Patterns of Victimization and Gender: Linking Emotion, Coping, Reporting and Help-seeking

Abstract

This paper aims to systematically address the differing experiences of men and women across the process of victimization and to situate the findings in terms of gendered differences in coping behaviours. The significance of gender and related emotional responses across four stages of victimization—risk, reporting to the police, service use and satisfaction—are explored via a series of logistic multi-level models of Scottish Crime and Justice Survey ( n = 16,000) data, each one examining the impact of gender and emotional responses at subsequent stages in the process of victimization. Variables representing negative emotional responses to crime felt by respondents were included as proxy measures indicating poor or unsuccessful coping. These consisted of eight binary variables measuring anger, shock, fear, depression, anxiety, vulnerability, having difficulty sleeping and crying/being tearful. Findings demonstrate that men have significantly greater odds of personal crime victimization (excluding domestic and sexual violence) yet have lower odds of reporting their victimization to the police. They are also less inclined to take up victim support services than women and find services less helpful when they are in fact used. Also evident is the comparative importance of the emotional impact of crime and coping strategies on further involvement with the criminal justice system.