Police Resilience as a Multilevel Balance: Needs and Resources for Victim Support Officers

Providing face-to-face support to victims entails one the most intense stress- and trauma-laden exchanges of law enforcement tasks, which frequently triggers long lasting negative effects on police officer's psychological wellbeing. When exploring this phenomenon, police resilience is often interpreted as police officers' and organization's capacity to react and recover from negative experiences and impediments, and as such it may be perceived as both a trait and a trainable and promotable skill. Yet, in very recent times, police resilience has faced new or transformed challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as victims, citizens, and public institutions have encountered new needs and situations. Drawing from a unique qualitative, in-depth research with police officers that provide support to victims of gender-based and domestic violence, this paper analyzes officers' needs and challenges regarding their interactions with victims, colleagues, superiors, and other occupational demands, as they interplay into stress and trauma that may lead to burnout and compassion fatigue. Illustrated with the empirical findings of the case study of the Catalonia's Mossos d'Esquadra police corps, the paper explores how officers negotiate individuals' expectations, needs, and procedures signals towards potential challenges and threats to their psychological wellbeing with implications for police forces and other public and private institutions. The specific needs and demands of the participants' policing, related to support to gender-based and domestic violence, presents an in-depth analysis of how stress and trauma are understood and experienced from the police officers' perspectives.

Analysis Of The Scope Of India's Virtual Court Hearings

With the increasing internet accessibility in India and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the practice of virtual court hearing has been accelerated in India. The virtual Court acts as an effective means to conduct Court proceedings, debarring geographical barriers and uplifting Courtroom functioning's productivity. Along with the practical applicability of virtual court hearings in India comes the glitches or challenges posed by the virtual hearing of matters. Nonetheless, the necessity of physical hearing of matters cannot be ignored. In pursuance of this, arguments in favor of reverting towards physical hearings after the pandemic situation ends are being posed before the Indian Judiciary, which negates the applicability of virtual courtrooms. Thereby, this article aims to analyze the applicability, necessity and efficacy of virtual court hearings and the challenges posed by Virtual Court hearings in India.Copyright © 2020 Ubiquity Press. All rights reserved.

Interpersonal violence in a city of Parana: a study about the epidemiological profile of victims and characterization of dental trauma

The socioeconomic context and population vulnerability are directly associated with violence in the country. In Brazil, the Criminal Code provides the illicit act and punishes the aggressor who offends the physical aggression from a person. Interpersonal violence is an illegal act and is associated with the vulnerability of victims. Therefore, the study of the epidemiological profile of victims of interpersonal violence is needed to alert the population about their susceptibility. The present study aimed to design the epidemiological profile of victims of bodily injury from interpersonal violence in the region of Maringa, in the state of Parana, and to study the characterization of dental injuries in terms of permanent weakness and deformity. Four thousand nine hundred sixty-two reports performed between 2018 and 2020 were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data collected included: sex, age, marital status, the region affected by the bodily injury, type of dental trauma, and responses to "weakness" or/and "permanent deformity". During the period studied, there was a prevalence of female victims (57.8%), white skin color (80.2%), aged between 21 and 30 years (24.9%), single (54.9%), and the most affected region was the upper limbs (32.1%). Regarding bodily injuries with dental involvement, 67 cases were reported, male victims were prevalent (60.3%), and dental fracture was highlighted with 54.4% of examined injuries. The implementation of the Forensic Dentistry Centre took place in August 2019 at the Medico-Legal Institute of Maringa. Also, with the interruption of expert activities in 2020 - due to the COVID-19 pandemic - relevant outcomes regarding permanent weakness were observed. The epidemiological profile of victims is characterized by the female sex, white skin color, the age group from 21 to 30 years old, and singles. Regarding dental trauma, male victims, and dental fractures were prevalent. Furthermore, there was an increase in the classification of "permanent weakness", as well as a slight increase in cases of "further assessment required" for permanent deformity.Copyright © 2023 Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto - U.S.P.. All rights reserved.

