Victimization Behaviors Research Articles

Patterns of School Victimization and Problem Behaviors: Longitudinal Associations with Socioeconomic Well-Being and Criminal Justice Involvement

Patterns of School Victimization and Problem Behaviors: Longitudinal Associations with Socioeconomic Well-Being and Criminal Justice Involvement

Exploring Sexting and Online Sexual Victimization during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has impacted daily routines, forcing people to stop socializing in person and changing the way people express their feelings and their romantic or sexual interactions. Social distancing has changed the way people behave online, and we expect that engagement in sexting and online sexual victimization behaviors have increased during lockdown. The aim of this paper is to study the prevalence of sexting and online sexual victimization behaviors during the COVID-19 lockdown in Spanish adults in order to explore how social distancing has affected these behaviors. The sample comprised 293 Spanish adults (mean age = 30.3; 66.2% female) who took part in an online survey about their engagement in sexting behaviors and online sexual victimization experiences. Overall results were apparently not supportive of our main hypothesis, showing that both sexting engagement and online sexual victimization decreased during lockdown despite the increase in internet use. Apart from differences in time period of reference, some alternative hypotheses relate to the increased presence of capable guardians according to the routine activities theory and to forced distance as a demotivation to sext. Possible explanations and hypotheses for these results are discussed further in the paper.

Rabies post-exposure healthcare-seeking behaviors and perceptions: Results from a knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey, Uganda, 2013.

BackgroundRabies is a viral disease of animals and people causing fatal encephalomyelitis if left untreated. Although effective pre- and post-exposure vaccines exist, they are not widely available in many endemic countries within Africa. Since many individuals in these countries remain at risk of infection, post-exposure healthcare-seeking behaviors are crucial in preventing infection and warrant examination.MethodologyA rabies knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey was conducted at 24 geographically diverse sites in Uganda during 2013 to capture information on knowledge concerning the disease, response to potential exposure events, and vaccination practices. Characteristics of the surveyed population and of the canine-bite victim sub-population were described. Post-exposure healthcare-seeking behaviors of canine-bite victims were examined and compared to the related healthcare-seeking attitudes of non-bite victim respondents. Wealth scores were calculated for each household, rabies knowledge was scored for each non-bitten survey respondent, and rabies exposure risk was scored for each bite victim. Logistic regression was used to determine the independent associations between different variables and healthcare-seeking behaviors among canine-bite victims as well as attitudes of non-bitten study respondents.ResultsA total of 798 households were interviewed, capturing 100 canine-bite victims and a bite incidence of 2.3 per 100 person-years. Over half of bite victims actively sought medical treatment (56%), though very few received rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (3%). Bite victims who did not know or report the closest location where PEP could be received were less likely to seek medical care (p = 0.05). Respondents who did not report having been bitten by a dog with higher knowledge scores were more likely to respond that they would both seek medical care (p = 0.00) and receive PEP (p = 0.06) after a potential rabies exposure event.ConclusionsThere was varying discordance between what respondents who did not report having been bitten by a dog said they would do if bitten by a dog when compared to the behaviors exhibited by canine-bite victims captured in the KAP survey. Bite victims seldom elected to wash their wound or receive PEP. Having lower rabies knowledge was a barrier to theoretically seeking care and receiving PEP among not bitten respondents, indicating a need for effective and robust educational programs in the country.

The behavior of a victim in the field of prevention of sexual violence on the Internet: a psychological aspect

The study will to identify the characteristics of the manifestation of victim behavior and counteract the commission of sexual violence on the Internet by influencing the behavior of potential victims. The development of information technology (as well as, sometimes, unstable general mental state of society) makes Internet users a vulnerable category concerning the offenses committed on the Internet. Thus, so far, there have been several crimes that are not enshrined in criminal procedure law but often occur in everyday life and pose a real threat to each individual and the values of society as a whole. The peculiarity of committing violence on the Internet is the voluntary entry into such a relationship of a person who, as a consequence, finds himself/herself in the role of a victim. It is not uncommon for a person to subconsciously provoke violence by his/her actions, so in-depth study of a person's victim behavior on the Internet is an essential aspect of developing a mechanism to prevent violence on the World Wide Web. That is why the topic covered in the study is relevant. The methodological basis of the work consists, in particular, analysis, synthesis, dialectical method, statistical method, and observation method. The result of this work is to characterize the relevant behavior on the Internet as a victim, as well as to offer effective ways to prevent sexual violence on the Internet by influencing the behavior of potential victims.

