Olga Cunha
Biographic Data
| ID | 77707 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Olga Cunha |
| GIVEN NAMES | Olga |
| FAMILY NAME | Cunha |
| SIGNATURE | CUNHA O |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Minho |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9747-2343 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 44 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 44 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences and Emotion Regulation in Incarcerated Women
Addressing Aggression in Intimate Partner Violence
Research suggests that multimodal programs may support positive outcomes among perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV), extending beyond recidivism reduction to improvements in emotional regulation and relationship skills. However, few studies have examined their impact on underlying factors associated with IPV perpetration, such as aggression. This study aims to explore the impact of the Promotion and Intervention Program with Batterers …
Unveiling the Predictors of Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse
Intrafamilial child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious social and health issue. Traditional explanations focusing on antisocial tendencies and atypical sexual interests are insufficient to fully understand this crime. This study compared individuals who committed intrafamilial and extrafamilial CSA in Portugal to identify risk factors influencing offenses against related versus unrelated children. One hundred ten participants, 51 of whom had perpetr…
The Impact of Positive Childhood Experiences
Childhood and adolescence are crucial stages of life, characterized by significant changes that profoundly influence overall development. While positive childhood experiences (PCEs) can help mitigate the effects of adverse events during these formative years, they have not been as thoroughly researched. Then, this systematic review aims to address this gap by organizing the existing literature on PCEs and examining their impact on both positive a…
Outcomes of the Therapeutic Relationship in Treating Individuals Who Have Committed Crimes
Several studies suggest that the quality of the therapeutic relationship (TR) between the patient and their therapist plays a significant role in predicting the outcomes of various forms of psychotherapy. However, it remains unclear whether the TR also influences the outcomes of treatment programs for justice-involved populations. Therefore, this systematic review aims to identify the impact of the TR on treatment outcomes with justice-involved i…
The Gap Between Best Practices and Reality
Female incarceration rates are rising worldwide. Evidence has suggested important distinctions between women and men who commit crimes, with women presenting significant vulnerabilities related to adverse and traumatic experiences. This highlights the importance of developing prison interventions that adequately respond to these specificities, namely gender-responsive, trauma-informed, and needs assessment-based (such as the risk-needs-responsivi…
The Effectiveness of Intervention with Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators
Purpose To advance knowledge on effective interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators, it is essential to synthesize evidence from meta-analyses evaluating the effectiveness of perpetrator intervention programs (PIPs). Thus, this umbrella review aims to fill this gap. A thorough search across databases such as B-On, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Scielo, identified 11 meta-analyses that met the inclusion criteria…
Mental Health on Victims of Non-consensual Intimate Image-sharing
Non-consensual intimate image-sharing (NCII) is a type of victimization that has emerged as a pervasive issue affecting millions globally. Studies reveal alarming statistics, with several individuals experiencing or being at risk of NCII victimization. NCII predominantly targets women, and the psychological consequences on victims can be severe, leading to emotional distress, social ostracization, and challenges in intimate relationships, decreas…
Promoting personal and social skills in youth with disruptive behaviors
Disruptive behavior in youth (i.e., persistent oppositional, aggressive, or delinquent conduct) predicts harm to self and others, as well as long-term social exclusion. Tertiary, skill-oriented programs aim to prevent the escalation of these behaviors and strengthen personal and social skills. However, an up-to-date, comprehensive synthesis of their effectiveness is still lacking. In accordance with PRISMA 2020, we searched Web of Science, Scopus…
Beyond Recidivism
Individuals who have served prison sentences face challenges in reintegrating into society, with recidivism often used as the primary indicator of reintegration success. This systematic review analyzed 38 studies with adult participants who had served a sentence or were in the last year of prison, identifying criteria for successful reintegration after release and risk and protective factors. Success factors cover intrapersonal (health, drug abst…
Male Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse
The literature considers individuals who sexually offended children (ISOCs) as a heterogeneous group. In Portugal, ISOCs may be subject to two types of sentences: custodial and non-custodial measures. In the present study, we performed a comparative analysis between 66 male individuals sentenced to prison and 47 male individuals sentenced to community measures for sexual crimes against children, using a set of sociodemographic, penal, and psychol…
Emotional Processing of Pictures and Psychopathic Traits in Women Who Committed Crimes
Psychopathy involves emotional deficits and affective processing difficulties, yet its relationship with emotional processing in incarcerated women remains underexplored. This study examines associations between emotional processing and psychopathic traits in 164 incarcerated women (18 to 81 years), categorized into higher and lower psychopathic propensities using the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale – Short Form. Participants rated 30 images from t…
