This document reports on an investigation of college students’ perceptions of victimization, at a large, urban, Hispanic-serving institution; it reviews the research methodology and results, and discusses implications for practice.
This study investigated students’ perceptions of victimization among college students (e.g., extent, location, consequences) through eight focus groups at a large, urban Hispanic-serving institution. Understanding students’ perceptions of crime sheds light on the consequences of victimization as well as the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impacts of the possibility of experiencing victimization. The authors’ results yielded several key findings that warrant further discussion: (1) victimization—particularly sexual and property victimization—is an issue that many students thought about extensively and viewed as important; (2) the psychological impact of victimization and threatened sense of safety were perceived to be enduring consequences of victimization that can impact the college experience; (3) there was nuance to perceptions of “on-” versus “off-” campus victimization, with consequences carrying over to campus life even when incidents occur off campus; and (4) participants expressed both moral and conceptual issues with assigning a dollar amount to consequences of victimization. These results inform how perceptions of victimization risk and anticipated consequences shape student fears and behavior, while also highlighting key areas that universities may consider for prevention and intervention efforts. (Published Abstract Provided)
Downloads
Similar Publications
- Transient Hypoxia Drives Soil Microbial Community Dynamics and Biogeochemistry During Human Decomposition
- Objective and Subjective Experiences of Childhood Maltreatment and Their Relationships with Cognitive Deficits: a Cohort Study in the USA
- Research Review: Why do Prospective and Retrospective Measures of Maltreatment Differ? A Narrative Review