Michelle Lowe

Research has documented wide-ranging psychological impacts of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) for male survivors, but their experience of relationships is understudied. This qualitative review aimed to synthesize the qualitative literature concerning the experience of partner relationships for male CSA survivors. Electronic searches were conducted across PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed, complemented by hand searches of references. Searches were limited to English-language peer-reviewed studies. Studies were included if they sampled adult male CSA survivors and reported qualitative data on their experience of partner relationships. Sixteen studies met the review criteria. Articles were quality-appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist (2018), and narrative synthesis derived five themes: “sexual orientation confusion,” “sexual intimacy difficulties,” “the barrier of emotional intimacy,” “navigating agency,” and “healing and growth through love.” Key findings were male CSA survivors can face considerable barriers to relational intimacy; however, romantic relationships also offer a space to heal and experience post-traumatic growth (PTG). Clinicians should be aware of the diffuse impacts CSA can have upon male survivors’ intimate relationships. Helping survivors and their partners build a safe space in which to process CSA, reassert agency and relational boundaries, and express love and validation can support survivors toward PTG.

Background:
Due to societal stereotypes around masculinity (i.e. men should be strong and able to physically resist an offender), male survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) frequently experience sexuality and gender role crises, as they tend to blame themselves for not protecting themselves. The negative effects on male and female survivors of sexual abuse are well documented. There is some evidence to suggest that female survivors may experience post traumatic growth (PTG) although less is known regarding male survivors and PTG.
Aims:
To explore the PTG processes involved in the development of positive gender roles and sexuality in male survivors of CSA.
Method:
Recruitment through national male survivor support organisations and social media resulted in a sample of 12 participants from the UK, EU and USA. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed using social constructionist thematic analysis.
Results:
The parallel processes of “struggling and changing” and “developing and growing” were evident in the PTG journeys of participants. Eight subthemes were developed relating to gender role redevelopment to illustrate the experienced positive change: “Turning point,” “Redefining masculinity and sexuality,” “Reconnecting,” “Determination,” “Appreciation of life,” “Living by masculine values,” “Attunement” and “Stronger person” in the context of a central “environmental” theme.
Conclusions:
This study has provided much-needed empirical support for the development of positive gender role and sexuality following CSA and has enabled conceptualisation of PTG in male survivors.

Theories of positive change following traumatic events, known as posttraumatic growth, posit that growth occurs in predetermined domains. However, the domains in which growth occurs have largely been suggested from the results of studies that have looked at isolated traumatic events. The current article has 2 aims: first, to explore whether looking for growth only in predetermined domains limits opportunities to identify other changes that may occur and, second, to describe growth processes and outcomes in survivors of multiple, rather than single, traumatic events. A total of 26 semistructured interviews analyzed with thematic analysis revealed 2 themes (outcomes of trauma and processing trauma) and 7 subthemes (managing subsequent stressors, identity changes, coexisting positive and negative changes, trauma-related thoughts, control perceptions, spiritual challenges, and social support and disclosure). Of these themes, the ability to handle subsequent stressors, identity changes, and control perceptions have not been previously reported in qualitative studies. More flexible conceptualizations of growth are needed to understand the nuances of positive change among survivors who have experienced multiple types of trauma.

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of resilience and social support on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of 121 veterans (n = 56) and civilians (n = 65).
Design/methodology/approach
Gender, age and marital status were collected, along with occupation for civilians and the unit served with, rank, length of time deployed, overall months active and location for veterans. The trauma experiences scale for civilians, the PTSD checklist for civilian and military, Resilience Research Centre's Adult Resilience Measure-28, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Deployment Risk and Resiliency Inventory-2 scales were used.
Findings
The results revealed for both samples, resilience and social support (except unit support for veterans) impacted PTSD symptoms. However, social support did not mediate the relationship between resilience and PTSD.
Originality/value
The originality of this research stems from the incorporation of both a civilian and military sample by comparing their levels of PTSD, resilience and social support.

