Victims of Circumstance: An Analysis of Institutional Climate and Vicarious Victimization During Incarceration

Vicarious victimization is any victimizing event which an individual experiences indirectly through observation of others’ victimization experiences. Using vicarious victimization as the outcome, this study examines how incarcerated emerging adults experience vicarious victimization as related to the facility’s institutional climate. To understand this relationship, a series of multivariate negative binominal regression models are estimated ( n = 406) that explore various dimensions of the carceral environment according to respondents’ perceptions. Results demonstrate that facilities where respondents perceive the staff to engage in more negative behaviors are increasingly likely to report vicarious victimization. Inversely, respondents are less likely to experience vicarious victimization when the facility is perceived to be safe. Results demonstrate a strong relationship between the carceral environment and vicarious victimization.