The effect of gender-neutral language in a survey designed to measure unwanted sexual experiences was examined. Methodological issues pertaining to survey design and significant variability in prevalence estimates of sexual violence demonstrate that further refinement of self-report instruments is necessary. As a variety of macrolevel forces influence individual behavior, the current study contends that coercive tactics used to obtain sex in mixed-gender interactions are normalized by the traditional heterosex script and conveyed through gender-specific language. Reference to respondents’ sexual partners in gender-neutral, as opposed to gender-specific terms, was hypothesized to result in more disclosure of sexually coercive victimization and perpetration experiences. Logistic regression analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in disclosure between language conditions. Null findings are interpreted with reference to the broader gender-neutral language literature and implications for future research are suggested.

Psychopathy is found in incarcerated populations and in the general population, among men and women. This study investigated if there were any gender differences between men and women with heightened levels of psychopathic traits regarding psychopathy factor scores, criminality, aggression and victimization. A randomized sample of 2500 mixed-sex (52.6 % women) participants (M=22.15; SD=1.38) from the general population, aged 20-24, was used. Results showed that women with psychopathic personality traits had significantly higher behavioral tendencies (e.g., impulsivity) on psychopathy than men with psychopathic personality traits. Men scored higher on violent criminal offences and criminal versatility and men and women differed in aggressive behavior and victimization. Gender differences in psychopathy features may create different needs for treatment. / Personer med psykopati finns både bland kliniska populationer och bland normalpopulationen, bland män och kvinnor. Den här studien undersökte om det fanns könsskillnader mellan män och kvinnor med förhöjda nivåer av psykopatiska drag när det gäller psykopatifaktorer, kriminalitet, aggression och utsatthet. Ett slumpmässigt urval från normalpopulationen med både män och kvinnor (52,6 %), ålder 20-24 år (M=22,15; SD=1,38), användes. Resultaten visade att kvinnor med psykopatiska egenskaper har signifikant högre beteendemässiga drag av psykopati än män med psykopatiska egenskaper. Män uppvisade högre nivåer av våldsam kriminalitet och mångfald i brott. Män och kvinnor med psykopatisk personlighet uppvisade olika aggressiva beteenden och rapporterade olika typer av utsatthet. Könsskillnader i psykopatiska egenskaper kan skapa olika behov av behandling.

Motivational changes due to individual differences and situational variations in ingroup identification can influence accessibility of memories of ingroup violence, victimization and glories. In Study 1, high identifiers recalled fewer incidents of ingroup violence and hatred than of ingroup suffering. As well, they recalled fewer incidents of ingroup violence and hatred than did low identifiers. In Study 2, a manipulation of ingroup identity produced shifts in memory. Relative to those in the low identity condition, participants in the high identity condition recalled fewer incidents of violence and hatred and more good deeds by members of their group. Participants in a control condition recalled more positive than negative group actions; this bias was exaggerated in the high identity condition and eliminated in the low identity condition. With respect to memories of ingroup tragedies, Studies 3 and 4 demonstrated that experimental reminders of ingroup suffering enhanced participants' sense of connectedness to the ingroup. The findings suggest that memories of ingroup aggressions threaten ingroup identity whereas memories of ingroup suffering enhance ingroup identity. Societal implications of the findings are discussed. The present research informs the literature on reconstructive memory by extending previous findings on the flexibility of personal memories to historical memory.

The purpose of this study is to understand the fear of crime in the society. The studies in the literature, which focus on sociology of crime in general and the fear of crime in particular, were carried out within the social dynamics of other countries, and mostly the western societies. In this sense, it is clear that there is a need to make evaluations that specifically address our society. In this study, it was aimed to achieve a holistic analysis of fear of crime, based on the question &ldquo / what are the factors that determine fear of crime in individuals?&rdquo / It is assumed that there are many factors that determine fear of crime in individuals. Differences in socio-economic status, which can be counted among these factors, are addressed under the scope of this study. It is assumed that people from different socio-economic statuses can also experience fear of crime in different ways. To this end, a field survey was conducted in the districts of &Ccedil / ankaya and Altindag in the province of Ankara, and a total of 510 individuals were surveyed through a questionnaire. According to the results of the survey, incivilities appear as the most determinant factor of fear of crime in the society, followed by districts, which represent the area of living and which were used as a basis in sample selection for this survey / the third factor that determines fear of crime is gender, and the fifth factor is the indirect victimization. Other findings of the survey are discussed throughout the thesis.

La tesi affronta il tema della vittimizzazione degli immigrati nelle province di Caserta e Napoli in Campania attraverso uno studio esplorativo realizzato attraverso la somministrazione di 73 interviste semi-strutturate a immigrati e 20 interviste semi-strutturate a informatori privilegiati. I risultati rivelano che gli immigrati subiscono un numero cospicuo di reati che spesso non sono denunciati alle forze dell’ordine per paura, ignoranza del sistema penale italiano e della lingua e per altri motivi. Il principale di questi, comunque, riguarda la condizione di irregolarità in cui versano molti immigrati che li rende cittadini di secondo ordine e che spesso li espone a sfruttamento sia da parte di italiani sia da parte di altri stranieri. In conclusione, viene suggerito un profilo di vulnerabilità che traccia le caratteristiche socio-demografiche che rendono più vulnerabili gli immigrati e sono avanzati dei suggerimenti tecnici e metodologici per ulteriori, più ambiziose ricerche sull’argomento, che rimane tuttora sostanzialmente inesplorato soprattutto in Italia. Sono anche avanzati suggerimenti di policy per ridurre la vulnerabilità degli immigrati e per rendere il sistema della giustizia e delle forze dell’ordine più friendly nei loro confronti. / The present thesis presents the results of a study conducted in a fringe area in criminology: immigrants as victims of ordinary crime. This topic has only recently begun to draw some interest at an international level, and promises to become a mainstream issue in contemporary society in view of the growing meaning large-scale migrations are acquiring. This work is exploratory in nature and focuses on a limited geographical area in Italy: the Campania region, in particular the town of Caserta and the city of Naples. The main goal is to explore the crimes suffered by immigrants in the above mentioned area. The work is organized into five chapters. The first and the second present a review of the existing literature on the subject and offer an explanation as to why it is still a marginal topic of study in contemporary criminology, while at the same time discussing the limitations of the current statistics and studies available on the subject. The third chapter describes the methodological steps employed to carry out the research. The fourth chapter presents the findings of the research. Finally, chapter five sketches out a vulnerability profile and proposes suggestions for further research and policy implications.

