The prevalence of childhood victimization experienced outside of the family in England
Kevin Browne
University of Nottingham
Professor Kevin Browne is a registered forensic psychology practitioner; he directs the Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology and holds the Chair of Forensic Psychology and Child Health at the University of Nottingham Medical School, England, UK. His research interests are the development of mental health problems, anti-social personality disorders and criminal behaviour in children and young people from a biological, social and environmental perspective. He is currently Consultant to the European Commission, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation on children in adversity, children in conflict with the law, child care and protection, following 12 years as an Executive Counsellor of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN). He has worked in more than 50 countries worldwide to improve the care and protection of children and was involved in the prevention of child abandonment across Europe and the deinstitutionalisation (DI) of over 4000 children in Romania. His most recent project is an investigation of unaccompanied children crossing the Turkish/Greek Boarders in collaboration with the Institute of Child Health in Athens.
Abstract
There has been little research carried out in the United Kingdom (UK) aimed at providing a holistic exploration of the victim experiences of young people within the school and community environments (extrafamilial... [ view full abstract ]
There has been little research carried out in the United Kingdom (UK) aimed at providing a holistic exploration of the victim experiences of young people within the school and community environments (extrafamilial victimization). This study therefore examined the prevalence of 24 different types of extrafamilial victimization experienced by a sample of 730 young people, aged 13–16 years (mean 13.8 years), who completed a school based questionnaire on victim experiences from one county in England.
The findings show that the vast majority of young people experienced some form of extrafamilial victimization over their lifetime (84.1%) and past year (67.2%). Looking at individual categories of victimization experienced over the lifetime, 7 out of 10 young people witnessed or experienced indirect victimization, 1 in 3 experienced property victimization, more than 1 in 4 physical victimization, almost 1 in 2 experienced bullying, 1 in 28 dating violence and 1 in 7 experienced sexual victimization. The findings also suggest that victimization is not an isolated event; participants experienced an average 2.8 different types of victimization across their lifetime. Young males experienced a significantly higher rate of conventional crime than young females over their lifetime and in the past year, particularly property and physical victimization. Over their lifetime, significantly more than double the amount of females reported sexual victimization than young males. No other gender differences were found. Perpetrators are largely known to the victim and with the exception of emotional bullying, young people were most commonly victimized by just one other individual.
These research findings are similar to those from national victimization surveys in the USA. The findings highlight the importance of adopting a holistic approach to the exploration of extrafamilial victimization in future research, assessment of victim experiences, and prevention of extrafamilial victimization by peers as well as adults..
Authors
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Vicki Jackson-Hollis
(University of Nottingham)
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Kevin Browne
(University of Nottingham)
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Stephen Joseph
(University of Nottingham)
Topic Area
Emerging Issues
Session
Oral 27 » Session 3-Emerging Issues (16:15 - Tuesday, 3rd October, Central America Room)
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