Some key aspects of telemedicine development to support human illness: a systematic review

The aim of this research is to describe the use of telemedicine applied to patients characterised by a particular state of illness, which often drives them toward a frail and chronic status, in a systematic manner. This work employed the Tranfield approach to carry out a systematic literature review (SLR), in order to provide an efficient and high-quality method for identifying and evaluating extensive studies. The methodology was pursued step by step, analysing keywords, topics, journal quality to arrive at a set of relevant open access papers that was analysed in detail. The same papers were compared to each other and then, they were categorised according to significant metrics, also evaluating technologies and methods employed. Through our systematic review we found that most of the patients involved in telemedicine programs agreed with this service model and the clinical results appeared encouraging. Findings suggested that telemedicine services were appreciated by patients, they increased the access to care and could be a better way to face emergencies and pandemics, lowering overall costs and promoting social inclusion.Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Simulation of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction and dosage regimens optimization of nelfinavir and cepharanthine as a potential combination against COVID-19

The pharmacokinetic (PK) drug-drug interactions (DDIs) of nelfinavir and cepharanthine combination is limited information in human. In addition, the dosage regimen of this combination is not available for COVID-19 treatment. The objective of this study was to perform in silico simulations using GastroPlusTM software to predict physicochemical properties, PK parameters using the physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of healthy adults in different dosage regimens. The DDIs analysis of nelfinavir and cepharanthine combination was carried out to optimize the dosage regimens as a potential against COVID-19. The Spatial Data File (SDF) format of nelfinavir and cepharanthine structures obtained from PubChem database were used to carry out in silico predictions for physicochemical properties and PK parameters using several aspects of modules such as ADMET Predictor, Metabolism and Transporter, PBPK model. Subsequently, all data were utilized in the DDIs simulations. The dynamic simulation feature was selected to calculate and investigate the Cmax, AUC0-120, AUC0-inf, Cmax ratio, AUC0-120 ratio, and AUC0-inf ratio. The victim or nelfinavir dosage regimens were used four oral administration regimens of 500 mg and 750 mg in every 8 and 12 hours for simulations. The perpetrator or cepharanthine oral dosage regimens were used in several regimens from 10 mg to 120 mg in every 8, 12, and 24 hours. From all predicted results, the dosage regimen as a potential combination against COVID-19 was nelfinavir 500 mg every 8 hours and cepharanthine 10 mg every 12 hours.Copyright © 2023 by Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Thailand is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Significantly higher death toll along with COVID-19 mortality than influenza have been reduced by vaccination and restrictions.

