Types Of Victimization Research Articles

A new type of victim? Profiling survivors of modern slavery in the online scam industry in Southeast Asia

A new type of victim? Profiling survivors of modern slavery in the online scam industry in Southeast Asia

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.

More Than Just a “Bad” Online Experience: Risk Factors and Characteristics of Catfishing Fraud Victimization

ABSTRACT Research focusing specifically on people who have been catfished online, or deceived in some way, but maybe not defrauded out of money is relatively scarce. The current study sought to add to the literature in this area by surveying social media and dating application users about their catfishing victimization experiences (n=1,511). Fourty-four percent had been catfished in the last 5 years. Common characteristics of those who had been catfished include the catfish reaching out first, a short duration of communication, and asking for money, among other characteristics. The lifestyles/routine activities (LRAT) framework and self-control were utilized to examine potential risk factors for catfishing victimization. Both online and offline behaviors were found to influence catfishing risk, suggesting the LRAT can be applied to this type of victimization. Implications for policy application and prevention of catfishing fraud are discussed.

Effects of Intimate Partner Violence-Related Strangulation on Women Who Report a Disability and Received Forensic Nursing Services.

Data on effects of strangulation in victims with a disability are lacking despite this population experiencing intimate partner violence at higher rates than women without a disability. A retrospective review was conducted on medical records of patients seeking care at a community-based, forensic nurse examiner program following an intimate partner violence-related strangulation event. The presence of disability was not associated with differences in reporting other types of victimization, additional abusive events, perpetrator characteristics, strangulation actions, or injury findings. Patients with a disability were more likely to report experiencing anoxic, hypoxic, and other physical symptoms following strangulation compared to patients without a disability.

International Prevalence of Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence Against Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

The aim of the present review was to systematically identify and examine current knowledge regarding the frequency of any form of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) perpetrated against women aged 16 years and older. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist was applied when performing the present review. Observational studies reporting prevalence data for any form of TFSV against women aged 16 years and above were considered for inclusion. Four meta-analyses were conducted. One examined data pertaining to overall TFSV, while the other three each addressed a key dimension based on the type of victimization under study. Random-effects models were used to compute pooled estimate prevalences (95% CI). Included studies reported prevalence in 32 different countries at different time points, with 28,220 women being interviewed (16-97 years). A total of 1,437 potential articles were gathered from 8 databases and 17 studies were selected for analysis. Included studies exhibited a low risk of bias (12 strong methodological quality-5 medium). Rates of TFSV ranged from 2.2% to 84%. Global estimated prevalence was 30.60% (95% CI [24.08, 37.12]). The most frequently reported behaviors pertained to "digital sexual harassment" (28.54%) followed by "technology-facilitated aggression and coercion" (16.93%) and "image-based sexual abuse" (6.48%). Present findings shed light on a significant gap in understanding the experiences of adult women. The wide range of reported frequencies underscores the importance of unifying terms and standardizing measurement instruments, emphasizing the need for a cohesive approach to better comprehend and address the multifaceted nature of TFSV.

Fatal road traffic accidents and injuries: a preliminary study.

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a major public health problem globally and cause deaths, disability, and significant economic costs. In Italy, there was an increased number of road accidents, deaths, and injuries in 2022 compared to 2021, although still below pre-pandemic levels. A retrospective observational study was performed on a case series of 53 consecutive fatal RTAs examined by the Section of Forensic Medicine of Verona. The case series was divided, according to the type of victims involved, into pedestrians, car drivers, car passengers, and motorcyclists. For each, the times and causes of death, the distribution of external and internal injuries, and toxicological data were analysed, and the results were compared with those in the literature. Although this is a preliminary study on a small case series and lacks statistical validation, so more cases are needed, the preliminary results seem to provide a useful tool for assessing injuries in complex fatal road accidents.

Quantifying Toxic Friendship: A Preliminary Investigation of a Measure of Victimization in the Friendships of Adolescents.

