Two of our own graduate students, Katie Constantin and Kirstie Boyett publish at Victims and Offenders
March 31, 2021
Katie Constantin and Kirstie Boyett published an article titled “Does Sexual Violence Victimization Contribute to Deviant Behavior? A Test of General Strain Theory” in Victims and Offenders. Katie starting this project that uses KLAMS data in the Deviant Behavior course. The article applies general strain theory to sexual violence victimization. According to general strain theory (GST), individuals engage in deviant behavior to reduce feelings of negative affect that occur because of strain. This paper examines the relationship between a unique type of strain – sexual violence victimization – and several deviant outcomes. Drawing on GST, the authors hypothesize that sexual violence victimization will increase the odds of substance abuse, alcohol use, and violent/aggressive behavior and that feelings of anger, anxiety, and depression will mediate the relationship between these factors. To test these relationships, they use data from the Kaplan Longitudinal and Multigenerational Study. Results indicate that sexual violence victimization increases all three types of deviant behavior. Negative affect, however, does not mediate the relationship.