Seeking Help After Hate: Informal Help-Seeking and Subsequent Mental Health Outcomes Among Bias and Non-Bias Crime Victims

• In Event: The Causes and Consequences of Hate Crime Victimization: Findings from the LHCVS Pilot Study

Abstract

Extant research suggests that violent crime victims often do not report their victimization to the police, especially bias crime victims. While still infrequent, victims may instead seek help from non-police sources like counselors, victim service providers, or their personal networks (e.g., family, friends). However, it is unclear whether informal help-seeking behaviors among hate crime victims significantly differ from those of non-bias crime victims. Furthermore, the effectiveness of informal assistance in minimizing victims’ emotional suffering over time remains unclear due to reliance on cross-sectional data. Given existing evidence that bias crime victims experience greater psychological distress than other victims, it is important to understand how those victimized because of their identities seek out and benefit from informal assistance to mitigate these unique consequences. Using pilot data from the Longitudinal Hate Crime Victimization Survey (LHCVS), the current study examines: (1) differences in informal (non-police) help-seeking behaviors among bias and non-bias crime victims; (2) within-person differences in depression, anxiety, and fear six months post-victimization; and (3) differences in the impact of informal help-seeking on mental health outcomes for bias and non-bias crime victims. Implications for improving victim services and other non-police support systems to address unique post-victimization needs are discussed.

Authors

• Sarah Renee Wouters, Florida State University

• Brendan Lantz, Florida State University

• Marin R. Wenger, Florida State University