Epidemiology of Sexual Violence: A Trajectory-based Approach

描述(申请人提供)：这项前瞻性调查的目标是使用潜在生长混合模型来确定性暴力(SV)的纵向轨迹 大学期间的行为及用三元影响力理论指导评估 个人内部、社会/情境和文化/环境对不同轨迹的影响。这项研究的基本原理是，在成年初期确定SV行为的不同轨迹是很重要的，因为这些行为通常是开始的，对一些人来说，是逐步升级的。需要更多专注于犯罪行为的纵向研究。我们的团队特别准备进行这项调查。这项研究将把NIH目前资助的一项关于大学头两年男生SV的研究再延长两年，并加强我们让学生参与与健康相关的研究的努力。具体目标是(1)确定大学期间男性SV行为的成长轨迹类别；(2)确定个人内部、社会/情景和文化/环境相关因素在预测不同SV轨迹中的相对重要性。研究结果将表明，是否有许多不同的男性在罕见的情况下从事性交行为，或者大多数不受欢迎的性行为是由一小部分男性实施的。假设至少存在三个潜在的SV类--以一致的SV行为为特征的高SV类、以一贯缺乏SV行为为特征的低SV类和以间歇性SV为特征的混合SV类。还假设区分低SV组和间歇性SV组的危险因素将不同于区分低SV组和高SV组的危险因素。具体地说，我们预计个人因素将与高SV潜伏级组的成员资格相关，而社会和环境因素将与混合SV潜伏级组的成员资格相关。这项研究的创新之处在于，我们将确定遵循高SV行为轨迹的男性子集，以及这类个体中普遍存在的危险因素。这些发现将通过增加对SV行为如何随时间变化的理解，什么来预测轨迹类成员，并最终为SV的预防性干预设计，来推动该领域的发展。 公共卫生相关性：性暴力(SV)是一个重大的公共卫生问题。虽然 患病率和风险因素研究已经获得了关于SV的重要信息，关于SV实施的纵向数据有限，对于SV行为的不同轨迹的模式和预测因素，随着青年过渡到成年，存在着知识空白。为了有效地干预以预防SV，首先需要研究确定在关键的发育期哪些因素可以预测SV行为的发生、维持、升级和终止。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objectives of this prospective investigation are to use latent growth mixture modeling to determine the longitudinal trajectories of sexual violence (SV) behaviors during college and to use the Theory of Triadic Influence to guide the assessment of intrapersonal, social/situational, and cultural/environmental influences on the different trajectories. The rationale for the research is that it is important to identify distinct trajectories of SV behaviors during emerging adulthood when these behaviors are often initiated, and for some, escalate. More research is needed that focuses on perpetration and is longitudinal. Our team is particularly poised to undertake this investigation. This research would extend a currently-funded NIH study on SV among male college students during their first two years in college for two additional years, as well as enhance our efforts to involve students in health-related research. The specific aims are (1) to identify classes of growth trajectories of males' SV behavior during college and (2) to determine the relative importance of intrapersonal, social/situational, and cultural/environmental correlates in predicting the different SV trajectories. Findings will indicate if there are many different men who on rare occasions engage in SV behaviors or if a majority of unwanted sexual encounters are perpetrated by a small subset of males. It is hypothesized that at least three latent classes of SV exist - a high SV class characterized by consistent SV behaviors, a low SV class characterized by a consistent lack of SV behaviors, and a mixed SV class characterized by intermittent SV. It also is hypothesized that the risk factors differentiating the low SV group from the intermittent SV group will differ from those differentiating the low SV group from the high SV group. Specifically, we expect that intrapersonal factors will be associated with membership in the high SV latent class group, and that social and environmental factors will be associated with membership in the mixed SV latent class group. This study is innovative in that we will identify a subset of males who follow a trajectory of high SV behaviors and the risk factors that are prevalent among this class of individuals. The findings will advance the field by increasing understanding of how SV behavior changes over time, what predicts trajectory class membership, and ultimately, to the design of preventive interventions for SV. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Sexual violence (SV) is a significant public health problem. Although prevalence and risk factor studies have yielded important information about SV, there is limited longitudinal data on SV perpetration, and knowledge gaps exist regarding the pattern and predictors of different trajectories of SV behaviors as youth transition into adulthood. In order to intervene effectively to prevent SV, research is first needed to determine what factors predict the onset, maintenance, escalation, and desistance of SV behaviors during a key developmental period.