Why are cohabiting relationships more violent than marriages?

In response to increases in cohabitation in the United States, researchers have recently focused on differences between cohabiting and marital unions. One consistent finding is a higher rate of domestic violence among cohabiting couples as compared with married couples. A prominent explanation for this finding is that cohabitation is governed by a different set of institutionalized controls than marriage. This article explores an alternative explanation, namely, that differences in selection out of cohabitation and marriage, including selection of the least-violent cohabiting couples into marriage and the most-violent married couples into divorce, lead to higher observed rates of violence among cohabiting couples in cross-sectional samples. Our results suggest that researchers should be cautious when making comparisons between married and cohabiting couples in which the dependent variable of interest is related to selection into and out of relationship status.     

A Personal Account

The author's personal experience with breast cancer is described and related to the theories and definitions of thriving as discussed in this issue.     

Social class background and gender‐(a)typical choices of fields of study in higher education

By employing a Bourdieu‐inspired class scheme that differentiates between classes’ volume and composition of capital, and by analysing Norwegian administrative register data for birth cohorts between 1987 and 1992, this paper examines the relationship between social class background and gender‐(a)typical choices of higher education. Fields of study in higher education in much of the Western world remain segregated by gender despite the gender gap in educational attainment having been reversed. However, some changes have taken place due to the influx of women into male‐dominated, high‐status fields. Few recent studies have examined the relationship between social class background and gendered educational choices in light of these changes; furthermore, the focus of previous research has been limited to the vertical dimension of class. The results presented in this article suggest that men and women are more likely to make gender‐atypical choices when this leads to social mobility and that focusing solely on the vertical dimension of class may mask horizontal differences.     

Dual Measures of Sexual Consent: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Internal Consent Scale and External Consent Scale

Sexual assault, often defined as nonconsensual sex, is a problem among college students. Universities have made efforts to increase student awareness about sexual consent, which varies along two dimensions: internal feelings of wantedness and external expressions of consent. However, interventions focus on increasing knowledge of the external expression of consent despite the importance of both dimensions for effective sexual communication. A validated research tool that captures students’ ecological experiences along both dimensions is critical. The current study aimed to replicate and validate the factor structure of the Internal Consent Scale (ICS) and External Consent Scale (ECS) in a sample of 610 undergraduate students and to expand on prior work by examining associations with relationship to partner and sexual orientation. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) provided support for the ICS in its current form (i.e., model fit and factor loadings for the ICS were good). Although model fit for the ECS was good, one subscale, no response signals, had poor factor loadings (.16, .38); thus, suggestions are offered to improve its psychometric properties. Despite limitations of the ECS, these dual measures fill a gap in the consent literature by providing a tool to quantify internal and external aspects of sexual consent.     

Efficacy of interventions targeting alcohol,drug and smoking behaviors in university and college students: A review of randomized controlled trials

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting alcohol consumption, drug use and smoking for college/university students.Participants: College/University students.Methods: Studies were eligible if: (1)included students attending universities/colleges; (2)implemented in a university/college setting; (3)aimed to improve at least one of the following behaviors: alcohol and/or drug use and/or smoking; (4)were RCTs. The effect of the interventions on behaviors was determined by the percentage of studies that reported an effect. Due to the heterogeneity of outcomes meta-analysis was not conducted.Results: 88 studies met criteria. University-based interventions were effective for reducing alcohol-related outcomes (drinking patterns, BAC, consequences, problem drinking). Inconsistent findings for drug and smoking were observed.Conclusions: University-based interventions have the potential to improve health for students. While there is a breadth of research examining the efficacy of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption, further research is needed to determine the best approach for addressing smoking and drug use among students.     

Employers’ responses to the HIV epidemic in sub‐Saharan Africa: Revisiting the evidence

Do employers have a role to play to support people living with HIV? The literature on sub‐Saharan Africa points to the existence of a positive business case that sees firms as incentivized to provide HIV‐related services to HIV positive workers However, the evidence is narrow and incomplete, with the business case holding for a limited number of formal sector skilled workers, leaving out most people living with HIV. If employers are to play a role, policy‐makers need to create conducive conditions for positive responses, in addition to—not in replacement of—strengthening public healthcare systems.     

Multidimensional Profiles of Religiosity Among Adolescents: Associations With Sexual Behaviors and Romantic Relationships

Religiosity is associated with sexual behavior in adolescence; however, religiosity is a multidimensional construct, and it is not clear how different patterns of religiosity may differentially predict sexual behaviors and romantic relationships. We apply latent class analysis to nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; N = 10,149) to examine (1) what religiosity profiles exist among adolescents and (2) how they predict sexual behavior and romantic relationship status in adolescence and young adulthood. Religiosity in multiple domains was associated with lesser odds of sexual behavior compared to profiles marked by only affiliation, private, or public religiosity. Findings suggest that examining multiple facets of religiosity together is important for understanding how religiosity is associated with sexual behavior.     

The effect of comment moderation on perceived bias in science news

Uncivil comments following online news articles about issues of science and technology have been shown to lead to biased interpretations of the news content itself. Using an experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey, we provide evidence that cues about comment moderation ? even without any change in the comments themselves ? have the potential to alleviate this so-called nasty effect. Participants exposed to uncivil comments that appear in a moderated environment were less likely to perceive bias in the news article itself. Importantly, perceptions of bias among respondents exposed to the uncivil, moderated stimulus were comparable to those of respondents who viewed both moderated and unmoderated civil comments. Our results suggest that visible cues about comment moderation are a potentially valuable endeavor for news organizations, especially in an age of declining profit margins.     

How does discharge status impact suicide risk in military veterans?

Little is known about over 125,000 veterans who received non-honorable military discharges since 2001, even though these veterans face substantial barriers to obtaining services and are likely to be at high risk for negative mental and behavioral health outcomes including suicide. Seven-hundred twenty-two veterans living the in the San Francisco Bay Area participated in the study. The sample comprised honorably discharged (n = 508) and non-honorably discharged veterans (n = 214). T-tests were used to compare means on predictors of suicide risk including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol use, somatic symptoms, and physical disability. A series of regression models tested relationships between predictors, discharge status, and suicide risk. Non-honorably discharged veterans demonstrated higher mean scores than honorably discharged veterans on all predictors. In regression models, somatic symptoms (β = 0.22, p < 0.001), physical disability (β = 0.16, p < 0.05), and discharge status (β = 0.33, p < 0.001) were associated with suicide risk. The final model showed an interaction effect for discharge status on the relationship between somatic symptoms and suicide risk (β = 0.16, p < 0.05). Non-honorably discharged veterans showed higher rates of mental and physical health problems and suicide risk compared to honorably discharged veterans. The magnitude of the relationship between somatic symptoms and suicide risk was significantly greater in non-honorably discharged veterans.