NCJ Number
204623
Journal
Criminology Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2003 Pages: 959-979
Editor(s)
Robert J. Bursik Jr.
Date Published
August 2003
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), this study examined the factors that influence risk of general violence for women of different race and ethnicities and situational context.
Abstract
Limited information is known about the factors that influence risk of general violence for women of different races and ethnicities or how these factors may be linked to cultural differences among racial or ethnic subgroups. Patterns of risk notably vary for women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. This exploratory investigation improves upon current research by modeling risk factors for all cases of nonlethal violent victimization against women using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Data were combined from interviews of women for more than 8 years (January 1992-June 2000), which generates enough cases to make it feasible to model risk factors separately for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American females. Attention was turned toward the incidents and describes and compares the situational context of violent victimization across racial and ethnic groups. The NCVS is used to predict the probability of a violent victimization, comparing risk factors across females of different races and ethnicities, and then attention is restricted to the violent incidents to describe patterns in female victimization that vary by race and ethnicity. Results show that it is important to consider racial and ethnic cultural differences when designing theories of general violence against women. This study is a good first step to informing theory by distinguishing risk and protective factors for women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The difference in predictors and victimization experiences across groups of females suggests differences in cultural contexts, which makes different women more vulnerable to different kinds of violence. Future research is recommended in exploring potential sources of risk across specific kinds of violence. References