In or Out
Women incarceration rates in Portugal are rising, nevertheless, noncustodial sanctions should be chosen, whenever possible. This paper aims to understand which women are being sentenced to noncustodial sanctions and which are not, and what they think about their penalty, considering that the penalties’ effectiveness is linked to how they are experienced. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 152 Portuguese women serving custodial and no…
Instruments to Assess Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue that affects individuals, families, and society in profound ways. Over the years, research has often shown that such IPV is predominantly one-sided, with men as perpetrators and women as victims. However, more recent studies have revealed that IPV is frequently bidirectional, with both partners potentially being victims, perpetrators, or both. Despite this growing awareness, lit…
The Effectiveness of Psychological Intervention for Women Who Committed Child Sexual Abuse
The topic of sex offenses committed by women has received relatively little attention until recent decades. The scarcity of research in this domain underscores the urgent need for a more comprehensive understanding and effective interventions. Women who committed child sexual abuse (CSA) exhibit a distinct psychological profile compared to men, requiring specific intervention programs. The current systematic review has two aims: the primary aim i…
Positive Childhood Experiences and Adult Outcomes
Although positive childhood experiences (PCEs) may serve as protective factors against the negative consequences of childhood adversity, they have been less extensively studied. However, more recently, there has been a growing interest in understanding the role of these experiences. This systematic review aims to address this research gap by systematizing the existing literature on PCEs and examining their relationship with both positive and nega…
The Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Interventions With Individuals Who Perpetrated Crimes
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is disproportionately prevalent among individuals who have committed crimes compared to the general population. Simultaneously, PTSD is associated with several adverse outcomes, including increased risk of suicidality in prison, poorer treatment outcomes, and higher rates of recidivism. This review seeks to systematize trauma-focused therapies for adult justice-involved populations. It examines their effectiv…
Attitudes of University Students Toward Individuals Who Have Committed Sexual Crimes
Understanding the attitudes of justice-related students toward individuals who have committed sexual crimes (ICSC) is crucial, as they will likely work with them. This study examines the attitudes of 418 Portuguese University students in psychology, criminology, and law toward ICSC and their rehabilitation, exploring variations based on sociodemographic and personality variables. Participants completed the Attitudes toward Sex Offenders Scale, th…
Prevalence of Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence in a Sample of College Students in Portugal
Purpose This study aimed to (a) characterize the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration; (b) delineate the prevalence and frequency of various types of violence suffered and perpetrated; (c) explore potential gender and sexual orientation differences in the prevalence and frequency of IPV perpetration and victimization; (d) analyze the most common pattern of IPV; and (e) investigate potential gender and sexua…
Initial validation of Hanson Sex Attitude Questionnaire (HSAQ) in Portuguese perpetrators of child sexual abuse and perpetrators of non-sexual crimes
Cognitive distortions (CDs) are a crucial element in the etiology of child sexual offending, with most of the intervention programs targeting them to reduce the risk of sexual recidivism in perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA).Researchers have developed the Hanson Sex Attitude Questionnaire (HSAQ) to assess CDs.With a total sample of 256 participants, the Portuguese version of the HSAQ revealed a twofactor structure.The HSAQ subscales demonst…
Psychopathy and Violent Offenses
Childhood Maltreatment and Empathy in Community and Justice Samples
Child maltreatment (CM) has been related to adverse outcomes in adulthood, such as deficits in empathy. However, positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are related to adaptive characteristics in adulthood, mitigating the adverse effects of CM. This study aimed to explore the relationship between CM, PCEs, and empathy and analyze the moderating role of PCEs in the relationship between CM and empathy in a sample of 2310 male and female adults from t…
Covid-19 fear and anxiety as mediators in the relationship between repetitive negative thinking and psychopathology
Understanding Intimate Partner Femicide and Attempted Intimate Partner Femicide During and After Covid-19
Intimate partner femicide (IPF) and attempted intimate partner femicide (AIPF) are severe forms of violence and global phenomena occurring in all societies worldwide. However, explaining IPF and AIPF is a complex and challenging endeavor. This article delves into the evolution of IPF and AIPF in Portugal during and after COVID-19, seeking to comprehend the underlying explanatory factors through a comprehensive strain-based approach. IPF rates dur…
Brief Measure of Affective Lability Among Portuguese Community and Justice Samples
Affective lability is a central feature of several emotional disturbances and is linked to aggressive and risky behaviors. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Affective Lability Scale-18 (ALS-18) among a community sample and a sample of justice-involved adults. We also aimed to test the measurement invariance between sex and sample type. Results revealed good to excellent values of internal consistency. Confirmatory fac…
Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Childhood and Partner Violence Perpetration in Adulthood
