RT Article
T1 An Attractive Target: Do Perceptions of Physical Attractiveness Shape Victimization Risks in Women’s Prisons?
JF Victims & offenders
VO 20
IS 2
SP 276
OP 298
A1 Lindsay, Sadé L.
A2 Haynie, Dana L.
A2 and Edison, Story
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1920469028
AB Emerging research suggests that physical attractiveness may yield outcomes beyond preferential treatment, such as increasing the vulnerability to victimization during adolescence. Despite growing awareness of individual and institutional victimization risk factors during incarceration, research has yet to consider the role of physical attractiveness. Drawing on survey data collected from 223 women across two Pennsylvania prisons, this article investigates whether perceptions of physical attractiveness operate as protective or risk factors for victimization experienced while incarcerated. Logistic regression results show a significant positive association between interviewer-assessed perceptions of physical attractiveness and incarcerated women’s self-reported resident-on-resident victimization. Dominance analysis results indicate that perceptions of physical attractiveness ranked nearly as high as histories of abuse in predicting incarcerated women’s risk of victimization. This study uncovers an unintended consequence of physical attractiveness for imprisoned women, demonstrating their heightened susceptibility to in-prison victimization.
K1 Physical appearance
K1 physical attractiveness
K1 resident-on-resident victimization
K1 Women’s incarceration
DO 10.1080/15564886.2024.2356828