The need and development of a forensic service in adults at risk of harmAlton, Elisabeth; Tolchard, Barry; Stark, Margaret
2023 The Journal of Adult Protection
doi: 10.1108/jap-10-2022-0026
The purpose of this study was to provide proof of concept and evaluate the project for the development of a forensic service in safeguarding adults at risk of harm who may have suffered a non-accidental injury as a result of physical abuse or neglect.Design/methodology/approachThis pilot project arising from a Safeguarding Adults Review was designed using an iterative process. Opinion from all partners of the Safeguarding Adults’ Boards in two adjacent areas as well as using expert forensic advice from the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine was sought.FindingsAll professionals recognised the need for a forensic service because at present decision-making around potential non-accidental injuries (NAI) may not be evidence based. The main barriers were seen as lack of knowledge and education combined with the area of work not being recognised as being needed and hence not commissioned. No similar service existed in England to aid the project being developed either academically or practically, other than reflecting what happens in children’s safeguarding.Practical implicationsThe knowledge and skills as well as the resources developed for this project will aid safeguarding professionals to make more informed decisions when working with adults at risk of harm who have sustained a potential NAI.Originality/valueThis project has high originality with no other area in England offering a similar service or in the process of developing a service at present.
The effectiveness of the Bisindo-based rational emotive behavior therapy model in reducing social anxiety in deaf women victims of sexual harassmentMarlina, Marlina; Mahdi, Arisul; Karneli, Yeni
2023 The Journal of Adult Protection
doi: 10.1108/jap-10-2022-0024
Social anxiety disorder is a common phenomenon that occurs in everyone with varying degrees, ranging from mild to severe. One of the causes of social anxiety disorder is a traumatic experience due to sexual harassment that has been experienced. In deaf women, this experience is made more difficult because of the language and speech limitations shared. As a result, irrational thoughts and beliefs arise for the victim. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Bisindo-based rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) model in reducing social anxiety in deaf women who are victims of sexual harassment.Design/methodology/approachThe research method uses single-subject research with multiple baselines across subjects. The research subjects were deaf women victims of sexual harassment who the National Government Organization Woman Crises Center in West Sumatra and the Association of Indonesian Special Education Professionals identified. Data were collected by observation and social anxiety scale and analyzed by graphical visual analysis.FindingsThe results showed that the Bisindo-based REBT was effective in reducing social anxiety in deaf women who were victims of sexual harassment.Research limitations/implicationsThe implementation of therapy in this study involved therapists, teachers and sign language interpreters. It requires extraordinary time and effort for the subjects to be able to reveal the sexual harassment they experienced. Furthermore, the small number of subjects meant that the results of this study could not be generalized widely. Therefore, this study has implications for future researchers to conduct experiments using the Bisindo-based REBT model on more subjects.Practical implicationsPractically, the results of this study have implications for a model for handling cases of sexual harassment in deaf women that can be used by women’s organizations and the Indonesian Association of Women with Disabilities.Originality/valueIt is recommended for counselors, psychologists and therapists to use the Bisindo-based REBT in dealing with cases of sexual harassment in deaf women because therapy that follows the characteristics of the victim’s language can help them to get the expected results.
Moral intuitions, social skills and elder abuse: exploring a social exchange hypothesisFundinho, João F.; Ferreira-Alves, José
2023 The Journal of Adult Protection
doi: 10.1108/jap-01-2023-0001
This study aims to operationalize and test some predictions of a social exchange theory of elder abuse. The theory proposes that the combination of low resources and high dependency/low relational power increases the older adult’s risk of abuse. The authors tested these predictions by exploring the association between morality (indicator of resources) and abuse, moderated by social skills (indicator of power).Design/methodology/approachThis was an exploratory study. The authors collected data from 62 participants between 64 and 94 years old who frequented social-recreational centres.FindingsThe authors found a positive association between the moral intuition harm/care and the report of emotionally and financially abusive behaviours and denial of rights. The moral intuition authority/respect is negatively associated with the same types of abuse. The effects of moral intuitions on the types of abuse increased in older adults with generally high social skills and low assertiveness.Originality/valueThis study provided initial results for a psychological interpretation of a social exchange theory of elder abuse and highlighted the importance of relational models where moral intuitions interact with social skills to predict elder abuse.
Abusive behaviors: long-term forced quarantine and intimate partner violence during Covid-19 outbreakHosain, Md Sajjad; Jakia, Umma
2023 The Journal of Adult Protection
doi: 10.1108/jap-12-2022-0034
As Covid-19 became a pandemic, numerous people were forced to stay at home, leading to increased intimate partner violence (IPV) in many countries, particularly in developing and least-developed ones. This paper aims to highlight the IPV based on 15 different cases formed from the practical evidence of five developing countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors interviewed 15 women from five countries who were the victims of IPV during the early periods of Covid-19 outbreak. Due to geographical remoteness, the authors conducted informal telephone interviews to collect the participants' personal experiences. The conversations were recorded with participants' permission; afterwards, the authors summarized participants’ experiences into 15 different cases without revealing their original identities (instead, disguised names were used).FindingsIt was revealed that the women were the primary victims of such violence, particularly from their intimate partners (husbands). In most cases, such IPV, as reported by the interviewees, originated or increased after the pandemic when they were forced to stay at home, losing their partners’ jobs or income sources.Originality/valueThe authors summarized the causes of IPV and put forward a few action recommendations based on the interviewees’ practical experience and existing literature. This paper will open a new window for research investigations on IPV during emergencies such as Covid-19 outbreak.