Risk Of Victimization Research Articles

A comparative study of family violence among Hindi-speaking and third-generation English-speaking Australian women

High prevalence and incidence rates of family violence (FV) amongst South Asian communities have been reported internationally. Despite the recognition that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities within Australia have additional risk factors associated with experiencing FV, Australia has limited research exploring FV amongst one of its fastest growing CALD populations, South Asians. With the Hindi-speaking community accounting for the single largest group within the South Asian community in Australia, this study aimed to address this gap. The 2016 Personal Safety Survey (PSS) was used to explore the prevalence rate and risk factors associated with FV victimisation for Hindi-speaking Australian women and compare this with third-generation English-speaking Australian women. The findings indicated that Hindi-speaking Australian women reported a lower prevalence rate of FV yet had different risk factors associated with their risk of victimisation. Specifically, Hindi-speaking females had only experience-based risk factors (e.g., child abuse) related to their victimisation of FV, whilst third-generation English-speaking females had both experience and situational-based risk factors (e.g., unemployment). These findings are unlikely to be representative of all Hindi-speaking Australians nor of South Asian Australians more broadly, as the survey design may have been biased towards a particular subset of Hindi-speaking Australians who could speak English fluently. Recommendations on how to address such limitations in future studies are discussed.

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Domestic Violence Injury: Insights from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

AbstractThis study examined the consequences of domestic violence (DV) in light of the multiple changes to the lifestyles and routine activities of households during the Covid-19 pandemic using incident-level data from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Through logistic regressions, we first examined odds of injury among DV victims. We then examined odds of severe injury among DV victims who experienced injury. We compared the pre-pandemic odds of these injurious outcomes to these odds in two distinctive periods during the Covid-19 pandemic — March 2020-March 2021 and April 2021-December 2022. Study results suggest that the risk of both “any injury” and “severe injury” was higher between March 2020-March 2021 in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. Findings further suggest that the risk and severity of DV victims’ injury after April 2021 were not significantly different from the pre-pandemic era. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

“You Don’t ‘Just Know’”: Difficulties in Determining Desire, Recognizing Trauma, and Accessing High-Quality Sexual Education in Neurodiverse Young Adults

Prior literature has indicated that autistic students report unsatisfactory sexual education experiences and may also be at greater risk of both sexual assault victimization and perpetration than non-autistic peers. Current mixed methods findings combine data from two related studies to explore satisfaction with sexual education among autistic and non-autistic college students. Findings support hypotheses that autistic students are less satisfied with consent education than non-autistic peers. Qualitatively, a theme of difficulties in identifying one’s own desire to consent was observed across groups. Within the autistic group, a theme of delayed recognition of sexual assault was observed. Findings support the importance of early and comprehensive sexual education and suggest further attention may be needed to support students in navigating healthy sexual decision-making.

Characterizing Violent Fatalities Among People Experiencing Homelessness Using the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2010 to 2021.

Homelessness continues to be a serious public health problem in the United States. People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face stark health inequities, including high mortality rates and increased risk of violence victimization. Little is known about the risk factors around PEH dying violently. The objective of this study is to comprehensively describe these fatalities to inform future research and prevention efforts for this population. This retrospective study utilized data from the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2010 to 2021 to characterize and compare fatalities among PEH versus people who were not experiencing homelessness (PNEH). This study identified 7,231 PEH and 423,363 PNEH victims. Among PEH, the most common manners of death were suicide (44.9%) and homicide (31.0%), most were male (83.0%), and White, non-Hispanic (59.3%). Compared to PNEH, a significantly greater proportion of PEH had an alcohol problem (26.9% vs. 15.2%; p < .001) or other substance use problem (48.8% vs. 19.6%; p < .001). Among decedents who had a current mental health problem (PEH: 33.6% vs. PNEH: 36.7%), a smaller percentage of PEH were currently receiving treatment (PEH: 13.9% vs. PNEH: 20.7%; p<.001). Among those who died by suicide, more PEH had a recent eviction/loss of home that contributed to the death, compared to PNEH (21.0% vs. 2.8%; p < .001). Among individuals who died by homicide, PEH were significantly more likely to be killed by a random act of violence (PEH: 5.1% vs. PNEH: 2.6%; p < .001). These findings highlight unique characteristics of violent deaths among PEH, including circumstances involving mental health and substance use problems, and identify key intervention points for suicide prevention among this population. Future research to help prevent violence-related deaths among PEH would benefit by improved data collection methods to reduce missing data and linkages with other data sources.

