Abstract
Violent ideations are increasingly recognized as an important psychological predictor for aggressive and violent behavior. However, little is known about the processes that contribute to violent ideations. This paper examines the extent to which polyvictimization triggers violent ideations in late adolescence and early adulthood, while also adjusting for dispositional and situational factors as well as prior violent ideations. Data came from three waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood into Adulthood (z-proso; n = 1465). Full-information maximum likelihood Tobit models were fitted to regress violent ideations experienced at ages 17 and 20 on multiple victimization experiences in the preceding 12 months while controlling for antecedent developmental risk factors and prior violent ideations. The results showed that violent ideations in late adolescence and early adulthood are influenced by violent thoughts, aggressive behavior, violent media consumption, moral neutralization of violence, and internalizing symptoms measured 2 years earlier. Experiences of polyvictimization significantly contributed to an increase in violent ideations both during late adolescence and in early adulthood. The exposure-response relationship between victimization and violent ideations did not significantly differ by sex. The findings are consistent with the notion that violent ideations are triggered by a retaliation-linked psychological mechanism that entails playing out other directed imaginary aggressive scenarios specifically in response to experiencing intentional harm-doing by others.
Highlights
The relationship between victimization and the emergence of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems is well‐ established, the effects of victimization on the more proximal cognitive and affective functioning of young people are still not fully understood (Averdijk et al, 2016; Barchia & Bussey, 2010; Bartolo et al, 2009; Lee & Hoaken, 2007)
The pattern of bivariate associations was similar in late adolescence and early adulthood
The present study primarily aimed to examine whether victims of interpersonal, intentional harm‐doing are more likely to have violent ideations, whether multiple victimizations of different kinds—that is polyvictimization—incrementally increased violent ideations, and whether effects varied between late adolescence and early adulthood, and between males and females
Summary
The relationship between victimization and the emergence of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems is well‐ established, the effects of victimization on the more proximal cognitive and affective functioning of young people are still not fully understood (Averdijk et al, 2016; Barchia & Bussey, 2010; Bartolo et al, 2009; Lee & Hoaken, 2007). Victimization on self‐related cognitions include lower self‐esteem, a reduced sense of having control over one's life, feelings of humiliation and rejection, self‐blame, shame and guilt, psychological distress, sadness ruminations, suicidal ideations, and depression Effects of victimization on other‐related cognitions include anger and anger rumination, resentment, hypervigilance to aggressive stimuli, hostile attributions, vengeful thoughts, and feelings of injustice (Manasse & Ganem, 2009; Orth et al, 2006). The present study focuses on an under‐researched yet possibly crucial cognitive process in pathways from victimization to violence, namely thoughts, daydreams, or fantasies of inflicting harm on or killing another individual, that is, violent ideations (Murray et al, 2018). Men tend to recall more violent ideations than women, and their violent fantasies are longer and more detailed as compared with those of women (Kenrick & Sheets, 1993)
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