Well-being Of Victims Research Articles

Demographic Influence on Muslim Flood Victim Wellbeing in Flood Prone Districts in Malaysia

Abstract This study compares the Muslim flood victims’ wellbeing and their practices of Muslim religious personality as coping strategies in dealing with disaster stress by flood victims in four different districts’ in Malaysia. The studies involve a survey conducted in two separate studies involving four different districts in Peninsular Malaysia. The districts chosen were Kuala Terengganu and Dengkil for study one; while the other two districts were Besut in Terengganu and Salak Tinggi, Sepang Selangor for the second study. A total of 200 flood victim has participated in this study with majority are from Malay origin and Muslim in faith. Both studies have gathered 100 sample for each studies. The participant was randomly selected in the flood relief center to answer the questionnaire given. The result was analyzed and compared descriptively. Lower education level has serious influence towards sample understanding of the item used. It also influenced the respondent job and income which have shaped the non-significant result of all the inventories used in these two studies.

A preliminary examination of child well-being of physically abused and neglected children compared to a normative pediatric population.

Federal mandates require state child welfare systems to monitor and improve outcomes for children in three areas: safety, permanency, and well-being. Research across separate domains of child well-being indicates maltreated children may experience lower pediatric health-related quality of life (HRQL). This study assessed well-being in maltreated children using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0), a widely used measure of pediatric HRQL. The PedsQL 4.0 was used to assess well-being in a sample of children (N = 129) receiving child welfare services following reports of alleged physical abuse or neglect. We compared total scores and domain scores for this maltreated sample to those of a published normative sample. Within the maltreated sample, we also compared well-being by child and family demographic characteristics. As compared with a normative pediatric population, maltreated children reported significantly lower total, physical, and psychosocial health. We found no significant differences in total and domain scores based on child and parent demographics within the maltreated sample. This preliminary exploration indicates children receiving child welfare services have significantly lower well-being status than the general child population and have considerable deficits in social and emotional functioning. These findings support continued investment in maltreatment prevention and services to improve the well-being of victims of maltreatment.

Peer victimization during adolescence: concurrent and prospective impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety

Background: Peer victimization is ubiquitous across schools and cultures, and has the potential for long-lasting effects on the well-being of victims. To date, research has focused on the consequences of peer victimization during childhood but neglected adolescence. Peer relationships and approval become increasingly important during adolescence; thus, peer victimization at this age may have a damaging psychological impact. Methods: Participants were 5030 adolescents aged 11–16 recruited from secondary schools in the UK. Self-report measures of victimization and symptoms of anxiety and depression were administered on three occasions over a 12-month period. Latent growth models examined concurrent and prospective victimization-related elevations in anxiety and depression symptoms above individual-specific growth trajectories. Results: Peer victimization was associated with a concurrent elevation of 0.64 and 0.56 standard deviations in depression and anxiety scores, respectively. There was an independent delayed effect, with additional elevations in depression and anxiety (0.28 and 0.25 standard deviations) six months later. These concurrent and prospective associations were independent of expected symptom trajectories informed by individual risk factors. Conclusions: Adolescent peer victimization was associated with immediate and delayed elevations in anxiety and depression. Early intervention aimed at identifying and supporting victimized adolescents may prevent the development of these disorders.

Demographic Influence on Muslim Flood Victim Wellbeing in Flood Prone Districts in Malaysia

This study compares the Muslim flood victims’ wellbeing and their practices of Muslim religious personality as coping strategies in dealing with disaster stress by flood victims in four different districts’ in Malaysia. The studies involve a survey conducted in two separate studies involving four different districts in Peninsular Malaysia. The districts chosen were Kuala Terengganu and Dengkil for study one; while the other two districts were Besut in Terengganu and Salak Tinggi, Sepang Selangor for the second study. A total of 200 flood victim has participated in this study with majority are from Malay origin and Muslim in faith. Both studies have gathered 100 sample for each studies. The participant was randomly selected in the flood relief center to answer the questionnaire given. The result was analyzed and compared descriptively. Lower education level has serious influence towards sample understanding of the item used. It also influenced the respondent job and income which have shaped the non-significant result of all the inventories used in these two studies.

