Katie B. Thomas

Necessary But Not Sufficient: Sexual Assault Information on College and University Websites

The objective of our study was to investigate the availability, location, and content of sexual assault information presented on college and university websites. A random sample of 102 accredited, non-profit, bachelors-granting U.S. colleges and universities was selected for webcoding. Websites were coded for the availability and location of sexual assault information, including what resources and information were provided and whether topics such as date rape, consent, and victim blaming were addressed. Ninety (88.2%) of the 102 colleges and universities in our sample had sexual assault information available in their domains. University policy (83.3%) and contact information for law enforcement (72.2%) and other resources (56.7–82.2%) were often included, but most websites failed to provide information on issues related to sexual assault, such as discouraging victim blaming (35.6%) and encouraging affirmative consent (30.0%). Colleges and universities should consider updating the sexual assault information on their websites with the assistance of local, expert practitioners in order to provide more comprehensive, organized, useful, and user-friendly information on sexual assault prevention and intervention. Additional online materials for this article are available to PWQ subscribers on PWQ’s website at http://pwq.sagepub.com/supplemental

Composite Trauma and Mental Health Diagnosis as Predictors of Lifetime Nonsuicidal Self-Injury History in an Adult Online Sample

Some research indicates that trauma history might be related to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), but the exact nature of this relationship is unknown. Therefore, we created and tested a structural equation model for the relationships between composite trauma, NSSI, mental health diagnosis, and gender in a community sample of 296 U.S. adults recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Composite trauma and mental health diagnosis were significantly predictive of an NSSI history. The pathway between NSSI and gender was not significant. It is important to consider multiple domains of trauma, in the form of composite lifetime trauma, as risk factors for NSSI.

Experience, Knowledge, and Perceived Comfort and Clinical Competency in Working With Suicidal Clients Among Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors:

Despite the well-documented elevated rates of suicidality among people with disabilities, no published research has examined rehabilitation counselors’ experiences or perceived competency in suicide assessment or intervention. In the present study, we surveyed 223 vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors from state VR offices in eight states regarding their experiences with, knowledge of, and perceived comfort with and competency in suicide assessment and intervention. Almost a quarter of participants worked with suicidal clients once a month or more, with more than half reporting working with suicidal clients at least once a year. Two thirds of participants reported having received some training related to suicide, and participants demonstrated both a good knowledge of suicide myths and facts, and a willingness to work with suicidal clients. However, most participants did not perceive themselves as being competent in core skills related to suicide assessment and intervention. These results suggest that more clinical training in suicide assessment and intervention is needed for VR counselors.

Examining the Contributions of Disability to Suicidality in the Context of Depression Symptoms and Other Sociodemographic Factors

We examined the contribution of disability status to suicidality when accounting for depression and sociodemographic risk factors in 438 American adults, 82 (18.7%) of whom identified as having disabilities. Participants with disabilities had significantly higher depression scores and were more likely to be unemployed and unpartnered, all of which were also associated with increased suicidality. However, disability remained a significant predictor of suicidality even when depression and sociodemographic risk factors were accounted for in a linear regression. Other significant predictors of suicidality in this regression were female gender, depression symptoms, and family and friend suicide history; identifying as a member of a religion was a significant protective factor against suicidality. Our findings suggest that the contribution of disability to suicidality goes beyond that which can be explained by increased depression symptoms and sociodemographic vulnerability.

“It’s Awful When We Get It Wrong”: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors’ Perspectives on Suicide

Despite the high prevalence of suicide among people with disabilities, little research has explored suicide in the context of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) system. We analyzed the responses of 27 VR counselors who responded to an open-ended qualitative prompt regarding their experiences with suicide training and competency. Key themes included a desire for more training on suicide and the experience of seeking and receiving suicide training and experience outside of VR. Responses also underscored the heavy emotional impact of working with suicidal clients, especially when one feels unprepared to do so. These results suggest that it is important to provide VR counselors with resources and training for addressing suicide in their client populations.

Comparing the Internal Consistency, Overall Scores, and Response Patterns on the Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire–Revised in People With and Without Disabilities

This study examined the internal consistency, overall mean scores, and response patterns of 485 American adults, including 92 who identified as people with disabilities, on the Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire–Revised (SBQ-R). The measure demonstrated acceptable internal consistency in both groups. Participants with disabilities had higher mean total scores as well as more concerning response patterns on SBQ-R items assessing suicide attempts, plans, recent suicidal ideation, and perceived likelihood of future suicide attempts.

“I Honestly Would Not Have Known What to Do”: An Exploratory Study of Perspectives on Client Suicide Among Vocational Rehabilitation Support Staff

Despite the high prevalence of suicide both overall and among people with disabilities in particular, little research has explored suicide in the context of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) system or in counseling support staff in general. We analyzed the responses of 14 VR support staff who responded to an open-ended qualitative prompt regarding their experiences with suicide training and competency. Key themes included a perceived lack of and desire for more training regarding suicide, seeking and receiving suicide training outside of VR, and a perceived lack of resources for working with suicidal clients. Responses also underscored the heavy emotional impact of working with these clients, especially when one feels unprepared to do so. These results suggest that it is important to provide VR support staff with resources and training for addressing suicide in their client populations.

Interpersonal Violence Survivors with Disabilities: Considerations for Faith-Based Organizations

Interpersonal violence and abuse against people with disabilities is a major and persistent issue across the lifespan. People with disabilities may be vulnerable to specific, disability-related forms of abuse in addition to more commonly recognized forms of abuse and may be dependent on the perpetrator for assistance with daily life activities, further complicating their experience of and vulnerability to abuse. Additionally, the presence of a disability may impact survivor’s options and choices with regard to reporting and seeking help for abuse. This chapter briefly reviews disability-related considerations that may influence the experience, reporting, and treatment of interpersonal violence in people with disabilities, with a focus on how practitioners may respond to these issues when working with survivors with disabilities.

Truth, Lies, and Recantation

Survey data indicate that, globally, 20 % of women and up to 10 % of men report experiencing sexual abuse during childhood (Stoltenborgh, van IJzendoorn, Euser, & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2011). In 2012, US rates of sexual abuse reports were approximately 63,000 or 9.3 %. This is likely a low estimate given the stigma often associated with child sexual abuse (CSA) and reluctance to report abuse. It is clear that CSA occurs at a significant rate in both the United States and around the world. It poses a serious risk to children and adults, with the accompanying negative psychological effects and impact on health.