The article demonstrates estimated data of influenza and COVID-19 morbidity and infection fatality rate (IFR) mortality in the context of restrictions and vaccination (years 2020-2021 mostly developed countries). A division into two age groups was included: Up to 65 years of age and over 65 years of age. Influenza mortality (IFR) did not change between 2020 and 2021 and was about 0.05% among all, and 0.005 among those under 65 years of age. IFR COVID-19 was on average approx. 0.5% overall, and in groups under 65 years of age a minimum of 0.07%. COVID-19 morbidity varied greatly from about 50/100,000 in Japan to 600/100,000 in Peru during 2020 plus 2021. In the United States and Poland, about 250 per 100 thousand in 2 years. The morbidity rate of COVID-19 in lower risk groups was 70/100 thousand in the United States. The pre-2020 flu morbidity rate in the United States ranged from 1-10 per 100,000 per season. In the 2020/21 season, it decreased to 1/100 thousand. In groups 65 age old and younger, influenza morbidity in the United States was about 0.3 per 100,000 in the 2020/2021 season, and in typical seasons 0.3 to 3/100,000. Examples of absolute numbers. In the United States, in 2021, COVID-19 471,000 victims (a year of available vaccinations). Influenza season 2021 max. 4,500 victims. The average flu season in unrestricted seasons, was about 25,000 victims. Predictions of the consequenc-es of the lack of restrictions and vaccinations are theoretical, because the preliminary ones talk about 2-3 million COVID-19 victims and even more than ten million additional hospitalizations in the United States, which may mean the collapse of the health system, and thus in practice a greater number of victims. The data presented did not result from diagnostic errors. A proper epidemic assessment confirms the effectiveness of vaccination and targeted therapy. COVID-19 vaccination reduced IFR mortality by about 10-fold.Copyright © 2023, Termedia Publishing House Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Aggression, mini-aggression, and abuse against health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic brought multiple negative consequences that go beyond the direct damage caused by the disease and that affect health systems as well. Complaints of attacks against health care workers became frequent and concerning. The objective of this survey was to characterize the frequency and type of violent behavior against front-line professionals in Latin America. Material(s) and Method(s): A cross-sectional electronic survey was carried out between January 11th to February 28th, 2022. Different health care workers from Latin America who have been delivering care at least from March 2020, regardless of whether they assist or not patients with COVID- 19 were included. A non-probabilistic snowball sampling was performed, and the survey was Results: The survey was responded by 3,544 participants from 19 countries (Figure 1);58.5% were women, and the mean age was 41.9+/-11 years. The 70.8% were doctors, 16% nurses, 3.4% physiotherapists, and the remaining 9.8% had other functions within the health team. About 85.1% of physicians were specialists: 33.9% were cardiologists, 14.4% were intensivists or emergency physicians, 10.9% had some surgical specialty, 7.7% were pediatricians or related subspecialties, and the remaining 33.1% had other specialties. The 36.3% and 28.8% worked in public and private practice respectively, the remaining worked in both. Direct and regular care to COVID-19 patients was provided by 74.7% of all contestants. Among the participants, 54.8% reported acts of violence: 95.6% suffered verbal violence, 11.1% physical violence, and 19.9% other types. 39.5% of respondents experienced it at least once a week. The acts of violence involved patients' relatives (32%), or patients together with their relatives (35.1%). The victims rated the stress level of these events with an average of 8.2+/-1.8 points (scale from 1 to 10). Approximately half of the health personnel who suffered an assault experienced psychosomatic symptoms after the traumatic event (Figure 2). Among the victims of violence, 56.2% considered changing their care tasks, and 33.6% abandoning their profession. However, only 23% of the health personnel attacked stated that they had made some type of legal action regarding these acts. In a logistic regression model, doctors (OR 1.95, p<0.01), nurses (OR 1.77, p=0.001), and administrative staff (OR 3.20, p<0.01) suffered more violence than other health workers. Women more frequently suffered violence (OR 1.56, p<0.01), as well as those who worked with patients with COVID-19 (OR 3.59, p<0.01). Conversely, a lower probability of violence was observed at older ages (OR 0.96, p<0.01). Conclusion(s): We detected a high prevalence of violence against health personnel in Latin America during the current pandemic. Those caring for COVID-19 patients, younger staff, and women were found to be more vulnerable. It is imperative to develop strategies to mitigate these acts and their repercussions on the health team. (Figure Presented) .

Use of the Revised Second Victim Experience and Support Tool to Examine Second Victim Experiences of Respiratory Therapists.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory therapists (RTs) work alongside allied health staff, nurses, and physicians during stressful and traumatic events that can be associated with emotional and physiological implications known as second victim (SV) experiences (SVEs). This study aimed to evaluate SVEs of RTs, including both positive and negative implications. METHODS: RTs within a large academic health care organization across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, and Arizona were asked to participate in an anonymous survey that included the validated Second Victim Experience and Support Tool-Revised to assess SVEs as well as desired support services. RESULTS: Of the RTs invited to participate, 30.8% (171/555) completed the survey. Of the 171 survey respondents, 91.2% (156) reported that they had been part of a stressful or traumatic work-related event as an RT, student, or department support staff member. Emotional or physiologic implications experienced by respondents as SVs included anxiety 39.1% (61/156), reliving of the event 36.5% (57/156), sleeplessness 32.1% (50/156), and guilt 28.2% (44/156). Following a stressful clinical event, 14.8% (22/149) experienced psychological distress, 14.2% (21/148) experienced physical distress, 17.7% (26/147) indicated lack of institutional support, and 15.6% (23/147) indicated turnover intentions. Enhanced resilience and growth were reported by 9.5% (14/147). Clinical and non-clinical events were reported as possible triggers for SVEs. Nearly half of respondents 49.4% (77/156) indicated feeling like an SV due to events related to COVID-19. Peer support was the highest ranked form of desired support following an SVE by 57.7% (90/156). CONCLUSIONS: RTs are involved in stressful or traumatic clinical events, resulting in psychological/physical distress and turnover intentions. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on RTs' SVEs, highlighting the importance of addressing the SV phenomenon among this population.

