Volume 3 Number 2, December 2007
Tokyo: Seibundo Publishing Co., Ltd.
ISBN 978-4-7923-9171-3 C3032 Price 1,500yen
- Guest Editorial
- Lutz Wittmann
- Towards an Understanding of Different Psychopathological Mechanisms after
Injury:
A Comparison of Victims of Violent Crime with Accident Survivors - Lutz Wittmann, Hanspeter Moergeli, and Ulrich Schnyder
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland- Abstract
- To better understand differences in the outcome of injuries due to physical violence and accidents, twelve victims of violent crime were compared with matched accident survivors with regard to injury and event-related variables as well as immediate and subsequent trauma related emotions and cognitions. Coping behavior, symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), depression and anxiety were assessed five days post-trauma. Attribution of responsibility and coping behavior resulted in the largest group differences, and may have explanatory value for the elevated risk of psychopathological symptoms in victims of violent crime. Implications for legal issues as well as therapeutic strategies are discussed.
- Treatment Seeking Among Older and Younger Adult Women: Victimization Status and Psychopathology
- Ron Acierno
National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center,Medical University of South Carolina, USA
Dean G. Kilpatrick
National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center,Medical University of South Carolina, USA
Steven R. Lawyer
Idaho State University, USA- Abstract
- A national household probability sample of 3,170 younger adult women (age 18 to 45 years), and 457 (age 60 and older) older adult women was assessed for history of interpersonal violence, disaster exposure, current psychopathology, and help/treatment seeking for emotional problems. Results indicated older adult women were less likely to consider, and less likely to seek mental health services. This age-based difference held only for assaulted women, and only for those considering services. Contrary to study predictions, no significant differences were observed between age groups in either considering or obtaining mental health services among subgroups exposed to a natural disaster or endorsing current, or lifetime psychopathology.
- Victims in Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy for Victims:
Conceptual Considerations and Practical Experiences - Thomas Maier
Outpatients Clinic for Victims of War and Torture, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland- Abstract
- Over the last decades, the victim concept has become highly important in legal, socio-political, and psychological debate. Also in psychotherapy, the notion is increasingly used, primarily in connection with trauma. The rise of victimology and psychotraumatology can be seen as a sign of socio-political development characterized by a growing public awareness of victimized or traumatized individuals. From a psychotherapeutic perspective, the social and psychological role of the victim is problematic. The role of a victim strongly emphasizes the external origin of the problem and exculpates the individual. This is what makes the role so popular. Psychotherapy, however, is based entirely on personal responsibility, and aims to strengthen internalizing attributional coping styles. In psychotherapies with traumatized individuals, a strong identification with the victim role predicts poor outcome. Coping successfully with a trauma is only possible when the role of a victim is left behind and when feelings of loss and guilt can be worked through.
- The Prevalence of Early Victimization Among Violent and Sexual Male Offenders in Switzerland
- Jerome Endrass
Psychiatric/Psychological Service, Criminal Justice System, Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Frank Urbaniok
Psychiatric/Psychological Service, Criminal Justice System, Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Astrid Rossegger
Psychiatric/Psychological Service, Criminal Justice System, Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Stefan Vetter
University of Zurich, Center for Disaster and Military Psychiatry, Switzerland
Thomas Elbert
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, and Centre for Psychiatry, Reichenau, Germany- Abstract
- Investigations in different countries suggest the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in men ranges between 5% and 16%, but studies of offender populations have found a relatively higher lifetime prevalence, especially for sex offenders. The present study aimed to confirm these findings for offenders in Switzerland. Socio-demographic, psychiatric, and criminological data were collected from correctional and court files for a representative sample of violent (N = 292) and sex offenders (N = 159) in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. It was found sex offenders were sexually abused twice as often as violent offenders (13% vs. 6%). The highest prevalence of sexual abuse was documented in the files of child molesters (19%). There were no significant differences between violent and sex offenders concerning other victimizing experiences. The prevalence for the complete offender population is in the range of the prevalence of sexual and physical abuse in the general population in Switzerland. This result indicates increased victimization is not a common phenomenon in offenders in general, but rather a specific attribute of sex offenders.
- Sexual Abuse Among Violent and Sex Offenders and Its Relevance for Persistent Offending
- Jerome Endrass
Psychiatric/Psychological Service, Criminal Justice System, Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Frank Urbaniok
Psychiatric/Psychological Service, Criminal Justice System, Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Astrid Rossegger
Psychiatric/Psychological Service, Criminal Justice System, Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Stefan Vetter
University of Zurich, Center for Disaster and Military Psychiatry, Switzerland
Thomas Elbert
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, and Centre for Psychiatry, Reichenau, Germany- Abstract
- Catamnestic studies of sexually abused children have found an elevated risk of adulthood offending. Studies among offenders have repeatedly reported an elevated prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), especially among sex offenders. This study aimed to examine differences between offenders with and without a history of CSA. From correctional and court files socio-demographic, psychiatric, and criminological data were collected for a representative sample of violent (n = 292) and sex offenders (n = 159) in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Logistic regression analysis showed sexually abused offenders differed substantially from those not sexually abused. They were more likely to have grown up under a combination of distressing living conditions, to be mentally ill, and to prostitute themselves. They were also more likely to commit a sex offence, to have a pertinent criminal record (OR = 2.6) and a history of court-ordered therapy (OR = 2.6). The findings corroborate the association between CSA and sex offending. CSA appears to be associated with persistent offending and lack of therapy success.
- The Impact of Organizational and Community Linkages on Psychological Recovery
- Bernadette T. Muscat
Department of Criminology, California State University, Fresno, USA- Abstract
- This article explores the prevalence and strength of linkages that exist between dual gender and single gender residential treatment programs for female addicts across four service sectors: health care, the criminal justice system, social services/mental health care, and vocational training and educational programs. This exploration examines the extent to which treatment centers are able to provide the full array of services that are needed to address female addiction and psychological recovery by working with community partners. It is imperative that treatment programs work collaboratively with community service providers to positively impact the overall mental health of female addicts. The article specifically looks at the community-organizational linkages to explore the type of treatment program that can have an impact on psychological recovery in terms of addressing substance abuse, victimization, health/mental health, family dynamics, criminality, and community reentry of female addicts.
- The International Hidden Sexual Victimization Study: Victimization, Risk Estimates, and Communication
- Gerd F. Kirchhoff
Tokiwa International Victimology Institute, Tokiwa University, Mito, Japan
Kieran G. Mundy
Faculty of Human Sciences, Tokiwa University, Mito, Japan- Abstract
- In this present research, a consortium of researchers replicated earlier German studies in Germany, Greece, Japan and the USA. This paper explores estimates of the occurrence of sexual victimization. Sexual victimization is believed by non-victimized and victimized students to be frequent, a consequence of the social construction of this reality in the mass media. A psychotraumatological perspective is used to interpret this elevated risk perceptions of victims by comparison with non-victims. Shattered assumptions and a generally more pessimistic worldview of victims do not necessarily presuppose the existence of severe trauma. Theories of attitude bias are used to explain this phenomenon. Risk estimates of non-victimized and victimized students are contrasted with the actual risk given by sample frequency. It was found both groups overestimate the actual risk, but victims overestimate the risk of victimization more. Further, a link is established between silencing, the respective communication about an event, and shame and perceptions of locus of control. Shame, a correlate of internal locus of control, is correlated with silencing while communication about victimization is related to external locus of control.
