violence. Each chapter in this edited volume focuses on populations that are not often centered in the discourse of campus sexual violence and accounts for individuals' intersecting identities and how they interlock with larger systems of domination. Challenging dominant ideologies concerning assumptions of white women as the only victims-survivors, the racialization of aggressors, and the deleterious rape myths present in both research and practice, this book draws attention to the complexities of sexual violence on the college campus by highlighting populations that are frequently invisible in research, reporting, and practice. The book places sexual violence on campus in a historical context, centering the experiences of populations relegated to the margins, and highlighting the relationship between racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of domination to sexual violence. The final chapters of the book explore how critical models of intervention and prevention and a critical analysis of existing institutional policies may be implemented across college campuses to better address sexual violence for multiple populations and identities in higher education. This book will expand educators' understanding of sexual violence to inform more effective policies, procedures, practice, and research that reaches beyond preventing sexual violence and addresses the dominant systems from which sexual violence stems, in an attempt to eradicate, not just prevent, the act and the issue.

The current worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has changed the modus operandi of all segments of society. While some pandemic-related stressors affect nearly everyone, many especially affect women. Purpose: To review what is known about the pandemic’s effect on women’s mental health, what makes them more predisposed to vulnerabilities and adverse impacts, and strategies for preventing and treating these mental health consequences in the female population during specific stages across the lifespan. Methods: The authors performed a narrative review in combination with their observations from clinical experience in the field of women’s mental health and reproductive psychiatry. Articles on women’s mental health and COVID-19 up to May 30, 2020, were searched using the electronic PubMed and PsychInfo databases, as well as publications by major health entities (e.g., World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations) and press releases from prime communication outlets (e.g., National Public Radio). Results and conclusions: Women who are pregnant, postpartum, miscarrying, or experiencing intimate partner violence are at especially high risk for developing mental health problems during the pandemic. Proactive outreach to these groups of women and enhancement of social supports could lead to prevention, early detection, and prompt treatment. Social support is a key protective factor. Similarly, parenting may be substantially more stressful during a pandemic. Gender disparities may be accentuated, particularly for employed women or single parents, as women are disproportionately responsible for the bulk of domestic tasks, including childcare and eldercare.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of domestic violence across the United States increased from 21% to 35%. Stay-at-home orders, designed to protect the public against the spread of COVID-19, along with heightened societal stressors as a result of the global pandemic, inadvertently increased rates of illicit drug and alcohol use, job loss, and isolation, resulting in increased stress and nonphysical (e.g., psychological, emotional, economic, technological) abuse that often escalated to physical violence. These processes were exacerbated in marginalized communities. These risks were heightened among Black women and Latinas, who experience high rates of domestic violence, long-standing distrust in law enforcement, and compromised self-reporting or anonymous reporting of abuse. We make recommendations for training key stakeholders (e.g., law enforcement, mental health clinicians, and public health care professionals) to facilitate the safety and well-being of domestic violence survivors and to better manage prevention or intervention efforts targeted at domestic violence. We make public health policy suggestions for individuals, communities, and governing structures. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(S2):S149–S156. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307289 )

Background The necessary execution of non-pharmaceutical risk-mitigation (NPRM) strategies to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 has created an unprecedented natural experiment to ascertain whether pandemic-induced social-policy interventions may elevate collateral health risks. Here, we assess the effects on violence against women (VAW) of the duration of NPRM measures that were executed through jurisdictional-level orders in the United States. We expect that stay-at-home orders, by reducing mobility and disrupting non-coresident social ties, are associated with higher incident reporting of VAW. Methods We used aggregate data from the Murder Accountability Project from January 2019 through December 2020, to estimate count models examining the effects of the duration of jurisdictional-level ( N  = 51) stay-at-home orders on femicide. Additionally, we used data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System to estimate a series of count models that examined the effects of the duration of jurisdictional-level ( N  = 26) stay-at-home orders on non-lethal violence against women, including five separate measures of intimate partner violence (IPV) and a measure of non-partner sexual violence. Results Results from the count models indicated that femicide was not associated with COVID-19 mitigation strategies when adjusted for seasonal effects. However, we found certain measures of non-lethal VAW to be significantly associated in adjusted models. Specifically, reported physical and economic IPV were positively associated with stay-at-home orders while psychological IPV and non-partner sexual violence were negatively associated with stay-at-home orders. The combination measure of all forms of IPV was positively associated with the duration of stay-at-home orders, indicating a net increase in risk of IPV during lockdowns. Conclusions The benefits of risk-mitigation strategies to reduce the health impacts directly associated with a pandemic should be weighed against their costs with respect to women’s heightened exposure to certain forms of violence and the potentially cascading impacts of such exposure on health. The effects of COVID-19 NPRM strategies on IPV risk nationally and its immediate and long-term health sequelae should be studied, with stressors like ongoing pandemic-related economic hardship and substance misuse still unfolding. Findings should inform the development of social policies to mitigate the collateral impacts of crisis-response efforts on the risk of VAW and its cascading sequelae.

