Unraveling the Sexual Victimization of Sex Workers: A Latent Class Analysis Through the Lens of Environmental Criminology

Chai, April Miin Miin; Chopin, Julien; Molnar, Lorena; Beauregard, Éric

doi:10.1177/00111287231151593

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…These variables were informed by lifestyle and routine activities theory. Prior victimological research that has employed such interactional theories has noted the importance of understanding these victim factors as they can heavily influence the crime (e.g., Chai et al., 2023; Chopin & Beauregard, 2023; Deslauriers‐Varin & Beauregard, 2010). However, much of the previous work has used proxy measures for victim lifestyle, such as age and demographic data (Kavanagh, 2015; Mustaine & Tewksbury, 1998).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even the definition of sexual homicide, put forth by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and widely adopted by many researchers, includes criteria that centers the state of the victim: their attire or lack of attire, the sexual positioning of their body, exposure of their sexual parts, evidence of foreign object insertion, signs of sexual activity, and signs of substitute sexual activity (Ressler et al., 1992). More recent work has introduced the idea of centering the victim and using victimological theories to understand crime (e.g., Chai et al., 2023; Chopin et al., 2023; Deslauriers‐Varin & Beauregard, 2010). An analysis of SH victims in particular could help further the understanding of how these theories perform when applied to violent interpersonal crimes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The utility of these theories at the micro‐level and their ability to make sense of victimization in certain violent crimes, such as SH, has yet to be thoroughly explored. Moreover, some of the latest work on the topic has looked at specific types of particularly vulnerable victims within the already niche population of sexual violence (e.g., elderly victims, Chopin & Beauregard, 2020; sex worker victims, Chai et al., 2023). Chan and Heide (2009) note the importance of shifting from a general overview of the individuals involved in these crimes to a focus on distinct types of sexual murderers and their victims.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identifying victim types in sexual homicide: A latent class analysis using interactional victimology theories

Georgoulis,

Beauregard,

Chopin

2024

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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Sexual homicide (SH) research has focused on those who commit these crimes and the crimes themselves. This leaves the victim, an equally crucial piece to the puzzle, left as a sort of afterthought, despite the valuable insight that victimology provides to the crime. For the current study, victim information related to their routine activities and lifestyles was taken from an international database containing 662 solved cases of SH. Nine victim variables were used in a latent class analysis to find hidden subgroups within the victim population. Three classes were identified—low‐risk, homebody, and overt risk victims—which suggests that SH victimization varies depending on the victim lifestyles and routine activities. These groups were externally validated by examining their association with different phases of the crime commission process. Some sexual homicide offenders may be more drawn to a victim because they present as vulnerable and opportunistic, while others might be methodically targeted. The theoretical relevance of this typology, along with investigative and prevention strategies, is discussed.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Identifying victim types in sexual homicide: A latent class analysis using interactional victimology theories

Georgoulis,

Beauregard,

Chopin

2024

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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“…Routine activity theory (RAT, Cohen and Felson 1979;Felson 1986;Sampson et al 2010;Sherman et al 1989) is one of the most tested and corroborated theories in criminology (Eck and Madensen 2015). Scholars such as Sanders and Campbell (2007) and Miin Chai et al (2023) have applied opportunity-based theories to the study of sex work. These theories focus on proximal causes of crime-instead of distal causes such as structural inequalities-and posit that that certain conditions and actors must converge in time and space in order for the crime to occur.…”

Section: Theoretical Framework: Routine Activity Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Risky business: voluntary sex workers as suitable victims of work-related crimes in a legalised prostitution environment

Molnar

Aebi

2023

Crime Prev Community Saf

Self Cite

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Many studies have analysed the violence to which sex workers (SWs) are exposed in countries where prostitution is criminalised, but violence in sex work when it is a legal and freelance activity has seldom been studied. This study is based on non-systematic participant observation and 14 interviews conducted with cisgender and transgender freelance SWs exercising their profession in Switzerland. Findings show that all the participants had been victims of work-related offences and that their victimisation can be interpreted through the updated version of Routine Activities Theory. Few reported the victimisation to the police although in general, they said that they appreciated the Swiss police. Most common perpetrators were customers, passers-by, and colleagues. The places where offences occurred can be defined as risky settings. The police, the SWs themselves and other actors such as social workers are identified as controllers, while the legal framework and NGOs themselves can be labelled as super-controllers. Our study suggests that public policies should not be limited simply to regulating prostitution, but also continuing to ensure SW’s safety by developing evidence-based prevention strategies.

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“…Globally, sex workers experience a disproportionate burden of violence compared to the general population [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Social and structural factors, including sex work-related stigma and the criminalization of sex work, are significant drivers of violence against female sex workers (FSWs) across geographic settings [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Transgender FSWs have a further heightened vulnerability to, and greater likelihood of experiencing, violence compared to cisgender FSWs [4, 6,14,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing typologies of violence exposure and associations with syndemic health outcomes among cisgender and transgender female sex workers living with HIV in the Dominican Republic

Maclin,

Wang,

Rodriguez-Diaz

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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Violence against women research largely excludes transgender women’s experiences and violence from perpetrators other than intimate partners. This study compares patterns of violence exposure among cisgender and transgender female sex workers (FSWs) and the associations with syndemic health outcomes. We used cross-sectional surveys from samples of cisgender and transgender FSWs living with HIV in the Dominican Republic (N = 211 and 100, respectively). We used latent class analysis to identify patterns of emotional, physical, and sexual violence and harassment by partners, clients, and police. We assessed sociodemographic and occupational predictors in relation to class membership, and class membership in relation to health (HIV continuum of care outcomes, mental health, substance use), using logistic regression. Two classes were identified in cisgender sample: Low Reported Violence Exposure (Class 1) and Sex Work-related Police Harassment (Class 2). Class 2 participants had greater odds of scoring abnormal or borderline abnormal anxiety on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A) (adjusted OR = 3.97, p<0.01), moderate-to-severe depression per the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (aOR = 5.74, p<0.01), and any illicit drug use in the past six months (aOR = 3.06, p<0.05), compared to Class 1. The transgender sample produced three classes: Low Reported Violence Exposure (Class 1); Sex Work-related Police Harassment (Class 2); and Sex Work-related Violence and Harassment (Class 3). Class 3 participants had greater odds of having anxiety (aOR = 6.65, p<0.01) and depression (aOR = 4.45, p<0.05), while Class 2 participants had greater odds of perfect ART adherence during the previous four days (aOR = 2.78, p<0.05), compared to Class 1. The more diverse and extreme violence patterns uncovered for the transgender sample show this group’s heightened risk, while similar patterns across groups regarding police abuse highlight a need for police-focused violence prevention interventions. Each sample’s highest violence class was associated with poor mental health, underscoring the need for mental health interventions for all FSWs.

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Unraveling the Sexual Victimization of Sex Workers: A Latent Class Analysis Through the Lens of Environmental Criminology

Cited by 3 publications

References 59 publications

Identifying victim types in sexual homicide: A latent class analysis using interactional victimology theories

Identifying victim types in sexual homicide: A latent class analysis using interactional victimology theories

Risky business: voluntary sex workers as suitable victims of work-related crimes in a legalised prostitution environment

Comparing typologies of violence exposure and associations with syndemic health outcomes among cisgender and transgender female sex workers living with HIV in the Dominican Republic

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