Dissertation
Predictors of Help Seeking for Feelings of Distress in Victims of Violent Crime
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
05/2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000007421
Abstract
Trauma can have devastating effects on survivors of violent crime. Victims may suffer increased emotional, physical and social problems, as well as employment and financial difficulties. Existing research has focused on specific victim groups such as female survivors of sexual assault or on how trauma has impacted their lives. The National Crime Victimization Survey provides data related to how violent crime affects victims, whether they report symptoms of trauma and whether they sought professional help for those feelings. Studying this broader sample of crime victims provides important data about what factors might predict if a victim seeks help. Victims who reported high levels of distress after the crime event were more likely to seek professional help for those feelings but other factors were also significant. Victims who received medical attention for injuries suffered, for example, were more likely to seek professional help for their feelings, as well as those who have medical insurance. This study opens the possibility that access to care, and other rarely considered variables may be significant predictors to whether victims seek help for trauma.
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Details
- Title
- Predictors of Help Seeking for Feelings of Distress in Victims of Violent Crime
- Creators
- Jilliene L. McKinstry
- Contributors
- Faith Lutze (Chair)Melanie-Angela Neuilly (Committee Member)Laurie Drapela (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 179
- Identifiers
- 99901221151601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation