Criminal Victimisation and Depression in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Since the fall of communism in 1989, criminal victimization has become an issue in the Czech Republic, & research indicates that it is a stressful experience. The relationship between criminal victimization & depression was examined by adding fear of crime, protection against crime, avoidance of crime, mastery over one's life, social support, & trust in government (as well as sociodemographic controls) to successive regression equations. A total of 703 Czech households in the second of a three-wave (1994-1996) panel study were studied. For men, the total & direct effects of criminal victimization on depression were significant. However, the relation of men's fear of crime & depression was mediated by avoidance. For women, criminal victimization was not related to depression. The relation of women's fear of crime & depression was mediated by mastery. Interpretations of these results are grounded in the different relevance criminal victimization has for the well-being of men & women.