Polymeasures of Polyvictimization: Optimal Measurement Strategies and Meta-Analytic Predictors

• In Event: Quantitative Methods WG Panel 1: Innovative Measurement and Data Utilization in Criminology

Abstract

Victimization is concentrated among few individuals, commonly referred to as polyvictims. Yet, there exists a lack of consensus regarding the operationalization of polyvictimization. This study investigates the impact of using different measures of polyvictimization on the identification of polyvictims and outcomes of regression models. Operationalizations used in this research are meta-analyzed using the 2019/20 Crime Survey for England and Wales. Results show that while calculating the top 10% of respondents with more victimizations as polyvictimized and applying logistic regression may lead to false positives, the preferred approaches to analyze polyvictimization are either selecting respondents who suffered multiple victimizations and applying bivariate probit regression, or calculating numbers of victimizations and applying negative binomial regression. Mental health conditions are the strongest correlate of polyvictimization.

Authors

• Ferhat Tura, Bournemouth University

• David Buil-Gil, The University of Manchester

• Oluwole Adeniyi, Nottingham Trent University