The Importance of Context: Describing the Who, Where, and How of Technology-Facilitated Sexual Harassment

Many of the pervasive problems that women historically faced in person, such as sexual harassment, can now follow them everywhere through technology. The purpose of this study was to address contextual gaps in the literature about women's experiences of technology-facilitated sexual harassment (TFSH). Specifically, information about perpetrator and platform types, location, percentage of time experienced, and COVID-19 experiences were captured. Canadian women (N = 481) were recruited through a course credit system and online advertisements. Results indicated the public, private, and chronic nature of TFSH. Furthermore, social media and dating applications were identified as commonly occurring places for TFSH, with strangers and acquaintances often being reported as perpetrators. This research may help to inform future research and prevention strategies for TFSH.Copyright © 2023 Taylor & Francis.

Psychotraumatology of the war in Ukraine: The question of the psychological care of victims who are refugees or who remain in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is a major poly-traumatic event, which leads to massive population displacements. The question of the evaluation and psychological care of psychotraumatised people is an urgent matter. As many countries hosting refugees are well endowed with a number of psychologists, some of these interested professionals should mobilise themselves and make themselves known to carry out these clinical acts. Priority should be given to trained and experienced psychologists to support victims. The language barrier will have to be overcome. Initially, it would be desirable to make contact or get closer to local and national refugee centres to facilitate these operations. Face-to-face or remote consultations, as developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, are possible. Reinforcements of available and dedicated psychologists, including remotely, from the countries hosting the most refugees are also desirable. The issue of detection, assessment and care of psychologically traumatised people who remained in the Ukrainian territory is probably even more massive. Whether non-combatants or combatants, part of the international psychological community should mobilise, in addition to local colleagues, to provide them with this psychological help. These humanitarian actions would be feasible depending on the evolution of the conflict. Whether it is psychological support for refugees or people still on the Ukrainian soil, models for organizing and coordinating these actions must be carefully thought out and implemented in an evolving way to optimise their effectiveness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (French) La guerre en Ukraine est un evenement polytraumatique majeur qui donne lieu a des deplacements massifs de population. La question de l'evaluation et de la prise en charge psychologique des personnes psychotraumatisees se pose de facon urgente. De multiples pays d'accueil de refugies etant bien dotes en nombre de psychologues, une partie de ces professionnels interesses devrait se mobiliser et se faire connaitre pour realiser ces actes cliniques. La priorite devrait etre donnee aux psychologues formes et experimentes pour prendre en charge les victimes. La barriere de la langue devra etre surmontee. Dans un premier temps, une prise de contact ou un rapprochement aupres des dispositifs locaux et nationaux d'accueil des refugies serait souhaitable pour faciliter ces operations. Des consultations en presentiel ou en distantiel, comme cela a ete developpe pendant la pandemie de Covid-19, sont envisageables. Des renforts en psychologues, y compris a distance, des pays accueillant le plus de refugies sont egalement souhaitables. La question de la detection, de l'evaluation et de la prise en charge des personnes psychologiquement traumatisees restees sur le territoire ukrainien est probablement encore plus massive. Que ce soit des non-combattants ou des combattants, une partie de la communaute psy internationale devrait se mobiliser, en complement des collegues locaux, pour leur apporter cette aide psychologique. Ces actions humanitaires seraient realisables en fonction de l'evolution du conflit. Qu'il s'agisse de soutien psychologique aux refugies ou aux personnes sur le sol ukrainien, des modeles d'organisation et de coordination de ces actions doivent etre penses et mis en place de facon evolutive pour en optimiser l'efficacite. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Vaccination status and knowledge of CPR do not affect medical students' decision to perform BLS during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: To address the risks of transmission by COVID-19, various recommendations been released by medical societies, which include strongly advocating for the use of personal protective equipment. In addition, hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has also been promoted among cardiac arrest victims. Some studies which evaluated healthcare practitioners' attitudes towards CPR during the pandemic showed negative attitudes in responding to those who have unknown COVID-19 status citing safety as the primary reason. At present, there is no study which evaluates the attitudes of medical students towards Basic Life Support (BLS) during the pandemic. Purpose(s): The study aimed to determine the factors associated with willingness of medical students to perform basic life support in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method(s): This is a cross-sectional study using online surveys. We performed face validation and pilot study on 39 medical students. The main survey was disseminated in Metro Manila schools wherein 349 medical students participated. Questions included demographic data, prior BLS training, and vaccination status, evaluated knowledge of CPR, and determined their attitudes on CPR during the pandemic. Result(s): Results showed that 338 (97%) were willing to do CPR during the pandemic. Majority are fully vaccinated (99%) and are BLS-trained (75%). The median total knowledge score was 7 out of 10. Of all participants, 37 (11%) had a perfect score. Most (79%) had a passing mark. Majority (61%) claimed that a victim's vaccination status does not play a role in deciding to perform CPR. Among the unwilling, 55% factored in a victim's vaccination status. Most who agreed to perform CPR will do so if they are provided with adequate protection (55%). Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses showed that students who will do CPR on a patient who is not fully vaccinated or has unknown vaccination status have about 5 times higher odds of having the will to perform BLS during the pandemic. It also found that there is no correlation between knowledge, vaccination status, and prior training with choosing to perform BLS during the pandemic. This means that if a student is willing to do CPR on a victim wherein chances of contracting COVID-19 infection are higher, then their likelihood of performing BLS regardless of victim status, during the pandemic is five times more likely. Conclusion(s): Most Filipino medical students are willing to perform BLS during the pandemic and in spite of risks of COVID-19 transmission. Their adequate knowledge, full vaccination status, or prior training did not influence their decision. In a pandemic situation, the students' willingness to perform CPR among those with unknown COVID-19 status influences their decision to perform BLS in general.