Background Cisgender women account for 1 in 5 new HIV infections in the United States, yet remain under-engaged in HIV prevention. Women experiencing violence face risk for HIV due to biological and behavioral mechanisms, and barriers to prevention, such as challenges to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention (PrEP) adherence. In this analysis, we aim to characterize intimate partner violence (IPV) among cisgender heterosexual women enrolled in a PrEP demonstration project and assess the associations with PrEP adherence. Methods Adherence Enhancement Guided by Individualized Texting and Drug Levels (AEGiS) was a 48-week single-arm open-label study of PrEP adherence in HIV-negative cisgender women in Southern California ( N  = 130) offered daily tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC). From 6/2016 to 10/2018, women completed a survey reporting HIV risk behavior and experiences of any IPV (past 90-days) and IPV sub-types (past-year, lifetime) and biological testing for HIV/STIs at baseline, and concentrations of tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP) in dried blood spots at weeks 4, 12, 24, 36, and 48. Outcomes were TFV-DP concentrations consistent with ≥ 4 or ≥ 6 doses/week at one or multiple visits. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to examine associations. Results Past-90-day IPV was reported by 34.4% of participants, and past-year and lifetime subtypes reported by 11.5-41.5%, and 21.5-52.3%, respectively. Women who engaged in sex work and Black women were significantly more likely to report IPV than others. Lifetime physical IPV was negatively associated with adherence at ≥ 4 doses/week at ≥ 3 of 5 visits, while other relationships with any IPV and IPV sub-types were variable. Conclusion IPV is an indication for PrEP and important indicator of HIV risk; our findings suggest that physical IPV may also negatively impact long-term PrEP adherence. Clinical Trials Registration NCT02584140 (ClinicalTrials.gov), registered 15/10/2015.

Background. Transgender women (transwomen) in the United States have been shown to have high HIV risk with Black and Hispanic transwomen being particularly vulnerable. Growing research on transgender men (transmen) also shows increased HIV risk and burden, although not as much is known for this transgender population. Objectives. This systematic review estimates the prevalence of self-reported and laboratory-confirmed HIV infection, reported sexual and injection behaviors, and contextual factors associated with HIV risk of transgender persons living in the United States. Search Methods. We searched the HIV Prevention Research Synthesis database and MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Sociological Abstracts databases from January 2006 to March 2017 and January 2006 to May 2017, respectively. Additional hand searches were conducted in December 2017 to obtain studies not found in the literature searches. Selection Criteria. Eligible reports were published US-based studies that included transgender persons and reported HIV status. Data collection and analysis. Data were double-coded and quality assessed. We used random-effects models employing the DerSimonian–Laird method to calculate overall prevalence of HIV infection, risk behaviors, and contextual factors for transwomen, transmen, and race/ethnicity subgroups. Main Results. We reviewed 88 studies, the majority of which were cross-sectional surveys. Overall laboratory-confirmed estimated prevalence of HIV infection was 9.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.0%, 13.7%; κ = 24). Among transwomen and transmen, HIV infection prevalence estimates were 14.1% (95% CI = 8.7%, 22.2%; κ = 13) and 3.2% (95% CI = 1.4%, 7.1%; κ = 8), respectively. Self-reported HIV infection was 16.1% (95% CI = 12.0%, 21.2%; κ = 44), 21.0% (95% CI = 15.9%, 27.2%; κ = 30), and 1.2% (95% CI = 0.4%, 3.1%; κ = 7) for overall, transwomen, and transmen, respectively. HIV infection estimates were highest among Blacks (44.2%; 95% CI = 23.2%, 67.5%; κ = 4). Overall, participation in sex work was 31.0% (95% CI = 23.9%, 39.0%; κ = 39). Transwomen (37.9%; 95% CI = 29.0%, 47.7%; κ = 29) reported higher participation in sex work than transmen (13.1%; 95% CI = 6.6%, 24.3%; κ = 10; P = .001). Most outcomes indicated high heterogeneity in the overall and subgroup analyses. Conclusions. The availability of more data allowed us to calculate estimates separately for transwomen and transmen. HIV prevalence estimates for US transwomen were lower than previous estimates, but estimates for HIV prevalence and participation in sex work were higher when compared with transmen. Evidence gaps remain for transmen and the syndemic relationship of HIV, risky behaviors, and contextual factors specific to the transgender experience. Public Health Implications. This study highlights gender disparities for HIV and risky sexual behavior, as well as evidence gaps that exist for transmen. Tailored programs and services for the transgender population need to be developed to encourage use of and access to HIV prevention services.

Background Pregnancy increases the risk of homicide, particularly for women facing intimate partner violence (IPV). Limited existing data suggests significant variation by state. Method Using data from the National Violence Death Reporting System (NVDRS), we analyzed maternal homicide by U.S. state from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2022. We assessed the prevalence of manners of death and proportion linked to IPV. Results From 47 states during the 5-year period, 637 maternal homicides were identified, for a rate of 5.33 per 100,000 live births. Firearms accounted for 78% of deaths, and 51% were associated with IPV. Only 15 states had sufficient data for reliable state-level rate calculations. Three states had 0 reported maternal homicides. Of the remaining 12, Louisiana had the highest rate at 12.64 per 100,000 live births while New York had the lowest at 2.86 per 100,000 live births. Conclusions The national maternal homicide rate aligns with prior research but reveals notable state-level differences where data were available. Restrictions on rate reporting for most states highlights a major gap in surveillance, limiting efforts to address this critical public health issue. Reliable state-level data is essential for understanding and addressing the factors driving maternal homicides.