Impact Of Victimization Research Articles

An Analysis of Psychological Perceptions of Survivors of Sexual Assault.

Sexual assault, although not limited to females, is predominantly a form of male-on-female oppressionanda form of torture and trauma, both physical as well as psychological, and may have longstanding and lasting effects.It includes any sexual behavior or act which is threatening, violent, forced, coercive, or exploitative and to which a person has not given consent or was not able to give consent. The impact of victimization is utterly profound and there is a wide range of responses a person may have to sexual assault. Some last a few days, others a few weeks, but most can entrench far longer. A detailed analysis was conducted on the data of each case using a standardized form and guided interview of 206 survivors who had experienced alleged sexual offenses and met the specified criteria, seeking examination at the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology in a tertiary level teaching hospital in India over a period of two years. Designed as a cross-sectional observational qualitative study, relying on interviews with the survivors. The inclusion criteria encompassed survivors of alleged rape cases, kidnapping cases, and anal sex ("sodomy") cases who presented to the department during the study period. Certain cases were excluded from the study, including those requiring only an "Ossification test" and cases involving prostitution. The experiences of 206 survivors were analyzed and we found that in the majority of cases, the assailants were known to the survivors. Reasons for this included proximity, familiarity, and taking advantage of trust and faith bestowed upon them by the victim. Up to 75.24% of the offenses were committed with consent, while 24.76% were committed without consent. The causes of consensual and forceful sex acts were explored, with the majority of consensual sex acts being attributed to false promises to marry and love affairs. The majority of non-consensual sexual offenses were forcefully committed with ill intent, with only a small number being influenced by alcohol or drug intoxication. The study also found that almost equal numbers of cases were reported by survivors and their parents, and that survivor statements were valuable for investigating cases, although there were instances where they differed from their initial statements. Mental and psychological status varied among survivors, with responses related to the elapsed time period from the occurrence of the assault.

Do adolescence peer victimization experiences hamper healthy relationships in young adulthood?

ABSTRACT The current study examines whether peer victimization experienced in early adolescence is associated with compromised social functioning 14 years later in young adulthood. The sample involved 1533 young adults (65.1% female, Mage = 27.06) who had participated in a large research project as middle school students (7th and 8th graders, with 13–14 years of age at wave 1) in Finland. Self-reported victimization during 1 year in middle school across three time points (waves 1–3) was first used to predict young adults' romantic relationship satisfaction and victimization at workplace (wave 4), while controlling for gender and initial grade level. The model suggested that peer victimization was associated with lower level of romantic relationship satisfaction and an increased risk for workplace victimization. When middle school depression, social anxiety, and bullying perpetration were added as covariates, peer victimization in middle school was no longer directly related to romantic relationship satisfaction. Peer victimization and bullying perpetration were each predictive of workplace victimization in this model. Adolescence bullying perpetration did not moderate the impact of victimization on adult outcomes. The findings suggest that the prevention of bullying and peer victimization as well as depression in adolescence is important to lower the long-term risks for social adjustment.

The Urgency to Adopt Victim Impact Statement in the Indonesian Criminal Justice System

This study is aimed to examine the need for adopting a Victim Impact Statement in the Indonesian criminal justice system. Due to the absence of Indonesian law that acknowledges the victims’ right to express opinions that directly affect them prior to a panel of judges imposing a punishment, this adoption is necessary. This paper employed doctrinal legal research that mainly focused on the Code of Criminal Procedure provisions supported by secondary legal sources. The results showed that VIS was the statements made by someone who has lost something because of a crime or another painful occurrence. The content of the information indicated the psychic, emotional, psychological, or financial consequences of a crime suffered/experienced by the victim or their family. Several advantages were found in the VIS, including giving victims a formal role in the criminal justice system and raising victim satisfaction with the criminal justice system. As they allow victims to share their stories before the court’s ruling, some of these advantages are essential for Indonesia’s integration of VIS into its criminal justice system. Hence, the legislatures are suggested to adopt VIS in the Criminal Procedure Code and other sectoral legislation.
 Keywords: Victim Impact Statement, Criminal Justice System, Proportionality, Prevention

Hearing from the Forgotten Victims: A Content Analysis of the Consequences of Bernard L. Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme

ABSTRACT Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme may be one of the most famous in history. The victims included over 15,000 parties. Roughly 130 elected to share their stories in court by filing victim impact statements. In the current study, we performed a content analysis that explored the consequences of victimization as reported in Madoff’s victim impact statements. We found that the consequences of Ponzi scheme victimization included financial, mental or emotional, interpersonal, physical, life trajectory, and a change in trust in the government. The findings indicate that victims would be better served by having quicker responses from the government after victimization. They also benefit from being included in all phases of criminal proceedings.

