The Influence of Religious Involvement on Intimate Partner Violence Victimization via Routine Activities Theory.

Routine activities theory attempts to explain victimization by examining how one's behavior, or routine activities, increases or decreases their likelihood of victimization. It has been postulated that religious individuals are less likely to associate with motivated offenders, less likely to reduce their target suitability, and more likely to enhance their guardianship, in turn reducing victimization. How, if at all, this theoretical framework can predict protection from a specific form of victimization, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), remains unexplored. Using the American subsample of the International Dating Violence Study (n = 4,162), this article attempts to determine whether religious involvement can serve as a factor that reduces IPV victimization indirectly through the three elements of routine activities theory: motivated offenders, target suitability, and capable guardianship. To test this research question, a series of logistic regression models are conducted. Results of these models indicate that religiosity does have a negative and significant impact on victims of IPV, net of variables derived from routine activities theory. This study is among the first to suggest that perhaps this theoretical framework may not be applicable to all forms of victimization. The major practical implication of this finding is that IPV victimization could be reduced using faith-based strategies. For example, religious counseling or preventive and intervention programs that increase prosocial bonds between partners are viable options in helping to reduce IPV victimization among couples. Nevertheless, it is imperative to determine other non-religious programs or methods to protect from IPV for individuals who are not religious.

The Influence of Authority Role and Victim Gender on Perceptions of Female-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse.

Child sexual abuse is often perceived differently based on characteristics of the victim and the perpetrator. However, unknown is whether variations in perceptions occur when the relationship to and gender of the victim are manipulated-particularly when the offender is a woman. The current study sought to explore whether authority role (neighbor, teacher, family, or clergy) and victim gender affect perceived outcomes for the victim. A factorial vignette design was used to randomly assign participants to one of eight conditions, and a series of analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to assess differences in perceived victim outcomes for the vignettes. Results showed significant differences for authority role, victim gender, and the interactions between authority and victim gender for nearly all dependent variables. Respondents recognized that the scenarios presented were damaging and harmful; however, certain authority positions (i.e., teachers) were sexualized leading to diminished perceptions of negative outcomes, particularly for male victims.

The Influence of Gender on Perceptions of Culpability and Victim Status in Statutory Rape Offenses Involving Teachers.

Perceptions of child sexual abuse and statutory rape vary based on the gender of the victim, the perpetrator, and the combination of both. We extend existing research to examine attributions of responsibility and punitive preferences for student victims in student-teacher sexual relationships contingent on the gender dyad of the student and teacher and the interaction between the gender dyad and respondent gender. Participants (N = 648) were randomly assigned to vignettes wherein the gender of the student and teacher were manipulated (female teacher/male student; female teacher/female student; male teacher/female student; male teacher/male student). Overall, respondents were "pro-victim," though results indicate significant differences in respondent gender and how the gender dyads were perceived. Students in the male same-sex dyads were attributed less responsibility than other students. Furthermore, men were less likely to perceive the student as a victim, and women were more likely to indicate the student should be punished.

Does childhood victimization predict specific adolescent offending? An analysis of generality versus specificity in the victim-offender overlap.

BACKGROUND: A large body of research has examined the relationship between victimization and future offending, with results suggesting that crime victims are at higher risk of future criminal behavior-known as the victim-offender overlap. Prior studies have primarily examined the relationship between general victimization (e.g., violent victimization, sexual abuse, and more) and general offending (e.g., violence, sexual offending, and drug use), and focused on adult populations. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study is to expand on prior literature by examining if specific forms of childhood victimization increase the risk of specific and analogous forms of offending among delinquent youth. METHOD: Based upon a population of 64,329 high-risk youth offenders in Florida, this study evaluates the specificity of the overlap among youth who were physically abused, sexually abused, or witnessed illegal substance use at home during childhood to determine if these forms of victimization increased the risk of violence, sexual offending, and drug use, respectively, when assessed in multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Results provide considerable support for specificity in the victim-offender overlap, as hypothesized. Specifically, experiencing physical abuse (OR = 1.55, p < .001), sexual abuse (OR = 3.58, p < .001) and witnessing household substance abuse (OR = 1.66, p < .001) in childhood each significantly and substantially increased the risk of analogous criminal behavior in adolescence, even when controlling for other risk factors and forms of victimization. CONCLUSION: This study provided novel evidence for specificity in the victim-offender overlap, even after controlling for confounding variables. Practical implications for early intervention and crime prevention are discussed, as well as implications for future research. Highlighting the importance of specificity in the victimization and adverse childhood experience (ACE) paradigms.