“I see it running through my family”: The intergenerational and collective trauma of gender-based violence

This article uses two paradigmatic case studies to build on the theories of intergenerational and collective trauma to argue that dissociation should be a key target of prevention strategies for gender-based violence. To illustrate this point, we draw on the life histories of two Australian grandmothers, Kylie and Louise, who described how abuse in early childhood shaped their experiences of violence in adulthood, which in turn impacted their children and, consequently, their grandchildren. We trace the parallels and intersections between individual and collective trauma through their narratives, as well as the silencing of these traumas, with a focus on how children and women are forced to adapt to gender-based violence in the context of collective forgetting and dissociative responses embedded in communities and institutions. We identify a dialectic relationship between individual and collective dissociation, whereby dissociogenic communities and institutions with entrenched defense mechanisms against the recognition of gender-based violence force victims to dissociate at the individual level, thus maintaining collective dissociative structures while increasing the risk of future victimization for women and their children. We argue that the primary prevention of gender-based violence would be enhanced by addressing the prevalence and burden of trauma for affected individuals and families, thereby interrupting intergenerational transmission and addressing the dissociative underpinnings of collective failures to protect women and children from violence.

Percepciones sobre la violencia policial en la Ciudad de México: victimización, control social y percepciones negativas sobre la función policial

The main objective of this research is to analyze the factors associated with the perception of police violence in Mexico City. The proposed analytical model considers negative perceptions of the police function; the risk of victimization, as well as different forms of informal and formal social control among the explanatory factors associated with witnessing police violence in the city. The analytical model was contrasted with data from the 2022 National Survey of Victimization and Perception of Public Safety using a binomial logistic regression analysis. The results indicate that the perception of police violence in Mexico City is associated with the objective risk of victimization, negative perceptions about police performance, as well as neighborhood trust and the implementation of police strategies such as operations and proximity policing.

Genetic and environment influences on childhood victimization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Childhood victimization is a key risk factor for poor mental and physical health. In order to prevent childhood victimization, it is important to better understand its underlying etiological factors. Childhood victimization is not randomly distributed in the population but occurs more often in the context of certain characteristics of the child, the family, and the broader environment. These characteristics may be both genetically and environmentally influenced, making genetically informative designs valuable to disentangle the etiological factors. Here we performed meta-analyses of the genetic and environmental influences on childhood victimization based on twin studies. We also tested whether genetic and environmental influences on childhood victimization vary depending on key features of victimization experiences including the reporter of victimization experiences, the type of victimization, and the age at exposure. Following PRISMA guidelines, a search for relevant literature was conducted using MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and Embase databases until September 2023. A meta-analysis based on 21 studies with 62,794 participants showed that genetic influences accounted for 40% of the variance in childhood victimization, shared environmental influences for 20%, and non-shared environmental influences for 40%. In addition, we found that genetic and environmental influences on victimization varied based on the reporter and the type of victimization, and the age at victimization. The quantitative summary of genetic and environmental influences provided by this study advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying risk for childhood victimization and points to prevention targets for victimization and its health effects.

“We cannot win this fight if we don’t acknowledge any such fight exists”: Examining media coverage of Black women’s risk for intimate partner violence

Research and policy continue to focus on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the U.S., with estimates indicating that 81 million people have been victimized by a partner in their lifetime. IPV disproportionately impacts women, and Black women in particular face victimization at a much higher rate when compared to other groups. Considering their overrepresentation, advocates have called for increased attention to IPV and its associated risks for Black women. As one of the most effective ways to publicize important health-related information is through the media, assessing coverage and framing is essential to understanding whether risks and resources are successfully communicated. The current study analyzes media attention to Black women’s elevated risk of victimization, and finds that while coverage is relatively minimal, media sources employ framing devices such as statistics, expert commentary, and single-victim focal points to discuss the issue. Three prominent themes emerged in content analysis of the media coverage, as news article language served to promote risk awareness, provide risk explanation, and/or address risk criticism.

Victimization, immigration status, and psychosocial well-being: A representative study among finnish adolescents.

