Vicarious Victimization, Network Saturation, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Hate Crime Victims

• In Event: Variation in Racialized Victimization and Post-Victimization Reporting Processes Among Victims of Bias-Motivated and Other Crimes

Abstract

Hate motivated violence has increased in recent years, yet research on the indirect effects of such violence remains limited. Existing findings suggest that the impact of hate and bias-motivated violence extends beyond the direct victims, reverberating throughout their communities. The current study examines vicarious victimization, or secondary victimization, by introducing a novel measure of exposure to violence—network saturation--which measures the extent to which individuals are exposed to identity-based victimization within their personal networks. Using pilot data from the Longitudinal Hate Crime Victimization Survey (LHCVS-P), we explore the relationship between network saturation and mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. Specifically, we assess whether individuals with higher levels of network saturation are at greater risk for adverse mental health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study to directly investigate these relationships using quantitative, multi-wave panel data.

Authors

• Lexi Faulkner, Florida State University

• Brendan Lantz, Florida State University

• Marin Wenger, Florida State University