Repeat Criminal Victimization and Vulnerability for Coping Failure: A Prospective Examination of a Potential Risk Factor

Abstract

The psychological impact of repeat victimization is commonly assessed via victimization surveys that are retrospective in nature. Associations between repeat victimization and coping failure may then easily be inflated due to memory biases, such as mood-congruence effects. This study examined the status of repeat victimization as a resilience or vulnerability factor for psychological distress on the basis of a prospective design, which included measures administered prior to the first victimization, and follow up measures of repeat victimization. Analyses revealed a series of significant differences in both the personal (e.g. in perceptions of pre-victimization comparative vulnerability, and prior life stress) and social risk (e.g. insufficient social support) profiles of repeat versus singular victims. Analyses suggested that re-exposure within a short time interval negatively influenced post-victimization functioning: this impact was only partly mediated by other risk factors. The validity of police decisions to refer victims to victim support can be enhanced through incorporating repeat victimization as an additional referral criterion.