Likelihood Of Victimization Research Articles

BULLYING AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS

Introduction: Bullying is a form of violence that endangers well-being of children,youth and adults. It results from the interaction of multiple factors related to individualcharacteristics, relationships with peers, adults, and school or community expectations.Bullying in schools is a major public health concern which recently gained considerableinterest in the Arab world. The most serious consequence of school bullying is reductionin academic performance due to the perception and avoidance of school as an insecureenvironment. Aim of work: This study was performed in order (1) To determine theprevalence of school bullying behavior among governmental primary school studentsin Egypt, (2) To evaluate whether parental involvement is associated with peervictimization among students, (3) To understand how primary school teachers perceivebullying and how they act in response to it. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectionalstudy of an Egyptian nationally representative sample of governmental primary schoolstudents was done (809 students). Main teachers of the classes were also included (83teachers). Different types of questionnaire were used including: socio-demographiccharacteristics, the Arabic version of The Peer Interactions in Primary SchoolQuestionnaire (PIPSQ) to collect information on both direct and indirect bullying,parental involvement assessment in the students’ lives by using the Arabic version ofGlobal School Student Health Survey tool and finally, teachers’ perception of schoolbullying. Results: Most of the students were in the age group 11 years old or over. Morethan half of them were both bullies and bullied others. Parental involvement was linkedto decreased likelihood of victimization. Most teachers agreed that the school playsan important role in reducing the occurrence of bullying and agreed that topics aboutbullying prevention must be part of the elementary school curriculum. Conclusion: Involvement of the parents is associated with a decreased risk of victimization. Mostteachers had misperceptions about identification of bullying and its parameters.

College as a Risk Factor for Victimization: Results from the National Crime Victimization Survey

ABSTRACT A substantial body of victimization research has focused on college students as a unique population of crime victims. These studies generally suggest that college students have high rates of victimization for specific crimes. However, it is unclear to what extent college student status confers an increased victimization risk for students, relative to other risk factors, such as age and sex. This study utilizes a pooled sample of U.S. residents from the National Crime Victimization Survey (2017–2019) to examine three types of criminal victimization against persons age 18–24. College enrollment, and living on campus, are assessed as potential determinants of victimization risk. The results suggest complex relationships between these college variables and risks for criminal victimization, with college enrollment and campus living increasing or decreasing the likelihood of victimization depending on the crime.

Youthful victimization in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina: A multi-level analysis of a national sample

Intra-national conflicts with racial or ethnic elements can complicate post-war reconciliation. From 1992 to 1995, much of the former Yugoslavia, a nation largely drawn from three distinct ethnic groups, was embroiled in such a conflict. After the signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, it was feared that schools would become a surrogate battlefield for school-aged children within the newly created nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Group threat theory and the imbalance of power thesis provide differing views on such conflicts. Group threat theory posits that as a population – in this case a school – approaches maximum ethnic diversity, the residents – in this case the students – will feel increasingly threatened, resulting in higher cross-group victimizations. The imbalance of power thesis suggests that a group’s decision to victimize another group depends on the relative lack of ethnic diversity: the extent to which one ethnic group dominates a school, the likelihood of victimization of any smaller groups increases. We explore which of these two theories best explains victimization levels within a sample of 2003 school-aged BiH adolescents born in areas dominated by Muslim Bosnians, Eastern Orthodox Serbians, or Roman Catholic Croatians. We find that there is an ethnic component to victimizations: students born in Serbia face higher levels of victimization than do their Bosnian-born counterparts under conditions that fit better with group threat theory than the imbalance of power thesis. We speculate about the significance of these findings for national ethnic harmony in BiH.

Cross-national CCTV footage shows low victimization risk for bystander interveners in public conflicts.

