Risks of Minor and Serious Violent Victimization in Prison

Abstract

The authors use the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities 2004, which includes 18,185 respondents, to examine why some inmates are more likely to experience violent victimization in prison, focusing on the effects of mental disorders, physical disabilities, and physical size. The authors test four hypotheses based on patterns of minor versus serious victimization and two mediators for provocative behaviors: verbal abuse and physical assault. (1) The authors do not find much support for the hypothesis that inmates with mental disorders, physical disabilities, or small physical size are stigmatized as being vulnerable. Inmates with symptoms of delusions are the only exception. (2) The authors do not find support for the hypothesis that inmates with mental disorders are labeled as being threatening, but they do find support for inmates with larger physical size. (3) The authors find support for the hypothesis that provocation contributes to the victimization of inmates with some types of mental disorders: personality disorders and paranoid thoughts. The victimization of inmates with other mental disorders is not explained by provocation, however. (4) The authors find tentative support for the hypothesis of reversed causality between some types of physical disabilities and serious violent victimization: Paralysis and brain injuries are probably consequences of serious violent victimization while in prison. In contrast, arthritis is a risk factor for victimization.