Sociodemographic Characteristics Of Victims Research Articles

Mortality from Burn: An Autopsy Based Study from Nepal

Introduction: In developing countries like Nepal burn deaths are a major public health problem due to their increased mortality, morbidity and long-term disability. A few clinical studies on burns have been reported from Nepal however, autopsy based studies on burns are limited.
 Objectives: To study the socio-demographic characteristics of victims of burns and evaluate the cause and magnitude of fatal burn injuries retrospectively.
 Methodology: A two years retrospective analysis of burn deaths brought for autopsy was conducted from January 2017 to December 2018 in a central level hospital of Nepal.
 Results: Out of 775 total cases autopsied 38 (4.90%) cases were burn related deaths. The majority of the deaths 17(44.70%) occurred in the age group 21-30 years with a preponderance in females 22(57.89%). Majority of the victims were married females 25(65.78%) and most of them were housewives 14(36.84%). Flame burn 23(60.52%) was the most common cause of all burns. The Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) Burn between 50-69% was observed in majority of the cases 27(71.05%).Most of the victims 15(39.47%) survived over 10 days post injury. Burn incidents were mainly accidental 33(86.84%) in nature followed by suicidal burns 5(13.15%). The main cause of burn death was septicemic shock 16(42.10%) followed by neurogenic shock 10(26.31%).
 Conclusion: The results of this study show that burns injuries are mostly accidental in nature; therefore, the risks of burn injuries should be rightly addressed and appropriate burn prevention strategies should be developed to reduce the frequency and burn related deaths.

Intimate Partner Violence Reports During the COVID-19 Pandemic First Year in Portuguese Urban Areas: A Brief Report.

The COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about the exponential growth of intimate partner violence (IPV), both in numbers and severity. This brief report aims to describe the variation of IPV reports to the police during the pandemic in Portugal. Data were retrieved from a governmental national database. A five-year period was analyzed. Characteristics from the occurrence, as well as sociodemographic characteristics of victims and perpetrators, were described for each year. Data showed a 10.99% decrease of IPV reports to the police in 2020 compared with the average of the previous four years. Periods when more restrictive measures (e.g., lockdown) were decreed by the government corresponded to a higher decrease in IPV reports to the police. Significant differences in the distribution of crime location, crime reporting, type of violence, age of victims and perpetrators, and professional situation and financial dependence of perpetrators, were found between 2020 and previous years. COVID-19 pandemic does not seem to be associated with a raise in IPV reports to the police, nor higher severity of the reported cases. This brief report adds to previous research by providing detailed and systematically collected data about IPV occurrences during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sexual Assault Against Women: A Retrospective Study of 292 Cases in Fujian Province, China.

In China, rape is defined as forced sexual intercourse against a woman's will by violence, coercion, or any other means or intentionally having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 14 years who is legally incompetent of giving consent. A retrospective study of 292 cases of rape in Fujian Province, China, between the years 2014 and 2017 was conducted. Sociodemographic characteristics of victims and perpetrators, perpetration patterns of rape, and associated factors were reviewed and analyzed. Over a quarter of rape victims were under the age of 18 years. In over half of cases, the perpetrators were known to the victims, which was more frequent in minors than in adult victims. Over half of perpetrators were within the age range of 18-30 years. Most perpetrators had received a low level of education and were from low-income populations. Nighttime has the highest occurrence of rapes: 39.9% of rapes occurred during late night; and 24.6%, during early night. Victim perpetrator relationship and the location were significantly related (χ2 = 23.667; df = 3, 266; p < 0.001). Risk evaluation showed that 30.8% and 28.1% of cases occurred under medium- and high-risk settings, respectively. Sexual motivation was present in over 95% of cases. Physical force was used in almost half of cases. Less than half of victims received forensic clinical examination after perpetration. The findings provide population-based data to contribute to the future development of prevention strategies and to raise awareness of the urgent need for victim assistance services.

Facial Injuries and the Gender Issue: Expressions of Violence in a Metropolitan Region of Northeastern Brazil.

