Health consequences and help-seeking among victims of crime: An examination of sex differences
| Author | Heather Zaykowski,Lena Campagna |
| Date | 01 May 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0269758019900392 |
| Published date | 01 May 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Health consequences and
help-seeking among victims
of crime: An examination of
sex differences
Lena Campagna
Caldwell University, USA
Heather Zaykowski
University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA
Abstract
This study examines whether sex differences in level of distress and help-seeking for physical and
emotional problems as a result of criminal victimization can be explained by injury, type of crime,
and the victim–offender relationship. The study uses data from the National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS) from 2008–2014. Analyses utilize multivariate logistic regression and interaction
terms to address possible differences between males and females. Consistent with the existing
literature, females reported elevated distress and were more likely to seek help for emotional and
physical problems. However, being a victim of intimate and family violence contributed to
heightened distress and increased help-seeking for both males and females. Male distress was
elevated when the offender was a friend or acquaintance and when the attack was a robbery.
Victims services should address crimes males are more likely to experience, including robbery and
victimizations by known, but not necessarily intimate, relationships.
Keywords
Health consequences, help-seeking, reporting, victimization, gender
Corresponding author:
Lena Campagna, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Caldwell University, 120 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell,
NJ 07006, USA.
Email: lcampagna@caldwell.edu
International Review of Victimology
2020, Vol. 26(2) 181–195
ªThe Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/0269758019900392
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