The purpose of this study was to examine control beliefs and their role in the different ways victims cope with burglary. Two studies were conducted. In the first study, participants were college students who had been burglarized within the previous year. The volunteers were men and women between the ages of 19 and 37 (N=61). The participants completed Levenson's (1981) locus of control scale. The following week, in order to assist recall, the participants viewed a 2-minute video that depicted a residential burglary in progress. Immediately following the video, they completed a coping measure, situational appraisals of control measure, and importance of outcome measure. The second study was a conceptual replication of the first study and therefore followed the same procedures. However, in order to assess locus of control prior to victimization, participants were male and female college students (N=102) who had never been burglarized (experimentally induced victims). Zero-order correlations, discriminant analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression were used to examine the main, mediating, and moderating effects of locus of control, importance of outcome, situational appraisals of control, and gender on coping functions. Because previous research has found gender differences in reaction to criminal victimization, i t was hypothesized that the influence that gender has on coping results from an individual's locus of control orientation. It was also expected that the direction or strength of the locus of control and coping relation would be influenced by an individual's gender and by how much importance he or she attached to the victimization experience. In both the victim group and experimentally induced victim group, emotion-focused coping was significantly predicted by gender, locus of control, importance of outcome, and situational appraisals of control. However, problem-focused coping was significantly predicted by gender, locus of control, importance of outcome, and situational appraisals of control for the victim group only. Locus of control did not influence the gender and coping relation. The results indicated that in both groups men who held strong powerful others locus of control beliefs used less emotion-focused coping. In contrast, in the burglary victim group, women who held strong powerful others locus of control beliefs used more emotion-focused coping. However, there was no relationship between powerful others locus of control beliefs and emotion-focused coping for women in the experimentally induced victim group. For experimentally induced victims, both men and women with high chance locus of control beliefs used more emotion-focused coping. In both groups, importance of outcome did not moderate the locus of control and coping relation. Implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Thesis (MPsy(Specialisation))--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (MPsy(Specialisation))--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (Ph.D) -- Australian National University, 2006.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1993. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2930. Abstract precedes thesis as [3] preliminary leaves. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

There is a perception among victims of crime, and people in general, in South Africa that the country’s laws favour and protect offenders. These people believe that offenders have more rights than victims which are derived from the Constitution of the country, and other legislative Acts of parliament. This view may sometimes lead to vigilantism and a total disregard of the law. The study will show that victims do have rights in the country’s legislations. The study briefly explains the sources of such laws, like the Constitution, the Victims Charter and selected provisions of some Acts of parliament. It is a fact that the section 35 of the Constitution provides in detail, the rights of the arrested, detained and accused. It is also submitted persons that there is no specific provision that talks about the rights of the victims of crime. However, that does not mean that such victims do not have rights in terms of the constitution. The rights of victims of crime are seen during the courts’ interpretation and application of rights mentioned in the Bill of Rights. The use of words like “everyone” and “any person” in the Bill of Rights also refers to victims of crime. Therefore, the Constitution is not victim-biased and offender-friendly. The Constitution protects everybody because it seeks to uphold the values of human dignity, equality, freedom and the African concept of ubuntu. The study discusses briefly the rights of victims as adopted by the Victims’ Charter. The Charter lists these rights, but does not explain how such rights are to be achieved. South Africa also developed a document called the Minimum Standards for Services for Victims of Crime which indicates how each right is to be achieved. The study also shows that South Africa had developed some Acts of parliament even before the adoption of the Victims Charter. South Africa claims that the Victims’ Charter is compliant with the Constitution and the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice Abuse of Power of 1985. It is submitted that this statement is not entirely correct, especially with regards to the provision that deals with compensation. South Africa did not define compensation as defined by the United Nations Declaration. This can be seen as a dismal failure by South Africa to abide by the United Nations Declaration and this has resulted in more harm suffered by victims of crime. The study also discusses how rape victims benefit through the use of Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act of 2007. This begins with the changing of the definition of rape. The Act also deals with how rape victims can access antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV/Aids infection. It explains limitations on the right to privacy of the accused, especially to compel him or her to undergo an HIV test. The HIV positive status of the accused can be used as an aggravating factor during sentencing in terms of UNAIDS policies. S v Nyalungu 2005 (JOL) 13254 (T) is a leading case in South Africa showing compliance with UNAIDS policies. Restorative justice mechanisms have been discussed to show positive movement by South Africa from a retributive justice system to a restorative justice system. The advantages of such mechanisms for victims have been discussed. The study also describes briefly some selected provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1977 and how these provisions benefit victims of crime. These include sections 153, 170A, 297, 299A, 300 and 301. The study highlights some challenges that still exist and what innovations can be made. This includes recommendations which can be made to benefit victims of crime further. For example, an apology can be used as one of the important principles in the restorative justice system. It is submitted and recommended that truth and apology go hand in glove and the basic elements of forgiveness. South Africa can pride itself with regards to this approach especially during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was established in post-apartheid South Africa. The study concludes by saying that South Africa should set up a victim-compensation scheme. It is submitted that South Africa can afford such a scheme despite the problems identified.

Although societal interest in violence is not new, the lay public and legal and mental health professionals have become increasingly interested in distinguishing nonstranger and stranger violence. The importance of the victim-offender relationship is underscored by the fact that society appears to be less fearful of the nonstranger offender than it is of the stranger offender. This research explores the role of the victim-offender relationship in crimes of violence. Inmate self-report, official data, and prison infraction data were used. All data collection occurred within the Arizona state prison system and included 273 inmate subjects who committed violent offenses. The victim-offender relationship was studied in the context of the validity of offender self-report, the prison experience of inmates, criminal justice processing of offenders, recidivism of offenders, specialization of offenders, and offender's perception of victim contribution. Results suggest that the violent offender self-report is valid and reliable, and that stranger and nonstranger offenders are similar in some ways and different in others. In particular, stranger offenders have more disciplinary problems in prison; are charged and convicted of less serious crimes but are given longer sentences; have more extensive juvenile records and histories of drug abuse; are more likely to have been in prison before; do not have more extensive self-reported crime commission rates; are no more or no less likely to specialize; and are less likely to perceive victim contribution than nonstranger offenders. Conclusions and implications for public policy are discussed.

No description available.

J 1.42/3:SD-NCS-C-17.

Thesis (D. Phil.(Krim.)--Universiteit van Pretoria, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 327-351).