Alexithymia increases moral acceptability of accidental harms

Previous research shows that when people judge moral acceptability of others' harmful behaviour, they not only take into account information about the consequences of the act but also an actor's belief while carrying out the act. A two-process model has been proposed to account for this pattern of moral judgements and posits: (1) a causal process that detects the presence of a harmful outcome and is motivated by empathic aversion stemming from victim suffering; (2) a mental state-based process that attributes beliefs, desires, intentions, etc. to the agent in question and is motivated by imagining personally carrying out harmful actions. One prediction of this model would be that personality traits associated with empathy deficits would find accidental harms more acceptable not because they focus on innocent intentions but because they have reduced concern for the victim's well-being. In this study, we show that one such personality trait, viz. alexithymia, indeed exhibits the predicted pattern and this increased acceptability of accidental harm in alexithymia is mediated by reduced dispositional empathic concern. Results attest to the validity of two-process model of intent-based moral judgements and emphasise key role affective empathy plays in harm-based moral judgements.

VICTIMS’ EXPERIENCES OF RESTORATIVE MEDIATION: A DEVELOPMENTAL SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE

Victim-offender mediation is an expression of restorative justice. The wellbeing of victims of crime is a central feature of restorative justice services. The process of restorative mediation entails all parties, i.e. the victim, the offender, their families and members of the community, voluntarily participating in face-to-face dialogue, where truth-telling enables the offender to take personal responsibility for his/her criminal behaviour (Rainford, 2010). An important outcome of restorative mediation is reaching an agreement regarding the strategies to remedy the wrongdoing. A developmental social work perspective counteracts retributive justice in shifting the intervention focus from individual defect and blame to reform and social change (Midgley, 2010). Developmental social work is embedded in investment strategies in restoring people to full functioning in society (Rainford, 2010). In fact, “social investment, economic participation, empowerment and human investment are relevant to all systems and forms of social work intervention” (Midgley, 2010:12

Psychological effects of criminal proceedings through contact with the judge: the moderating effect of legal system structure

Psychological effects of criminal proceedings on victims have often been the focus of victimological research. The criminal justice system is repeatedly acknowledged as a source of additional harm for victims. Such a generalization, however, cannot be made to all legal systems universally to the same degree. This article compares the adversarial and inquisitorial structures of criminal justice and examines how the latter may in fact be beneficial to victim's well-being. More specifically, contact with the judge and presence at trial may be one positive form of victim participation in its most informal sense. Hierarchical regression analysis is conducted using victims of serious crimes in the Netherlands and New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to test this hypothesis. The type of legal system (i.e., inquisitorial versus adversarial) is used as a moderating variable on the relationship between contact with the judge and psychological effects. The findings indicate that victims in the Netherlands report a significant relationship, where contact with the judge is predictive of a less negative impact on psychological effects, while a non-significant relationship is found for victims in NSW.

Einelti og líðan starfsfólks sveitarfélaga á tímum efnahagsþrenginga

Markmið þessarar rannsóknar er að skoða einelti og líðan á vinnustað meðal starfsfólks sveitarfélaga í kjölfar efnahagshrunsins hér á landi 2008. Rafrænn spurningalisti var í þrígang lagður fyrir starfsfólk 20 sveitarfélaga með þekkt netfang, fyrst í byrjun árs 2010, svo á vordögum 2011 og að lokum í byrjun árs 2013. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýndu að einelti er til staðar meðal starfsfólksins og það hefur aukist milli fyrirlagna spurningalistans. Jafnframt má sjá að félagslegur stuðningur á vinnustað fer minnkandi sem og ánægja með stjórnun vinnustaðarins og löngun til að hætta í starfi eykst. Þolendur eineltis telja sig fá minni félagslegan stuðning en þeir sem ekki hafa orðið fyrir einelti á vinnustað, þeir eru ekki eins ánægðir með stjórnun vinnustaðarins og hafa meiri löngun til að hætta í starfi. Hægt er að álykta út frá hlutfalli þeirra sem orðið hafa fyrir einelti á vinnustað að einelti sé orðið alvarlegt vandamál á vinnustöðum íslenskra sveitarfélaga. Ástæða er til þess að staldra aðeins við og leitast við að finna rót vandans í því augnamiði að uppræta einelti á vinnustað. Sérstaklega í ljósi þess að rannsóknir hafa sýnt það að einelti hefur alvarlegar afleiðingar fyrir heilsu og líðan þolenda og er talið meiri skaðvaldur heldur en öll önnur vinnutengd streita.

Victims' needs and participation in justice: is there a role for vengeance?

