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This Center for Victim Research Community serves as a one-stop resource for victim service providers and researchers to connect and share knowledge to increase (1) access to victim research and data and (2) the utility of research and data collection to crime victim services nationwide. This CVR Community contains open access and public domain research-based resources about victims of crime. This community is continually updated. Contact librarian@victimresearch.org to submit a resource.

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Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS)
(Sage Publications, 1992) Soeken, K.L.; McFarlane, J.; Parker, B.; Lominack, M.C.
Soeken, McFarlane, Parker, and Lominack developed the Abuse Assessment Screen (A.A.S.) in 1992 as a clinician-administered sexual and physical violence assessment tool for use in medical practice. A.A.S. includes five questions about the experience of abusive behavior, three of which encourage the respondent to identify who is committing/committed that abuse. In addition to these questions, A.A.S. includes a figure of the female body for respondents to ‘map’ injuries as they appeared on their bodies and score these injuries from one (threat of abuse) to six (wound from weapon). A.A.S. does not use inclusive language and is focused on male-on-female violence. A.A.S. is a public domain tool, and a 1998 validation study by the original authors of the tool found A.A.S. to be a reliable and valid instrument for screening abuse. (CVR Abstract)
Abuse of People with Disabilities: Victims and Their Families Speak Out
(Disability and Abuse Project, 2013) Baladerian, Nora; Coleman, Thomas; Stream, Jim
The 2012 Survey on Abuse of People with Disabilities is the first national survey of its kind -- one that focuses on incidents of, responses to, and attitudes about abuse or crime victimization of children and adults with disabilities. The survey sought input from the public, especially from persons with disabilities and those who interact with them, such as family members, caregivers, service providers, and advocates. (Author Text)
Assessing Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Homicide
(National Institute of Justice (NIJ), 2003) Campbell, Jacquelyn; Webster, Daniel; Koziol-McLain, Jane; Campbell, Doris; Curry, Mary Ann; Gary, Faye; McFarlane, Judith; Sachs, Carolyn; Sharps, Phyllis; Ulrich, Yvonne; Wilt, Susan; Block, Carolyn Rebecca
A team of researchers studied the Danger Assessment and found that despite certain limitations, the tool can with some reliability identify women who may be at risk of being killed by their intimate partners. The study found that women who score 8 or higher on the Danger Assessment are at very grave risk (the average score for women who were murdered was just under 8). Women who score 4 or higher are at great risk (the average score for abused women was just over 3). The findings indicate that the Danger Assessment tool can assist in assessing battered women who may be at risk of being killed as well as those who are not. The study also found that almost half the murdered women studied did not recognize the high level of their risk. Thus, a tool like the Danger Assessment— or another risk assessment process— may assist women (and the professionals who help them) to better understand the potential for danger and the level of their risk. (Author Text)
Bullying at School and on the Street: Risk Factors and Outcomes Among Homeless Youth [Author Manuscript]
(Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2018) Tyler, Kimberly; Schmitz, Rachel
Though rates of bullying among general population youth are high, there is elevated prevalence among certain subgroups, in particular sexual minority homeless youth. Enduring bullying can have devastating consequences, including poor mental health, revictimization, and substance abuse. The current study compares risk factors (i.e., sexual orientation, gender, and child abuse) for being bullied both at school and on the street among homeless youth. We also examine the associations of both contexts of bullying (i.e., at school and on the street) with physical and sexual victimization while on the street, with illicit drug use. From July 2014 to October 2015, we interviewed 150 homeless youth aged 16 to 22 years in shelters and on the streets from two Midwestern cities. Our sample was 51% female and 22% identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). Results revealed that LGB youth experienced more frequent bullying at school and were more likely to have ever used one or more illicit drugs at least a few times compared with heterosexual youth. Moreover, youth who experienced more child abuse prior to leaving home were also victimized more often at school (school bullying) and on the street (street bullying). Young people who experienced more sexual and physical street victimization were more likely to report illicit drug use compared with those who had fewer street victimization experiences. Overall, youth who experience victimization in one context (i.e., home) are at heightened risk for being bullied in additional contexts (i.e., school). These findings have important policy and service intervention implications, such that service providers should attend to homeless youth’s multiple social contexts of victimization and the potential for youth’s illicit drug use as a coping mechanism. (Author Abstract)
The Counted: People killed by police in the US
(2016) Swaine, Jon; Laughland, Oliver; Lartey, Jamiles; McCarthy, Ciara
"The Counted is a project by the Guardian – and you – working to count the number of people killed by police and other law enforcement agencies in the United States throughout 2015 and 2016, to monitor their demographics and to tell the stories of how they died. The database will combine Guardian reporting with verified crowdsourced information to build a more comprehensive record of such fatalities. The Counted is the most thorough public accounting for deadly use of force in the US, but it will operate as an imperfect work in progress – and will be updated by Guardian reporters and interactive journalists as frequently and as promptly as possible. Contributions of any information that may improve the quality of our data will be greatly welcomed as we work from a dearth of available information toward better accountability. Please contact us to pass on tips, links and multimedia as well as new information on existing cases already recorded. It is reported by Jon Swaine, Oliver Laughland and Jamiles Lartey. It is designed and produced by Kenan Davis, Rich Harris, Nadja Popovich and Kenton Powell. ...["The Counted" includes] any deaths arising directly from encounters with law enforcement. This will inevitably include, but will likely not be limited to, people who were shot, tasered and struck by police vehicles as well those who died in police custody....At present, the Guardian is collecting data on those killed by police specifically in 2015 and 2016." (The Guardian Text)
Danger Assessment (DA)
(Sage Publications, 2004) Campbell, J.C.
Dr. Jaquelyn Campbell and John Hopkins School of Nursing developed the Danger Assessment (DA) screening tool in 1986, finalizing it in 2004, as a proprietary instrument “that helps to determine the level of danger an abused woman has of being killed by her partner.” The DA is designed for use mainly within the medical profession, but is also valid for use by victim service providers. The assessment is constructed in two parts. The first, which requires an outside element, asks women to quantify the severity and frequency of their experience of abuse in the past year by marking incidents on a standard calendar. The second is a 20-item questionnaire asking the respondent to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to detailed questions about their partner’s abusive behavior. After the respondent answers all 20 items, the questionnaire encourages them to total all the ‘yes’ answers and “talk to [their] nurse, advocate, or counselor about what the Danger Assessment means in [their] situation.” Multiple versions of the DA are available, including in multiple languages, for female same-sex relationships, and for immigrant women. DA is validated and, although proprietary to the John Hopkins School of Nursing, available for download and use through this link. (CVR Abstract)
Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect For Adult Survivors
(American Society for the Positive Care of Children, 2017) Hunter, Cathryn
Experiencing abuse and neglect in childhood can lead to adverse outcomes in adulthood. The purpose of this blog is to indicate the potential long-term effects of child abuse and neglect that may extend into adulthood. (Author Text)
Evaluating Elder Abuse Research Studies
(Center on Elder Abuse, 2012) Lachs, Mark; Twomey, Mary S.
