Abstract
Four factors in Sparks's model of victim proneness were tested among 31 persons with mental retardation who were victims of a personal offense and 32 nonvictims with mental retardation. Factors were operationalized in terms of measures of anger, antisocial tendencies, eccentricities and odd mannerisms, interpersonal competence, recreational outings, and communication skills. Forty participants also responded to hypothetical scenarios depicting everyday situations commonly encountered. Results showed that victims were significantly more likely than nonvictims to report a hostile outlook and that they would display overt anger and aggression in a wide range of situations. Victims' responses to hypothetical scenarios were more likely to be confrontative or abusive to an initial approach by the perpetrator, whereas nonvictims were more likely to withdraw quietly. These indices of poorer interpersonal competence were independent from IQ and adaptive behavior.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.