This special issue of the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology intends to expand the examination of victimology and victim issues. The social problem of violence is universal, and there is much to learn from policies and programs that are found to be effective across the globe. The four issues in this special issue span global problems such as cybercrime, interpersonal violence, violent socialization, and the victimization of college students. Solutions to these harms include micro-level programmatic efforts as well as broader social-political efforts.
The current study examines country-specific risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among Guatemalan and Honduran women. More specifically, we examine if (in)equality between partners, experience of controlling or emotionally abusive behavior, and components of the intergenerational transmission of violence significantly affect the risk of lifetime IPV victimization for Guatemalan (N = 5,645) and Honduran women (N = 9,427). We address this by analyzing both the 2014 to 2015 Guatemala Demographic and Health Survey and the 2011 to 2012 Honduras Demographic and Health Survey. Results suggest that equality between partners operates differently across the two nations, which is likely related to social norms in each country. In particular, having more decisional input is a protective factor against IPV victimization for Guatemalan women. Increased educational attainment, however, is a risk factor for IPV victimization among Honduran women. Implications, especially as they pertain to social service agencies and programming, are discussed.
Stalking perpetrators may suffer from maladaptive personality traits, particularly if they stalk in the context of an (ex-)intimate relationship. To date, no study has examined how different personality attributions may relate to stalker motivation, or the behaviors they engage in, and how this differs across victim-perpetrator relationships. Further, the perspective of the victim is often not taken into consideration, even though most stalking victims know their stalker intimately and a majority are stalked by a former or current partner. The present study employed a correlational design to assess the relationship between stalking behaviors, motivation to stalk, and personality attributions, as perceived by the victim across an ex-intimate or other victim-perpetrator relationship. The study sample consisted of 100 victims of stalking (63% ex-intimate; 85% female) who were recruited through a National Stalking Helpline. Results align with and extend the results of previous researchers, most notably the high proportion of reported Cluster B-aligned personality attributions among stalkers, as well as the proportion of more under-researched personality attributions, and their associated risks. Victims of an ex-intimate partner were more likely to report their stalker was motivated by intimacy, and personality attributions aligned with both borderline and paranoid PD were more often reported than in other relationship contexts. Results and clinical implications are discussed.