This study integrates one of the most empirically tested individual characteristics (self-control) with situational factors (risky lifestyle) in an attempt to explain the risks involved in violent victimization. Data came from a diverse sample of 3,907 middle school students who participated in the G.R.E.A.T. program during the 1993-1994 school year. Gang membership is used as a proxy variable to measure risky lifestyle. It is hypothesized that 1) gang membership will mediate the effect of self-control on violent victimization and 2) self-control and gang membership will interact to amplify the risk of violent victimization. Logistic regression was used to analyze the prevalence of violent victimization and negative binomial regression was used to analyze frequency of violent victimization. When all other extraneous factors were controlled, insufficient evidence was found to support the hypotheses of this study. A discussion of the findings, as well as theoretical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

For the past several decades, researchers have extensively investigated the impact of bullying on the nation's youth. Although we may now have a better understanding of these maladaptive behaviors, recent technological advances have created a new forum for bullying. The current study investigated adolescent experiences with cyber-bullying using a self-report survey. Youth (N=2,086) from five high schools (grades 9-12) were surveyed to identify individual, peer, parenting, and school factors hypothesized to be related to involvement in cyber-bullying as a victim, perpetrator, or both. Results indicated that cyber-involvement was related to a variety of psychosocial factors, with students who were both perpetrator and victim (i.e., cyber-bully/victims) reporting worse psychosocial functioning and poorer relationships than youth classified as cyber-bullies, cyber-victims, and cyber-uninvolved. Additionally, the academic and behavioral correlates of involvement in this new and growing form of bullying were examined using school records. Inconsistent associations between cyber-bullying and school performance variables were accounted for by differences in the frequency and intensity of behaviors used to define cyber-bullying. Proposed moderators were investigated to determine whether social support buffered the negative psychosocial correlates found for adolescents involved in cyber-bullying. Social support was generally related to better psychosocial functioning for all youth, with the exception of cyber-bully/victims. Results may inform the design and implementation of universal prevention and intervention programs, as well as improve schools' ability to identify youth at risk for involvement in this rapidly growing social phenomenon.

Survey research is a popular methodology used to gather data on a myriad of phenomena. Self-report victim surveys administered by the Federal government are used to substantially broaden our understanding of the nature and extent of crime. A potential source of nonsampling error, respondent fatigue is thought to manifest in contemporary victim surveys, as respondents become "test wise" after repeated exposure to survey instruments. Using a special longitudinal data file, the presence and influence of respondent fatigue in national self-report victim surveys is examined from three perspectives. Collectively, results provide a comprehensive look at how respondent fatigue may impact crime estimates produced by national self-report victim surveys.

Depression is among the most prevalent comorbid conditions in children with Asperger’s Syndrome. Little research has examined the variables that may contribute to depression among such children. Children with Asperger’s show social skill deficits and are often subjected to peer victimization, including isolation and teasing by their peers. It is hypothesized that peer victimization experienced by children with Asperger’s will, in part, explain their self-perceived social competence. It is also hypothesized that self-perceived social competence and peer victimization will help explain depression among such children. Multiple regression will be used to examine these presumed effects. / text

This study examined peer victimization, specifically indirect peer victimization and cyber victimization, in a sample of 311 college fraternity and sorority students at a large, public university in the southwestern United States. Of specific focus was the relationship between peer victimization--both within fraternity and sorority groups and between fraternity and sorority groups and outside members--and co-occurring psychological stress (i.e., anxiety, depression, stress). The potential mediating roles of group identity and campus connectedness were also examined. This study utilized the social psychological theory of Social Identity Theory to predict the relationships between the aforementioned variables. Results indicated that a majority of college fraternity and sorority students (58%) have experienced at least one instance of indirect peer victimization since being initiated into their respective organization. Collectively, the majority of respondents reported low levels of peer victimization and high levels of group identity and campus connectedness. As hypothesized, peer victimization was significantly and positively correlated with stress. In addition, higher ratings of within-group peer victimization were related to lower ratings of group identity. However, ratings of between-group peer victimization were not significantly related to ratings of group identity, which did not support the hypothesis that there would be a significant and positive correlation between the two.It was also found that campus connectedness mediated the relationship between peer victimization and Stress. Specifically, campus connectedness served as a protective factor from stress. Alternately, group identity did not protect against stress. Lastly, a specific subgroup of participants was identified as experiencing significantly high levels of peer victimization. Participants designated as "Victims" were significantly more likely to report ethnic minority status, be male, and be a fifth-year college student. Moreover, these students reported significantly higher levels of stress, and lower levels of group identity and campus connectedness. The implications of these findings for university and educational settings are discussed.