The aims of this investigation were to describe the profile of men and women victims of violence and identify factors associated with the severity of facial trauma. A retrospective study was carried out from 762 records of victims attended at the Institute of Legal Medicine and Dentistry located in a metropolitan region of Northeastern Brazil. The dependent variable was type of facial trauma suffered by victims. Independent variables were the sociodemographic characteristics of victims, characteristics of aggressors and circumstances of violence. Descriptive, bivariate (c2 test) and multivariate statistics were made through logistic regression. Level of significance was set at p < 0.05. The mean age of victims was 29.78 years (SD=13.33). Based on the final regression model, male subjects [odds ratio (OR)=2.22, 95% CI=1.08-4.57, p=0.030], assaulted by other male subjects (OR=4.88; 95% CI=1.12-21.26; p=0.035) through instrument (OR=6.67; 95% CI=2.85-15.60; p<0,001) or mixed aggressions (OR=4.34; 95% CI=1.44-13.02; p=0.009) were more likely to exhibit facial bone fractures or dentoalveolar fractures. The findings highlight that men and women present important victimization differentials in relation to interpersonal violence and facial trauma. Victim's gender, aggressor's gender and mechanism of aggression may exert influence on facial trauma patterns.

Как изучать жертв преступлений?

Статья рассказывает о методологии первого российского масштабного репрезентативного исследования жертв преступлений (виктимизационного опроса), результаты которого размещены в открытом доступе. Такие опросы позволяют проанализировать структуру преступности, социальные характеристики жертв, условия совершения преступлений, поведение потерпевших и правоохранительных органов. В мировой практике есть два главных национальных виктимологических исследования — NCVS в США и CSEW в Великобритании, которые проводятся ежегодно или чаще с 1970-х — 1980-х годов. В России серьезных виктимизационных опросов, которые позволяют валидно определить именно жертв преступлений, реконструировать структуру преступности и проанализировать поведение потерпевших до сих пор не проводилось. Существующие образцы либо были крайне ограничены по количеству вопросов именно о виктимном опыте, либо опирались на очень небольшие выборки. Предлагаемый опрос проведен с использованием технологии CATI на основании простой случайной выборки. Структура выборки воспроизводит структуру населения по основным демографическим параметрам (квотирование не применялось). Опрошено 16 818 человек, из их числа 3 тысячи по собственной оценке имели виктимный опыт в течение последних пяти лет, 3,5 тысячи респондентов не имели виктимного опыта, но подробно ответили на вопросы социально-демографического блока анкеты, 10,3 тысячи респондентов отвечали только на вопросы о поле, возрасте, наличии (отсутствии) виктимного опыта и месте проживания. В опросе преимущественно использовались дихотомические вопросы, позволившие установить юридически значимые характеристики произошедшего и тем самым получить картину преступности не в терминах респондентов («меня ограбили»), а в юридически корректных терминах («произошла кража»). Статья подробно описывает использованные методические решения, обосновывает и соотносит их с мировым опытом.&#x0D; Благодарность. Сбор данных и разработка инструментария проводились при финансовой поддержке АНО «Интерцентр» в рамках договора на выполнение научно-исследовательской работы по теме «Разработка методологии и проведение всероссийского репрезентативного виктимизационного опроса». Анализ международного опыта и подготовка статьи выполнены в рамках проекта Российского научного фонда «Исследование социального контроля и мобилизации права с использованием больших данных», № 17-18-01618. Авторы признательны Дмитрию Скугаревскому, Денису Савельеву и Сергею Чувакину за участие в дискуссиях на различных стадиях. Отдельно мы благодарны Юлии Чурсиной и Павлу Степанцову. Особая благодарность анонимному рецензенту, советы которого позволили, на взгляд авторов, преодолеть ряд недочетов, возникающих у статей, написанных при сотрудничестве большого количества авторов.

