Jill Astbury

A Qualitative Exploration of Researcher Trauma and Researchers’ Responses to Investigating Sexual Violence

Vicarious trauma can be a problem for those who work and research in areas where clients or participants are survivors of sexual violence. The aim of this study was to explore the trauma experiences of sexual violence researchers from different countries, identifying the issues that traumatized them and the protective strategies they found effective. This article reports on a moderated electronic discussion board run for 4 weeks from September to October 2009 and four purposeful interviews. A total of 15 researchers participated, 4 males and 11 females. Institutions and organizations researching in this area should consider researcher safety in project design.

The Prevalence and Psychological Costs of Household Violence by Family Members Against Women With Disabilities in Cambodia

Women with disabilities (WWDs) are at triple jeopardy due to the combined risks associated with gender, disability, and violence. Not only are WWDs marginalized socially but the violence against them in their own homes is largely neglected in domestic violence research. Evidence from developing countries is particularly sparse. A cross-sectional survey conducted in Cambodia found rates of violence by household members besides intimate partners were significantly higher among WWDs than non-disabled women. This violence engendered increased levels of psychological distress and higher rates of physical injury but low rates of disclosure to health workers and other formal sources of potential support. Community-based strategies are recommended to radically change social and cultural attitudes, beliefs, and responses to WWDs who are victims of household violence to reduce negative social reactions toward them and to make it safer for them to disclose and receive psychosocial, legal, and other necessary support for this underreported type of violence.

Population Study on the Predictors of Sleeping Difficulties in Young Australian Women

Gender disparity in sleep difficulties in young adults may be driven by higher rates of affective disorders in women. This article investigated a range of factors as potential predictors of “difficulty sleeping” in 9,061 women aged 24 to 30 years, using survey data. Regression analyses and odds ratios showed that depression and anxiety symptoms were indeed the greatest predictors of difficulty sleeping. However, 4 variables (binge-drinking, lower qualifications, dissatisfaction with excessive weight, and a history of abuse) also made significant contributions to sleep difficulty when a range of other variables (including depression and anxiety symptoms) were statistically controlled. Affective problems often predict sleep difficulties in young women, but other predictors are also significant and not necessarily intertwined with anxiety and depression.

Forced sex: A critical factor in the sleep difficulties of young Australian women

The prevalence of forced sex and its contribution to sleep difficulties among young Australian women aged 24–30 years (n = 9,061) was examined using data from the 2003 Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health. The lifetime prevalence of reported forced sex was 8.7%. Significantly higher levels of recurrent sleep difficulties, prescription sleep medication, clinical depression, anxiety disorder, self-harm, and substance use, as well as lower socioeconomic status (SES) indicators, were reported by the forced sex group compared to the no forced sex group. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed the high odds (OR = 1.95, CI = 1.66–2.26) of recurrent sleep difficulty in such women becomes partially attenuated, but remains statistically significant, after adjusting for key psychological, SES, and behavioral variables. Clinical implications for primary care providers and sleep specialists are discussed. Sleep difficulties are highly prevalent and affect more than 30% of those seeking primary health care (Kushida et al., 2005). They negatively impact on the way a person feels and functions (Dinges et al., 1997) and make a significant contribution to accidents, health care costs, and problems at work (Roth, 2005).

Overcoming Discrimination, Persecution, and Violence Against Women

This chapter addresses how silence gives consent to conditions that are oppressive, and examines how voice is liberatory, providing an antidote to the power of oppression that survives through silence. Additionally, we focus on psychology’s responsibility to confront more proactively and systemically the interlinked issues of oppression, discrimination, and violence against women.