Although friendship is a key source of support and intimacy for adolescents, adolescent friendships can also involve victimization, which can be harmful to youth well-being. To date, our understanding of victimization in friendship has been limited by a lack of measures that comprehensively capture the variety of negative behaviors occurring in this relationship. This study outlines the development and preliminary validation of the Friendship Victimization Scale for Adolescents (FVS-A), which assesses victimization and controlling behaviors in adolescent friendships. Adolescents (N = 706, Mage = 15.93, SD = 1.67; 62.3% cisgender girls, 33.7% cisgender boys) from high schools in Canada completed the FVS-A and other measures in the fall of 2019. The factor structure and psychometric properties of the measure were examined. The FVS-A demonstrated excellent internal consistency and a 3-factor structure (relational victimization, physical/verbal victimization, controlling behavior). There was evidence for demographic differences such that cisgender girls reported more overall friendship victimization, as well as relational victimization and control, than did cisgender boys. Greater friendship victimization was associated with greater dating victimization and gender-based bullying and was uniquely associated with greater depressive symptoms after accounting for these other types of victimization. Findings suggest that friendship victimization is common among adolescents. The results provide evidence for the utility of the FVS-A as a measure of an understudied source of interpersonal risk. Future work is needed to understand the long-term implications of friendship victimization and to elucidate the temporal associations between friendship victimization and other indicators of psychosocial adjustment.

Children’s moral judgments and reasoning regarding environmentally harmful behaviors: Variation by victim type and moderation effect of connectedness to nature

This study explored the differences in young children’s moral judgments regarding environmentally harmful behaviors based on victim type and the moderation effect of connectedness to nature (CN). Further, this study investigated which reasoning types (ecocentric, anthropocentric, and non-environmental) significantly explained children’s moral judgment. This study included 185 five-year-old Korean children and their mothers. The children participated in two interview sessions. In one session, they were randomly assigned to one of five groups—no video or video with unspecified, human, animal, or plant victim. In another session, they completed a Korean sentence comprehension test and a task assessing their recognition of animals and plants from the video. Mothers responded to a survey on their children’s CN and engagement in pro-environmental activities. A generalized Linear Mixed Model was employed using SPSS Win 27.0. Children’s judgment of environmentally harmful behaviors was more negative when presented with unspecified or human victims. The reasoning for their moral judgments and the moderating role of their CN varied by victim type. Environmental reasoning, especially ecocentric reasoning, was crucial in explaining children’s moral judgments of environmentally harmful behaviors. Thus, considering victims and environmental reasoning types is important for environmental education for sustainable development for young children, emphasizing the need to enhance children’s CN.

Characteristics and Consequences of Violent Victimization in Sexual and Gender Minority Communities: An Analysis of the 2017-2021 National Crime Victimization Survey.

Purpose: This article investigates rates of violent victimization, subsequent help-seeking, and health-related consequences within sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities. Methods: Aggregate data from the 2017-2021 National Crime Victimization Survey were examined to determine nationally representative estimates of rates and distributions of violent victimization, help-seeking, and socioemotional consequences within those 16 years of age and older. Due to sample size, most analyses aggregated sexual orientation and gender identity to allow comparison of SGM persons to non-SGM persons and examine differences within the SGM population. Results: Persons who identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual experienced violent victimization at rates two to six times higher than straight persons. Transgender persons were victimized more than three times as often than cisgender persons. SGM persons experienced higher rates of all types of violent victimization than non-SGM persons regardless of victim-offender relationship. There were differences by victim demographic characteristics, including sex, race and Hispanic origin, age, marital status, and household income. A higher proportion of SGM victims reported only problems with work/school or problems both at work/school and with family/friends. Finally, higher proportions of SGM victims reported socioemotional consequences when they were female, older, or experienced serious violent crime. Conclusion: The findings in this study continue to highlight high levels of violence experienced by SGM persons and disproportionate socioemotional consequences. There is an evident need to develop targeted interventions and provide services to address the consequences of victimization among this population. The analyses demonstrate the necessity of continued research to better understand the impact of violence on SGM communities.