Objective: Accumulating evidence shows that bystanders witnessing public disputes frequently intervene to help. However, little is known regarding the risks entailed for those bystanders who enter the fray to stop conflicts. This study systematically examined the prevalence of bystander victimizations and the associated risk factors. Method: Data were a cross-national sample of 93 surveillance camera recordings of real-life public disputes, capturing the potential victimizations of 417 intervening and 636 nonintervening bystanders. Results: Data showed that interveners were rarely physically harmed-at a rate of 3.6%-and noninterveners were virtually never victimized. Confirmatory regression results showed that conflict party affiliation was a moderately robust predictor of bystander victimization. The gender of the intervener was a highly fragile risk factor. More severe conflicts were not associated with a higher victimization likelihood. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the value of naturalistic observation for bystander research and emphasize the need for evidence-based bystander intervention recommendations. Data, materials, and postprint are available at osf.io/vyutj.

The Effects of Victimization Prior to Prison on Victimization, Misconduct, and Sanction Severity During Incarceration

Numerous studies have examined the correlation between physical and/or sexual victimization and offending and re-victimization later in life. However, fewer studies have explored how such victimization affects the adjustment of those incarcerated and the sanctioning decisions of correctional personnel. Using a nationally representative sample of inmates in state prisons, this study utilized hierarchical generalized linear modeling to examine whether victimization prior to incarceration was associated with the likelihood of victimization, misconduct, and sanctioning severity for misconduct during incarceration. Our results confirmed findings of previous research in regards to the victimization and offending/re-victimization relationship. In addition, we discovered that victimization prior to prison is associated with harsher disciplinary sanctioning in prison. Implications of our findings for research and policy are discussed.

Memahami Kekerasan Seksual dalam Menara Gading di Indonesia

Many studies on campus sexual assault in the past use lifestyle-routine activities theory to explain the crime. According to those studies, certain lifestyle factors can increase the likelihood of victimization while still in college. Our research shows that the two theories fail to explain that several institutional policies or regulations set by universities can limit and shape an individual's lifestyle, thus increasing the risk of victimization. These policies or regulations include class schedules, thesis consultancies, and campus-community service programs. Against this background, the authors argue that the root cause of campus sexual assault lies in the patriarchal culture in the Indonesia context hence women have a higher risk of victimization than men.

Bystander Intervention Opportunities and Prosocial Behaviors Among Gender and Sexual Minority College Students.

Bystander intervention education has proliferated as a popular strategy to address campus interpersonal violence, including intimate partner and sexual violence, which remain major public health concerns. Much of the work on bystander engagement, however, is cis- and heteronormative (i.e., centered on those individuals whose gender identity aligns with their biological sex at birth and/or who identify as heterosexual), thus failing to capture the experiences of students who identify as gender or sexual minorities (GSM), a population at increased risk for interpersonal violence. Research has demonstrated that cisgender females face an increased likelihood of victimization, which is related to greater awareness of intimate partner and sexual violence and results in more prosocial intentions and prosocial behaviors. The question remains whether this extends beyond cisgender females. The current study is a secondary analysis of data collected in a web-based sexual assault prevention course designed for undergraduate students and implemented at their respective institutions. Data from 474,395 undergraduate students, aged 18-23 years, were used to answer the research question. Results indicate that students' bystander intervention opportunities and prosocial behaviors differ based on GSM status. For example, although cisgender bisexual women, transwomen, and genderqueer/gender nonconforming (GNC) students were more likely to report having the opportunity to intervene in sexual assault situations, relative to cisgender heterosexual women, the latter two groups were less likely to intervene. Further, cisgender gay and bisexual men, as well as transmen and genderqueer/GNC students were more likely to report having the opportunity to intervene in dating abuse situations, relative to cisgender heterosexual men, and cisgender gay men were more likely to report having intervened. Given the call for centering research on minoritized student experiences, this research is a vital step toward recognizing the diversity of those experiences for GSM students, a population at risk for victimization.

Estimating the Relationship Between Perceived Stigma and Victimization of People With Mental Illness.

