Child Maltreatment and Substance Use: A Behavior Genetic Analysis.

Child maltreatment is a pervasive social problem often perpetuated by family members and is related to a wide array of negative life outcomes. Although substance use is an outcome commonly associated with experiences of child maltreatment, not all individuals who experience maltreatment struggle with such issues. Many individuals can positively adapt to experiences of maltreatment based on levels of resilience and susceptibility. Research suggests that genetic differences may partly explain why negative outcomes develop for some, but not for others. Few studies have examined the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influence the longitudinal association between child maltreatment and varying forms of substance use, leaving a fundamental gap in our current understanding of this association. The current study aims to address this gap by analyzing a sample of twins from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Findings from a series of univariate and bivariate biometric models reveal that the longitudinal associations between maltreatment, cigarette use, and marijuana use are accounted for by additive genetic and nonshared environmental factors. Moreover, the magnitude of the contribution varies across unique subgroups of cigarette and marijuana use. Directions for future research and theoretical implications are discussed.

U.S. and Canadian College Students' Fear of Crime: A Comparative Investigation of Fear of Crime and Its Correlates.

Being fearful of crime is, unfortunately, a common experience. Research shows that many factors influence a person's fear of crime, demonstrating that certain groups are generally more fearful than others. Even though they are typically young, college students express being fearful of crime on and off campus. What has yet to be investigated is whether college students who attend school in the United States are fearful at similar levels to their Canadian counterparts. Further, the correlates of fear of crime may also be different. To explore these issues, data from the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II survey of U.S. and Canadian college students are used. Results show that Canadian college students generally perceive their safety as being higher than U.S. college students, even though they face elevated victimization risks. Further, some correlates of fear of crime differ for U.S. and Canadian college students. These findings suggest the need for additional cross-national comparative work to see if patterns generalize across contexts.

Mental Health and Victimization: Does Risky Lifestyle Matter?

Research shows that individuals with mental health problems are at an increased risk of victimization compared with individuals without such problems, and certain mental health problems are linked with particular types of victimization. Although most research has not used theory to guide why these differential risks exist, researchers have begun to theorize the reasons why individuals with mental health problems experience victimization. In line with these recent inquiries, the present study uses a Lifestyle/Routine Activities perspective to examine the victimization of people with mental health problems. Further, different types of mental health problems are explored for their potential links to victimization. Risky lifestyle factors are also explored for their potential mediating role in the link between mental health and victimization. A path analysis is conducted with data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Results suggest that different mental health problems have differing links to victimization types, and lifestyle factors mediate the link for some forms of victimization. The findings imply that certain lifestyle factors explain victimization risk among people with mental health problems, but these individuals may also have unique risk factors related to mental health. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Identifying Poly-Victimization Among Prisoners: An Application of Latent Class Analysis.

Research suggests that people in prison may be especially vulnerable to victimization and may be more likely to report exposure to multiple types, known as poly-victimization. However, the literature surrounding patterns of victimization among prisoners is limited. Before we can fully understand the variation in victimization experiences among prisoners, a necessary first step is to identify victim profiles within prisons. The current study utilizes data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities and employs latent class analysis to identify unique victim profiles among prisoners to understand the variation in victimization experiences, with a focus on identifying those exposed to poly-victimization. The findings of this study indicate (a) that there are four distinct victim profiles-poly-victimization (2%), physical victimization in adulthood (31%), physical victimization in childhood (17%), and low/no victimization (49%); (b) that some prisoners experience poly-victimization, although this consists of a small proportion of prisoners; and (c) that there are clear demographic differences between the latent classes, with some of the largest differences among those in the poly-victimization profile. The findings of the current study are important because they add more depth to the knowledge regarding poly-victimization among prisoners, a topic that has received little attention from researchers. The current study suggests that correctional policy may need to be tailored in a way that recognizes the different needs of prisoners who have been exposed to different forms of victimization.

Does College Matter? Exploring College-Level Factors Related to Victimization Risk for U.S. and Canadian College Students.