Although different studies have found that exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in childhood is linked to IPV perpetration in adulthood, others have revealed null effects. Previous research has also found that some factors might mediate the relationship between exposure to IPV in childhood and later IPV perpetration. As far as we know, no studies examined the role of aggression in this relationship. This study aimed to analyze the link bet…
Criminal lifestyle, psychopathy, and prison adjustment among female inmates
Criminal Lifestyle Among Women Who Committed Crimes
Research on women who committed crimes has not followed the same developments of males who committed crimes. The study of psychopathy and criminal lifestyle in female populations is one of the main gaps. This study aimed to better understand the construct of psychopathy among women who committed crimes, analyzing its relationship with criminal lifestyle. Sixty-three incarcerated women convicted of different crimes participated in this study. Psyc…
Prevalence and Impact of Revenge Pornography on a Sample of Portuguese Women
Victims of revenge pornography (RP) suffer long-term psychological, personal, and social consequences, given that the spread of explicit content may continue to disturb them throughout their lives. However, there is a scarcity of studies on this phenomenon in Portugal. The present study aims to identify the prevalence of RP and analyze its impact on self-esteem, humiliation, depression, and anxiety, and compare victims and non-victims of RP on th…
The Influence of Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence on the Parent-child Relationship
Criminal lifestyle, psychopathy, and prison adjustment among female inmates
Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire
This study aimed to analyze the fit of the four-factor model of the 29-item and 12-item Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) on a sample of Portuguese male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV; N = 279) and to test the measurement invariance between sample type (forensic and non-forensic) and sentence type (prison and community). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) did not support the four-factor model of the BPAQ 29-item version. …
Psychopathy and Reoffending Among Incarcerated Women
Several studies found that psychopathy is an important predictor of general reoffending/recidivism. However, these conclusions are often based on male samples. This study analyzes the association between psychopathic traits and the four facets of psychopathy (i.e., interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, antisocial) and general reoffending among incarcerated women. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was applied to a sample of 63 incarcerated …
The personality of male prisoners
Words matter
This study examines judges’ value judgments on their remarks during sentence pronouncements. We performed a content analysis of 93 sentence pronouncements from the 13 judges from a Portuguese criminal court. Within these discourses, 299 discourse units were codified as judges’ value judgments, that is, personal contents beyond strict legal issues. From these 299, 107 were recommendations (comprehending advice to change, to not reoffend, to rethin…
Motivational Interview Techniques and the Effectiveness of Intervention Programs With Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is widely recognized as a severe public health issue. Perpetrators’ Intervention Programs (PIPs) have been essential to prevent recidivism, and the incorporation of Motivational Interview Techniques (MIT) has shown to be an added value in this area. Objective: The present systematic review aims to analyze the incorporation of MIT (i.e., pre-treatment, isolated treatment, and conjoined with PIPs) in interventions wi…
The impact of imprisonment on individuals’ mental health and society reintegration
This study intends to have a meaningful impact on the understanding of imprisonment effects, giving important clues for developing and implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies to address prisoners' and ex-prisoners' mental health and improve their ability to successfully reintegrate into society and reduce recidivism
Prevalence and Impact of Revenge Pornography on a Sample of Portuguese Women
Victims of revenge pornography (RP) suffer long-term psychological, personal, and social consequences, given that the spread of explicit content may continue to disturb them throughout their lives. However, there is a scarcity of studies on this phenomenon in Portugal. The present study aims to identify the prevalence of RP and analyze its impact on self-esteem, humiliation, depression, and anxiety, and compare victims and non-victims of RP on th…
Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence and Covid-19-Related Anxiety During the Second Lockdown in Portugal
The Influence of Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence on the Parent-child Relationship
Covid-19 fear and anxiety as mediators in the relationship between repetitive negative thinking and psychopathology
Understanding Intimate Partner Femicide and Attempted Intimate Partner Femicide During and After Covid-19
Intimate partner femicide (IPF) and attempted intimate partner femicide (AIPF) are severe forms of violence and global phenomena occurring in all societies worldwide. However, explaining IPF and AIPF is a complex and challenging endeavor. This article delves into the evolution of IPF and AIPF in Portugal during and after COVID-19, seeking to comprehend the underlying explanatory factors through a comprehensive strain-based approach. IPF rates dur…
Brief Measure of Affective Lability Among Portuguese Community and Justice Samples
Affective lability is a central feature of several emotional disturbances and is linked to aggressive and risky behaviors. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Affective Lability Scale-18 (ALS-18) among a community sample and a sample of justice-involved adults. We also aimed to test the measurement invariance between sex and sample type. Results revealed good to excellent values of internal consistency. Confirmatory fac…
The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy in Individuals Who Committed Crimes