Over the past two decades, we have substantially increased our understanding of violence committed by individuals with mental illness, while comparatively less is known about the victimization experiences of this population. What has been established in the literature is that individuals with mental illness are more likely to experience victimization than the general public, and certain risk factors influence the likelihood of victimization. What remains unexplored is the possibility that a person with mental illness' perception that mental illness is stigmatized may be significantly associated with victimization experiences. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to examine whether stigma and victimization are associated, and in what direction. In other words, does perceived stigma lead to victimization? Or does victimization lead to perceived stigma? To assess these research questions, data from the Community Outcomes of Assisted Outpatient Treatment study are used, which is a longitudinal study of individuals with serious mental illness (n = 184). A variety of methods are employed to assess the association between victimization and perceived stigma including logistic and ordinary least squares regression models. Results from the logistic regression model indicate that perceived stigma is associated with an increase in the odds that a person with mental illness will experience victimization at later follow-ups. Results from the ordinary least squares regression analysis, however, show that victimization at baseline does not predict perceived stigma at later times. Implications regarding future research and clinical practice are discussed.

The Influence of Religious Involvement on Intimate Partner Violence Victimization via Routine Activities Theory

Routine activities theory attempts to explain victimization by examining how one's behavior, or routine activities, increases or decreases their likelihood of victimization. It has been postulated that religious individuals are less likely to associate with motivated offenders, less likely to reduce their target suitability, and more likely to enhance their guardianship, in turn reducing victimization. How, if at all, this theoretical framework can predict protection from a specific form of victimization, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), remains unexplored. Using the American subsample of the International Dating Violence Study (n = 4,162), this article attempts to determine whether religious involvement can serve as a factor that reduces IPV victimization indirectly through the three elements of routine activities theory: motivated offenders, target suitability, and capable guardianship. To test this research question, a series of logistic regression models are conducted. Results of these models indicate that religiosity does have a negative and significant impact on victims of IPV, net of variables derived from routine activities theory. This study is among the first to suggest that perhaps this theoretical framework may not be applicable to all forms of victimization. The major practical implication of this finding is that IPV victimization could be reduced using faith-based strategies. For example, religious counseling or preventive and intervention programs that increase prosocial bonds between partners are viable options in helping to reduce IPV victimization among couples. Nevertheless, it is imperative to determine other non-religious programs or methods to protect from IPV for individuals who are not religious.

Predicting Online Target Hardening Behaviors: An Extension of Routine Activity Theory for Privacy-Enhancing Technologies and Techniques

ABSTRACT Using representative survey data from Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and five European Union member countries (n= 9,011), this paper predicts the use of privacy-enhancing technologies and techniques as a form of individual target hardening behavior. It presents a novel extension of routine activity theory by revisiting the theory from the perspective of Internet users in their efforts to minimize their likelihood of victimization. The results show that perceived concern and exposure to certain motivated offenders leads to target hardening behaviors, such as using two-factor authentication and antivirus software. Encryption communication services, however, were not associated with concern for any combination of motivated offenders. Moreover, perceived deficiencies in governmental but not company guardianship predicted new protective behaviors.

The influence of prior victimization and other factors on college students’ fear of crime and perception of safety

ABSTRACT This research examines how college students’ fear of crime and perception of safety at a university relates to prior victimization, knowledge of others’ victimization, perception of likelihood of victimization, and worry about a school shooting. Data for this research come from online surveys completed in 2016 by 133 randomly selected undergraduate students attending a university located in the eastern United States. Results show no statistically significant difference in fear on campus for research participants who had experienced prior victimization on or off campus compared to those who had no such experience. There is a statistically significant difference in perception of safety at the university between those who experienced victimization off campus compared to those who had not. However, there is no statistically significant difference in safety perception between those who experienced victimization on campus and those who had not. Results indicate that variables that predict fear on campus and perception of safety at the university differ, confirming that fear of crime and perception of safety are not the same. Recommendations to reduce students’ fear and improve perception of safety are offered.

Trauma from Physical and Emotional Sibling Violence as a Potential Risk Factor for Elder Abuse

ABSTRACTOlder adults who are the victims of previous physical and emotional sibling violence may be more vulnerable to acts of elder abuse. Research establishes that elder abuse is traumatic, as is sibling violence. However, little is known regarding the likelihood of victims of sibling violence becoming victims of elder abuse. To date, no research has identified the trauma associated with sibling violence to be a risk factor for experiencing elder abuse. This conceptual article describes the potential influence of trauma due to sibling violence on later vulnerability to elder abuse. The paper presents definitions of sibling violence, elder abuse, etiology, and risk factors as well as descriptions of trauma associated with elder abuse and sibling violence. The impact of the trauma of sibling abuse as a potential risk factor for elder abuse is discussed. Finally, practical implications and directions for future research in this area are presented.