This article begins with a critical examination of populist phrases such as ‘victims have a natural right to revenge'; it also discusses the ‘zero sum rhetoric’ in populist discourse (‘his suffering is my healing’). Are there any plausible arguments supporting this claim? The article goes on to deal with the question whether victims of serious crimes might benefit from expressing revenge feelings in two types of justice proceedings: victim impact statement schemes (VIS) and restorative justice conferences (RJC). Could the expression of vindictive feelings contribute to the wellbeing of victims (raise their moral status; bring therapeutic relief)? It is argued that advocates of both types of justice proceedings sometimes raise expectations that cannot be met. VIS-proponents tend to ‘privatise’ justice, whereas RJ-proponents tend to neglect retributive needs. It is concluded that a civilised expression of vindictive feelings should have a legitimate place in justice proceedings because it communicates the victim's worth (‘not deserving to be harmed’). However, the question is whether justice proceedings should explicitly promote therapeutic benefits at all.

Perceived Effectiveness of Elder Abuse Interventions in Psychological Distress and the Design of Culturally Adapted Interventions: A Qualitative Study in the Chinese Community in Chicago

This qualitative study examines US Chinese older adults' views on the perceived effectiveness, challenges, and cultural adaptations of elder abuse interventions to psychological distress in the Chinese community in Chicago. A community-based participatory research approach was implemented to partner with the Chinese community. A total of 37 community-dwelling Chinese older adults (age 60+) participated in focus group discussions. Data analysis was based on grounded theory framework. Our findings suggest that older adults perceived social support, empowerment, and community-based interventions design as most effective to promote psychological well-being of victims. The perceived preferences were similar between elder abuse victims and non-victims. Strategies to culturally adapt evidence-based interventions were proposed with respect to nurturing filial piety values, familial integrations, and increased independence. Research and educational outreach initiatives were also discussed. This study has wide policy and practice implications for designing and deploying interventions to reduce psychological distress with respect to elder abuse outcome. Cultural relevancy of health interventions is important in the context of the Chinese communities. Collective federal, state, and community efforts are needed to support the culturally appropriate design and implementation of interventions suitable for the needs of the Chinese older adults.

Norms and Survival in the Heat of War: Normative Versus Instrumental Rationalities and Survival Tactics in the Blockade of Leningrad1

When war challenges civilian survival, what shapes the balance between normative and instrumental rationalities in survival practices? Increasing desperation and uncertainty can lead civilians to focus on their own material interests and to violate norms in the name of survival or gain—to the detriment of the war effort and of other civilians. Do norms, boundaries against transgressions, and considerations of collective interests and identities persist, and, if so, through what mechanisms? Using diaries and recollections from the 872-day Blockade of Leningrad (1941–1944)—an extreme case of wartime desperation—this article examines how three forms of cultural embeddedness shape variation in the strength of norms against calculative, instrumental rationality. Proximity and empathy with others, the structure of norms and analogies to legitimate instrumental practices, and reflexivity vis-à-vis war and others’ response interact dialectically with the war context to shape variation in violating norms and rationalizing transgressions. Theft of food and cannibalism, which involve tactics of survival or gain that also risk the well-being of victims (theft) or violation of a powerful taboo (cannibalism), demonstrate the weakness of norms on the margins but their power when core norms or other real, visible individuals are threatened.

Developing Victim's Rights within the European Union: Past, Present and Future

The position of victims of crime has shown vast improvements since the 1970's. Thirty years ago it was correct to assert that the victim was the forgotten party of the criminal justice process, while this would be at odds with the actual situation of victims today. Policy at the level of the European Union is laid down in the Council Directive 2004/80/EC relating to compensation to crime victims and the Framework Decision on the standing of victims in criminal proceedings of the 15th of March 2001. The Framework Decision may be viewed as a milestone in the development of victims’ rights, being the first so-called ‘hard law’ instrument covering a wide range of victims’ rights available at the international level.The development of victims’ rights within the European Union may be further enhanced by the adoption of the Treaty of Lisbon and the five-year plan for justice and home affairs within the EU, the 2009 Stockholm Programme. The coming period will see the redrafting of the Framework Decision into a Directive on victims of crime, which will offer the European Commission more opportunities to see to the implementation of measures designed to promote the well-being of victims in the criminal justice system. The draft version of this Directive was put forward by the European Commission in May 2011, with adoption foreseen in late 2012. So far, so good. However, as we shall set out in the first section of this paper, the transposal of Framework decision articles in domestic legislation and the enforcement of victims’ rights paints a considerably less encouraging picture. It might be an overstatement to call the implementation of the Framework Decision a failure, but, the impact has not been qualitatively different from previous soft-law instruments. Subsequently we will consider the potential impact of the Stockholm Programme and the Treaty of Lisbon. Will the redrafting of the Framework Decision into a Directive automatically lead to better protection or is this a more complicated matter? In what way will characteristics of the EU (post-Lisbon) and differences in its member states impact the implementation and enforcement of victims’ rights? This will lead us to reflect on the nature of victims’ rights, as well as policy making within the European Union.