Exposure to violence, victimization differences and maxillofacial injuries in a Brazilian state capital: a data mining approach

To identify victimization differences and evaluate maxillofacial injuries among victims of interpersonal violence in a Brazilian state capital using a data-mining approach. A cross-sectional study analyzed 1946 reports of physical violence registered in an Institute of Forensic Medicine and Dentistry. Sociodemographic characteristics of the victims, mechanisms of violence, time of occurrence and patterns of maxillofacial injuries were evaluated. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square test and decision tree analysis using the Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) algorithm. Most victims were male (54.6%) and the majority of events occurred during nighttime (53.7%). Maxillofacial injuries affecting more than one region accounted for the largest proportion of cases (33.1%). The final model of the CHAID decision tree demonstrated multilevel interaction among factors through stepwise pathways to explain the victimization differences between men and women. The profile of victimization could be explained by the sociodemographic characteristics of victims, such as employment status (p < 0.001), marital status (p = 0.008) and age group (p < 0.001), as well as by the type of maxillofacial trauma (p = 0.007). Gender is an important factor related to violence exposure and maxillofacial injuries. Young adult men were more likely to exhibit severe maxillofacial injuries compared to women. It is necessary to challenge interpersonal violence through awareness, prevention and education programs. Efforts to minimize the impact of violence on the population health and well-being require specific guidelines in Brazil.

Suicidal Death due to Hanging

Background: Hanging is always suicidal unless otherwise proved. It is a form of violent asphyxial death. It produces painless death for the victims so that it is a widely practiced method of suicide. In Bangladesh hanging is one of the commonest methods of suicide.Objective: The objective of this study was to find out socio-demographic characteristics of victims, common ligature materials used by victims and post-mortem findings.Materials and method: A retrospective cross sectional study was done in Dhaka Medical College Mortuary during the period of January 2009 to January 2010. During this period data were collected from 2133 cases of medicolegal autopsies by purposive sampling.Results: A total of 2133 medicolegal autopsies were analyzed of which 78 (3.65%) were deaths due to hanging. Out of these 78 cases maximum 37 (47.44%) deaths due to hanging were in the age group of 21-30 years. Majority of the cases (48; 61.54%) were observed in females. Majority (32; 41.03%) of victims had used Dopatta (orna) as a ligature material. Cyanosis of fingertips and nail beds was the commonest (75; 96.15%) findings in cases of asphyxial death due to hanging.Conclusion: Suicidal hanging is observed in this study mostly within the young age group ranging from 21-30 yrs. So, awareness at the level of family and community should be raised to improve personal and social relation in every sphere. The factors provoking an individual for an attempt to suicide should also be investigated for its prevention.Delta Med Col J. Jul 2017 5(2): 89-93

Suicide By Hanging: An Analysis Of 312 Cases

Hanging, the commonest method of suicide, is a form of violent asphyxia produced by suspending the body with a ligature round the neck. A total of 312 cases of suicidal hanging autopsied in this five years retrospective descriptive study spanning from January 2000 to December 2004 at Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC) morgue. The objective of this study was to evaluate the present situation, pattern of hanging, socio-demographic characteristics of victims and probable cause of suicidal hanging of studied population. Victims' mean( ± SD) age was (23.5 ± 11.7) years and highest number 146 (46.8%) of victims were from the age group 21-30 years. This study revealed that numbers of suicidal hanging cases were increasing day by day in the studied area (46 in 2000 and 82 in 2004). Out of 312 cases, 171 (55%) were female and 141 (45%) were male. Married cases were 165 (53%) and 204 (66%) victims hanged themselves at night. In 165 (53%) victims' stomach were found empty. Most of the cases 309 (99%) were complete hanging and majority 299 (96%) of the bodies were recovered from the living rooms. In two hundred and sixty nine (87%) cases had ligature mark at neck, 132 (43%) cases had fracture of hyoid bone and 45 (15%) victims had the fracture of thyroid cartilages and none of the victims had found spinal cord injury. Maximum number of victims 134 (43%) used ropes as ligature materials. Most common known 70 (23%) cause of self-suspension was quarrel between husband and wife.KYAMC Journal Vol. 4, No.-1, July 2013, Page 331-336

Medico legal and epidemiological aspects of femicide in a judicial district of north eastern Italy

Femicide is the intentional killing of a woman because she is female, and often occurs when there are pre-existing relations, intimate or otherwise, between the victim and the murderer.A retrospective epidemiological study was made of 34 female homicides recorded in a university departmental register of post-mortems, pertaining to a judicial district of about 700,000 inhabitants in north eastern Italy, during a 21-year period from January 1st 1993 to December 31st 2013.The temporal trend, the socio-demographic characteristics of victims and perpetrators, the circumstances surrounding the crime and the risk factors for femicide were studied with the aim of identifying and developing preventive strategies.

English

Witch-hunt is an often overlooked but major social problem in many of the societies in the Global South. Ghana and Nepal represent two such societies where modern-day witch-hunt is frequently reported. This study examines the similarities and differences in witchcraft beliefs and practices in Ghana and Nepal as well as the perpetration of aggressive acts against putative witches in these two societies. Among the issues explored are superstition, witchcraft beliefs, socio-demographic characteristics of victims and perpetrators of witch-hunts, as well as the socio-cultural contexts within which witch-hunts occur. Key words: Witchcraft, witch hunt, witches, wizards, Ghana, Nepal.

A Five Year Retrospective Study of Victims of Sexual Offences in Jaipur Region

This study aims to determine the magnitude and sociodemographic characteristics of victims of sexual offences reported at state tertiary care and referral hospital, Jaipur. The present study was carried out on 229 victims of sexual offences between the periods of 2008–2012. All the cases of sexual offences reported during the study period were cases of natural sexual offences committed on female victims except three cases of unnatural sexual offences, committed on male victims. The ages of victims in our study ranged from three to 40 years. The most affected age group was victims between 11–20 years (53.7%) followed by 21–30 years (25.7%). All the five admitted cases of sexual offences were children belonging to the age group 0–10 years. Majority of the victims were Hindu females (86.0%), unmarried (71.6%) educated up to secondary level (33.6%) and from middle socio economic status(52.8%). The majority of the victims were students (51%) followed by housewives (16.5%) and domestic workers (16.1%). The assailant knew the vast majority of victims (90.4%) and remaining were the strangers.

Prevalence and incidence of workplace bullying among Spanish employees working with people with intellectual disability

BackgroundAlthough workplace bullying is a severe psychosocial risk with a high prevalence, there is a lack of studies addressing its incidence, particularly among staff working with people with intellectual disability. ObjectivesWe examined the prevalence and incidence of workplace bullying in a sample of Spanish employees working with people with intellectual disability. The socio-demographic characteristics of victims and non-victims of workplace bullying were also analyzed. MethodsMulticenter study with two phases (T1 and T2) carried out in Valencia (Spain). The sample consisted of 696 employees from 66 centers in T1. One year later (T2), 422 employees from 61 centers agreed to participate in the study again. Workplace bullying was assessed by means of the instrument “Mobbing-UNIPSICO”. ResultsThe prevalence of workplace bullying was 18.9% and 20.4% in T1 and T2, respectively. Of the 335 employees who were not victims of workplace bullying at T1 who were followed up at T2, 36 reported that they suffered workplace bullying a year later, that is, the accumulated incidence was 11%. In contrast, 81 workers who had been victims of workplace bullying at T1 and who were followed up at T2, 32 reported that they did not suffered from workplace bullying a year later. The victims had more stable contracts and more seniority in the organization/job than the non-victims in T1, but this result was not replicated in T2. ConclusionsWorkplace bullying is a phenomenon with substantial prevalence, but also with considerable incidence (11%) among staff working with people with an intellectual disability.

