Changes of Reactions to Victimization: From Adolescence to Adulthood

• In Event: Linking Childhood Experiences to Adult Victimization and Offending

Abstract

Criminologists have used turning points in the life course to explain why offenders desist from crime. Referred to as turning points, researchers have attempted to determine what events may change the attitudes and behaviors of those with a criminal history. Could turning points also be used to explain how those who experienced victimization in their childhood respond to victimization in early adulthood? This research looks at a sample of over 2000 women on a college campus who were asked about their victimization experiences before the age of 18 and then about their most recent victimization experiences over the next four years. The hypothesis is that life transitions will affect the way in which women who have previously experienced victimization will respond to later victimization in early adulthood.

Author

• Analisa Gagnon, Arizona State University