This video is a recording of a podcast sponsored by the Center on Elder Abuse that includes visual slides. The video is part one of a two-part series titled "Elder Abuse Research for Non-Researchers." The collection addresses evaluating elder abuse research studies and research on elder abuse incidence and prevalence. Dr. Mark Lachs, a geriatrician, and researcher from the Weill Cornell Medical College and the Director of the New York City Elder Abuse Center is interviewed by Mary S. Twomey, of the National Center on Elder Abuse at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Lachs discusses: What should you look for in a good research study? How can elder abuse research be applied to practice? What is the difference between incidence and prevalence? What are some future directions in elder abuse research? The audio and PowerPoint slides can be downloaded from iTunes University - UC Irvine. (CVRL Abstract)
Exposure to Violence Weakens Short Term Memory [Podcast Episode]
(The Naked Scientists, 2017) Ortovela, Pietro; Ashcroft, Alexandra
Short term memory is incredibly important in day to day life, whether you're driving to work, having a conversation or reading through the Naked Scientists website. However, scientists from Princeton University, Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy have found evidence that exposure to violence reduces short term memory, even if the violent incident occurred more than a decade ago. Alexandra Ashcroft spoke to Pietro Ortoleva to find out more. (Author Text)
Fear and the Defense Cascade: Clinical Implications and Management
(Wolters Kluwer, 2015) Kozlowska, Kasia; Walker, Peter; McLean, Loyola; Carrive, Pascal
Evolution has endowed all humans with a continuum of innate, hard-wired, automatically activated defense behaviors, termed the defense cascade. Arousal is the first step in activating the defense cascade; flight or fight is an active defense response for dealing with threat; freezing is a flight-or-fight response put on hold; tonic immobility and collapsed immobility are responses of last resort to inescapable threat, when active defense responses have failed; and quiescent immobility is a state of quiescence that promotes rest and healing. Each of these defense reactions has a distinctive neural pattern mediated by a common neural pathway: activation and inhibition of particular functional components in the amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, and sympathetic and vagal nuclei. Unlike animals, which generally are able to restore their standard mode of functioning once the danger is past, humans often are not, and they may find themselves locked into the same, recurring pattern of response tied in with the original danger or trauma. Understanding the signature patterns of these innate responses—the particular components that combine to yield the given pattern of defense—is important for developing treatment interventions. Effective interventions aim to activate or deactivate one or more components of the signature neural pattern, thereby producing a shift in the neural pattern and, with it, in mind-body state. The process of shifting the neural pattern is the necessary first step in unlocking the patient’s trauma response, in breaking the cycle of suffering, and in helping the patient to adapt to, and overcome, past trauma....The first goal of this article is to examine the defense responses through the lens of neuroscience and to elaborate a model that explains their brain and body mechanisms....The second goal is to use that model to understand different clinical presentations and phenomena, and to determine appropriate treatment and management of patients. (Author Text)
Human Trafficking and Individuals with Disabilities
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2018) Pak, Jae Jin; Reid, Joan; Vandenberg, Martina
The HHS National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center hosted a 90-minute webinar that highlights emerging trends, case studies, and best practices for providing supportive and comprehensive services for individuals with disabilities.... The Webinar addresses bias, stigmas, and risk factors that may lead to victimization of individuals with disabilities. Perspectives from researchers, service providers, and leaders are also provided to understand contributing factors to susceptibility to trafficking and discuss prevention from each of these lenses. Finally, the Webinar will guide participants into being able to identify promising practices and service responses that address underlying issues that can put individuals with disabilities at risk. (Author Text)
Hurt, Insulted, Threatened with Harm and Screamed Domestic Violence Tool (HITS)
(1998) Sherin, K.M.; Sinacore, J.M.; Li, X.; Zitter, R.E.; Shakil, A.