The effect of COVID-19 on community-engaged homicide research

COVID-19 transformed society, affecting how every sector conducted work. Researchers, law enforcement, and social service agencies had to adapt procedures to a virtual space-moving participant recruitment, warrant requests, and protection orders online. Researcher-practitioner partnerships also altered, halting in-person data collection and agencies having limited time to support guests, regardless of interest. While some COVID-19-related challenges will likely subside, the future of these partnerships seems to have permanently shifted. In this research note, we reflect on these shifts using an example of an intimate partner homicide study to discuss research adaptions to COVID-19 and the future of community-engaged homicide research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Environmental Factors Impacting Wellness in the Trauma Provider.

Purpose of Review: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the recent literature on environmental factors impacting wellness for the acute care surgeon. This includes factors influencing physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Recent Findings: Recent studies have identified challenges to surgeon wellness including increased incidence of sleep deprivation, musculoskeletal pain and injuries, pregnancy complications, moral injury, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and burnout. Qualitative studies have characterized the surgeon's emotional response to occupational stress, adverse events, and surgical complications. Further descriptive studies offer interventions to prevent moral injury after adverse events and to improve surgeon work environment. Summary: Acute care surgeons are at increased risk of sleep deprivation, musculoskeletal pain and injury, pregnancy complications, moral injury, PTSD, and burnout. Surgeons experience feelings of isolation and personal devaluation after adverse events or complications, and this may lead to practice limitation and progression to PTSD and/or burnout. Interventions to provide mentorship, peer support, and education may help surgeons recover after adverse events. Further study is necessary to evaluate institution-driven interventional opportunities to improve surgeon well-being and to foster an inclusive and supportive environment.

Second Victims among German Emergency Medical Services Physicians (SeViD-III-Study).

BACKGROUND: Patient care in the prehospital emergency setting is error-prone. Wu's publications on the second victim syndrome made very clear that medical errors may lead to severe emotional injury on the caregiver's part. So far, little is known about the extent of the problem within the field of prehospital emergency care. Our study aimed at identifying the prevalence of the Second Victim Phenomenon among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) physicians in Germany. METHODS: Web-based distribution of the SeViD questionnaire among n = 12.000 members of the German Prehospital Emergency Physician Association (BAND) to assess general experience, symptoms and support strategies associated with the Second Victim Phenomenon. RESULTS: In total, 401 participants fully completed the survey, 69.1% were male and the majority (91.2%) were board-certified in prehospital emergency medicine. The median length of experience in this field of medicine was 11 years. Out of 401 participants, 213 (53.1%) had experienced at least one second victim incident. Self-perceived time to full recovery was up to one month according to 57.7% (123) and more than one month to 31.0% (66) of the participants. A total of 11.3% (24) had not fully recovered by the time of the survey. Overall, 12-month prevalence was 13.7% (55/401). The COVID-19 pandemic had little effect on SVP prevalence within this specific sample. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that the Second Victim Phenomenon is very frequent among prehospital emergency physicians in Germany. However, four out of ten caregivers affected did not seek or receive any assistance in coping with this stressful situation. One out of nine respondents had not yet fully recovered by the time of the survey. Effective support networks, e.g., easy access to psychological and legal counseling as well as the opportunity to discuss ethical issues, are urgently required in order to prevent employees from further harm, to keep healthcare professionals from leaving this field of medical care and to maintain a high level of system safety and well-being of subsequent patients.

