Daigle, L. E., Fisher, B., & Cullen, F. T. (2008). The violent and sexual victimization of college women: Is repeat victimization a problem? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, online. [Posted April 2008]

Key Points: College women who have experienced interpersonal violence are at elevated risk for revictimization during the six months following the first incident.

Summary: The study analyzed data from two national surveys on victimization of women enrolled in colleges and universities: the National College Women Violent Victimization (NCWVV; n=4,432) and the National College Women Sexual Victimization (NCWSV; n=4,446). Respondents were asked if they had experienced violent or sexual victimization during the school year, and when the incident occurred. This allowed researchers to determine the sequence in which repeat victimizations occurred.

Almost half of the victims experienced about three-quarters of all victimizations. Victims were at an elevated risk of re-experiencing violence within a few months following the first incident. Repeat incidents usually were the same kind of violence as the initial incident. Of non-sexual violent attacks, only simple assault carried a risk of repeated violence, and was the only type of violence more likely to be perpetrated by a stranger. The only victim behavior associated with single victimization was the use of forceful physical resistance.

Because most victims who report their attack do so to friends (rather than parents or authorities), researchers recommend including information on risks of repeat victimization in college sexual assault prevention education programs.

Limitations: The study was not able to determine if repeat victims were attacked by the same perpetrators during subsequent incidents; this information would be useful in planning prevention education.

Topics: Avoidance/resistance; college; risk

Flack Jr., W. F., Caron, M. L., Leinen, S. J., Breitenbach, K. G., Barber, A. M., Brown, E. N. et al. (2008). "The red zone": Temporal risk for unwanted sex among college students. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, online. [Posted April 2008]

Key Points: First-year college women were not found to be at elevated risk for unwanted sex, but second-year women were at elevated risk during a period corresponding to sorority and fraternity pledging activities.

Summary: There is a popular perception that inexperienced college freshman women are at greatest risk for sexual assault, especially during the first few weeks or months of the fall semester. To test this, the researchers surveyed first-year (n=104) and second- year (n=101) male and female college students about unwanted experiences of sexual contact. Those who had experienced unwanted sex were asked to place the event(s) in one of 7 time periods.

Women reported significantly higher rates of unwanted sex than men (44% vs. 7%). Most experiences involved the consumption of alcohol (81%) and almost one-third of the offenders were well-known to their victims (all were students at the university). Relatively more unwanted touching experiences occurred during the last time period—the second year from about one month after the start of school to the middle of October—than any other time. Researchers were told by sorority members that this corresponded to the period called “pledging”, during which young (second-year) women were invited to frequent fraternity parties at which alcohol was consumed.

Limitations: This study was conducted at a small Eastern liberal arts college. College cultures and activities vary widely, and results of this study might have been different at a campus with different characteristics.

Topics: Alcohol; college; fraternities/sororities; prevalence; risk

Foshee, V. A., Linder, F., MacDougall, J. E., & Bangdiwala, S. (2001). Gender differences in the longitudinal predictors of adolescent dating violence. Preventive Medicine, 32, 128-141. [Posted April 2008]

Key Points: Predictors of perpetration of adolescent dating violence are different among boys and girls.

Summary: This study used data collected from the Safe Dates program to look at characteristics associated with being an adolescent perpetrator of dating violence and at those that predicted becoming one in the future.

At baseline, 8th and 9th grade females who had already committed dating violence were more likely than non-perpetrators to have friends who were victims and perpetrators, to accept dating violence norms, to perceive negative sanctions for violence, to have strong negative responses to anger, to be depressed, and to fight with same-sex peers. Male perpetrators were more likely than non-perpetrators to have other perpetrators as friends, and to use alcohol.

Predictive factors were identified by looking at one-year follow-up data from students who began engaging in violence in relationships after the baseline survey. Future perpetration of dating violence by females was associated with having friends who were victims, using alcohol, and being of a race other than white. In males, perpetration was only predicted by acceptance of dating violence norms.
The researchers recommend focusing prevention efforts on behaviors predictive of dating violence, and developing different curricula for male and female students.

Limitations: The study might have missed key variables predicting dating violence, especially those associated with environmental and cultural factors. Results cannot be used to predict factors associated with initiation of dating violence in adolescents who were already perpetrators at the baseline survey.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; alcohol; perpetration; racial/ethnic differences

Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., Mitchell, K. J., & Ybarra, M. L. (2008). Online "predators" and their victims: Myths, realities, and implications for prevention and treatment. American Psychologist, 63, 111-128. [Posted April 2008]

Key Points: Prevention efforts based on myths about online sexual abuse are likely to be ineffective.

Summary: This article summarizes current research on online sexual victimization and compares it to media accounts. The authors identify the known characteristics of online crimes, victims, and offenders, using data from the nationally representative Youth Internet Safety Surveys (YISS) and the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (N-JOV). The YISS studies surveyed Internet users aged 10-17, and the N-JOV study collected information from law enforcement agencies on Internet-related sex crimes with underage victims.

The authors note that only 5% of crimes from the N-JOV study involved the use of force, and none involved children under the age of 12. They suggest that the emotional immaturity and strong sexual feelings of young adolescents may lead them to develop romantic attachments to people they meet online. The authors point out that traditional therapeutic treatment that emphasizes recovery from abuse may not be appropriate for youth who do not identify as victims, and that new models need to be developed. They recommend that prevention efforts with adolescents be targeted, age-appropriate, and include frank discussions of sexuality and the hazards of relationships with older people. Finally, they caution that the dynamic and evolving sphere of electronic communication, including text messaging and new online technologies, make continuing research into monitoring online environments essential to prevent victimization.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; media/Internet; myths/stereotypes; perpetration; prevention; risk; treatment

updated 04/28/08