The help-seeking strategies of female violent-crime victims: the direct and conditional effects of race and the victim-offender relationship

The author used national data to examine the help-seeking strategies of female crime victims. The research has two objectives. First, to determine whether help seeking exists as isolated choices or whether there is a discernable set of help-seeking strategies used by victims. Second, the author examined the effects of race and the victim-offender relationship on these help-seeking decisions. Findings identify three help-seeking strategies: (a) minimal or no help seeking, (b) family and friend help seeking, and (c) substantial help seeking (includes help from family, friends, psychiatrists, social service providers, and police). The author found that White women and victims of intimate partner violence are more likely to engage in increasing levels of help seeking. She also found that White women victimized by an intimate partner or other known offender are more likely (as compared to other victims) to seek increasing levels of help and social support.