Social location and the aftermath of victimization: Examining help-seeking behaviors through an intersectional approach

• In Event: Victim Identity, Help-Seeking and Self-Protective Behavior

Abstract

Literature suggests that victims face many barriers in seeking help from service agencies. However, few studies have examined help-seeking behavior through an intersectional lens. The intersectionality perspective argues that there are overlapping forms of marginalization related to one’s social location – most notably race, class and gender. From this perspective, help-seeking is particularly problematic for poor men and women of color who are less likely to be viewed as “ideal victims” compared to affluent white women. However, few studies to date have examined the likelihood that victims of different intersectional locations seek help from service agencies. The current study seeks to contribute to knowledge in this area of research by examining help-seeking behavior with specific attention to the intersection of race, class and gender. This study uses violent crime data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992-2014 (N=50,079). Analyses controlling for crime severity (type of crime, offender’s use of a weapon, and victim injury) and the victim-offender relationship indicate significant main effects of gender and socioeconomic status on the likelihood of seeking help from victim services, and notable interactions between gender and race.

Authors

• Heather Zaykowski, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Lena Campagna, University of Massachusetts Boston