Expanding Our View: Demographic, Behavioral, and Contextual Factors in College Sexual Victimization.

Despite efforts on some college campuses to address the issue of sexual victimization, the numbers have not changed much over the last four decades. The purpose of this study is to examine how demographic, contextual, and behavioral factors influence sexual victimization on college campuses. Using data from the Fall 2011 National College Health Assessment/American College Health Association survey, we examine three hypotheses: (1) contextual factors will have a greater effect on the likelihood of victimization than behavioral factors; (2) demographic factors will have a greater effect on the likelihood of victimization than behavioral factors; and (3) contextual factors for men will have a greater effect than contextual factors for women. While previous studies have tackled portions of these larger objectives, few studies have focused on all three sets of factors of analysis simultaneously. Overall, we find that behavioral factors predict sexual victimization better than either demographic or contextual factors for both men and women. However, we also find that some contextual factors are significant, including variables not generally discussed in the literature, such as perception of typical student behaviors and dissemination of violence prevention programming and information. In addition, we add to the literature by showing how demographic, behavioral, and contextual factors of sexual victimization vary in significance for men and women. These findings support the calls for more sexual violence prevention programming on college campuses that is more intersectional and addresses the issue of sexual violence based on the knowledge we have gained about individual, interactional, and institutional factors that contribute to this problem.

Bullying Among International Adoptees: Testing Risks and Protective Factors.

This study examined the risks and protective factors for experiencing bullying and especially racist bullying among internationally adopted children in Finland. Factors examined were related to children's background, adoptive family, children's social problems and social skills, and their associations with bullying experiences. About 56.9% of children reported bullying victimization and 24.2% racist bullying victimization. Boys were at bigger risk of becoming bullied (B = 0.14, p < .05), as were children with disability (B = 0.11; p < .05). The continent of birth (European; B = 0.51; p < .001) and adoptive family's lower socioeconomic status (SES; B = 0.16; p < .05) were associated with increased victimization. Child's social problems increased the likelihood of victimization for both general (B = 0.59, p < .001) and racist bullying (B = 0.10, p < .001). Child's social skills appeared as a protective factor against general bullying (B = 3.87; p > .001). This study shows that interventions for tackling children's social problems and improving their social skills may reduce children's risk for bullying involvement.

Perceptions of Fear, Likelihood of Victimization, and Confidence About Dangerous Situations Among University Women in Poland.

Polish women have not been studied in regard to fear, likelihood, or confidence about dangerous situations, nor has there been an instrument to measure those perceptions. The purpose of the study was fourfold: first, to present the Polish translation and validation of the Perception of Dangerous Situations Scale (PDSS-P) and second, to assess Polish women's perceived fear, likelihood, and confidence about dangerous situations using the PDSS-P (41 items). The third purpose was to determine to what degree the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and/or the Hope for Success Scale (KNS) correlated with any of the three subscales of the PDSS-P. The fourth purpose was to determine the congruence of the PDSS-P to the original PDSS. Two other tools (GSES and KNS) were administered to determine concurrent validity with the PDSS. A sample of 208 women aged 19 to 27 years (M = 21.04, SD = 1.88) participated in the study. Five factors were determined for each subscale, similar to the original version of the PDSS. Women reported they were more afraid of being raped by a stranger than being murdered. Their estimation of the likelihood of some serious events occurring was not congruent with statistical realities. The women thought the least likely events to happen to them in the next year would be being raped or beaten by someone they know, or being held prisoner by someone who wanted to murder them. Confidence to manage dangerous situations was low in cases of being raped by strangers or known people, being kidnapped, or being attacked. The GSES and KNS provided useful information, in that they did not measure the same constructs as the PDSS-P.