‘But her age was not given on her Facebook profile’: minors, social media, and sexual assault trials.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of social media evidence in sexual assault trials in Canada, focusing on cases with underage female victims. Teenage girls are among the heaviest social media users and face unique expectations regarding the performance of heteronormative gender norms. Society simultaneously encourages girls to enact gender roles that emphasize their femininity and sexuality and punishes them for acting according to these standards. When girls engage in performativity online, they leave behind a digital footprint that can be used against them at trial. Through a detailed case study of 14 publicly available judgments, we analyze how judges evaluate girls’ social media content in sexual assault trials that feature a mistake of age defense. Drawing on social media research, legal studies, and the concept of performativity, we show that judges vary greatly in their understandings of gender norms and that this translates to divergent case outcomes. In the ‘guilty’ cases, the judges contextualize social media content as insufficient and unreliable, noting that it is common for youth to lie or embellish facts online. In the ‘not guilty’ cases however, the judges appear to take such evidence at face value and hold girls accountable for having provocative pictures or misrepresenting themselves online. Such practices are problematic because they perpetuate rape myths and misconceptions about victim behavior. We call for greater consideration of the socio-cultural norms that govern girls’ social media use to avoid biased interpretations that adversely shape the outcome of sexual assault trials.

Daily information-gathering behavior of natural disaster victims: Focusing on residents who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Kanto-Tohoku Heavy Rainfall Disaster

Objectives To obtain suggestions for improving disaster-prevention literacy, this study elucidated the daily information-gathering behavior of residents living in areas affected by two Japanese natural disasters (the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and the Kanto-Tohoku Heavy Rainfall Disaster in September 2015) and examined factors affecting life backgrounds and disaster experiences.Methods In June 2017, we administered a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire to 1,065 households in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Kanto-Tohoku Heavy Rainfall. One person in each household responded to the questionnaire. Of 362 respondents (response rate 34.0%), 336 with definite attributes were analyzed. After ascertaining their daily information-gathering behavior, we applied binary logistic regression analysis, incorporating-as dependent variables-three variables previously used in times of disaster.Results Of the respondents, 179 were men (53.3%); the average age (standard deviation) was 65.5 (10.6) years. Information-gathering modes used by more than half the subjects were "television," "newspaper," "conversation/word of mouth," "radio," and "community magazine" in descending order of use. Examination of the factors of the three variables revealed the following. (1) Four variables were significantly and positively correlated with "conversation/word of mouth": "woman" (1.82 odds ratio [OR]; 1.05-3.15 95% confidence interval [CI]); "I have" a co-resident family member (OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.06-5.72); "I can expect" mutual aid from community residents (OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.27-4.21); and "I feel more" fear of typhoons and heavy rains now than before (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.04-3.18). (2) "Radio" has two variables with significant and positive correlations: "I have" a co-resident family member (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.35-7.67) and "I was affected" by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Kanto-Tohoku Heavy Rainfall Disaster (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.01.2.97). (3) Two variables are significantly correlated with "Internet service": "Age" has a negative correlation (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.88-0.94); "I can expect" mutual aid from community residents has a positive correlation (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.19-5.93).Conclusion Damage and fear instilled by natural disasters influence subsequent information-gathering behavior. Disaster prevention literacy in ordinary times can be improved because of the correlation between awareness of mutual aid in local communities and information-gathering behavior.

MODERN SPECIFICITY OF CRIME DETERMINATION IN THE SPHERE OF CIRCULATION OF INFORMATION PROTECTED BY LAW

The article is devoted to the study of the determinants of deviant behavior associated with the commission of crimes in the field of circulation of information protected by law. It is concluded that the determinants of these crimes are multifactorial in nature, they include: factors of a legal nature, technical, organizational, victimological. An analysis of forensic practice shows that situations conducive to the commission of crimes are often created by the victims themselves. The imprudent behavior of victims is often the main victimological factor in their victimization from these crimes. This behavior most often manifests itself in non-observance of elementary safety rules known to the victim, or in ignorance of such rules. This situation testifies to the low culture of information security of the citizens of our country. Based on the research conducted by the author, during which it was revealed that victims themselves create conditions for committing crimes in the field of circulation of information protected by law, and they could have been prevented with due diligence on the part of the victims. It is also concluded that the main attention in the prevention of crimes in the sphere of circulation of information protected by law should be given to victimological prevention, which consists in ensuring reliable protection of information.