Objective: Cultural collectivism, a core feature of honor cultures, is associated with the acceptance of aggression if it is used in the name of so called ‘honor’. Currently overlooked in the research literature, this study explored perceptions of anti-gay ‘honor’ abuse in collectivist orientated honor cultures, where homosexuality, in particular, is considered to be dishonorable.
Method: To conduct exploratory and comparative analysis, this study recruited 922 students in four Asian countries (India, Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan), as well as Asian British and White British students in England. All participants read a brief vignette depicting a man whose relatives verbally abuse him and threaten him with life-threatening violence, after suspecting that he is gay and has joined an online dating website to meet men. Participants then completed a short questionnaire that assessed the extent to which they thought the man’s actions had damaged his family’s honor and their approval of the anti-gay ‘honor’ abuse depicted in the scenario. Results: Broadly in line with predictions, data analyses revealed attitudes more supportive of anti-gay ‘honor’ abuse in all five collectivist-orientated populations than the sample of individualistic-orientated counterparts in England. Notably, however, a series of one-way ANOVAs demonstrated that these results varied depending on country of residence, gender, religious denomination, educational status and age.
Conclusions: The findings show that individual and demographic differences influence perceptions towards homophobic ‘honor’ abuse in collectivist cultures. These differences are a useful indices of the psychosocial factors that underpin hostile attitudes towards gay males in cultures where homosexuality is denounced.

Previous research suggests trauma characteristics can impact on posttraumatic growth (PTG). The current study considers whether previously identified predictors of PTG may produce different outcomes dependent on the characteristics of the trauma experienced. Active coping, avoidant coping, emotional coping, intrusive thoughts, social support, and spirituality were examined as potential mediators of relationships between trauma characteristics (interpersonal trauma, number of trauma types, and childhood trauma) and PTG. The responses of 268 adults exposed to multiple and wide-ranging stressors were used to generate three multiple mediation models. Intrusive thoughts and social support exerted small but significant indirect effects in all three multiple mediation models. Avoidant coping mediated associations between the number of trauma types and PTG, and the relationship between childhood trauma to PTG. Relationships between trauma characteristics and PTG appear to be explained through the presence of avoidant coping strategies, intrusive thoughts, and the individual's social environment, which could be the focus of intervention efforts to promote positive change.

Whilst mindfulness as a practice is now well researched, little is known about the associated concept of equanimity or the barriers people face in achieving it. Three studies were conducted to develop and validate a self-report measure assessing barriers to equanimity. Across studies, opportunity samples comprised students and staff members from one British university, and via online social media platforms. In study 1 (n=453) principal component analysis revealed five internally consistent factors measuring the ways in which barriers to equanimity are conceptualised. Study 2, (n=108) sought to confirm these factors. Results revealed that a fourfactor model best fit the data. Validity statistics were sufficient to support this model. Study 3 (n=302) tested convergent and discriminant validity of the four-factor Equanimity Barriers Scale (EBS). It was tested utilising the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003), Big Five Inventory-10 (Rammstedt & John, 2007), Self Compassion Scale Short Form (Raes, Pommier, Neff & Van Gucht 2011), Difficulty in Emotional Regulation Scale Short Form (Kaufman, Xia, Fosco, Yaptangco, Skidmore & Crowell 2015) and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003). The usefulness of the EBS for future research into individual differences in adherence to mindfulness-based interventions are discussed.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes towards, and victimisation experiences of, “honour”-based violence (HBV) in a reportedly vulnerable population in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach A convenience sample of 216 participants were recruited from a local community in England; the majority were young (mean age=21.93), Indian or Pakistani (85 per cent), Muslim (96 per cent), females (67 per cent).
Findings Although gender differences were found for attitudes towards one aspect of HBV (namely, forced marriage), these were not significant. While HBV victimisation affected only a small proportion of this sample, when it was reported, the effects were serious and included anxiety, attempted suicides and running away from home. This highlights the need to identify and safeguard vulnerable groups without stigmatising whole communities.
Originality/value These findings contribute to the scarce literature available on HBV in British communities, and highlight a need for culturally aware emergency and health service provision.

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) and ‘honor’-based violence (HBV) are major concerns throughout the world, little research has investigated the acceptance of these forms of abuse outside of the West. This study therefore responds to this gap in the literature by exploring attitudes towards HBV in a fictional depiction of IPV across four Asian samples: India, Iran, Malaysia and Pakistan.
Participants (n=579) read a hypothetical scenario in which a husband, despite his own marital infidelity, verbally abuses and physically assaults his wife after discovering that she has been unfaithful. Participants then completed a questionnaire that assessed perceptions of damage to the husband’s honor, approval of intimate partner HBV against the wife, and perceptions of both the victim-wife and the perpetrator-husband.
Findings revealed that more males than females, across all four nations, were endorsing of honor-adhering attitudes in response to the perceived threat to the husband’s reputation resulting from the wife’s infidelity. Additionally, of the four samples, Pakistani participants were the most approving and Malaysians least endorsing of honor-adhering attitudes.
Results are discussed in relation to studies of honor-adherence in Asian populations. This study provides an original glimpse into the perceptions of intimate partner HBV in these not-often sampled nationalities.