Prevalence and pattern of bullying victimization among early adolescent students in Sri Lanka: A School based cross-sectional study

Background: Bullying victimization has resulted in various forms of detrimental effects on mental and social wellbeing of adolescents. The study was designed to determine the prevalence and pattern of bullying victimization among early adolescent students in Sri Lanka.Methods: A school based cross-sectional study was conducted among 2641 grade seven, eight and nine students in 43 government schools in an educational zone in Kegalle district in Sri Lanka selected by stratified random cluster sampling method. The validated Sinhala version of Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) was used to assess the victimization status, its subtypes and patterns of victimization according to the category of schools.Results: The response rate was 96.01%. The prevalence of bullying victimization among 12-14 years aged schooling adolescents in the Kegalle educational zone was 59% (95% CI = 57.1-60.9). Verbal bullying was the commonest type of victimization 45.2% (95% CI = 43.24-47.16). Calling names teasing in a hurtful way (36.3%), trying to disrupt the friendship among friends (22.3%) pinching, scratching by nails, pulling from the hair, ear and dress (22.4%) were the most frequently existing bullying activities among victims. Overall bullying victimization and subtypes of bullying victimization were significantly higher among male students (p=&lt;0.001), younger age group (12 years) (p=&lt;0.001) and significantly less in category IAB schools (p=&lt;0.001).Conclusions: Prevalence of bullying victimization and subtypes of victimization among early adolescent students in the Kegalle educational zone was high. It was significantly more among males and in younger age and more observed in type 2 schools.

ROAD ACCIDENTS IN URBAN AREAS IN ALGERIA. THE CASE OF THE CITIES OF CONSTANTINE AND ALI MENDJELI

Road safety is a major concern for countries around the world, as it is directly related to the sense of well-being. Road accidents have serious consequences for the victims and impose considerable economic burdens on the state, since their handling is delicate. The African continent, including Algeria, has a high accident rate. In this study, we chose the state of Constantine because of its national importance. Between 2020 and 2022, it recorded a significant number of accidents, particularly in the new town of Ali Mendjeli and the town of Constantine. These areas, with their dense populations and their high attractiveness due to the diversity of facilities they have, are experiencing very large flows and consequently considerable traffic. A territorial analysis of these accidents allows to highlight the dangerous areas, understand the causes and determine the types of victims. From which the identification of the sites most exposed to accidents has allowed us to identify many factors of this risk.

Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration among Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health concern that profoundly affects not only heterosexual but also lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations. Although studies conducted outside Norway have reported similar prevalence rates of IPV in heterosexual and LGB relationships, no published studies from Norway, whether academic or from nongovernmental organizations, have focused specifically on IPV prevalence rates in the LGB population. One reason might be the absence of a standardized tool to measure IPV. In this study, as researchers with backgrounds in social psychology, violence and minority studies, we firstly aim to evaluate the validity of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-R) in understanding the intimate partner violence experiences of LGB individuals. Secondly, we investigate how common various forms of perpetration and victimization are within the LGB community, specifically looking at psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion. We are also interested in whether there are any differences in the experiences of these forms of violence based on sexual orientation. To conduct this research, we studied 285 LGB individuals in Norway, aged between 18 and 64 (mean age = 31.80 years). The results of a correlation analysis revealed that all types of victimization from and perpetration of violence are positively and strongly associated. Chi-square tests indicated that there was no significant difference among LGB individuals in psychological and physical victimization or perpetration. However, gay individuals reported significantly higher sexual IPV victimization and perpetration than lesbian and bisexual individuals. Overall, we suggest that the CTS-R has satisfactory construct validity and effectively helps gauge psychological, physical, and sexual IPV in the LGB population. Moreover, we conclude that psychological, physical, and sexual IPV perpetration and victimization are prevalent in LGB relationships in Norway, and thus, that LGB IPV warrants further investigation into its antecedents and consequences.

Parental involvement in school and school victimization in Taiwan: The mediating role of quality of student-teacher relationships.

A link between parental involvement in school and student victimization in school is often assumed, but empirical studies have shown inconsistent results. Research suggests that the quality of student-teacher relationships could potentially serve as a crucial mediating factor in the link between parental school involvement and student victimization in school. However, the proposition in question lacks sufficient empirical evidence to substantiate it. This paper examines how parental school involvement indirectly influences student victimization by peers and teachers in school mediated via the quality of student-teacher relationships. Additionally, it further investigates sex differences in the patterns of relationships among parental school involvement, quality of student-teacher relationships, and student victimization by peers and teachers in school. Data were derived from a nationally representative sample of 934 junior high school students and their parents/caregivers in Taiwan. The results revealed that parental school involvement had a nonsignificant direct association with school victimization by peers and teachers, but a significant indirect association with both types of school victimization mediated via the quality of student-teacher relationships. These findings are applicable to both boys and girls. To reduce school victimization, policies and intervention programs could consider promoting parental school involvement and the quality of student-teacher relationships.

