An explorative study on consequences of abuse on decision-making in Gender Based Violence victims.

• In Event: Victimology Working Group Panel 3 Consequences of Victimization

Abstract

The issue of gender-based violence has been a public health problem for years. Considering its systemic nature, the possible consequences at the individual level on the psychological and cognitive well-being of victims have been examined. The present research aims to explore the differences in the various types and forms of violence. A non-probability and convenience sample was used; a total of 513 participants joined the research. Inclusion criteria were minimum age of 18 years, female gender, and knowledge of the Italian language. Two nonparametric One-Way ANOVAs (Kruskal-Wallis) were performed according to the type of violence experienced and the type of self-reported abuse (i.e., no victimisation, single victimisation, complex victimisation). Results showed that victims of violence scored higher overall than non-victims on all subscales of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale. Analyses among the three groups-no violence, single violence, and complex violence-showed no differences in any of the dimensions between those who experienced single and complex violence, while differences emerged between the "no victimisation" group and the other groups. The results were discussed in relation to the existing literature on the topic, highlighting the limitations and future applications of the collected data.

Authors

• Giulia Lausi, Faculty of Law, Vilnius University

• Cricenti Clarissa, Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Benedetta Barchielli, Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Stefano Ferracuti, Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome.

• Giannini Anna Maria, Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome.