Victimization and Political Participation From an International Comparative Perspective

• In Event: Short and Long Term Responses To Victimization

Abstract

Victimization research has traditionally emphasized the relationship between behavioral patterns and victimization risk, but there has been relatively less focus on understanding how victimization triggers behavioral change. This paper challenges the prevailing view of crime victims as passive actors by examining a relevant behavioral change triggered by the experience of criminal victimization, an increase in political participation. Using data from the World Value Survey Wave 7 -an international public opinion survey conducted in 64 countries from 2018 to 2022- this paper presents evidence that, on average, victimization has a positive impact on 11 out of 14 forms of political participation examined. Additionally, it analyzes moderators at both the national and individual levels, demonstrating that high exposure to violence tends to diminish these effects. These findings enrich our understanding of how victims cope with criminal victimization by suggesting that while it is always a distressing and harmful experience, under certain circumstances it can be a catalyst for prosocial behaviors that yield benefits at the individual, community, and societal levels, thereby providing valuable insights for informing public policy in this area.

Author

• Daniel Andrés Fredes García, University of Maryland