An intervention study of poly-victimization among rural left-behind children based on the theoretical framework of planned behavior

BackgroundPoly-victimization (PV) not only threatens physical and mental health but also causes a range of social problems. Left-behind children in rural areas are more likely to experience PV problems. However, there have been fewer studies on PV among rural children, and even fewer intervention studies.ObjectiveThe difference-in-differences method was employed to analyze the impact of intervention measures, based on the theory of planned behavior, on PV among left-behind children in rural areas.MethodsThe study subjects were left-behind children from six middle schools in two cities in southern China, who completed the baseline survey from 2020 to 2021. They were divided into a control group and an intervention group, each consisting of 228 cases, based on their schools. Before and after the intervention, the Self-made victimization-related knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaire, Poly-victimization scale, and Middle school students’ coping style scale were used to evaluate the victimization-related KAP(knowledge, attitude, and practice), victimization occurrence, and coping styles of left-behind children, respectively. Stata 15.0 was used to establish a difference-in-differences regression model to analyze the impact of the intervention measures on poly-victimization and coping styles.ResultsMixed Anova revealed that after the intervention, the KAP scores of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). After the intervention, the incidence of child victimization in the intervention group dropped to 9.60% (n = 22), lower than in the baseline survey, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01). The incidence of PV among children in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group, with the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.01). The net reduction in the incidence of PV among children was 21.20%. After the intervention, the protection rate for preventing PV among children was 73.33%, and the effect index was 3.75. The intervention improved children’s coping styles, problem-solving, and help-seeking, while reducing negative coping styles such as avoidance and venting, with the differences being statistically significant (p < 0.05).ConclusionIntervention measures based on the theory of planned behavior reduce the occurrence of PV among left-behind children, and the intervention effects on different types of victimization are also different.

Cybergrooming Victimization Among Young People: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Rates, Risk Factors, and Outcomes

AbstractAdolescence is marked by a unique blend of factors, including adolescents’ exploration of their emerging sexuality and growing engagement with digital media. As adolescents increasingly navigate online spaces, cybergrooming victimization has emerged as a significant concern for the development and protection of young people. Yet, there is a lack of systematic analyses of the current state of research. To this end, the present systematic review aimed to integrate existing quantitative research on prevalence rates, risk factors, and outcomes of cybergrooming victimization, informed by an adaptation of the General Aggression Model. Studies providing self-reported data on cybergrooming victimization of people between the ages of 5 and 21 were included. A total of 34 studies met all inclusion criteria, with most focusing on adolescence. Reported prevalence rates were characterized by strong heterogeneity, which could largely be attributed to the underlying methodology. Overall, the included studies showed that at least one in ten young people experiences cybergrooming victimization. Findings further indicated that various factors, for example, being a girl, being older, engaging in risky behavior, displaying problematic Internet use, reporting lower mental well-being, and experiencing other types of victimization, are positively associated with cybergrooming victimization. However, most studies’ cross-sectional designs did not allow for an evidence-based classification into risk factors, outcomes, and co-occurrences, so findings were embedded in the proposed model based on theoretical considerations. In addition, there is a noted lack of studies that include diverse samples, particularly younger children, LGBTQIA+ youth, and young people with special educational needs. These findings emphasize that cybergrooming victimization is a prevalent phenomenon among young people that requires prevention and victim support addressing multiple domains.

Lifetime Revictimization: Evidence From the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.