Sherin, Sinacore, Li, Zitter, and Shakil developed the public domain Hurt, Insulted, Threatened with Harm and Screamed (HITS) domestic violence screening tool in 1998 to help medical professionals detect abuse. This tool could be integrated into the initial intake process in a family practice or be used if a medical professional suspects abuse may be occurring. HITS encourages clients to quantify the “risk of domestic violence” in their relationship by self-assessing how often toxic behaviors occur. After age, sex, and ethnicity can be entered, HITS centers on a five-by-seven scoring matrix. The left-most column asks “how often does your partner…” and provides the four ‘risk behaviors’ of interest: physical harm, insults, threat of physical harm, and screaming/cursing. Respondents score each of these categories along a continuum of one to five, where one is “Never” and five is “Frequently.” The directions beneath the matrix note that “a score greater than 10 signify that you are at risk of domestic violence abuse” before listing hotlines and providing links to the Baylor Trauma Center in Dallas, Texas, where this tool is currently in use. This tool can be used for both men and women (and nonbinary individuals if the tool administrator adapts proper pronouns). HITS is validated. (CVR Abstract)
The impact of sexual abuse on female development: Lessons from a multigenerational, longitudinal research study
(Development Psychopathology, 2011) Trickett, Penelope; Noll, Jennie; Putnam, Frank
This is a report on the research design and findings of a 23-year longitudinal study of the impact of intrafamilial sexual abuse on female development. The conceptual framework integrated concepts of psychological adjustment with theory regarding how psychobiological factors might impact development. Participants included 6- to 16-year-old females with substantiated sexual abuse and a demographically similar comparison group. A cross-sequential design was used and six assessments have taken place, with participants at median age 11 at the first assessment and median age 25 at the sixth assessment. Mothers of participants took part in the early assessments and offspring took part at the sixth assessment. Results of many analyses, both within circumscribed developmental stages and across development, indicated that sexually abused females (on average) showed deleterious sequelae across a host of biopsychosocial domains including: earlier onsets of puberty, cognitive deficits, depression, dissociative symptoms, maladaptive sexual development, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal attenuation, asymmetrical stress responses, high rates of obesity, more major illnesses and healthcare utilization, dropping out of high school, persistent psottraumatic stress disorder, self-mutilation, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnoses, physical and sexual revictimization, premature deliveries, teen motherhood, drug and alcohol abuse, and domestic violence. Offspring born to abused mothers were at increased risk for child maltreatment and overall maldevelopment. There was also a pattern of considerable within group variability. Based on this complex network of findings, implications for optimal treatments are elucidated. Translational aspects of extending observational research into clinical practice are discussed in terms that will likely have a sustained impact on several major public health initiatives. [CVRL Note: See Appendix A for summary of findings.](Author Abstract)
Improving the Criminal Justice System's Response to Victimization of Persons With Disabilities
(University of St. Thomas, 2016) Backstrom, James
One of the truly sad realities of the world we live in is that some of the most vulnerable persons in our society, those living with developmental disabilities, are at a much higher risk of criminal victimization than are others. Yet we hear very little about this problem, and we have a long way to go to fully understand it and develop tools and ideas to effectively address it. The time has come for criminal justice professionals to work together to better understand the dynamics of this serious problem, to establish policies and practices aimed at preventing this abuse from occurring in the first place, and to more efficiently and effectively intervene to address it when it has occurred. This article will identify the scope of this problem; identify specific laws in Minnesota designed to protect vulnerable victims; explore ways to overcome this problem; discuss the need for extra support and sensitivity during the investigation, charging, pretrial, and trial process; and discuss the importance of the sentencing phase of such cases....To better advocate for victims with disabilities, and to ensure that justice is imposed on their abusers, criminal justice agencies and victim assistance programs should begin by implementing specialized procedures for handling these cases. This paper has discussed some of the ways to better include victims with disabilities in the criminal investigation, charging, pre-trial, trial, and sentencing process. (Author Text)
Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Women
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2014)
This fact sheet explores the links between intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV among women in the U.S. It draws from statistics covering prevalence of both IPV and HIV, and covers the associations between the two, including the impact of IPV on HIV-affected women in terms of risk of violence, health outcomes, etc. It also explores how histories of victimization can precede both HIV risk and IPV risk. Lastly, it examines what the CDC is doing to address the issue. (Author Text)