The impact of peer victimization on Chinese left-behind adolescent suicidal ideation: The mediating role of psychological suzhi and the moderating role of family cohesion

BackgroundThe detrimental impact of peer victimization on suicidal thoughts has been tested in numerous previous studies, but the underlying mechanisms tying the two together remain unclear, particularly for left-behind adolescents in China, who are defined as the adolescent staying behind in rural areas for a duration exceeding six months while having one or both parents relocate to urban areas for employment purposes. ObjectiveThis study intends to investigate the relationship between peer victimization and suicidal ideation in Chinese left-behind adolescents and the mediating effect of psychological suzhi (a comprehensive positive quality that related to developmental, adaptive, and creative behaviors) and the moderating role of family cohesion. Participants and settingsA total of 417 Chinese left-behind adolescents (Mage at Time 1 = 14.84 ± 1.08 years; 57.55 % male) were recruited for the study. Participants came from rural counties of central China in Hunan province which has suffered a large labor migration. MethodsWe conducted a two-wave longitudinal study with six-month intervals. Participants completed the measures of the Chinese peer victimization scale for children and adolescents, the adolescent's psychological suzhi questionnaire, the self-rating idea of suicide scale, and the cohesion dimension of the family adaptability cohesion scale. ResultsPath modeling results indicated that psychological suzhi partially mediated the link between peer victimization and suicidal ideation. Family cohesion moderated the association between peer victimization and suicidal ideation. The link between peer victimization and suicidal ideation was weaker for left-behind adolescents with higher family cohesion. ConclusionPeer victimization was found to diminish psychological suzhi, which in turn increases the risk of suicidal ideation. However, family cohesion buffered the negative effect of peer victimization on suicidal ideation, suggesting that left-behind adolescents with greater family cohesion may be better equipped to prevent suicidal ideation, which has implications for future family and school education and provides some ideas and a foundation for future research.

Associations Between Childhood Victimization, Adult Victimization, and Physical Health Among Sexually Diverse Adults at Different Stages of Life.

Purpose: Research examining health disparities in sexually diverse populations is quite variable. The purpose of the present article was to shed light on the conflicting findings pertaining to minority stress and health by examining the potential impact of age, childhood victimization, and different measurements of health. Methods: The present research used data from the Generations Study, a questionnaire study of sexually diverse adults (ages 18-60) surveyed between 2016 and 2019. We modeled direct and indirect links among (1) childhood exposure to physical or sexual abuse, (2) adult exposure to victimization or harassment, and (3) adult physical health status, assessed both subjectively and objectively. Participants were 1398 sexually diverse adults (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual); the present work only utilizes wave one of the data collected in 2016. Results: We found that both childhood abuse and adult harassment/victimization predicted sexually diverse adults' health status, but these associations only manifested as diagnosable disease outcomes among adults over 50. Associations between childhood abuse and adult health were partly attributable to the fact that abuse-exposed children were disproportionately exposed to harassment and victimization as adults. Conclusion: Our research makes a novel contribution to our understanding of the health effects of stigma by pinpointing the multiple, cascading pathways through which adversity relates to health.

Longitudinal alterations in brain morphometry mediated the effects of bullying victimization on cognitive development in preadolescents.

Bullying victimization is associated with a doubled risk of attempting suicide in adulthood. Two longitudinal brain morphometry studies identified the fusiform gyrus and putamen as vulnerable to bullying. No study identified how neural alterations may mediate the effect of bullying on cognition. We assessed participants with caregiver-reported bullying (N = 323) and matched non-bullied controls (N = 322) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study dataset to identify changes in brain morphometry associated with ongoing bullying victimization over two years and determine whether such alterations mediated the effect of bullying on cognition.Bullied children (38.7% girls, 47.7% racial minorities, 9.88 ± 0.62 years at baseline) had poorer cognitive performance (P < 0.05), larger right hippocampus (P = 0.036), left entorhinal cortex, left superior parietal cortex, and right fusiform gyrus volumes (all P < 0.05), as well as larger surface areas in multiple other frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices. Thinner cortices were also found in the left hemisphere, particularly in the left temporal lobe, and right frontal region (all P < 0.05). Importantly, larger surface area in the fusiform cortices partially suppressed (12–16%), and thinner precentral cortices partially mitigated, (7%) the effect of bullying on cognition (P < 0.05). These findings highlight the negative impact of prolonged bullying victimization on brain morphometry and cognition.