Despite the documented increasing prevalence of elder abuse victimization and its devastating health effects, a life-course view of the victimization experiences of older adults has rarely been adopted in the elder abuse literature. The current study investigated lifetime links between victimization experiences by examining the indirect effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) on elder abuse victimization via intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization in middle adulthood, and whether this indirect association would differ by gender. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we analyzed the previous and current victimization experiences of a total of 5,391 older adults in their early 70s and estimated mediational and moderated mediation models. The key results indicated that a higher ACE score was associated with exposure to IPV victimization in middle adulthood, which was in turn associated with exposure to elder abuse victimization. This indirect association was stronger for women than for men. Regarding specific types of childhood victimization, parental physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence significantly predicted elder abuse victimization via IPV victimization. Our results support the phenomenon of lifetime victimization, whereby an individual experiences reoccurring forms of victimization across the life course from childhood to late adulthood. Findings highlight the compelling need for the assessment of cumulative victimization experiences and their impact on elder abuse victims. A life-course-based, trauma-informed approach would greatly enhance prevention and intervention services for elder abuse.

Effects of Unequal Treatment, Verbal Harassment, and Physical Violence on Subjective Cognitive Health Among Middle-Aged and Older LGBTQ Adults: Variation by Type and Basis of Victimization

This study investigated how different forms of victimization influence subjective cognitive health among middle-aged and older LGBTQ adults. Using data from the Vanderbilt University Social Networks, Aging, and Policy Study, we applied Poisson regression models to examine the effects of victimization experiences, including variation by type and basis of victimization, on the number of self-reported cognitive difficulties. Regarding victimization type, we tested the effects of experiencing unequal treatment, verbal harassment, and physical attack in the last year on the number of self-reported cognitive difficulties. We also examined the effects of experiencing victimization based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, and race or ethnicity on the number of self-reported cognitive difficulties. Respondents who experienced victimization in the past year reported higher rates of cognitive difficulties than respondents who did not experience victimization. These results varied by victimization type. Experiencing unequal treatment and verbal harassment in the last year was associated with higher rates of self-reported cognitive difficulties. Experiencing physical attack did not significantly predict higher rates of self-reported cognitive difficulties. Finally, victimization experiences based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race or ethnicity, and age all predicted higher rates of self-reported cognitive difficulties. Taken together, these results demonstrate how different forms of victimization could harm cognitive health among LGBTQ populations and generate cognitive health disparities.

Do All Victimization Types Cluster? Assessing the Co-Occurrence of Hate Speech With Criminal and Bullying Victimization at School.

Evidence indicates that poly-victimization relates to greater victim impacts than single-type victimization. A separate body of research finds that victimization motivated by bias is associated with elevated harm. However, little empirical work has assessed whether youth who experience biased victimization are poly-victims, and studies have not sufficiently examined the potentially deleterious effects of experiencing both types of victimization. This study uses nationally representative data to examine the prevalence of school-based crime and bullying victimization among hate speech victims. I then assess the odds of experiencing fear and avoiding places at school across victimization types. The findings reveal that a considerable number of hate speech victims are also bullied and that experiencing any two types of victimization is associated with increased odds of fear and avoidance. These results highlight the importance of targeting biased victimization in anti-bullying programming.

School-Based Victimization Prevention Education Programs for Children and Youth With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review.

Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at significantly higher risk of experiencing multiple types of interpersonal victimization across their lifespan compared to their peers without IDD. Despite the extensive literature on efficacy of prevention education programs for children without IDD, very little is known about comparable programs for children with IDD. In this scoping review, we synthesized the literature on existing programs for children with IDD. We identified thirteen programs which we critically assessed against established best practice criteria for prevention and special education and evaluation. The current literature on prevention education programs for children with IDD exhibits significant limitations, such as weak research designs and poor measurement of outcomes.

A survey-experiment study on school bullying victims' reactions and teachers’ serious perception and intervention willingness

Teachers play an essential role in school bullying prevention. This study investigates teachers' perceived seriousness and willingness to intervene in school bullying using a survey-experimental design. Twenty conjoint scenarios were designed based on five types of victims' reactions (crying, fighting back, seeking help, pretending nothing happened, no description) and four forms of bullying (physical, verbal, relational, and cyber). Cyberbullying is perceived as the most serious. Physical bullying elicits the highest willingness to intervene. Teachers' perceived seriousness significantly varies according to victims' reactions, except for relational bullying. However, teachers' willingness to intervene does not differ significantly based on victims’ reactions.