NCJ Number
100867
Date Published
1986
Length
91 pages
Annotation
This study of the social and psychological consequences of criminal victimization was based on interviews with and the testing of 258 victims who participated in an evaluation of crisis intervention services in Tucson, Ariz., in 1983.
Abstract
Victims of rape, domestic assault, other assaults, burglary, and robbery were interviewed 1 month after victimization and again 4 to 6 months later about the social, psychological, financial, and physical effects of their victimization. Five scales of psychological distress measured fear, anxiety, stress, dismay, and social adjustment. Information was also obtained on prior life stress and victimization. Within a month of the crime, victims showed high distress levels for all measures. Distress was highest among victims of more severe crimes; women manifested more distress than men. Four to 6 months later, symptoms of distress other than fear had abated considerably. Distress was more pronounced among victims with higher stress levels more pronounced among victims with higher stress levels in the year prior to victimization. There was only slight evidence that crisis intervention relieved psychological distress. Implications are drawn for practitioners and researchers. Appendixes contain tabular data and study scales. 58 references.