Prevalence and Risk Factors of Sexual Victimization among Veterans in American Prisons

• In Event: Addressing Intimate Partner and Gender-Based Violence

Abstract

Despite policies addressing and preventing sexual violence inside prisons, like the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), sexual victimization remains a common occurrence in prison environments, posing a substantial challenge for prison administration, and raising safety concerns for prisoners in general and incarcerated veterans in particular. In 2016, the Department of Justice estimated the veteran population around 107,400 individuals, nearly one-tenth of the US prison population, and that sexual victimizations occurred between 149,200 and 209,400. Understanding the prevalence and risk factors is crucial in developing effective policies that mitigate sexual victimization for veterans. While previous research has highlighted the general factors that explain why inmates are sexually victimized based on general individual-level and institutional-level characteristics, current literature lacks nuanced understanding of how those factors affect sexual victimization among incarcerated veterans more specifically. Drawing on the 2011–12 National Inmate Survey (NIS-3), using logistic regression, our findings discussed how prevalent sexual victimization among incarcerated veterans was and what risk factors were more salient in the presence of veteran status. By exploring gender differences and integrating race, mental health, and prior victimization, our study offers a more holistic understanding of the factors exacerbating veterans' victimization during incarceration. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Author

• Adonis N. Ndusha, Southern Illinois University Carbondale