Providing Help to Victims: A Study of Psychological and Material Outcomes in New York City, 1984-1985
Description
This data collection was designed to examine the
effectiveness of a New York City agency's attempt to decrease the
negative emotions that result from victimization. The data address the
following questions: (1) To what extent do specific treatments
mitigate the negative psychological impact of victimization? (2) Are
individuals from a particular demographic group more prone to suffer
from psychological adjustment problems following victimization? (3)
When victimized, do individuals blame themselves or the situation? (4)
Are some crimes more difficult to cope with than others? (5) Does
previous victimization affect the likelihood that an individual will
have difficulty coping with current as well as future victimization?
Data were collected in two waves, with Wave 1 interviews completed
within one month of the victimization incident and Wave 2 interviews
completed three months after treatment. The effects of three
treatments were measured. They included: traditional crisis counseling
(which incorporates psychological aid and material assistance such as
food, shelter, cash, etc.), cognitive restructuring (challenges to
"irrational" beliefs about the world and one's self used in
conjunction with crisis counseling), and material assistance only (no
psychological aid provided). A fourth group of victims received no
treatment or services. Three standardized psychometric scales were
used in the study. In addition to these standardized scales, the
initial assessment battery included an index of fear of crime as well
as an index that measured behavior adjustment. Another set of measures
assessed how victims perceived their experience of victimization and
included items on self-blame, selective evaluation, and control. Also
included were questions about the crime and precautions taken to guard
against future victimization. The follow-up assessment battery was
virtually identical to the initial battery, except that questions
about services and social support received by the victim were
added. The following demographic variables are included in the data:
sex, age, marital status, education, income, and race. The unit of
analysis was the individual.
Resources
| Name |
Format |
Description |
Link |
|
0 |
ICPSR09479.v2 |
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR09479.v2 |
Tags
- psychological-wellbeing
- fear-of-crime
- coping
- counseling
- psychological-effects
- victims
- victimization
- guilt
- fear
- emotional-states
- personal-adjustment
- treatment
- victim-services
- anxiety