Repeat Drugging Among University Students: A Test of the Once Bitten, Twice Shy Hypothesis with a Panel Design

• In Event: Drugging Victimization and Perpetration: Various Approaches and Findings

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that, across various forms of victimization, a subset of victims experiences a large proportion of victimization incidents. Researchers have found that as many as twenty percent of drugging victims experience repeat incidents of drugging (Lasky, Fisher, Henriksen, & Swan, 2017). Party culture lifestyle behaviors have been identified as risk factors for single incident drugging victimization, and qualitative research suggests changes to party lifestyle behaviors following a single incident of drugging may differentiate single victims from repeat victims (Lasky, Fisher, & Swan, 2018). This research supports the once bitten, twice shy hypothesis (Hindelang, Gottfredson, & Garafalo, 1978) that following victimization, victims will make changes to their lifestyle routine activities and, in turn, reduce the likelihood that they are victimized again. The current study extends prior research by testing the application of the once bitten, twice shy hypothesis to drugging victimization using data from a panel design study. Specifically, we analyze whether changes to the number of days spent binge drinking differentiate single drugging victims from repeat drugging victims across three time points. This study has the potential to inform preventative programming efforts at universities across the country and to further our understanding of an understudied form of victimization.

Authors

• Leah C. Butler, University of Cincinnati

• Rachael Schilling, University of Delaware

• Bonnie S. Fisher, University of Cincinnati

• Nicole Lasky, Northeastern State University

• Suzanne Swan, University of South Carolina