History matters, but differently: Persisting and perpetuating effects on the likelihood of intimate partner violence

Ecological models of violence center on systems (micro, meso, and macro) surrounding personal history of violence, but few studies properly assess the effects of personal history on the likelihood of victimization. Using the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey (N = 74,204), we examine the effect personal history of violence has on the likelihood of recent intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. We extend the literature by breaking this history matters position into two causal mechanisms: inter-parental violence during childhood (father abused mother) and prior IPV as an adult. We account for the recognized heterogeneity of women experiencing violence by separating our sample into groups of women in vulnerability (based on assault severity and sexual victimization). Our results confirm that personal history matters, but in different ways. While inter-parental violence produces a persistence effect (intergenerational transmission of violence), prior IPV opens the door for the strategic use of violence and hence produces a perpetuating effect.

Connectedness as a Protective Factor of Sexual Victimization among University Students

ABSTRACTA large body of literature has sought to understand the factors that increase the risk of sexual victimization among university students, mainly by focusing on the characteristics of victims or perpetrators. A recent promising avenue of research has been to examine the role of the social environment of the victim when explaining sexual victimization. We contribute to this emerging stream of research by identifying a protective factor: connectedness. Connectedness refers to an individual´s perception of belonging to social groups and institutions, and being valued, cared for and respected by its members. Connectedness protects potential victims by decreasing exposure to motivated aggressors and by increasing peer guardianship in risky situations, which reduces the likelihood of victimization. We provide evidence of the role of connectedness in a sample of 3,355 Colombian students. Results from multivariate logistic regressions provide evidence of the importance of connectedness in protecting against sexual harassment and assault: feeling connected to family and friends decreased the odds of rape up to 46%, while belonging to social groups where alcohol and drugs are not perceived as a big problem decreased the odds of harassment by 20%. We discuss these results and their implications for campus policies targeted toward the prevention of sexual victimization.

Target congruence theory and Latino youth victimization

While a number of studies have found that immigrant youth are less likely to engage in delinquency, they are more likely to report victimization. Scholars have traditionally attributed this finding to American cultural norms that may generate marginalization and culture conflict that, in return, increases the likelihood of victimization. However, few studies have applied victimization theories to this study population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to apply Target Congruence Theory to test its capability to explain victimization among Latino youth. Data collected from the Dating Violence Among Latino Adolescents (DAVILA) Study shows that a target’s vulnerability, gratifiability, and antagonism modestly predicted their victimization. Results, as well as the study’s limitations and suggestions for future research, are discussed.

Differences in Attitudes towards Theft between British and Romanian Students

Fear of crime as a subject has received increasing levels of attention from scholars over the years. The phenomenon has been explored across diverse crimes and cultures with varying results, the better part of the literature revolving around general fear of overall crime, serious offences and Western, English-speaking countries. Adopting a more focused approach to the subject, the present study considers a lower-level crime, namely personal theft, and its effects on students in Romania as well as the UK. The aims of the project were to explore the differences in fear of crime characteristics such as sensitivity to risk and perceived likelihood of victimisation at a country level, to compare physical and psychological responses to theft, and to assess the influence of external factors such as the media. It was found that Romanian students experience significantly more fear and awareness of possible threats in almost any context. Trust in the police and reporting attitudes were highly similar between the two countries. Romanian students’ attitudes towards theft were affected by both media influences and exposure to theft information through the social network, while British students were only sensitive to the latter. Several other relationships between variables are explored throughout the study. Possibilities for future research as an expansion of this topic are proposed.

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Substance Abuse, Violence, and HIV/AIDS (SAVA) Syndemic among Women in the Criminal Justice System

ABSTRACTUsing data from a randomized controlled trial of 319 women mainly recruited from a Municipal Drug Court System in St. Louis, MO, this study evaluates substance use, victimization, and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors over time. The results indicated that, for all participants, the likelihood of victimization, using drugs, and meeting the criteria for HIV/AIDS risk decreased by 46% by the eight-month follow-up; however, results did not differ significantly by intervention group. Women who were sexually abused as a child, had 4+ arrests, or believed they had sexual and drug-using behaviors that need changing at baseline were more likely to experience these issues over time.