Victim's Home Research Articles

Sexually Abused Youngsters' Reactions Toward Abusive and Nonabusive Parent Figures and Kin

At intake, counselors judged 343 sexually abused juveniles' reactions toward the abusive and nonabusive parent figures, and toward other kin collectively. Generally, at all ages, reactions were predominantly negative toward the abuser but were far more positive toward the nonabusive parent and relatives. This pattern held for the entire victim sample and for the subset (n = 212) codable for all three target persons (all ps < .0001). There were no tendencies for victims to “identify with the aggressor” via positive reactions. However, victims more often liked an abuser if a member of the nuclear family than if more remote from the victim (p < .002). Thus, closeness of victim to abuser on a five-step social distance scale (from nuclear family member to nonkin living outside the victim's home) correlated with degree of positive reaction to abusers (ρ = 0.32, r = 0.36; all ps < .0001).

Suicide and Homicide Away From Home

In 1980, suicides in the United States that occurred outside the victim's home state were most often committed by young single or divorced men. Hanging was the most common means of suicide. Homicide victims who were killed outside their home state were usually male, black, divorced, young, and killed by unusual (other) means or by law-enforcement officers.

Can Family Members of High-Risk Cardiac Patients Learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation?

The immediate delivery of bystander-administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), coupled with the rapid delivery of advanced cardiac life support, can significantly reduce mortality from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Because the majority of sudden cardiac deaths occur in the victim's home with family members present, family members of cardiac patients at high risk for sudden death are the logical focus of CPR training. However, previous research has shown that only a small minority of family members of cardiac patients actually learn CPR and that health care professionals have failed to recommend CPR training in this population, in part due to concerns about their ability to learn CPR. The purpose of this study was to describe learning capabilities in this population and to identify characteristics of unsuccessful learners. To this end, we taught CPR to 83 family members of cardiac patients who were at risk for sudden cardiac death. Subjects had no CPR training within the past two years. Eighty-one percent of the subjects successfully learned CPR. Of the demographic and psychological characteristics examined, only gender, age, and depression were significant in explaining differences in CPR skills attainment ability. The elderly, the depressed, and males were more likely to be unsuccessful in demonstrating adequate CPR skills. Our results suggest that the majority of family members of cardiac patients can learn CPR successfully. Specific training strategies may need to be developed and tested to enhance CPR training in those family members of cardiac patients predicted to have difficulty learning CPR.

The Nonprosecution of Sexual Abuse and Informal Justice

Within recent years, considerable attention has focused upon the appropriate criminal justice response to cases of child sexual abuse. The present article examines prosecutorial discretion for sexual abuse under the domain of a recent mandatory district attorney reporting law (Massachusetts Chapter 288). Utilizing case files for one metropolitan jurisdiction, this research analyzes the reasons cited for the screening decision not to prosecute sexual abuse and the related use of informal dispositions in these cases. The study found that 45% of the cases referred to this prosecutor's office resulted in a nonprosecution decision. The primary reasons given were witness noncooperation and evidentiary problems, which were cited in over two-thirds of the cases. For all but two of these nonprosecuted cases, some informal disposition took place. For most, the alleged perpetrator was out of the victim's home, with another third involving a restraining or no visitation order against the accused offender, or the removal of the victim from the home. Thus, although formal criminal court prosecution was recommended in just over one-half of the cases, some form of family intervention to reduce the “at-risk” situation for the child victim took place in virtually all of the cases. These results suggest the importance of considering informal, discretionary techniques and dispositions as well as formal actions in evaluating a criminal justice response to child sexual abuse.

Finding Fault Versus Attributing Responsibility

To clarify the processes underlying attribution of responsibility and assignment of fault to a victim, female undergraduates read one of four descriptions of a rape perpetrated b, an assailant who had followed the victim home on previous occasions (assault premeditated) or had not (assault not premeditated), against a victim who attempted to take precautions (precautions attempted) or failed to do so (precautions not attempted). More fault was assigned to the victim who failed to take precautions than to the victim who attempted to take precautions. In addition, an interaction was obtained on the responsibility measure such that the maximum responsibility was attributed to the victim who failed to take precautions when the assailant's behavior suggested that his assault was not premeditated. Thus, in judging a rape victim women use information about the victim to assign fault, but they use information about actions of both victim and assailant to attribute responsibility.