Female Victimization and Intimate Partner Violence After the May 12, 2008, Sichuan Earthquake

This study investigates the impact of the earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008 in Sichuan, China on stressed families already experiencing domestic violence. We hypothesized that cumulative postdisaster stress would increase marital aggression and that the well-being of victims would deteriorate following the quake. A total of 186 women were recruited for this study. Results show that all types of family violence, including psychological aggression and physical violence between partners, increased after the earthquake. We provided preliminary evidence that psychological aggression was significantly associated with the detrimental effects on victims' mental and physical functioning. The findings support the need for violence assessment among victims of earthquakes, and we recommend that violence prevention be considered as part of the intervention during such natural disasters.

Adult male rape and sexual assault: prevalence, re-victimisation and the tonic immobility response

Fifteen years ago we summarised research on what was known about the sexual assault of men and its effects. Here we present evidence from epidemiological research that demonstrates that the sexual assault of men is observed in many countries – demonstrating the widespread existence of the sexual assault of men and the need for further research. We also present research to show that the association between child sexual abuse and sexual assault in adult females has also been found in a variety of studies on men. Finally, we also consider the phenomenon of tonic immobility as this has important implications for the well-being of victims of sexual assault.

Survivors of war in the Northern Kosovo (II): baseline clinical and functional assessment and lasting effects on the health of a vulnerable population.

BackgroundThis study documents torture and injury experience and investigates emotional well-being of victims of massive violence identified during a household survey in Mitrovicë district in Kosovo. Their physical health indicators such as body mass index (BMI), handgrip strength and standing balance were also measured. A further aim is to suggest approaches for developing and monitoring rehabilitation programmes.MethodsA detailed assessment was carried out on 63 male and 62 female victims. Interviews and physical examination provided information about traumatic exposure, injuries, and intensity and frequency of pain. Emotional well-being was assessed using the "WHO-5 Well-Being" score. Height, weight, handgrip strength and standing balance performance were measured.ResultsAround 50% of victims had experienced at least two types of torture methods and reported at least two injury locations; 70% had moderate or severe pain and 92% reported constant or periodic pain within the previous two weeks. Only 10% of the victims were in paid employment. Nearly 90% of victims had experienced at least four types of emotional disturbances within the previous two weeks, and many had low scores for emotional well-being. This was found to be associated with severe pain, higher exposure to violence and human rights violations and with a low educational level, unemployment and the absence of political or social involvement.Over two thirds of victims were overweight or obese. They showed marked decline in handgrip strength and only 19 victims managed to maintain standing balance. Those who were employed or had a higher education level, who did not take anti-depressant or anxiety drugs and had better emotional well-being or no pain complaints showed better handgrip strength and standing balance.ConclusionsThe victims reported a high prevalence of severe pain and emotional disturbance. They showed high BMI and a reduced level of physical fitness. Education, employment, political and social participation were associated with emotional well-being. Interventions to promote physical activity and social participation are recommended. The results indicate that the rapid assessment procedure used here offers an adequate tool for collecting data for the monitoring of health interventions among the most vulnerable groups of a population exposed to violence.

Seeking Help to Protect the Children?: The Influence of Children on Women’s Decisions to Seek Help When Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of victims and their children. Situational as well as individual factors shape victims’ responses to the experiences of IPV in many ways. This study uses a quantitative approach to examine the factors that influence victims’ decisions on whether and where to seek help. The role of (unborn) children has been examined together with other demographic and situational factors to reveal their influence on victims’ help-seeking decisions. Two items were used to measure the role of children, including victims’ pregnancy at the time of the abuse and children residing with the victim and witnessing the abuse. Relevant findings derived from the analysis of a sub-sample of women interviewed in the process of the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS) 2002/03 are discussed throughout this paper with a specific focus on the role of children. While the presence of unborn children (i.e., pregnancy) had no effect on victims’ help-seeking decisions, children witnessing the abuse emerged as the strongest predictor of general and more formalized help-seeking decisions.

