Citation

Archer RJL. Vict. Offender 2019; 14(4): 387-407.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15564886.2019.1608882

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

According to Agnew's General Strain Theory, many individuals who experience strain are more likely to engage in crime or become delinquent. To date, past research has examined the relationship between victimization and fear of crime, as well as the corresponding relationship between fear of crime and self-protective behaviors. Yet, the mediating role fear of sexual assault may have in accounting for the association between prior sexual assault victimization and self-protective behaviors has not been evaluated. The current study addresses this gap in the literature using data collected from a random sample of college students from 12 universities in the United States. The results indicated that the relationship between prior sexual assault victimization and self-protective behavior is partially mediated by fear of sexual assault. The study concludes with a discussion of implications and limitations, as well as directions for future research.

Language: en

Keywords

fear of crime; general strain theory; self-protective behavior; sexual assault victimization