Factors Associated with Victimization Experiences Among Juveniles Detained in a Chinese Correctional Facility: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Prison victimization constitutes a serious problem for organizations and individuals. It disrupts order in an institutional environment, and the experience of victimization can have a long-lasting psychological effect on incarcerated population, particularly juveniles. Relevant research suggests that the deprivation model and the importation model can help explain the occurrence of prison victimization. Using longitudinal data collected from a youth custodial facility in China, the current study examines factors that are believed to be predictors of prison victimization. Negative binomial regression, a commonly used tool for the analysis of prison victimization research using count data, is employed in the current study. The findings suggest that prior victimization experiences, reported record of violent delinquency, prison visitation, and demographics have significant impacts on in-prison victimization. The public policy implications of the findings are discussed at the end of the study.