TY - JOUR PY - 2024// TI - Examining the role of low self-control and psychopathy in explaining poly-victimization JO - Victims and offenders A1 - Kulig, Teresa C. A1 - Armstrong, Todd A. A1 - Krushas, Amber E. A1 - Boisvert, Danielle A1 - Wells, Jessica A1 - Lewis, Richard SP - 280 EP - 300 VL - 19 IS - 2 N2 - Although there has been research on the correlates of poly-victimization, studies have not fully considered the role of personality as a potential risk factor. The current study sought to address this gap by examining the personality characteristics of low self-control and psychopathy to assess how individuals who experience poly-victimization, defined as two or more different types of victimization, differ from non-victims and victims of only a single crime type. The sample was comprised of 872 undergraduate students at a southern university in the United States. Notably, 31.1% of victims experienced poly-victimization, including property, physical, or sexual harms. Consistent with prior work, lifestyle risk in the form of criminal behavior and adverse childhood experiences were associated with greater odds of poly-victimization. In addition, self-control proved to be a relatively robust correlate of poly-victimization. Psychopathy - measured as an aggregate measure and by separate subscale factors - was not associated with risk for poly-victimization. In this way, some subscales of personality traits such as low self-control seem to be important for explaining why some individuals experience poly-victimization. The findings provide preliminary evidence for personality traits as an important consideration in distinguishing poly-victimization from single- and non-victimization experiences in addition to other theoretically relevant factors.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1556-4886 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2022.2153955 ID - ref1 ER -