7.1.5 Effect of Victimisation and Vulnerability

7.1.5 Effect of Victimisation and Vulnerability

Effect of Victimisation and Vulnerability: Anxiety States Including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Suggestibility; Anger and Aggressive Behaviour; Effect of Compensation on Presentation

Victimization and vulnerability can have significant effects on mental health and behaviour, particularly in the context of forensic psychiatry. Anxiety states, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suggestibility, anger and aggressive behaviour, are common responses to victimization and can have implications for forensic assessments and interventions. Additionally, compensation can impact the presentation of mental health symptoms and may influence an individual’s motivation to engage in treatment.

Anxiety states, including PTSD, are common among individuals who have experienced victimization, particularly trauma-related victimization such as sexual assault or physical abuse (Breslau et al., 1998). These conditions can lead to significant distress and functional impairment and may contribute to maladaptive coping strategies such as substance abuse or aggressive behaviour (Stewart & Pihl, 1994). Forensic evaluations may need to consider the impact of trauma on an individual’s behaviour and functioning, particularly in cases where victimization is a potential contributing factor to offending behaviour.

Suggestibility, or the tendency to accept suggestions from others as true, is also associated with victimization and trauma (Gudjonsson, 2003). In forensic contexts, suggestibility can impact an individual’s responses to questioning or interrogation and may lead to false confessions or unreliable testimony (Gudjonsson, 2018). Evaluators may need to consider the potential impact of suggestibility on an individual’s ability to provide accurate information or make sound decisions.

Anger and aggressive behaviour are also common responses to victimization and may contribute to aggressive or violent offending behaviour (Stewart & Pihl, 1994). Forensic evaluations may need to consider the role of anger and aggression in an individual’s offending behaviour and develop interventions to address these underlying factors.

Compensation can also impact an individual’s presentation of mental health symptoms and behaviour. In some cases, individuals may exaggerate or fabricate symptoms in order to increase the likelihood of receiving compensation (Rogers et al., 2008). Forensic evaluations may need to consider the impact of compensation on an individual’s presentation of symptoms and behaviour.

References:

  1. Breslau, N., Davis, G. C., Andreski, P., Peterson, E. (1998). Traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder in an urban population of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 55(7), 581-588.
  2. Gudjonsson, G. H. (2003). The psychology of interrogations, confessions, and testimony. John Wiley & Sons.
  3. Gudjonsson, G. H. (2018). The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales (GSS 1 & 2). Routledge.
  4. Rogers, R., Bagby, R. M., & Dickens, S. E. (2008). A structured interview approach to the detection of malingering and deception. In R. Rogers (Ed.), Clinical assessment of malingering and deception (3rd ed., pp. 157-188). Guilford Press.
  5. Stewart, S. H., & Pihl, R. O. (1994). Anxiety and alcohol-related aggression in men and women. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 55(3), 298-307.