702 – Posttraumatic stress disorder in battered women by their partners

Introduction Violence gender has caused considerable social alarm. Better awareness of the characteristics and problems of the female victims is necessary to be able to provide adequate psychological attention. Objectives To identify the specific characteristics of PTSD in female victims of gender violence, stating what are the symptoms of this disorder are usually present, identify some of the most important variables that characterize women seeking assistance this problem. Aims The goal of this study is examining PTSD in battered women. Methods Participants: 100 Chilean and 170 Spanish battered women. Instruments: - Semi-structured interview for victims of abuse: assesses sociodemographic characteristics of victims and circumstances of abuse, it was designed for this research. - The PTSD Symptoms Severity Scale (Echeburua et al., 1997): assesses the severity and intensity of the symptoms of this disorder according to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-IV-TR in victims of different traumatic events. Results The results show that the most typical symptoms of PTSD are: re-experiencing (the presence of unpleasant and recurring memories about the abuse and psychological and physiological distress on recalling the events); avoidance symptoms (avoidance of thoughts, feelings or conversations related to what has been experienced, loss of interest in significant activities and restriction of emotional life); and hyperactivation symptoms (permanent state of hypervigilance and startle response). Conclusions This data will be useful to understand the problems and consequences of abuse and to target interventions to be made to alleviate the plight of these women in cases where it appears PTSD.

Female Versus Male Perpetrated Femicide

Femicide, the murder of females (most often at the hands of males), is an understudied area in homicide research. Furthermore, femicide perpetrated by females has been all but ignored. One reason this may be is because of the rarity of homicide victimization perpetrated by females. Rather, most homicide incidents consist of a male offender and a male victim. When a homicide does involve a female, either as a victim or as an offender, the other party implicated is generally a male. The primary goal of the proposed study is to provide an in-depth, albeit exploratory, examination of female-perpetrated femicide. Using homicide data taken from the Dallas Homicide Unit, 403 cases of femicide will be analyzed, with special attention devoted to comparing female-perpetrated femicide incidents (n = 39) against male-perpetrated femicide incidents (n = 364). Specifically, the current study will explore the similarities and differences in sociodemographic characteristics of victims and suspects, offense characteristics, and offense circumstances. Contrary to what was expected, results, at first glance, seem to suggest an overwhelming similarity between femicide suspects and victims, irrespective of gender. However, when the relationship between victim and suspect is considered, distinct differences appear. Implications from these findings as well as limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Domestic Violence Against Men in Primary Care in Nigeria

Domestic violence against men is rare in Nigeria. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of domestic violence against men, the sociodemographic characteristics of victims, and the pattern of injury sustained in a primary care setting. This was a retrospective study over a period of 5 years in which all the medical records of patients were retrieved and information on domestic violence extracted from them and transferred to a data sheet. Those whose records were grossly deficient were excluded from the study. A total of 220,000 patients were seen of which 48 (22 per 100,000) were victims of domestic violence. There were only five married male victims with a prevalence of 0.0023%. The injuries observed were scratches, bruises, welts, and scalds. The primary care physician needs a high index of suspicion to be able to detect it.