Intimate Partner Violence among Sexual Minority Populations
(Crime Victims' Institute at Sam Houston State University, 2016) Jin, Hae Rim; Franklin, Cortney
Over the past three decades, the literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) has seen advances by including the victimization of same‐sex individuals. An understanding of interpersonal violence within gender and sexual minority populations has been largely overlooked in the criminal justice system and among victim advocacy organizations in the United States, despite the substantial harm produced by violence in relationships…This report provides an overview of the literature on same‐sex partner violence to encourage and facilitate appropriate, culturally‐sensitive service provision and response among advocates, social service agencies, and criminal justice system personnel. (Author Text)
Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) and Lethality Screen (LS)
(2005) Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence
The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence developed the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) in 2005 as a protocol for law enforcement and domestic violence service programs to encourage victims at risk of intimate partner violence victimization to use community resources and protect themselves. LAP as a whole includes policies and protocols for connecting victims with resources, but the Lethality Screen (LS) is the key assessment tool used within LAP. LS consists of seven questions designed to reveal the level of potentially lethal violence a victim experiences in their relationship, including questions about weapon ownership and past violence. The LAP explains when to implement the LS, noting that LS can not be used in situations where the victim has limited English proficiency or is in need of immediate medical attention, and warns against using the LS in cases of mutual battery. The LS is validated for use with parties over the age of 16. (CVR Abstract)
A Meaningful Struggle: Trauma Clients’ Experiences with an Inclusive Stabilization Group Approach
(Psychotherapy Research, 2013) Hjelen Stige, Signe; Rosenvinge, Jan; Traeen, Bente
The present study explores how trauma clients experience participation in an inclusive stabilization group approach. Upon completion of treatment, all 31 clients from six stabilization groups for women were invited to participate in a qualitative post-therapy interview study. Thirteen clients consented to participate. All interviews were carried out by a team of three health-care workers shortly after completion of treatment. Five main themes were identified: Dreading and Hoping; Preparing for Participation; Tuning in and Staying Put; Meeting Other Trauma Survivors; Acquiring a Stabilizing Ballast; and Being Receptive to Change. Participating in the stabilization group was experienced as demanding, while also providing new and helpful experiences. Participants emphasized the importance of being receptive to help in order to benefit from treatment. (Author Abstract)
Multiple and Repeat Victimization of Women with Physical Disabilities
(Eastern Norway Research Institute, 2010) Olsvik, Vigdis
The main topics of this paper, which was presented at the 11th European Conference on Traumatic Stress (ECOTS) in Oslo on June 15-17 2009, are to explore the concepts of multiple and repeat victimization with regard to violence suffered by women with physical disabilities; and to understand why some groups of people are victimized more frequently than others. In part one of this paper, I introduce the concept of multiple victimization, poly-victimization and repeat victimization together with a typology of violence grounded in the collective experience of the women in my qualitative study. I then illustrate my use of these concepts with some cases from this study. In part two, I explore different ways of understanding this type of violence with a specific focus on the theoretical perspective of intersectionality and on the value of using this concept in the analysis of power relations in abusive situations. I end the paper with some concluding remarks. (Author Text)
A Multiplicative Approach to Polyvictimization: A Study of Intimate Partner Violence Types as Risk Factors for Child Polyvictimization in South Korea
(International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019) Emery, Clifton; Yang, Hyerin; Kim, Oksoo; Ko, Yoonjeong
Drawing on a new typology of intimate partner violence (IPV), this paper tests the relationship between indicators of totalitarian and anarchic IPV and child polyvictimization incidence and severity [anarchic is defined as low order, chaotic, no consistent rules or legitimate power between intimate partners; totalitarian is defined as highly ordered, asymmetric power in intimate partners]. The paper argues for and utilizes a quantitative approach to study polyvictimization severity. Polyvictimization is operationalized as a multiplicative relationship between physical abuse and neglect in a random sample of 204 children from Kyunggi province, South Korea. The indicator of totalitarian IPV significantly predicted polyvictimization severity and incidence even when a traditional measure of intimate terrorism was held constant. The indicator of anarchic IPV significantly predicted polyvictimization severity but not incidence when a traditional measure of intimate terrorism was held constant. Implications are discussed. (Author Abstract)

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