Campus Crime and Victimization

Federal law requires colleges and universities to annually report their crime statistics. Case law further defines what liability these institutions face for failing to adequately and promptly respond to student victimization. Administrators and campus law enforcement should be aware of the factors associated with student victimization and the context in which it takes place. There are several theories found in the criminological literature that can inform these stakeholders. Furthermore, there are specific community policing programs that campus law enforcement can implement to help prevent student victimization within a harm-reduction framework. This chapter discusses crime and victimization on campus, federal reporting requirements, theories of student victimization, and related policy implications for institutions of higher education.

Crime and Victimization on College Campuses

Federal law requires colleges and universities to annually report their crime statistics. Case law further defines what liability these institutions face for failing to adequately and promptly respond to student victimization. Administrators and campus law enforcement should be aware of the factors associated with student victimization and the context in which it takes place. There are several theories found in the criminological literature that can inform these stakeholders. Furthermore, there are specific community policing programs that campus law enforcement can implement to help prevent student victimization within a harm-reduction framework. This chapter discusses crime and victimization on campus, federal reporting requirements, theories of student victimization, and related policy implications for institutions of higher education.

The Mediating Role of School Motivation in Linking Student Victimization and Academic Achievement

This study examined the mediating role of student school motivation in linking student victimization experiences and academic achievement among a nationally representative sample of students in 10th grade. Structural equation modeling supported that there were significant associations between student victimization and academic achievement for high school students. Give these significant associations, identification of the cognitive mechanisms that underlie these relationships is critical to understanding the plight of repeated victims. Our results indicated that students who reported frequent peer victimization also reported reduced school motivation (self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation), resulting in lower achievement in both reading and math. These pathways existed after accounting for differences in achievement that may be due to socioeconomic status and gender.