Immigrant adolescents seem to be at risk for victimization and being victimized in adolescence is related to risk factors regarding mental health. This study compared the frequency and type of victimization experiences among immigrant and native Finnish adolescents and tested whether these experiences mediate the relationship between immigration status and psychosocial well-being. Additionally, willingness to disclose victimization experiences in anonymous questionnaires was compared between the groups. In this computer-based study a population-based sample of 5607 Finnish adolescents was used (Mage=15.23, SDage=0.42, Range 15 to 16years; 49.8% girls, 48.5% boys), of which 11.7% were immigrants. Twelve lifetime victimization experiences were assessed, and psychosocial well-being was measured with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, crosstabulation and t-tests were used to report victimization experiences and participants' willingness to share them in an anonymous questionnaire. The relationship between immigration status and psychosocial well-being was investigated with mediation analysis, victimization experiences as mediator. Findings revealed that immigrant adolescents experienced more victimization, particularly in the form of property crimes, hate crimes, and physical and sexual abuse, than native adolescents. Victimization experiences were found to mediate the impact of immigration status on psychosocial well-being. Moreover, immigrant adolescents were less likely to disclose victimization experiences. The results suggest a potential underestimation of the prevalence of victimization experiences in immigrant adolescents, which warrants further investigation. As these experiences play an important role in the relationship between immigrant status and psychosocial well-being, the findings endorse assessing adverse experiences, as well as safe disclosure when planning psychosocial support and treatment for immigrant adolescents.

Does Retirement Increase Fraud Exposure and Fraud Victimization?—Evidence From China

This study investigates the impact of retirement on fraud exposure and victimization among the older adults in China. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, it employs instrumental variable regression, exploiting the statutory retirement age in China as a source of exogenous variation. The findings indicate that retirement does not significant affect fraud exposure but significantly increases the risk of fraud victimization and associated financial losses for older adults. The primary channels through which retirement influences fraud victimization include changes in post-retirement time allocation and increased psychological vulnerability.

Indoor domestic canine scavenging: A literature review.

Scavenging occurs whenever a body is accessible to animals which depredate post-mortem, leading to tissue modification and consumption. In forensic investigations, the consequences of indoor scavenging are associated with the capacity of dogs to destroy or scatter body parts, creating post-mortem artefacts that pose challenges for forensic pathologists and veterinarians in determining the cause and dynamics of death and the time of death estimation. The purpose of this study is to provide a literature review on the forensic implications of indoor domestic dog scavenging, in order to discuss victim and dog characteristics, injury patterns, and identification methods. The literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from January 1950 to March 2024. Eligible studies have investigated issues of interest (forensic veterinary medicine, forensic pathology, forensic genetics). A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review and they were organized and discussed by issue of interest (Victim risk factors, assessment of canine behavioral and physical conditions, anatomical distribution of post-mortem injuries, assessment of ante-mortem injuries and setting, identification of scavenging dog). The findings of this systematic review underscore the importance of paying particular attention to the condition of the individuals involved, especially isolated elderly individuals, as well as to the results of physical examinations and autopsies. These may provide crucial information regarding the distribution and vitality of lesions. Additionally, the potential benefits of a multidisciplinary approach are emphasized, based on close cooperation between veterinarians, crime scene personnel, medicolegal experts, and prosecutors.

Teen dating violence and the COVID-19 pandemic: trends from a longitudinal study in Texas

PurposeTeen dating violence (TDV) is a global public health and safety issue causing health impacts to youth people. This study aimed to examine: (1) the impact of the pandemic on...

Understanding tobacco use disparities among Florida adolescents: The impact of sexual minority status and school-based violence victimization.

Adolescent tobacco use remains a significant public health issue with long-term health consequences. This study investigates the relationship between sexual minority status, school-based violence victimization, and tobacco use among adolescents. The objective is to determine the prevalence of school-based violence victimization and tobacco use behaviors and identify key demographic and experiential risk factors. Data were derived from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey, collected biennially from 2013 to 2021. Participants included high school students who answered demographic questions on sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, sex, and grade. Bivariate analyses and binary logistic regression models examined associations between school-based violence and tobacco use, controlling for demographic factors. Of the 26510 participants, 15.8% identified as sexual minorities. Cigarette smoking was reported by 18.0% of the sample, with a higher prevalence among sexual minority students (27.3%) and students in 12th grade (22.5%). Sexual minority students reported higher rates of school-based violence, including being bullied at school (24.4%) and electronically bullied (22.6%). Overall, 29.3% of students experienced school-based victimization. Tobacco use was significantly associated with school-based violence (AOR=2.04; 95% CI: 1.91-2.19) with higher odds for sexual minority students (AOR=1.91; 95% CI: 1.75-2.09). The findings highlight a significant association between school-based violence and tobacco use among adolescents. Sexual minority students are at higher risk for both victimization and tobacco use. These results underscore the importance of violence prevention strategies and creating inclusive, supportive school environments that embrace sexual and gender diversity to mitigate these risks and promote overall student well-being.

