Callie Marie Rennison

Nonlethal intimate partner violence: examining race, gender, and income patterns.

The correlation between race of victim and intimate partner violence (IPV) is examined. Previous research showing a relationship between Black victims and higher levels of violence were based on uni-variate examinations and often do not consider other important factors. This paper presents national estimates of IPV by victim’s race using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), 1993–1999. The estimates based only on race are then disaggregated to account for the victim’s gender and household income. Uni-variate findings demonstrate that victim’s race is significantly related to rates of intimate partner violence. However, after controlling for both victim’s gender and annual household income, the victim’s race is no longer significant. The importance of understanding intimate partner violence through a person’s socioeconomic status rather than race is discussed.

Nonlethal Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: A Comparison of Three Age Cohorts

This article expands the small but growing literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) against mature females using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 1993 to 2001. Estimates depict the extent and nature of IPV against older women. Findings demonstrate relatively lower rates of IPV against mature females compared to younger victims. Findings describe the ways IPV is similar to and different from that experienced by young ervictims. A discussion of possible reasons for the relatively lower rates— including the uniqueness of the population, limitations of the NCVS, and measurement difficulties—is provided. Additional research using methodologies other than large-scale surveys is warranted to describe IPV of mature women.

Reporting to the police by Hispanic victims of violence

Though reporting violence to the police has been extensively investigated, the nature of Hispanic reporting of victimization has not. This is surprising because Hispanics are the fastest growing and largest ethnic group in the United States. Using over a decade of data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, this article investigates Hispanic reporting of victimization relative to non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, American Indians, and Asians. Findings show that Hispanics are significantly less likely to report the most serious of violence compared to non-Hispanic Whites, but are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to report simple assaults. Few reporting differences between Hispanics and other victim groups were observed. In addition, analyses indicate a positive relationship between educational attainment and reporting by Hispanics—a predictor not shared by any other group.

Intimate Relationship Status Variations in Violence Against Women Urban, Suburban, and Rural Differences

Woman abuse varies across intimate relationship categories (e.g., marriage, divorce, separation). However, it is unclear whether relationship status variations in violence against women differ across urban, suburban, and rural areas. We test the hypothesis that rural females, regardless of their intimate partner relationship status, are at higher risk of intimate violence than their urban and suburban counterparts. Results indicate that marital status is an important aspect of the relationship between intimate victimization and geographic area and that rural divorced and separated females are victimized at rates exceeding their urban counterparts.

The influence of childhood maltreatment and self-control on dating violence: a comparison of college students in the United States and South Korea.

Various aspects of social learning and self-control theories have been applied to partner violence among multiple samples in the United States, but these theoretical approaches have been less commonly studied cross-culturally. Consequently, childhood maltreatment and low self-control have been identified as risk factors for various outcomes in primarily American samples. This study examined the relationships between childhood maltreatment, low self-control, and dating violence among college students in South Korea and the United States. Findings indicated that experiencing childhood maltreatment and having low self-control were key predictors of perpetration and victimization for both psychological and physical relationship violence. Witnessing interparental violence during childhood was less consistently predictive of one’s involvement in a violent dating relationship. Implications for theory and policy are discussed.

Violence Against College Women A Review to Identify Limitations in Defining the Problem and Inform Future Research

Over the past 25 years, our understanding about violence against college women has greatly expanded, but it has been concentrated in particular areas. As a result, despite this increased attention, significant gaps in our knowledge still exist. One is a failure to take stock in how “violence” is defined and assess whether its current use adequately covers the variety of risks to which college women are exposed. We identify limitations in how the current literature operationalizes violence against college women and illustrate how addressing these limitations can inform and advance the field by identifying new patterns and correlates. We also propose a research agenda to explicitly examine the definition and scope of “violence” as considered in the study of college women.

Urban, Suburban, and Rural Variations in Separation/Divorce Rape/Sexual Assault Results from the National Crime Victimization Survey

To date, no large study has looked at whether separation/divorce sexual assault varies across urban, suburban, and rural areas. The authors use 1992-2009 NCVS (National Crime Victimization Survey) data to estimate the percentage of separation/divorce sexual assault against women in urban, suburban, and rural communities. In addition, the authors identify and compare the relative risk of sexual assault victimization for women across areas. Findings indicate that a higher percentage of rural divorced/separated women were victims of rape/sexual assault than were urban divorced/separated women. In addition, rural separated women are victims of intimate rape/sexual assault at significantly higher rates than their suburban and urban counterparts.

Violent Victimization of Hispanic College Students: Findings From the National Crime Victimization Survey

This study explores nonfatal violent victimization of Hispanic college students using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey. It compares annual victimization rates characterizing Hispanic students to non-Hispanic students and similarly aged Hispanics not enrolled in college. Results suggest a dramatic decline in student violent victimization rates for Hispanic and non-Hispanic students as well as Hispanics not enrolled in college over the past several years. Differences in the rates of violent victimization among Hispanic college students are identified, including factors related to characteristics of the victim, offender, and criminal incident. Finally, results are discussed in terms of their implications on future research as well as campus policies and administration.

Keeping the Barbarians Outside the Gate? Comparing Burglary Victimization in Gated and Non-Gated Communities

Despite the widely-held belief that gated communities are safer than their non-gated counterparts, little is known about the veracity of this assumption. Explanations rooted in routine activity theory and situational crime prevention suggest that restricted entry would reduce crime. Alternative explanations hypothesize that the overuse of security may actually increase crime. The present study explores this issue by comparing burglary victimizations in gated and non-gated communities using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey. We find support for the hypothesis that housing units in gated communities experience less burglary than their non-gated counterparts. Our findings also emphasize the diversity of gated communities and their residents, which is in stark contrast to commonly held perceptions of these areas as affluent enclaves. Future research is needed to further explore this initial finding and assess the influence, if any, of gated communities on other types of crime such as intimate violence and vandalism.

Reporting Violent Victimization to the Police: A Focus on Black, White, Asian and Hispanic Adolescent Victims

Explorations of patterns of why and when citizens report crime to police are an important area of study in the field of criminology and criminal justice. Initial National Crime Survey data suggest that a substantial proportion of crime went unreported to the authorities (i.e., law enforcement reports as reflected by the Uniform Crime Reports). The purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding about reporting violence against adolescents to the police. This research examines the extent and nature of reporting violence against juveniles to the police, and specifically focuses on how reporting differs between white, black, Asian and Hispanic adolescents. This area is important to investigate to ascertain whether all groups have equal access to the benefits of the Criminal Justice system. Additionally, understanding why adolescent victims or their agents fail to engage the criminal justice system in the wake of a violent victimization is relevant to the development of policy addressing weaknesses in the police response and the particular vulnerabilities of minority victims and their communities.