The role of mood states in cyberbullying and cybervictimization behaviors in adolescents

Cyberbullying is an intentional aggressive behavior repeatedly perpetrated by a single person or a group against a peer who can not easily defend, characterized by the use of electronic forms of contact. This phenomenon is a public health concern with serious implications for adolescents’ mental health. We aimed to investigate the role of gender, age, and subjective self perceived mood states in cyberbullying and victimization (being a victim of cyberbullying) behaviors. A total of 554 adolescents (293 males and 261 females, age 15.27; SD = 2.21) completed the Florence Cyber-Bullying Cyber-Victimization Scales (FCBVSs) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Older age and male gender were associated to both cyberbullying and victimization.The aggressiveness/anger (A) and confusion/bewilderment (C) factors measured by the POMS were predictors of all types of cyberbulliyng and cybervictimization behaviors; the tension/anxiety (T) factor was a predictor of all cyberbullying behaviors and of the FCBVSs impersonification subscale of cybervictimization. Subjective specific mood states may contribute to both cyberbulliyng and victimization behaviors, suggesting the potential benefit of preventive strategies addressing the recognition and management of mood states in adolescents.

Predictors of peer victimisation in the context of secondary school

Introduction Peer victimisation is defined as the experience of being the target of aggressive behaviour, by one or more peers. This presents several configurations, and in this sense the study of multiple types of victimisation is emphasised [1]. Research supports the need of studying protective and risk factors for victimisation in light of the ecological model, once it highlights the connection between individual characteristics, family, school and community [2]. Two main objectives will be analysed: (a) the risk factors associated with four global types of victimisation (overt, reactive overt, relational and reactive relational) and seven subtypes of victimisation behaviours that the adolescent’s might experience (e.g. social manipulation, social exclusion) using the ecological model; (b) discuss how the study of risk factors contributes to the strategies to be outlined in the context of an intervention program. Materials and methods 584 high school adolescents participated in this quasi-experimental study, aged between 12 and 19 years (M = 15.20; DP = 1.90). The participants completed: School aggression and violence: Victimisation symptoms and behaviours Questionnaire [3], Perception of Social-Family Support and Perception of Peer Support Scales [4], Parental Support Questionnaire – Short Form [5], and School Climate Questionnaire [6]. Ethics committee approved the investigation and informed consent was obtained from parents. The questionnaires (anonymous and confidential) were completed in a classroom context. Using Hierarchical Linear Regression, two models were built, in which the qualitative variables (e.g. age, gender) were first inserted, followed by the factors peer support, family and school climate. Results The global types of victimisation were better explained by reactive relational victimisation (18.60% of total variance) while the specific types of victimisation by the harassment model (19.30% of the total variance), both by the factor social support from family and friends (respectively 13.80% and 10.70% of the variance). In short, boys showed a higher risk of overt victimisation, while girls reported more relational victimisation. Perceiving a poor support from family and friends places the adolescents at a higher risk of peer victimisation by harassment, but also by exclusion/social isolation, coercion, intimidation, threats and aggressiveness. The higher the perception of a school climate characterised by violence, the higher the risk of peer victimisation, specifically by harassment. No cases of victimisation per bullying were identified. Discussion and conclusions The risk factors found were indicative that these adolescents would benefit from a universal intervention model. These are developed in the classroom context for all students and do not include a selection of subjects with a specific need for intervention. Strategies should be oriented towards socio-emotional interventions, which include emotional management and interpersonal conflicts. These have shown good results in reducing violence in young people, including bullying, but also in reducing disruptive behaviours in the classroom. Greater knowledge of teachers and administrative staff, but also parents, and using rules that promote social inclusion, would facilitate the identification and signalling of students at risk. School administrations should adopt more integrated prevention policies and not only sanctioning measures, promoting a school climate perceived as protective and without violence.

