Moisés Próspero’s research while affiliated with University of Utah and other places

Objectives: This study examined bullying trends associated with victimization of teasing, body esteem, and self-esteem among middle school students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey method was used to collect data from 143 students in seventh grade in health classes at a middle school. Results: Overall, 52.8 % of participants admitted that they were bullied within the past 4 weeks. Of those, verbal bullying (46.5%) was the most frequently reported form of bullying experience. Conclusions: The results revealed that verbal bullying (eg, teasing) was the most frequently reported form of bullying and competency teasing and its victimization were more concerning than weight-related teasing in this study. Additional research is needed to determine if competency teasing is more prevalent than weight-related teasing among middle school students.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1085321.pdf

This study investigated differences in educational motivation among Hispanic and non-Hispanic first-generation students (FGS). Participants were 315 high school and college students who completed a revised academic motivation survey that measured participants’ educational motivation (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation). The study found that extrinsic and amotivation were significant predictors of grade point averages (GPAs) among FGS. In addition, high school FGS and Hispanic students were more likely to report higher intrinsic motivation than college FGS and non-Hispanic students. Implications for higher education are discussed.

Literature has revealed that ethnic/racial minority youth are over-represented in the juvenile justice system. The present study investigated whether providing legal representation to ethnic/racial minority youth in juvenile court would lead to fewer convictions and less severe sanctions. The sample consisted of 10,938 youth (2003–2007), with 32% ethnic/racial minority youth. The state's juvenile sentencing guidelines were used to evaluate the legal representation practice. Multinomial regressions were conducted to examine the effect of legal representation and ethnicity on convictions and sanctions, controlling for criminal history and severity of offense. Results were that legal representation for both ethnic/racial minority and non-minority youth decreased the likelihood of convictions. However, legal representation was also associated with less and more severe sanctions than recommended sentencing guidelines. Taken together, legal representation for youth in juvenile court may lead to dismissal of criminal charges, but for those youth who are convicted, attorney presence may lead to receiving more severe sanctions.

The present study investigated the prevalence of mutual violence, violent attitudes and mental health symptoms among students in Botswana, Africa. The sample consisted of 562 university students from Botswana University in heterosexual relationships. Participants completed self-report surveys that asked about violent attitudes, partner violence, controlling behaviours, and mental health symptoms. Results were that respondent and respondent partner's violent attitudes, partner violence and controlling behaviours were significantly related, revealing the mutuality of aggression within couples. Males reported higher violent attitudes but were just as likely as females to report controlling behaviours and physical partner perpetration. Multivariate analyses found that violent victimisation (physical and sexual), controlling behaviours and violent attitudes were significantly related to violent perpetration. Violent attitudes of the partner contributed to the respondent's violent perpetration of the partner. Respondents were likely to report more mental health symptoms if they experienced sexual violence and controlling behaviours by their intimate partners. Similarly, mental health symptoms of the respondents were associated with the partner's violent attitudes.

Although there are studies that have investigated the prevalence of dating violence among Taiwanese and U.S. college students, the mental health consequences of the victimization have not been investigated and compared between the two groups. The study explored the prevalence of mutual dating violence (MDV) and the relationship between victimization and mental health symptoms among Taiwanese and U.S. college student heterosexual couples (Taiwan = 1019; U.S. = 1049). Results were that U.S. participants reported significantly higher partner violence victimization and perpetration than Taiwanese participants. Additionally, strong support for MDV was found in both Taiwanese and U.S. participants. Finally, multivariate analyses found that MDV was significantly related to mental health symptoms among Taiwanese females and males but only for U.S. females. These findings reveal the high prevalence of MDV and suggest similar mental health consequences are similar among some Taiwanese and U.S. victims and therefore, appropriate assessments should be completed to both members of the couple.

This study examines racial/ethnic and sex differences in the prevalence of mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health symptoms. The authors asked 676 university students in heterosexual relationships if they had experienced IPV, coercive victimization, and/or perpetration as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, hostility, and somatization. Analyses were conducted separately for female and male respondents in four racial/ethnic groups, totaling eight groups (female and male groups each for African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and European Americans). Men, as compared to women, reported stronger correlations between IPV perpetration and IPV victimization, with Asian American men reporting the highest associations of any group. Additionally, experiencing higher partner and coercive violence was significantly related to increased mental health symptoms for all groups except Asian American men. Taken together, these findings suggest that the majority of couples experience mutual violence that elicits mental health problems for both members of the couple.

This study examined sex differences in the prevalence of mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health symptoms among Ghanaian university students. Three hundred and fifty-eight university students in heterosexual relationships were asked if they had experienced IPV, coercion, and symptoms of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as attitudes on the use of violence. Analyses were conducted separately for female and male respondents to explore sex differences in mutual violence and correlates of partner violence and mental health symptoms. Bivariate analyses found that both males and females reported strong correlations between IPV perpetration and IPV victimisation. Multivariate analyses found that among female respondents, their coercive behaviours, attitudes that accept violence and alcohol use were related to perpetrating against their male partner. Among male respondents, attitudes that accept violence and symptoms of conduct disorder were related to abusing their female partner. Additionally, results were that both females and males reported increased mental health symptoms if she/he reported childhood abuse and if her/his partner had attitudes that accepted the use of violence to achieve goals. Taken together, these findings suggest that the majority of couples experience mutual violence and that both females and males can have violent attitudes that accept the use of violence to control their intimate partners, which may also contribute to mental health symptomology.

The present study explores intimate partner violence (IPV) among female sex workers from the red-light area based in Mumbai, India. Using a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten sex workers to explore their experiences of IPV in the context of commercial sex work. Narratives were analyzed and themes constructed. A prevalent theme was the complex development of the male role among sex workers, starting as male clients, becoming intimate partners, and ending as their coercive pimps. In addition, themes were compared to the model of coercion in IPV. The model was generally supported, as sex workers reported exploitation from male partners, followed by coercion and ending with intense IPV victimization. This study draws attention to the drawbacks of criminalization of sex work.

The present study investigated the prevalence of female-to-male intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health symptoms among 370 male university students. Participants completed surveys that measured three types of IPV victimization (sexual, physical, and psychological) and four types of mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, hostility, and somatic symptoms). Correlations revealed strong positive associations between sexual, physical, and psychological IPV among male victims. Multiple regressions identified that males who reported psychological and sexual IPV from their female partner were more likely to report higher hostility, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Further analyses identified that male victims experienced much higher levels of "insisted" sexual coercion rather than "forced" sexual coercion. Mental health practitioners should be aware of the possible mental health symptoms among male IPV victims, specifically from sexual coercion. The study posits that gender socialization does not allow men to refuse sex from an intimate partner and therefore elicit mental health symptoms.