Sex crime rate and female labour force participation in South Africa

ABSTRACT South Africa's high violent crime rates and associated fears of victimisation are known to affect residents' everyday decision-making. Rape and sex crimes (which predominantly target women), compounded by social stigma and high HIV-contraction risks, thus plays an influencing factor in a woman's life. At the same time, South Africa's gender participation gap exceeds the Sub-Saharan African average. The first of its kind in the South African context, this study uses panel data to assess the impact of district municipality sex crime rates on female labour force participation (FLFP). It improves on similar studies performed in other country contexts methodologically by highlighting the mediating effect of education in the relationship between sex crime rate and FLFP. The negative significant relationship between district sex crime rates and FLFP is found to be robust to the inclusion of a wide variety of controls and several instrumental variable specifications, with adverse impacts on education emerging as a mediating factor. The analysis points to an underrated cost of sex crimes in South Africa, especially on women. The risk-averting behaviour extends beyond victims themselves to women in the general population who, perceiving a high risk of victimisation, face restricted freedoms, worse educational and economic outcomes.

Attitudes Toward Adoption by Transgender Adults

This study explored cisgender heterosexual adults’ perceptions of children placed in an adoptive family led by a couple with a transgender partner. Participants (n = 871) read one of five vignettes in which a couple (a cisgender different-gender couple, a cisgender same-gender male couple, a cisgender same-gender female couple, a couple with a female transgender partner, or a couple with a male transgender partner) intended to adopt two children. After reading the vignette, participants rated beliefs about children’s psychological development, willingness to support the adoption, and completed an attitude toward LGBTQ rights scale. Moderation analyses revealed that participants with low levels of support for LGBTQ rights perceived children adopted by couples with a transgender partner as being at greater risk of victimization and poor psychological adjustment compared to children adopted by either cisgender same-gender couples or cisgender different-gender couples and were less inclined to endorse adoption. A multigroup path analysis model revealed that support for LGBTQ rights impacted on agreement with adoption via the mediation of participants’ concerns for children’s psychological adjustment more strongly regarding transgender parents than cisgender same-gender couples. Our findings demonstrated that cis-heteronormativity concerns eclipsed claims to reproductive justice for transgender people seeking parenthood.

PROTOCOL: Risk and protective factors for child sexual abuse and interventions against child sexual abuse: An umbrella review.

This is the protocol for a Campbell Collaboration systematic review. Our objective is to conduct an umbrella review to synthesize published and unpublished systematic reviews focused on risk and protective factors for child sexual abuse and effectiveness of interventions against child sexual abuse perpetration and victimization. Specific research questions are: (i) what are the risk and protective factors for child sexual abuse victimization, and what are their relative strength and/or magnitude for predicting child sexual abuse victimization? (ii) what are the risk and protective factors for child sexual abuse perpetration, and what are their relative strength and/or magnitude for predicting child sexual abuse perpetration? (iii) are interventions aimed at reducing and/or preventing child sexual abuse effective? (iv) what are the moderators that increase or decrease effectiveness of the interventions? Efforts to decrease child sexual abuse need to be based on research, but more accessible evidence regarding the breadth of risk and protective factors and effectiveness of interventions to reduce child sexual abuse needs to be provided to policymakers. This will be the first umbrella review that comprehensively synthesizes findings of the previous systematic reviews that focus on risk and protective factors for child sexual abuse and interventions to prevent or reduce child sexual abuse. The results will be able to inform enhanced prevention policy and programs, and regulatory measures for specific contexts of child sexual abuse.