The relationship between bullism, depression and suicidal thought in adolescents in albania

IntroductionThe effects of bullying can be both physical and emotional, and they can last for many years. Children that experience verbal and physical bullying are at a greater risk of developing depression later on in life, compared with children who did not.ObjectivesThis study aims to look into the relationship between bullying, depressive symptomatology and suicidal thoughts in adolescents of high schools in Lushnje.MethodsThree questionaires (the Beck Depression Inventory; the Bully/victim Behavior / Victim Behavior Questionnaire by Olweus; the Suicide Questionnaire) were circulated online and were completed by 400 adolescents from 2 high schools in a small city in Albania between September-November 2019. Data has been analysed using the Software Package for Social Sciences for Windows v. 22.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL).ResultsWe found significant positive correlation between bullying (victimization) and the level of depression (r (n = 400) =. 300, p≤.05), and significant positive correlation of bullying (cause) with level of depression (r (n = 400) =. 160, p≤.05) but lower than in victimes. The victims of bullying have higher levels of depression and vice versa. We found higher rate of depression in female adolescents with the average (M = 14.710, ds = 11.263) compared to boys with the average (M = 9.609, ds = 10.723). There is an important positive correlation of suicidal ideation with the level of depression (r (n = 400) =. 616, p≤.05).ConclusionsBeing either a bully or a victim of bullying seems to increase the chances of being affected by depression and suicidal thoughts

РЕАКТИВНИЙ РОЗЛАД ПРИВ’ЯЗАНОСТІ ЯК ДЕРМІНАНТА ВІКТИМНОЇ ПОВЕДІНКИ НЕПОВНОЛІТНІХ

The article is devoted to the consideration of the correlation between reactive attachment disorder and victim behavior of a minor. The author considers the main types of such a disorder and, depending on them, differentiates the type of victim of a criminal offense. It is noted that the lack of close emotional connection with the mother leads to a simplification of the worldview and destructive changes in the set of moral values. A child who is brought up in harsh conditions and placed in a certain framework gradually begins to feel discomfort, due to the inability to understand their place and role in family life, a value for their own parents. Such a situation can have two probable scenarios of further development: the first – the child will shut himself in and consider himself unworthy of the environment, friendship, love and recognition; second, the child will seek a spiritual replacement for parental love, and therefore will become vulnerable to people who will show affection and interest. It is pointed out that the formation in the mind of a juvenile victim of a criminal offense of the correct reaction to the wrongful influence and the generation of an adequate conditioned reflex to its negative consequences can be achieved by visualizing and gradually consolidating certain guidelines that form the algorithm necessary to avoid victimization. It turns out that the main reason for the victimization of such children is the emphasized protective compensation, which is aimed at overcoming the psychological trauma caused by dissatisfaction with the relationship with the mother. Adolescents who suffer from this type of disorder subconsciously seek to become victims, their behavior encouraging illegal influence. It is concluded that reactive attachment disorder can be considered an independent and full-fledged determinant of victim behavior of a minor. Disorders of reactive attachment can negatively affect several areas of adolescent life: emotional and volitional; intellectual; psychological. To date, the victim behavior of adolescents suffering from RAD is infantile (regressive), stimulating (fictitious-provoking) or situational. The reasons for victimization of such adolescents are their conformity, as well as transformational processes in the mind, caused by the wrong approach of parents to interact with their own children.

Comparison of Self-control With Bullying–Victim Behavior in Students with or without Learning Disability

Objective: This study aimed to compare self-control with bullying-victim behavior in students with and without learning disabilities. Methods: This research is a causal-comparative study. The statistical population of this study was all female and men students with learning disorders who were referred to Germi learning disability centers. As the sample, 30 students were selected through the available sampling method, and 30 normal students were randomly selected in a multi-stage cluster of primary school girls and boys in Germi. Tangney Self-Control Questionnaire and Olivious bullying-victim questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: The results showed that students with learning disabilities were significantly different in self-control and bullying-victim behavior from normal students (P<0.001); consequently, these students have less self-control and more bullying-victim behavior than normal students. Conclusion: The study results showed that students with learning disabilities have a higher risk of developing behavioral problems (bullying-victimization). Therefore, it is necessary to provide parents and educators with academic programs to prevent the outbreak of behavior disorders and diagnose and treat them on time.

The Validation of Chinese Version of the Victimization Subscale of the Revised Peer Experiences Questionnaire.

