Understanding the Effects of Perpetrators’ Aggressiveness and Victim-Related Factors on Sexual Revictimization: Stepwise GLM Analysis of the 2010 NISVS

Abstract

Studies on sexual revictimization have employed two distinct approaches: perpetrator-oriented and victim-oriented approaches. Although the former posits that sexual revictimization is associated with perpetrators’ aggressiveness and victim–offender proximity, the latter focuses on the effects of victims’ situational and behavioral factors. In addition to these conflicting approaches, studies have grappled with the fact that a large number of respondents have not experienced victimization, thereby impacting the analytical strategies that should be used. This study uses the data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey and employs stepwise zero-inflated and non-zero-inflated methods to examine the impact of perpetrator-oriented and victim-oriented approaches on sexual victimizations that occur by force and those that occur due to incapacitation while taking into consideration that the majority of respondents have not experienced the victimizations under study. Findings show that both perpetrator-oriented (particularly aggressiveness) and victim-oriented factors impact sexual revictimization. The implications of the findings and the limitations of this study are discussed.