Research suggests that individuals who commit crimes often exhibit various early maladaptive schemas (EMSs). EMSs are a broad and pervasive theme or pattern consisting of memories, emotions, cognitions, and bodily sensations concerning oneself and one’s relationships with others. Furthermore, EMSs play a crucial role in the onset and maintenance of different types of offending behaviors, highlighting the need to implement schema therapy (ST) for …
Bidirectional Violence in Intimate Relationships
Intimate partner violence is a public health problem with significant consequences at different levels. Over the years, the literature has shown that most violence is not unidirectional and perpetrated by men against women but rather bidirectional, in which both couple elements may be victims, perpetrators, or both. In this systematic literature review, we aimed to systematize the empirical knowledge to assess the prevalence of bidirectional viol…
The Effectiveness of Intervention Programs for Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence with Substance Abuse and/or Mental Disorders
Despite the high prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among men with mental health (MH) problems and substance use (SU), there is limited evidence on the most effective ways to reduce IPV within these groups. Hence, the present systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for male IPV perpetrators with MH issues and SU problems. Five databases (B-On, Pubmed PsycInfo, Scienc…
Intervention Program Dropout Among Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence
Dropout in perpetrator intervention programs (PIPs) is extensively documented in the literature, yet findings across various studies exhibit global inconsistency. This meta-analysis aimed to identify dropout rates among individuals attending PIPs and examine sociodemographic, violence-related, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and external variables related to dropout. A search was conducted across six databases, encompassing studies published betwee…
Resilience and hopelessness mediate the relationship between benevolent childhood experiences and life satisfaction
Despite differences between countries, BCEs are important predictors of adult well-being in all three countries and should be monitored along with ACE. Further, resilience seems to have an important role in lowering the negative consequences of lower BCEs and feelings of hopelessness, pointing to the need to strengthen psychological resilience among adults
Emotional Processing and Psychopathy Among Women
Does psychopathy mediate the relationship between exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood and the perpetration of intimate partner violence in adulthood
Exposure to intimate partner violence during childhood has been linked to both intimate partner violence perpetration in adulthood and psychopathy. However, the role of psychopathy in the connection between exposure to intimate partner violence during childhood and later intimate partner violence perpetration is less understood. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between exposure to intimate partner violence during childhood, psychopath…
Criminal Lifestyle Among Women Who Committed Crimes
Research on women who committed crimes has not followed the same developments of males who committed crimes. The study of psychopathy and criminal lifestyle in female populations is one of the main gaps. This study aimed to better understand the construct of psychopathy among women who committed crimes, analyzing its relationship with criminal lifestyle. Sixty-three incarcerated women convicted of different crimes participated in this study. Psyc…
Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Childhood and Partner Violence Perpetration in Adulthood
Although different studies have found that exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in childhood is linked to IPV perpetration in adulthood, others have revealed null effects. Previous research has also found that some factors might mediate the relationship between exposure to IPV in childhood and later IPV perpetration. As far as we know, no studies examined the role of aggression in this relationship. This study aimed to analyze the link bet…
Beyond Recidivism
Individuals who have served prison sentences face challenges in reintegrating into society, with recidivism often used as the primary indicator of reintegration success. This systematic review analyzed 38 studies with adult participants who had served a sentence or were in the last year of prison, identifying criteria for successful reintegration after release and risk and protective factors. Success factors cover intrapersonal (health, drug abst…
Male Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse
The literature considers individuals who sexually offended children (ISOCs) as a heterogeneous group. In Portugal, ISOCs may be subject to two types of sentences: custodial and non-custodial measures. In the present study, we performed a comparative analysis between 66 male individuals sentenced to prison and 47 male individuals sentenced to community measures for sexual crimes against children, using a set of sociodemographic, penal, and psychol…
Emotional Processing of Pictures and Psychopathic Traits in Women Who Committed Crimes
Psychopathy involves emotional deficits and affective processing difficulties, yet its relationship with emotional processing in incarcerated women remains underexplored. This study examines associations between emotional processing and psychopathic traits in 164 incarcerated women (18 to 81 years), categorized into higher and lower psychopathic propensities using the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale – Short Form. Participants rated 30 images from t…
Psychology (22 works) · Poison control (21 works) · Clinical Psychology (17 works) · Social Psychology (16 works) · Medicine (15 works) · Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending (14 works) · Intimate Partner and Family Violence (13 works) · Clinical Psychology (12 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (11 works) · Social Psychology (11 works)