Research shows that U.S. college students are at risk for a variety of victimization types. College students in Canada also experience similar types of victimization compared to U.S students, yet recent research shows that Canadian students are at a greater risk than U.S. college students of being victimized. Little is known, however, as to whether college-level factors influence victimization risk and how these risks may be different for U.S. and Canadian college students. Using the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment data (ACHA-NCHA II), the current study builds upon past research by exploring the role of both individual and school characteristics and whether they are similarly related to risk of victimization in the two populations. The findings show that Canadian students are at higher risk for victimization and that some school-level factors play a role in predicting this risk for all students, with some variation in ones that matter for each country.

Violent Victimization: The Role of Social Support and Risky Lifestyle.

Although engagement in risky lifestyle and routine activities play a major role in increasing the risk of violent victimization, less is known about the factors that precede engagement in risky lifestyles. The quality of interpersonal relationships is shown to be an important factor that influences one's life. Therefore, the lack of social support may be a potential factor that shapes why individuals get involved in risky lifestyles and routine activities. There is evidence that a lack of social support is linked to victimization and a lack of social support is also linked to engagement in risky lifestyle. What is not understood, however, is how these variables are linked with one another. To address this gap, risky lifestyle factors are explored for their potential mediating role in the link between social support and violent victimization. A path analysis is conducted with data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The final sample size is 14,322 and the average age of respondents is 16 years old. Results suggest that social support from different sources do not have the same effects on violent victimization, and only certain lifestyle factors mediate the link to violent victimization. The findings imply that a lack of social support not only has direct effects on violent victimization, but also leads individuals to engage in risky lifestyles that also increase the risk of victimization. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Victims' Compensation as a Tool of Therapeutic Justice: Examining the Physical and Mental Health Needs of Victim Compensation Applicants and the Role of Health in Receiving Compensation.

OBJECTIVE: Victims' compensation programs are positioned to serve an important therapeutic role. Their use by persons with physical and mental health problems has not been investigated. This study evaluates the extent to which applicants have physical and mental health needs and whether receiving compensation is related to these needs. METHODS: Data were part of a larger study designed to assess satisfaction with victim compensation in Georgia. The sample included 500 victim compensation applicants. Individuals were surveyed about their experiences applying for compensation as well as their current wellbeing. Descriptive and multivariate analyses investigated the link between physical and mental health problems and denial of victim compensation. RESULTS: Applicants for crime victim compensation in Georgia experienced a range of physical and mental health problems. Almost half of applicants had been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and 60% had been diagnosed with at least 1 physical health condition. Co-occurring disorders were common. In addition, being denied compensation was significantly related to having a mental health condition and to the number of diagnosed mental health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Crime victim applicants have clear physical and mental health needs. Being denied compensation benefits is related to having a mental health disorder. These results suggest that victim compensation programs can be an intervention point for victims and their families for either receipt of direct service or referral to needed services. In addition, changes in program administration may need to be made to alleviate disparity in award benefit related to mental health status.

Protective behavioural strategies while drinking: do they protect against sexual victimisation and is this protection gendered?

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Although alcohol use has been linked to sexual victimisation among college students , the specific ways in which college students may be able to avoid the negative consequences of excessive drinking as they relate to sexual victimisation have not been fully explored. This study examines whether using protective behavioural strategies attenuates the risk of sexual victimisation for both male and female college students and whether this relationship is moderated by alcohol use. DESIGN AND METHOD: Data were obtained from the Fall 2012 National College Health Assessment Survey. This survey is conducted on college campuses across the USA and institutions that self-selected to participate in the survey. The sample used in the study includes 19 881 students (male and female) across 51 schools. RESULTS: Findings indicate that although women are more likely to use protective behavioural strategies, these strategies work to reduce the likelihood of experiencing sexual victimisation for both sexes among those who are high-frequency drinkers. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the frequency of alcohol use is important when considering the risk of sexual victimisation among college students, and protective behavioural strategies can help reduce this risk among frequent drinkers. [Daigle LE, Johnson LM, Napper SL, Azimi AM. Protective behavioural strategies while drinking: do they protect against sexual victimisation and is this protection gendered?. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:573-579].