Rural and Urban/Suburban Victim Professionals' Perceptions of Gender-Based Violence, Victim Challenges, and Safety Advice During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study surveyed a national sample of victim service professionals (N = 222) and compared rural versus urban/suburban participants' perceptions of a variety of issues, such as the impact of the pandemic on gender-based violence victimization and safety advice for isolated victims. Increased interference with victim employment and the abuser monitoring of online activities were reported by participants across all communities. However, urban/suburban participants rated the magnitude of all victim challenges as greater, while more rural participants noted child abuse as a particular problem in their communities. The results highlight the importance of community context for improving coordinated responses to gender-based violence (n = 101).

Psychotraumatology of the war in Ukraine: The question of the psychological care of victims who are refugees or who remain in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is a major poly-traumatic event, which leads to massive population displacements. The question of the evaluation and psychological care of psychotraumatised people is an urgent matter. As many countries hosting refugees are well endowed with a good number of psychologists, some of these interested professionals should mobilise themselves and make themselves known to carry out these clinical acts. Priority should be given to trained and experienced psychologists to support victims. The language barrier will have to be overcome. Initially, it would be desirable to make contact or get closer to local and national refugee centres to facilitate these operations. Face-to-face or remote consultations, as developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, are possible. Reinforcements of the number of available and dedicated psychologists, including remotely, from the countries hosting the most refugees, are also desirable. The issue of detection, assessment and care of psychologically traumatised people who remained on the Ukrainian territory is probably even more massive. Whether non-combatants or combatants, part of the international psychological community should mobilise, in addition to local colleagues, to provide them with this psychological help. These humanitarian actions would be feasible depending on the evolution of the conflict. Whether it is psychological support for refugees or people still on the Ukrainian soil, models for organising and coordinating these actions must be carefully considered and implemented in an evolving way to optimise their effectiveness. © 2022

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Criminal Legal Proceedings and Victim Advocacy for Sexual Assault Survivors

This study examines how sexual assault criminal legal proceedings and victim advocacy services for survivors have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We interviewed 12 victim advocates at a sexual assault service organization in a large Midwestern city that was particularly impacted by the pandemic. Results indicate that there have been major disruptions to sexual assault case timelines and communication with victims. Victim advocacy for survivors has also been affected, especially the provision of court advocacy and accompaniment. We discuss implications of these findings for sexual assault survivors, service providers, and future emergency preparedness planning for the criminal legal system.

Characteristics of victim blaming related to COVID-19 in South Korea.

This study aimed to determine the characteristics of the victim-blaming tendency of patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and the worry of being blamed because of COVID-19 infection. This study utilized two methodologies based on the theory of defensive attribution and information processing. First, a media analysis was conducted to determine the characteristics of the two representative COVID-19 victim blaming cases (the Itaewon Club case and the Omicron-infected pastor case). The results show that from the viewpoint of defensive attribution theory, the victim blaming of patients infected with COVID-19 is related to social identity and moral violations committed by the patients. The Korean public emphasized their social identity and believed that the patients were different from them from an ego-defensive viewpoint. Second, we conducted three longitudinal online panel surveys (N1 = 1569; N2 = 1037; N3 = 833). The samples were selected by stratified random sampling based on sex, age, and 17 metropolitan regions in Korea. The results showed that as the number of COVID-19 cases increased, the respondents' level of risk perception decreased significantly. As the information processing theory explains, people who are familiar with the frequent risks of COVID-19 are less worried about being blamed by others. Meanwhile, the regression analysis found that victim blaming of the pastor was significantly related to the respondent's religion. We can conclude that the Korean people may blame the victims of COVID-19 because they believe that the victims are very different from an ego-defensive viewpoint. Furthermore, the trust variable appeared to be important: the more the respondents trusted the government, the more they blamed the victims of COVID-19. We term this phenomenon the "trust paradox."