In China, researchers have translated and validated several scales to measure victimization behavior. The aim of the present study was to validate the Chinese version of the victimization subscale of the Revised Peer Experiences Questionnaire (RPEQ) among primary school students. Primary school students aged between 8 and 13 years old (n = 1048) were asked to complete the Chinese version of the victimization subscale of the RPEQ and related scales. We examined internal consistency and the factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Depression, peer relationship, and sleep scales were used to measure construct validity. The CFA results suggested that the four-factor model had a good model fit. The results indicated that internal reliability was good (Cronbach’s α = 0.83). Construct validity was mostly supported by scores on the Chinese version of the victimization subscale of the RPEQ that strongly and positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with peer relationship and sleep quality. The present study indicated that the Chinese version of the victimization subscale of the RPEQ has adequate reliability and validity for measuring bullying problems among Chinese primary school students.

Bullying in Schools in Kazakhstan

Currently, many teenagers suffer from bullying in schools, but only a small proportion seek help. It is interesting to note that the victim's behavior is most often studied, but there are very few works that provide comprehensive information about the reasons for the abuse of adolescents among their peers. To obtain complete information and test the hypothesis, an interview was conducted in which adolescents of the same age category from 15 to 18. The interview fully confirmed the hypothesis, namely, that bullers (aggressors) behave this way not only because of hormones and complexes but in many cases because they face violence at home. The results of the study clearly show that working with bullers in educational institutions is ineffective, since this does not solve the root of the problem, therefore, the number of such cases of bullying does not decrease.

Patterns of Adolescents' Appraisals of Responses to Problem Situations: Associations with Aggression, Victimization, and Contextual Factors.

Although considerable research has examined factors that influence social-cognitive processes related to aggression, few studies have examined the factors that influence adolescents' appraisal of the effectiveness of responses, particularly nonviolent alternatives to aggression. This study addressed that gap by examining patterns of adolescents' perceived effectiveness of nonviolent and aggressive responses to hypothetical problem situations and their relations with aggression, victimization, and individual and contextual risk factors. The participants were a predominantly African American (90%) sample of 1469 students (55% female; mean age = 12.7 years; age range = 11-16) from three middle schools who completed measures of perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, aggression and victimization, and contextual factors. Ratings of adolescents' physical, relational, and verbal aggression and victimization, nonviolent and prosocial behavior were also obtained from their teachers. Latent class analysis identified four subgroups of adolescents including distinguishes effective, mixed support, everything works, and nothing works. Subgroups differed on measures of aggression, victimization, prosocial and nonviolent behavior, self-efficacy for nonviolence, witnessing community violence, and parents' and peers' support for nonviolence and aggression. The findings underscore the importance of designing violence prevention programs to target the unique needs of subgroups of adolescents.

The impact of hyperbole on perception of victim testimony

This paper investigates how individuals perceive hyperbole in victim statements. Despite being one of the most commonly used literary tropes, the comprehension and cognition of hyperbole has been largely ignored in the psycholinguistics literature, and despite detailed literature outlining the emotional behaviour of victims, the use of figurative language has been largely ignored in the forensics literature. In the present study, two experiments were undertaken. In Experiment 1, 32 participants were recruited from groups with forensic experience or training. Participants were presented with 16 victim statements; eight contained a number of hyperbolic phrases and eight contained non-hyperbolic counterparts. After reading each statement, participants were asked to answer questions that would quantify perceived credibility on accounts of belief, sympathy, victim-impact, and likeability. The results from Experiment 1 showed that hyperbolic speech made a significant negative impact on all four credibility measures. In Experiment 2, 32 jury-eligible individuals performed the same task. Results from this experiment demonstrated that the use of hyperbole made testimonies more believable and made the victim seem more impacted. Results are discussed in terms of the real-world implications of using hyperbolic language, and individual differences in the comprehension of, and reaction to, figurative statements.