Violence in America: Violent People and Violent Offenders

VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper by Scott was to explore a number of issues surrounding violence in the United States, by examining violent offenders and violent situations in society. METHODOLOGY: This paper represented a non-experimental exploratory examination of the types of violence in American society. The author examined violence directed toward children, violence between children, adolescent and young adult violence, violence among the mentally ill, violence as revenge, family violence, violence in public areas and violent male offenders. The author concluded with an investigation of some of the treatment methods that have been employed in the search for an effective tool of prevention. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The author began by noting the consistent findings that violent crime is primarily a phenomenon found in large cities, and that it is usually committed by young males. Children are often the victims of violence within the family, with more than 16,000 dying each year from abuse and neglect. Children are battered because they are unwanted, or when a divorced parent remarries someone who is not interested in the child, or as a result of parents abusing alcohol or drugs. Children who come from homes where they experienced poor socialization could become bullies in the school context, by manipulating and controlling social situations. Passage into adolescence often involves an increase in levels of assertiveness and aggression, with an interest in power and territory. Groups form and the threat of violence becomes an ever-present possibility, both in social situations outside the school, as well as within the school context. This type of violence often begins in the home during the younger years, and continues as a pattern into the early stages of adulthood. At this part of life, the exciting and unpredictable tavern becomes the central theme, where life is played out as if upon a stage. Violence is also reported to be on the rise amongst the institutionalized mentally ill. This is perhaps due to the fact that many mentally ill harbor an old hatred that has yet to be resolved, such as abuse as a child, that can lead to violence that is triggered by some unrelated and insignificant event. People may also feel the desire for revenge for an event in their past, but through group support they can begin to get a better view of their problems. About 70% of murders typically are committed by someone known to the victim, and most of these occur within the victim's home. This type of violence is often caused by psychological motivations, when one's ego has been damaged. Some estimates suggest that as many as 50% of American families have experienced some form of household violence. Laws have been so cumbersome and have avoided entering the domain of the sacred home that many cases of household violence have not been effectively handled. Violence is also common in public areas - on the streets and in the subways - with the primary target being the elderly, and the usual assailant being a younger male. The violent male felon acts according to different rules - he will kill when engaged in a fight. The author saw the intent to kill as a learned behavior, which must be unlearned via a process of resocialization to learn new values and to find a place within a new environment. When examining issues of treatment, the author noted that most offenders are against enforced theory on theoretical grounds, but would accept the notion of enforced therapy if it was conducted by a qualified professional for a violent criminal. Treatment should not, according to the author, be confined to the typical stereotypes of analysis, but should involve the use of clear judgement and wisdom to choose the most appropriate methods of rehabilitation. EVALUATION: This paper presents an informative look at the different types of violence that exist within contemporary society. However, the author provides little empirical evidence for his claims, and does not fully explain his assertions. No alternative explanations are offered for the various types of behaviors, and sweeping generalizations are made about the nature of each type of violent situation. Whilst this report does serve to add to the plethora of literature in the area of violence, it does little to advance scientific knowledge about the causes, nature and consequences of violent behavior. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - Child Abuse KW - Emotional Abuse and Neglect KW - Domestic Violence KW - Juvenile Violence KW - Male Offender KW - Mental Illness KW - Juvenile Offender KW - Violence Situations KW - Treatment KW - Violence Prevention KW - Violence Causes KW - Urbanization KW - Adult Offender KW - Public Environment

The Adolescent Sexual Offender and His Prey

VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper by Groth was to present an investigation of the juvenile sexual offender and his victim. METHODOLOGY: The author employed a quasi-experimental study design with a non-probability sample of referrals to a forensic mental health facility in Massachusetts during the years 1970 through 1975. During this time, 26 offenders, convicted of rape or child assault, between the ages of 15 and 17 were referred to the Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Dangerous Persons for evaluation. Also evaluated at the Center were 37 adults with a history of rape or child assault. The overall sample of 63 was divided into three groups based upon the age of the victim relative to the offender - those whose victims were the same age, those whose victims were significantly older and those whose were significantly younger. Older was defined as an adult victim at least ten years older than the offender, whilst younger was considered as a pre-adolescent victim who was at least five years younger than the subject. Offenders who assaulted same age or older people were considered rapists; those whose victims were younger were labelled as child molesters. Clinical interviews and examination of case material led to the collection of descriptive data about each offender and his victim. Analysis involved examination of frequencies. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: The typical adolescent sexual offender was found to be a white boy of almost 16 years of age, with average intelligence. The attack was generally performed alone, with the victim primarily being a white girl who was a year younger. The author found that the likelihood of the two parties knowing each other was the same as if they were strangers, although the attack was twice as likely to occur indoors than out, and usually in the victim's home. A weapon was present in one-third of the offenses, with drugs or alcohol not playing a major role in the incident. The offender was not a first-time assailant in three-quarters of the cases - 47 of the subjects had a known history of sexual assault. Rapists were older and scored higher on IQ tests than child molesters, with more interracial assaults of strangers and more frequent use of weapons. Child molesters were younger and had more male victims, usually with whom they were acquainted, with less frequent attempts at sexual penetration and little use of alcohol or drugs in relation to the offense. Assaults on older victims were more often interracial, and were more likely to have been committed by black offenders in the victim's home, with more violence and greater use of weapons and alcohol or drugs. Peer-age incidents were more likely to involve gang rape of males who were known to the offender, and were more likely to occur outside. Victim choice and method of assault remained consistent for the subjects over time, with many incidents being unknown to authorities. Adolescent offenders were similar to adult offenders in the sexual expression of anger and power that was involved in the offenses. Adolescent rapists and aggressive child molesters were also similar to adults in psychosocial characteristics, being loners without interpersonal or social skills, who were underachievers and who felt empty and frustrated. The non-aggressive child molester, however, was generally more passive and used psychological and social pressure to induce a child into sexual activity. The author saw sexual assault as a developmental defect in a boy who could not otherwise achieve his image of the masculine male, and who turned to sexual assault as a means of gaining self-identity. AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS: The author suggested that sexual offenses be seen as symptoms of emotional problems, with offenders requiring psychological assessment and security treatment facilities. EVALUATION: The author presents an informative examination of the profile of sexual assault offenders. However, the small sample and the lack of discussion about the measures used to assess such variables as psychological state preclude much generalizability. A more thorough discussion about the implications of the findings would have been helpful, as would have a more detailed examination of the similarities and differences between adolescent and adult offenders - issues concerning what makes juvenile offenders a special problem. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - Massachusetts KW - Child Sexual Abuse Offender KW - Juvenile Offender KW - Juvenile Male KW - Male Offender KW - Male Violence KW - Late Adolescence KW - Offender Characteristics KW - Rape Offender KW - Sexual Assault Offender KW - Child Molester KW - Child Abuse Offender KW - Juvenile Violence KW - Offender Typology KW - Violence Against Women Language: en