Victims Behind Bars
The August 2007 issue of Psychiatric Services presents the results of a study examining rates of sexual victimization among prison inmates with and without a mental disorder. Using inmates aged 18 or older in 13 prisons within a single mid-Atlantic state prison system (12 facilities for men and one for women), a total of 7,528 inmates completed the survey which was administered by audio-computer-assisted technology. Of the 6,964 male respondents, 58.5% were African American, 16.2% were non-Hispanic white, 19.8% were Hispanic, and 5.5% were of another race or ethnicity. Of the 564 female respondents, 48.4% were African American, 30.9% were non-Hispanic white, 14.4% were Hispanic, and 7.3% were of another race or ethnicity. Determination of history of mental disorder was based on self-reported previous treatment for particular mental disorders. Sexual victimization was measured by using questions adapted from the National Violence Against Women and Men surveys. The result indicated that approximately one in 12 male inmates with a mental disorder reported at least one incident of sexual victimization by another inmate over a six-month period, compared with one in 33 male inmates without a mental disorder. Among those with a mental disorder, sexual victimization was three times as high among female inmates (23.4%) as among male inmates (8.3%). African-American and Hispanic inmates with a mental disorder, independent of gender, reported higher rates of sexual victimization than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. The authors conclude by recognzing the hazards of prison life and call for the need to protect vulnerable inmates from predators inside prison. Screening for posttraumatic stress disorder and providing trauma-related treatment are vital.
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