A multivariate examination of explanations for the occurrence of elder abuse

The goal of the study was to determine the relative strength of four major explanations for the rise of elder abuse among a population in transition from traditional to modern culture. The study compared a sample of 120 abused elderly Arab Israelis with a control group of 120 nonabused older adults from the same background. The abuse status outcome was regressed in a hierarchical logistic procedure on indicators of sociodemographic status, dependency, modernization, and social integration. The results underscored the multiple explanations for elder abuse in the study population and the predominance of the combined factors of modernization and social integration. Key words: abuse; Arab Israelis; elderly people; modernization; social integration; social network ********** Elder abuse is a growing phenomenon across a range of societies and populations (Ogg & Munngiddings, 1993; Penhale & Kingston, 1995). Research on this social problem has tended to focus on estimates of its prevalence (Comijs, Pot, Smit, Bouter, & Jonker, 1998; Pavlik, Hyman, Festa, & Dyer, 2001) and on characterizations of its perpetrators and victims (Lachs, Williams, O'Brien, Hurst, & Horwitz, 1997; Lithwick, Beaulieu, Gravel, & Straka, 1999). Little investigation has been done on explanations for emergence of the phenomenon (Pittaway, Westhues, & Peressini, 1995). Estimates of elder abuse in the Western world vary widely, making it difficult to confirm the extent of the problem (Comijs et al., 1998; Kurrle, Sadler, Lockwood, & Cameron, 1997; Pillemer & Finkelhor, 1988; Pittaway & Westhues, 1993; Thomas, 2000). In many cases the phenomenon is underreported. Physical and psychological symptoms of abuse may be denied by victims of misinterpreted by services personnel as normal concomitants of aging (Fulmer et al., 1999). Moreover, the lack of satisfying treatment alternatives on behalf of abused older people is a disincentive to reporting of risk status. A frequent solution offered to victims of elder abuse is safe haven in a care facility, but this comes with a loss of personal liberty (Sadler, 1994). Elder abuse among traditional Third World and ethnic minority populations is an even less examined phenomenon. Such abuse is seen to be a concomitant of modernization and, thus, contradictory to traditional values (Kosberg & Garcia, 1995; Nagpaul, 1997; Su & Ferraro, 1997). It has been claimed, in this regard, that abusive behavior toward older people is less manifested in traditional societies (Sharon & Zoabi, 1997). However, traditional values may be offset by the jeopardy of minority status among mixed populations, exacerbating the risk of abuse among older adults from traditional backgrounds. Given the growing number of Third World elderly people who migrate in later life to join their families in Western countries, it is important to examine the abuse phenomenon in situations of cultural change (Le, 1997; Montoya, 1997; Moon & Williams, 1993; Vazquez & Rosa, 1999). The present study examined the predictors of abuse among elderly Arab Israelis. This study population reflects a culture undergoing rapid social change from traditional agrarian society to modern urban life (Lowenstein, 1995; Meir & Ben-David, 1993). Study of this population allows simultaneous consideration of several explanations for elder abuse and examination of their relative predictive strength. EXPLANATIONS FOR THE EMERGENCE OF ELDER ABUSE Sociodemographic Status Attempts to explain the emergence of elder abuse have focused on the sociodemographic characteristics of victims and perpetrators (Hudson, 1986; Lau & Kosberg, 1979). Three victim variables--age, gender, and economic status--have been frequently cited, although not always in the same direction. Victims of elder abuse belong, more often than not, to the category of the old-old, that is, people ages older 75 and (Kosberg, 1988; Pritchard, 1993). …

Victims as Actors of Social Control: An Empirical Inquiry in France and Some Implications

This article presents some preliminary results of the first French national victimization survey. Investigations into victimization are mainly used in France to determine the social profile of victims, as well as their behaviour and attitudes. The survey was implemented in two phases: a screening question on a national sample of 11,000, followed in the second phase by 1,049 victims answering a detailed questionnaire on their attitudes and behaviour. Besides ordinary property and personal offences, family violence and offences related to consumption and business life were included. For each of those types of victimization, the authors detail the specific socio-demographic characteristics of victims in order to compare these profiles. Finally they present data on the consequences of victimization and on the different resources to which victims turn. These results are used to document a discussion on criminal policy issues; in particular, passivity of the police confronted with individual complaints against unidentified offenders; and the considerable transformations in the protection of private property, which blur the traditional borders between state and private sectors.

THE SOCIAL ECOLOGY OF URBAN HOMICIDE: AN APPLICATION OF THE “ROUTINE ACTIVITIES” APPROACH

The purpose of this paper is to use the recently developed “routine activities” approach to help interpret patterns of homicide in a major metropolitan area—Manhattan, New York We argue that the routine activities perspective suggests several distinctive hypotheses about the relationships among sociodemographic characteristics of victims, temporal features of the situation, and the probability of being involved in different kinds of homicide. More specifically, we hypothesize that the sociodemographic characteristics of age, sex, race, marital status, and employment status, along with temporal factors such as time of day, day of week and time of year, will be related systematically to the location of homicide (that is, The geographical proximity to the victim's household) and to the victim‐perpetrator relationship (that is, the social proximity of participants: family members, friends, strangers). Detailed data on all recorded homicides occurring in Manhattan during 1981 are examined to evaluate the hypotheses. The results are generally consistent with expectations, indicating that the routine activities approach does indeed provide a useful framework for interpreting the social ecology of urban homicide.