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Editor's e-Note
Hardly a week goes by without hearing reports of sexual assaults involving ordinary people as well as high-profile or celebrity perpetrators and survivors. More commonly, the survivors who report are female; however, researchers are learning more about how male sexual assault survivors are affected and why professional services must be more inclusive and understanding of gender differences. Read this month’s E-News Exclusive for more information.

We welcome your comments at SWTeditor@gvpub.com. Visit our website at www.SocialWorkToday.com, like our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter.

— Marianne Mallon, editor
e-News Exclusive
Behavioral and Physical Health Effects on Male Sexual Assault Survivors — What Professionals Need to Know

By Sue Coyle, MSW

Over the past several years, sexual assault—its prevalence, varying forms and impacts—have come to the forefront of societal conversation. This is in part due to high-profile cases, media attention, and the willingness of survivors to share their stories.

However, the discussion stemming from this movement has revolved largely around the assault of women. And while it is true that the majority of juvenile and adult survivors of rape are female, narrowing the conversation excludes other victims, such as adult males. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (commonly known as RAINN), “1 out of every 10 rape victims are male.” Also, according to the 2011 The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, “one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives.”

Not including male victims of sexual violence in the increased awareness risks limiting the support available to them—not just from the general public and the survivors’ individual support systems but also from the professionals tasked with understanding and addressing the short- and long-term effects of sexual assault.

Fortunately, researchers and service providers are paying attention to this need, and in doing so they will be better able to determine how to deliver services to male survivors.

Full story »
Tech & Tools
Can Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) Plus Social Media Connections Foster Happiness?

FOMO—aka the “fear of missing out”—can have a positive impact on well-being when it leads to social media use that increases social connections, according to a new Baylor University study.

James A. Roberts, PhD, The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing, and Meredith David, PhD, an assistant professor of marketing in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, coauthored the study, “The Social Media Party: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Social Media Intensity, Connection, and Well-Being,” published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.

Roberts and David collaborate often and are nationally recognized experts on the effects of technology and social media on relationships and well-being.

For this collaboration, the researchers conducted two studies consisting of 565 college students from a large U.S. university to determine the effect FOMO has on social media use, social connection to others, and psychological well-being. FOMO is defined in the study as apprehension that others might be having a rewarding experience from which one is absent. According to Roberts, approximately 75% of young adults struggle with FOMO.

“The human need to belong is an innate drive that dictates much of our behavior. Social media capitalizes on this need to belong,” Roberts says. “Social media has a dual nature. It lets us interact with others, which is good, but it also exposes us to more social opportunities than we can take part in; that fosters a sense of missing out and inadequacy.”

Read more »
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