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ABSTRACT BODY:
Introduction: Sexual violence has become a focus of numerous initiatives, with increasing attention for this public health concern. Much of the research to date has focused on victimization, but there is a growing call for programs that prevent the perpetration of sexual violence. Unfortunately, few programs exist and even fewer with empirically validated, theoretically driven prevention interventions. One potential approach that has gained increasing support is the use of mindfulness-based interventions, which can increase emotional and behavioral regulation, and decrease impulsivity and reactivity. No studies to date have examined whether mindfulness-based interventions could be a viable approach for the reduction of sexual violence perpetration. This study specifically examines whether mindfulness is associated with various types of dating violence perpetration, including sexual violence, among a high-risk sample of emerging adults (18-25 years) seeking treatment in an urban Emergency Department (ED).
Methods: Data for this study came from a screening sample of emerging adults seeking treatment for any reason in an urban ED. Youth who were approached and consented to participate completed a computer tablet-based questionnaire that included questions related to demographics, violence, mindfulness, alcohol use, and depression. We present descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regressions to explore the associations between alcohol use, mindfulness, and sexual violence perpetration.
Results: Of 986 emerging adults seeking treatment in the ED 43% were female, 61% African American, and 6% Latino. The sample included 65% who received public assistance and 22% of emerging adults lived with their dating partner. Logistic regression analyses revealed that alcohol use and depression were positively associated with physical dating aggression [OR=1.15; 95% CI (1.08-1.23) and OR=1.07; 95% CI (1.05-1.09), respectively], sexual coercion [OR=1.11; 95% CI (1.04-1.18) and OR=1.03; 95% CI (1.00-1.05), respectively], and injuries related to dating violence [OR=1.14; 95% CI (1.05-1.24) and OR=1.07; 95% CI (1.04-1.09), respectively]. Mindfulness was negatively associated with physical dating violence [OR=0.94; 95% CI (0.90-0.99)], forced sex with a dating partner [OR=0.81; 95% CI (0.70-0.93)], sexual coercion [OR=0.94; 95% CI (0.89-0.99)], and injuries related to dating aggression perpetration [OR=0.91; 95% CI (0.84-0.98)]. Interactions between alcohol use and mindfulness were also explored.
Conclusions: Results from this study suggest that alcohol and depression are positively associated with dating violence perpetration. Mindfulness appears to be a viable avenue for interventions to reduce dating violence perpetration including sexual coercion and forced sex in dating relationships. There are also established mindfulness-based interventions in the current literature that show reductions in problem alcohol use and depression. This research suggests that mindfulness-based interventions may be effective in reducing dating violence perpetration through a number of different mechanisms.