Mock Juror Perceptions of a Male or Female Adult Rape Victim Crying in the Courtroom.

This study investigated the impact of victim crying and gender on perceptions of rape cases. Participants (N = 240, 51.5% male, 48.1% female) completed a 2 (victim crying) × 2 (victim gender) × 2 (participant gender) between-participants design with case judgments (e.g., verdict) as the DVs. Results found that a rape victim crying during testimony increased pro-victim judgments compared to when the victim did not cry, that female mock jurors were more pro-victim than males, but that victim gender was insignificant. Finally, the mediation model found that victim crying increased their credibility, increasing the likelihood of a guilty verdict.

Victim impact statement and lay judges’ decision making: exploring cross-cultural and individual differences in East Asia

ABSTRACT Research has shown that emotional testimony given by victims or their family can affect jurors’ or lay judges’ decision-making processes, but little attention has been paid to cross-cultural and individual variations. The present study examined whether cultural and individual differences were associated with how victim impact statement (VIS) affected mock lay judges’ decision making in East Asian contexts. Participants from Japan (n = 74) and Taiwan (n = 64) reviewed a transcript of a lay participation (or Saiban-In) trial with or without an emotional VIS by the bereaved family and then made verdict and sentencing decisions individually. The results showed no main and interaction effects of VIS and culture on verdict decision, perceived strength of evidence, and sentence decision. Regression analyses showed that Need for Affect predicted higher perceived strength of evidence against the defendant and more guilty verdicts, and the effects were stronger in the VIS condition. We concluded that emotional VIS in a written format may not be biasing by nature in East Asian contexts; however, including a VIS could risk the possibility of bias in the fact-finding process of lay judges with a higher tendency to approach emotional information.

The ordeal of police victimization in the Mthatha Policing Cluster, Eastern Cape

In South Africa, members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) are constitutionally mandated to protect society. However, while executing their duties, they continuously experience an alarmingly high rate of attacks from alleged criminals, often leading to the death of SAPS members. Subsequently, this situation increases the staff shortage for patrolling the streets and arresting criminals. The situation's aftermath also leads to increasing community perceptions that crime is out of hand and that crime prevention strategies are ineffective. This study examined the ordeal of police victimization in the Mthatha Policing Cluster, Eastern Cape, South Africa. A questionnaire was used for data collection from 105 respondents. The non-probability sampling method was used and the study employed the snowball sampling technique. Results reveal that victimization of law enforcement officers is a reality. The research questions that guided this study included: What are the upheld views by police officers of their victimization? Which factors make police to be susceptible to victimization while executing their duties? What is the impact of police victimization on policing society at large? Altogether, 80.8% of respondents revealed that police are being robbed and assaulted, and in some instances, the use of the K*** word is evident. SAPS members are not fulfilling their mandate because they fear being killed while executing their duties. In the study, new strategies are highly recommended for curbing crime, and police need to be empowered with new, modern techniques of policing.

Transactional Relations Between Peer Victimization and Depressive Symptoms Among Youth at Risk of Developing Depression: Evidence for Gender Differences.

Offspring of mothers with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) are at high risk of developing the disorder themselves, yet specific mechanisms of risk remain unclear. One hypothesized mechanism is interpersonal stress, which has been shown to be elevated in offspring of mothers with a history of MDD. The goal of this study was to examine the role of a specific form of interpersonal stress, peer victimization (overt and relational). In doing so, we not only examined the impact of peer victimization on changes in youth depression, but also youth depression on changes in peer victimization, consistent with stress generation models. Participants were 251 mothers with (n = 129) or without (n = 122) a history of MDD and their child (aged 8-14 years at baseline) who were assessed every six months for two years. Using random intercepts cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM), we were able to separate between-subject effects (mother MDD group differences in average levels of peer victimization and offspring depressive symptoms) and within-subject effects (transactional influences between within-subject fluctuations in peer victimization and depressive symptoms among offspring over time). Overall, these effects were stronger for relational victimization than for overt victimization and stronger for girls than boys. These results support the role of peer victimization, particularly relational victimization, as a risk factor among offspring of mothers with MDD, particularly girls, and highlight transactional relations between relational victimization and depressive symptoms in girls over time, which may create a vicious cycle of risk.

