Risk Factors for Major Violence Among Homeless Women
Published in: Journal of Interpersonal Violence, v. 16, no. 8, Aug. 2001, p. 739-752
Posted on RAND.org on January 01, 2001
Read More
Access further information on this document at jiv.sagepub.comThis article was published outside of RAND. The full text of the article can be found at the link above.
Violence against women is a significant public health, criminal, and social problem, but survey research with a focus on homeless women's experiences of violence is limited. Using self-report data from a probability sample of 974 homeless women in Los Angeles County, California, this study examines severity of homelessness, social and family characteristics, subsistence activities, and alcohol and drug abuse or dependence as predictors of major violence (i.e., being kicked, bitten, hit with a fist or object, beaten up, choked, burned, or threatened or harmed with a knife or gun). One third of the women experienced major violence during the year before they were interviewed. Greater severity of homelessness, engaging in subsistence activities, and victimization during childhood were significant predictors of major violence. Analyses suggested that drug dependence might influence victimization risk through sex trade. Major violence against homeless women requires attention from multiple service sectors.
This article was published outside of RAND. The full text of the article can be found at the link above.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation external publication series. Many RAND studies are published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, as chapters in commercial books, or as documents published by other organizations.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.