The effect of individual characteristics on susceptibility to aggressive and/or intimidating approaches: quantifying probability pathways by creating a victimization model

Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2023;14(2):2263147. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2263147. Epub 2023 Dec 13.

Abstract

Background: A significant body of literature has identified multiple factors that contribute to established victimization by aggressive and/or intimidating behaviours. These studies primarily originate from the fields of intimate partner violence (IPV), bullying, sexual abuse, and/or commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), and generally focus on female victims. It appears, however, complicated to quantify the cumulative contribution of these factors on susceptibility to intimidating and/or hostile engagements on an individual level.Objective: To develop a comprehensive risk model to quantify, on an individual level, the cumulative effects of previously reported characteristics on susceptibility to aggressive/intimidating approaches, leading to victimization (e.g. in the context of IPV/sexual abuse).Methods: A Bayesian belief network was developed using data from previous studies, capturing the multivariate contribution of previously reported characteristics on the likelihood of becoming victimized by aggressive and/or intimidating approaches (e.g. in the IPV/CSE context) in female victims aged 12-24 years.Results: The model showed that specific combinations of characteristics may contribute to an increased likelihood of victimization (e.g. in the context of IPV/bullying/sexual abuse or CSE). This likelihood could be quantified and categorized into specific clusters of factors differentiating between victimization by physically violent, non-physical, and/or sexual aggressive/intimidating approaches.Conclusion: The present model appears to be the first to successfully quantify the cumulative contribution of individual characteristics on the likelihood of becoming victimized by aggressive and/or intimidating approaches, typically leading to victimization. Moreover, the present scientific effort and resulting model suggest that there may be a latent variable mediating between the implemented factors and overall outcome, i.e. the susceptibility to aggressive and/or intimidating approaches. From that perspective, the model may also be considered as an initial outline to effectively indicate susceptibility to such approaches.

Antecedentes: Existe evidencia acumulada significativa que ha identificado múltiples factores que contribuyen a consolidar la victimización a través de conductas agresivas y/o intimidantes. Esta evidencia se origina principalmente de las áreas de violencia doméstica (VD), acoso escolar, abuso sexual y/o trata de personas (TP) que generalmente se enfocan en víctimas mujeres. Sin embargo, resulta complicado cuantificar la contribución acumulativa de estos factores sobre la susceptibilidad para desarrollar interacciones intimidantes y/u hostiles a nivel individual.

Objetivo: Desarrollar un modelo integral para la determinación cuantitativa del riesgo de los efectos acumulativos de las características previamente reportadas sobre la susceptibilidad para desarrollar interacciones agresivas/intimidantes que devengan en victimización (por ejemplo, en el contexto de VD o abuso sexual) a nivel individual.

Métodos: Se desarrolló una red predictiva bayesiana empelando datos de estudios previos y tomando la contribución multivariada de características previamente reportadas sobre la probabilidad de ser victimizado por interacciones agresivas y/o intimidantes (por ejemplo, en el contexto de VD o TP) en víctimas mujeres de 12 a 24 años.

Resultados: El modelo mostró combinaciones específicas de características que podrían contribuir a un riesgo incrementado de victimización (por ejemplo, en el contexto de VD, acoso sexual, abuso sexual, TP). Esta probabilidad podría ser cuantificada y categorizada en grupos de factores que diferencian la victimización por violencia física de aquella a través de interacciones no físicas y/o agresiones/intimidaciones sexuales.

Conclusiones: Este modelo impresiona ser el primero en cuantificar exitosamente la contribución acumulativa de las características individuales sobre la probabilidad de ser victimizado por interacciones agresivas y/o intimidantes que, por lo general, devienen en victimización. Asimismo, este esfuerzo científico y su modelo resultante sugieren que podría existir una variable latente que sea mediadora entre los factores implementados y el resultado general, siento esta variable la susceptibilidad para interacciones agresivas y/o intimidantes. Desde esta perspectiva, el modelo también podría ser considerado un primer boceto para identificar de forma efectiva la susceptibilidad para estas interacciones.

背景:大量文献确定了导致攻击性和/或恐吓行为受害的多种因素。这些研究主要源自亲密伴侣暴力 (IPV)、欺凌、性虐待和/或商业性剥削 (CSE) 领域,通常关注女性受害者。然而,量化这些因素对个人层面上恐吓和/或敌对行为的敏感性的累积贡献似乎很复杂。

目的:建立一个全面的风险模型,以在个人层面上量化先前报告的特征对攻击性/恐吓性方法易感性的累积影响,从而导致受害(例如,在 IPV/性虐待的情况下)。

方法:使用先前研究的数据开发了贝叶斯信念网络,捕获12 岁至 24岁的人先前报告的特征。

结果:模型表明,特定的特征组合可能会增加受害的可能性(例如,在 IPV/欺凌/性虐待,CSE 的情况下)。 这种可能性可以量化并分类为区分躯体暴力、非躯体和/或性攻击/恐吓接近受害的特定因素组。

结论:本模型似乎首次成功量化个人特征对成为攻击性和/或恐吓性接近受害者、通常会导致受害可能性的累积贡献。 此外,目前的科学努力和由此产生的模型表明,在实施的因素和总体结果之间很可能存在一个潜在变量,即对攻击性和/或恐吓性接近的敏感性。 从这个角度来看,该模型也可能被视为有效表明这些接近敏感性的第一个概述。

Keywords: Intimidación; Intimidation; aggression; agresión; características; characteristics; factores de riesgo; intimate partner violence; risk factors; susceptibilidad; susceptibility; victim; victimización; victimization; violencia doméstica; víctima; 亲密伴侣暴力; 侵略; 受害; 受害者; 恐吓; 易感性; 特征; 风险因素.

Plain language summary

This study constructed a Bayesian belief network of published statistics to quantify the cumulative effects of individual characteristics on victimization (e.g. in the context of IPV/sexual abuse/bullying/CSE).The model showed that the likelihood of victimization following aggressive and/or intimidating approaches could be quantified and categorized into three different features: the likelihood of becoming victimized by physically violent, non-physical, and/or sexual aggressive/intimidating approaches. The likelihood of becoming victimized by physically violent and non-physical aggressive/intimidating approaches seems to be predominantly characterized by risk factors such as depressive symptoms and elevated neuroticism. The likelihood of victimization by sexual intimidating approaches seems to be primarily associated with externalizing risk factors (e.g. impulsivity), strengthened by factors related to previous (negative) sexual experiences and early-onset puberty.This model could be considered as an initial outline to effectively indicate susceptibility to aggressive/intimidating approaches. The model may therefore be considered an applicable framework for future research to further unravel the complicated aggressive and/or intimidating victim–perpetrator interactions related to victimization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aggression
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Bullying*
  • Crime Victims*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Risk Factors

Grants and funding

This work was supported during a master’s programme, ‘Brain and Cognition in Society’, at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and by the National Security Programme, funded by the Dutch government.