Longitudinal associations between cyber victimization and problematic mobile phone use in adolescents: Disentangling between-person effects from within-person effects

BackgroundBeing the target of cyber victimization has been shown to be connected with several forms of maladjustment among adolescents. However, there is not a clear understanding of the impact of cyber victimization on Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PMPU) and the potential mechanism underlying the association. The present study tested the longitudinal association between cyber victimization and adolescents' PMPU as well as the mediating role of sleep problems in this association. MethodsA sample of 1835 Chinese adolescents (55.9 % boys; Mage = 12.34) completed self-report questionnaires regarding cyber victimization, sleep problems and PMPU at four time points, using 6-month intervals. Gender, age and socioeconomic status were controlled for in the analyses. We tested cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) and random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) to separate between- and within-person effects, allowing a robust and rigorous test of relationships among variables. ResultsAs hypothesized, at the within-person level, cyber victimization was a predictive risk factor of later PMPU among adolescents, and sleep problems served as an explanatory mechanism by which cyber victimization predicted adolescents' PMPU over time. ConclusionThese findings contribute to identifying adolescents at risk for engaging in PMPU, as well as the prevention and intervention.

Victim participation in criminal justice: A quantitative systematic and critical literature review

Meaningful participation in criminal justice by victims of violence is an aspiration of advocates working across domestic and international jurisdictions. Researchers have examined a range of participatory activities undertaken by violence victims. However, there has been no review of research that could build shared understanding of the content and contours of ‘participation’, its benefits and disbenefits to victims, nor assess the quality of justice it delivers. This article presents the first systematic quantitative and critical review of the topic. Electronic literature databases were searched to identify empirical research of victim participation whether in domestic or international criminal justice. Searches for peer-reviewed academic English-language journal articles found 58 studies matching the selection criteria and published between 2002 and 2021. Just over half were common law-based studies that were themselves mostly conducted in the United States. Definitions of victim participation were oblique but three-quarters of the studies demonstrated victim participation in some way, mostly participation at trial. The most common form of participatory activity studied was the provision of victims’ views and concerns followed by victim impact statements. The conceptual focus of studies was largely rights-focused while a substantial number assessed offender-related outcomes. We argue for greater specificity of participatory mechanisms and outcome measures in research. Given the multiplicity of situations and procedures ascribed as victim participation, we provide a schematic to assist researchers in organising evidence for future theoretical scrutiny.

Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration among university students in Bangladesh: Prevalence, impact and help-seeking practices

ABSTRACT While digital technologies provide a robust platform for university students to contact peers, establish virtual social ties, and bring a new learning mode, they also facilitate cyberbullying perpetration. The present study explores the extent and nature of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration among university students in Bangladesh. It also examines the impact of victimization and the help-seeking practices of self-identified victims of cyberbullying. The study conducted an online survey with 552 (315 male, 237 female) Bangladeshi university students aged 18–31 years from all academic levels (undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate). The result revealed that cyberbullying is prevalent among university students with substantial negative impacts upon the victims, including anger, fear of attending courses, stress, humiliation, and self-guilt. However, the independent sample t-test revealed no statistically significant gender differences regarding cyberbullying victimization. Furthermore, it showed that victims of cyberbullying mainly seek help from family and friends and barely report it to the police. Finally, this study discusses implications and specific recommendations to support the victims and prevent cyberbullying in universities.

Peer Victimization and Subjective Well-Being Among Chinese Adolescents: Moderated Mediation by Forgiveness and Self-Esteem.

Considerable developmental research has shown an association between peer victimization and subjective well-being among adolescents. However, the mediating processes and protective factors that constrain this association are less understood. To fill these gaps, we investigated whether self-esteem mediates the association between peer victimization and subjective well-being and whether forgiveness moderates the direct and indirect associations of peer victimization with adolescents' subjective well-being via self-esteem. A large sample of 2,758 adolescents (Mage = 13.53 years, SD = 1.06) from 10 middle schools in China participated in this study. Participants provided data on demographic variables, peer victimization, self-esteem, forgiveness, and subjective well-being by answering anonymous questionnaires. After controlling for demographic covariates, we found that self-esteem mediated the relationship between peer victimization and subjective well-being. Furthermore, as a protective factor, forgiveness moderated the relationship between peer victimization and self-esteem. Consistent with the protective-reactive model, when adolescents experienced more peer victimization, those with higher forgiveness levels exhibited a greater decline in self-esteem, and low self-esteem was then associated with decreased subjective well-being. These findings demonstrate the utility of examining both mediating and moderating factors in this relationship and highlight the negative impact of peer victimization on adolescent self-worth and the limited role of forgiveness as a protective factor.

