Do repeat victims of interpersonal violence have different demographic and socioeconomic characters from non-repeat victims of interpersonal violence and the general population? A population-based case-control study

Abstract

Aim: To study if adult repeat victims of violence have different demographic and socioeconomic character from non-repeat victims of violence and the general population.

Methods: Case-control study comparing demographic and socioeconomic characteristics before first-time victimisation among repeat victims of violence to that of non-repeat victims and population-based controls. Repeat and non-repeat victims were included from an urban emergency department and an institute for forensic medicine. Data was analysed using logistic regression in unadjusted, semi-adjusted, and fully-adjusted models.

Results: For almost all demographic and socioeconomic factors in our study, the strongest associations were found when repeat victims were compared to population-based controls, whereas associations obtained from comparison with non-repeat victims were less pronounced. Compared to non-repeat victims, factors most strongly associated with repeat victimisation were being a pensioner (OR 3.21), being unemployed (OR 2.11), high level of lifetime unemployment (OR 1.50), high level of household crowding (OR 1.49), and living without a partner (OR 1.30). Compared to population-based controls, factors most strongly associated with victimisation were being a pensioner (OR 6.83), being unemployed (OR 3.01), living without a partner (OR 3.15), high level of lifetime unemployment (OR 2.40), high levels of household crowding (OR 2.35), large age difference to partner (OR 1.82), and citizenship in a country outside Europe (OR 1.61).

Conclusions: The study indicates that repeat victims of violence may be a demographic and socioeconomic subgroup of adult victims of violence characterised by certain pronounced risk factors which are already present at the time of the first episode of violent victimisation.