Victimization and the Development of Punitive Attitudes Among College Students: Differences By Gender and Race

• In Event: Short and Long Term Responses To Victimization

Abstract

Few studies have studied the link between victimization and punitiveness, and even fewer have focused on whether this relationship exists among college students. Given that college students have particularly high risks of victimization and are in a stage of their lives where they are simultaneously developing salient attitudes about crime, punishment, and politics, it is important to shed light on these associations. The current study focuses on establishing whether there is a link between victimization and punitive attitudes among college students, and whether this association varies by race and gender. I use data from an anonymous survey distributed to over 1,200 students at a large and diverse public university in the Southeastern United States to assess the relationships of interest. In carrying out this research, the broader purpose is to better clarify how varying experiences with victimization by race and gender shape attitudes toward crime and punishment among college students.

Author

• Laisa Francisca Abreu Rivera, Florida State University