Impact of interpersonal violence victimization in sports coaching on interpersonal problems

Impact of interpersonal violence victimization in sports coaching on interpersonal problems

Feminist Witnessing from the Bench: A Study of Judge Aquilina’s Epideictic Rhetoric in the Nassar Sentencing Hearing

ABSTRACT During a 2018 sentencing hearing of former Olympics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar, 156 survivors offered Victim Impact Statements, and Judge Rosemarie Aquilina made national headlines for her impassioned responses to each survivor. This essay shows how Aquilina’s responses use epideictic rhetoric to make audible a judicial practice of feminist witnessing of assault testimony. In so doing, Aquilina challenges the way blame “sticks” to survivors and casts a scrutinizing gaze on a culture that silences survivors; praises the individual act of testimony and constitutes a collective of “sister survivors,” thereby fostering connection and potential for coalition building; and reframes sexual assault testimony as a public act with socially transformative effects.

Supplemental Material for The Relationship Between Victim Impact Statements and Judicial Decision Making: An Archival Analysis of Sentencing Outcomes

Supplemental Material for The Relationship Between Victim Impact Statements and Judicial Decision Making: An Archival Analysis of Sentencing Outcomes

Are Perceived Executive Functions Beneficial for Adolescents Who Experience Peer Victimization?

Peer victimization can lead to dysfunctional cognitions and numerous internalizing psychological problems. Thus, it is essential to identify factors that can moderate the impact of victimization. This study aimed to analyze the potential moderating role of perceived executive functions (PEF) in the impact of peer victimization (traditional and online) on internalizing symptoms (depression and social anxiety), early maladaptive schemas (disconnection/rejection domain), and PEF in adolescents. A two-wave longitudinal study was carried out with 680 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age (M = 14.58, SD = 1.36; 41.18% girls). Participants completed measures of self-reported executive functions, traditional and online victimization, early maladaptive schemas of the disconnection/rejection domain, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety symptoms in waves 1 and 2. Traditional and online perpetration was completed only in wave 1. The results indicated that when PEF were high (i.e., adolescents perceive that they have good executive functions), traditional and online victimization predicted more schemas of the disconnection/rejection domain and internalizing symptoms of depression and social anxiety. In non-victims, high PEF showed a protective role in the development of depressive symptoms and schemas of the disconnection/rejection domain. The findings highlight that PEF have a protective role that disappears when victimization (traditional and online) occurs.

Prevalence and impact of peer victimisation among youth seeking treatment at a tertiary psychiatric institution in Singapore: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundPeer victimization is common among adolescents and leads to negative consequences. However, few studies have examined the extent of peer-victimization and its correlates among adolescent patients in a psychiatric setting. The current study aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of peer victimisation among youth with mental illness and to examine its association with depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).MethodsA sample of 239 youths aged 15–24 years were recruited from the outpatient clinics of a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Singapore using convenience sampling. All participants were administered the Multidimensional Peer Victimisation Scale (MPVS), Short Form 12 (SF-12) questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8). The effect of MPVS total and subscores on depression scores, quality of life subscores and quality of life total scores were examined using multiple linear regression analyses.ResultsThe majority of the patients reported that they had experienced at least one form of peer victimisation (95.8%, n = 229) during their school years. Higher levels of ‘verbal victimisation’, ‘attacks on property’ and higher total MPVS scores were significantly associated with lower social functioning; additionally, higher levels of ‘verbal victimisation’ were significantly associated with lower mental component summary scores in the quality of life assessment. Higher scores on all four subscales as well as higher total scores on the MPVS were significantly associated with more severe depressive symptoms.ConclusionsGiven the high prevalence of peer victimisation in our sample and its associations with more severe depressive symptoms and lower quality of life, it is vital to implement interventions that prevent peer victimisation in educational and other social settings and to provide youth with strategies to more effectively manage instances of peer victimisation.