The prevalence and health implications of violence in impoverished communities in Johannesburg

The experience of violent crime can have a significant impact on the physical and psychological well-being of victims and their families. This paper looks at household experience of violence in five impoverished sites in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Five sites were purposefully selected to reflect the prevailing housing profiles in settings of relative impoverishment in Johannesburg. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic profiles, socioeconomic data, environmental conditions and health status. Bivariate analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between household experience of violence, and potential risk factors and health/social outcomes. Overall, members of 28% of households had been a victim of violence in the year preceding the study. Across sites, experience of violence within households ranged from 21% to 36%. Perceptions of drug abuse (p=0.01) and drug peddling (p=0.03) as being major problems in the neighbourhood, and living in a house of poor quality (p=0.01), were significantly associated with household experience of crime. In households with experience of violence, fear of crime (p=0.03) and depression (p<0.001) were elevated, and levels of exercise in men were decreased (p=0.05). This paper highlights the high prevalence of violence in impoverished urban areas in South Africa, and contributes to existing evidence regarding the associations between experience of violent crime and psychological ill health in affected communities. The high prevalence of violent crime, and the resultant health and social effects, demand a cross-sectoral intervention to reduce violence, with the health and social sectors playing key roles.

Crime-Prevention Jurisprudence? A Response to Andrews and Dowden

Recently Andrews and Dowden (2007) published an article proposing that both offender and victim well-being could be enhanced by utilizing the risk–need–responsivity model to guide the legal and court systems in crime prevention (rather than therapy). Consequently, crime-prevention jurisprudence (defined as a law-and-justice objective reflecting the language of personality and social psychology) was proposed as an alternative to therapeutic jurisprudence (defined as a mental-health objective reflecting the clinical language of forensic mental health). The authors erroneously claim that therapeutic jurisprudence is a mental-health concept whose aim is to provide therapy that improves well-being in offenders rather than to demonstrate concern for victims. In fact, therapeutic jurisprudence is a legal concept that utilizes social-science knowledge to highlight the therapeutic and anti-therapeutic impacts of the law, legal procedures, and legal roles on all individuals, including victims. This article will respond to Andrews and Dowden by challenging three assumptions they make regarding the role of therapeutic jurisprudence. This response concludes that the focus of offender rehabilitation should be on enhancing community protection by balancing offender rights and victim rights. Therapeutic jurisprudence already provides such a framework and, therefore, the promise of crime-prevention jurisprudence fails to add value.

Detention of Trafficked Persons in Shelters: A Legal and Policy Analysis

In countries around the world it is common practice for victims of trafficking who have been rescued or who have escaped from situations of exploitation to be placed and detained in public or private shelters. The term detention, as used in this context, refers to a very specific situation in which the individual concerned is unable to leave the facility if and when she or he chooses to. In some cases, shelter detention is a short-term measure that may be prompted by concerns about victim wellbeing or safety. In the most egregious situations, victims can be effectively imprisoned in such shelters for months, even years. This Study considers the international legal aspects of victim detention in shelters and weighs up the common justifications for such detention from a legal, policy and practical perspective. It is based on desk research of shelter practices in a number of countries and more direct exposure to shelters through field based research undertaken principally in South East Asia. The Study concludes that routine detention of victims or suspected victims of trafficking in public or private shelters violates a number of fundamental principles of international law and is therefore to be considered, prima facie, unlawful. Failure of the State to act to prevent unlawful victim detention by public or private agencies invokes the international legal responsibility of that State.

Gender Differences in Coping with Victimization

Individuals who are victims of crimes cope differently to reduce, tolerate, or master the victimization and ensuing emotional distress. It is unclear whether there are gender differences in regard to the stress and coping process among victims of crime. The current studyexaminesgenderdifferencesinvictimizationexperiences.Thisarticleexaminesgender differences in coping strategies, levels of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anger, anxiety, social support, and well-being of victims of violent and nonviolent crimes. A communitysampleof175victimsofdifferenttypesofcrimeswererecruitedandinterviewed face-to-face.Thefindingssuggestdifferentrelationshipsbetweentypesofcopingstrategies and well-being by gender. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 8:195–203 (2008)]