Residential preference transitions of disaster victims: A case using three-wave panel data in Mashiki following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake in Japan

The Japanese government supplies post-disaster public housing (PDPH) to victims who are unable to rebuild homes damaged by a disaster. The efficient supply of PDPH requires an accurate prediction of housing demand, based on survey results. However, non-negligible households often change their residential preferences from the initial survey, and these changes make the demand prediction difficult. This study aims to examine the transition of victims’ residential preferences in Mashiki, Japan, post the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. The study utilizes a three-wave panel data analysis comprising two sets of household survey data and the applicant data for PDPH to investigate disaster victim behavior with greater accuracy and provide a predictive tool for disaster management. The results indicate that households that initially preferred “rebuilding/repairing their homes” or “relocating to another place,” had young householders, did not live in post-disaster temporary housing, and had a high annual income tended to cancel moving into PDPH. These results can be instrumental in predicting the transition of residential preferences in future disasters. This study can establish patterns that, in turn, would help local governments predict the demand of PDPH provided as a form of disaster relief.

What Can We Do? Social Workers in Trinidad Discuss Intimate Partner Violence Against Women.

This article presents findings from research on the Caribbean island of Trinidad with male and female social workers, exploring their views of intimate partner violence against women. The premise here is that actions of helping professionals, including social workers, are partly founded on their views of social problems and clients. Three themes emerged from the conversations as contributing to violence against women: the attitudes and behaviors of victims; societal norms and attitudes; and weak interagency collaboration. A sense of futility in intervention was apparent in the conversations. There are implications for strengthening professional self-efficacy, attitude to clients, and networking.

Антропологія жертви у культурних практиках постсучасності

The article examines the anthropological dimension of the victim phenomenon through the prism of Rene Girard's concept and modern studies of nihilistic tendencies of cultural scenarios with dominant polar psychotypes. The significance of Rene Girard's theory in the study of the archetypal basis of victim behavior, its historical sources and myth-ritual basis is studied. The cultural specifics of modern forms of counteracting victimhood and value contradictions of the victim's figure in the conditions of new threats to humanity, changes in the space of culture in the direction of increasing dependence on media communication platforms, are revealed. Some aspects of the victim's behavior have been linked to identity patterns which suggests a hedonistic-entertaining culture format that results in narcissistic choices or escapist behavior. The article clarifies the nature of the interaction between the images of the victim in the era of multimedia communication and cultural practices which acquire the character of a ritual response to the archaic internal conflict in the context of cultural-traumatic discourse. Examining the sacred nature of the victim in the processes of desacralization of modern culture, according to R. Girard, preservation and essential transformation of this defining archetype as a medium of aggression is concluded. In the modern scenarios a model of total victim is formed that has lost the function of channeling social aggression, falling into a vicious circle of destruction of either oneself or others (W. Kraus), or which is "stuck" in the "triangle of fate", where everyone is a victim (S. Karpman). A hedonist who suffers from shortcomings in a flat everyday life, having lost the tragedy of his own existence in the culture, acts as its repressed subject, but is not aware of it, according to the psychoanalytic theory of cultural trauma. However, in everyday practices (bullying, gaslighting, trolling) anyone can be a victim at any time. In a more global dimension, we are talking about the collective nature of sacrifice, as evidenced by the tendencies of radicalism, terrorism, war, genocide, etc. It is possible to eliminate human inherent aggressive instincts only through the step-by-step development of the value sphere (W. Kraus). This is the only thing that can prevent the self-destruction of the mankind and solve the problem of intraspecific aggression, which was considered from different points of view by K. Lorentz and R. Girard.

PECULIARITIES OF SUBJECTIVE CONTROL AND PREDISPOSITION TO THE MANIFESTATION OF VICTIM BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN OF SPECIALIZED INSTITUTIONS OF ARMENIA

The article presents the results of a study of the relationship between personality traits and the type of predisposition to the manifestation of victim behavior in adolescents from unfavorable families who live in the specialized institutions of Armenia. During the research we have studied adolescents from unfavorable families (girls, boys) aged 15 to 17 (total number of respondents - 100 people). The purpose of this study is to identify the individual psychological characteristics of adolescents that affect the formation of a tendency to manifest a particular type of victim behavior. The analysis of the obtained empirical data revealed that among adolescents from disadvantaged families a tendency towards self-injurious and self-destructive victim behavior dominates and they are more characterized by realized victimization. And it is the knowledge of these prerequisites which will make it possible to develop the most effective preventive program, that will be aimed at reducing the level of victimization among representatives of vulnerable groups of the population, namely, adolescents from unfavorable families, living in specialized institutions.