Longitudinal association between adolescent sexual identity and sleep quality: The mediating roles of peer victimization and perceived social support

ObjectiveDespite growing evidence of disparities in sleep quality between sexual minoritized and heterosexual youth, the reasons for these disparities are not well understood. LGBQ+ adolescents often experience challenging peer relationships, which could negatively impact their sleep quality. The current study examined the prospective relationship between sexual minority status and sleep quality over 12months and evaluated whether peer victimization and social support at 6months mediated this relationship among adolescents. MethodsThis study involved a secondary analysis of data from a community sample of 800 adolescents (57.5% female; Mage=14.42years, SD=0.83). Data were collected using web-based surveys over 12months with three time-points: baseline, 6-, and 12-month. ResultsApproximately 19.4% of adolescents self-identified as LGBQ+. Compared to heterosexual adolescents, LGBQ+ adolescents reported poorer global sleep quality, lower perceived social support, greater peer victimization, childhood victimization, and were more likely to be female (all ps < .001). In a longitudinal, parallel mediation analysis adjusting for baseline age, gender, global sleep quality, and childhood victimization, LGBQ+ adolescents reported higher rates of peer victimization (b=0.262 [0.049], p < .001) and less social support (b=−0.385 [0.146], p = .008) at 6months compared with heterosexual peers, predicting poor global sleep quality (b=0.495 [0.191], p = .010 for peer victimization and b=−0.161 [0.068], p = .018 for social support) at 12months. ConclusionThese findings highlight that sexual minority adolescents face increased risks of peer victimization and reduced social support from peers, which contribute to poorer sleep quality. The findings may guide the development of adolescent sleep interventions that also improve social health and relationships.

Victims of Terrorism: The Interplay Between the Right to Compensation and the Risk of Secondary Victimization

Victims of terrorism have the right to compensation under European law, but recent EU reports indicate that many experience secondary victimization during the application process. This article examines the interplay between the obligation to provide compensation and preventing secondary victimization during the application process for victims of terrorism through an analysis of European law and empirical evidence. Using compensation to victims of the terror attacks on 22 July 2011 in Norway as a case study, the article demonstrates how and why legal compensation procedures can cause secondary victimization. It suggests that merging legal instruments on the right to state compensation with instruments on victims’ rights to information, support, and protection could clarify the interconnection between the obligation to provide compensation and the responsibility of preventing secondary victimization for victims of terrorism and other vulnerable victims.

The spillover of violence: The gendered relationship between parental physical violence and peers’ bullying victimization

Child welfare and protection are of importance in low- and middle-income countries, yet parental physical violence (PPV) towards children is still widespread in Vietnam. Despite existing research on the adverse consequences of PPV, there is a lack of evidence from developing countries, particularly regarding its peer effects. This study investigated the association between class-level exposure to PPV and an individual student’s risk of bullying victimization. Potential gender differences in the association were also examined. This study utilized nationally representative data from the Young Lives: School Survey, Vietnam, 2011–2012 (YLSSV 2011–2012) (N = 2,508). This study leveraged quasi-exogenous variation arising from the random assignment of students to classes by employing school fixed effects models. The results of this study showed a significant positive association between a higher proportion of classmates exposed to PPV and an individual student’s risk of bullying victimization. This association remained significant even after adjusting for individual-level exposure to PPV and a variety of individual- and class-level covariates. Gender-stratified analyses revealed that PPV among male peers (but not female peers) is significantly associated with bullying victimization risk for both boys and girls. The findings of this study highlight that the negative impacts of violent parenting practices extend beyond the directly affected children, influencing their peers as well. This emphasizes the importance of protecting students from physical violence in the home environment.

State-level structural sexism and adolescent sexual violence victimization in the US

BackgroundAdolescent sexual violence victimization is a significant public health issue in the United States. Structural sexism, a form of gender inequality at the societal level, may play a crucial role in influencing the prevalence of sexual violence victimization among adolescents. ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the association between state-level structural sexism and sexual violence victimization among adolescents and to explore how this relationship varies between male and female adolescents. Participants and settingData was derived from a nationally representative sample of high school students in grades 9–12 across the United States who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) in 2017 and 2019. MethodsA state-level structural sexism index was created from nine different items to reflect the multidimensional nature of structural sexism. This study employs multi-level regression analysis to investigate the impact of state-level structural sexism on three types of sexual violence victimization: sexual violence, sexual dating violence, and physical dating violence. ResultsThis study revealed a significant interaction between structural sexism and gender. In states with higher levels of structural sexism, female adolescents reported increased likelihood of sexual violence (β = 0.013, p < .001), sexual dating violence (β = 0.006, p < .001), and physical dating violence (β = 0.006, p < .001) compared to males. Conversely, male adolescents in these states reported lower rates of victimization. ConclusionsThe results underscore the role of structural sexism in influencing sexual violence victimization among adolescents. Addressing structural sexism may be essential in mitigating the risk of sexual violence victimization, especially for female adolescents.