NCJ Number
227208
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 36 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 513-535
Date Published
May 2009
Length
23 pages
Annotation
In an analysis of the increased risk of victimization of individuals with mental disorders, this study examined a theoretical model of victimization drawn from the criminological literature on victimization using prospective data from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study.
Abstract
Findings indicate that symtomatology, homelessness, and alcohol abuse, significantly increase the risk of victimization for persons with major mental disorders. In addition, stress and gender interact, predicting victimization and suggesting that, for men, stress increases the odds of victimization. Much research has focused on violence committed by individuals with mental disorders, but their victimization experiences have received less attention. This literature indicates that individuals with mental disorders are at a significantly higher risk of violent victimization than are individuals with no such diagnosis. However, research has been limited on attempting to provide or test a theoretical explanation for these differences. To help close the gap in the literature, this study analyzed data from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study, a longitudinal study of individuals released from three psychiatric hospitals to test the effects of theoretically derived risk factors for victimization. Tables, figure, appendix, notes, and references