Perceived Risk, Criminal Victimization, and Community Integration: Mental Health in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S1521-6136(2012)0000017014
• Date: 29 October 2012
• Published date: 29 October 2012
• Pages: 227-251
• Author: Alexander Lu

PERCEIVED RISK, CRIMINAL

VICTIMIZATION, AND

COMMUNITY INTEGRATION:

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE

AFTERMATH OF HURRICANES

KATRINA AND RITA

Alexander Lu

ABSTRACT

Purpose The author examines how perceived risk, criminal victimiza-

tion, and community integration affect the mental health of hurricane

evacuees. His objectives are (1) to examine how perceived risk and vic-

timization influence mental health in post-disaster contexts, (2) to ana-

lyze how social support and community integration mediate the effects

of perceived risk and victimization, and (3) to expand the theoretical

applicability of the stress process model by analyzing perceived risk and

victimization as stressors under disaster conditions.

Disasters, Hazards and Law

Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance, Volume 17, 227251

Copyright r2012 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited

All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

ISSN: 1521-6136/doi:10.1108/S1521-6136(2012)0000017014

227

Design/methodology/approach The author uses survey data collected

from 303 evacuees of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita residing in FEMA

trailer park communities in Louisiana. He estimates four nested regres-

sion models predicting depression and anxiety.

Findings As a personal judgment of perceived risk, feeling unsafe con-

sistently harms mental health net of residential instability and victimiza-

tion. Social support and social integration buffer the stress related to

personal judgments of perceived risk and residential instability.

Originality/value of paper Findings necessitate attention to residen-

tial stability, social integration, and community involvement in mitigat-

ing perceived risk, victimization, and poor mental health in post-disaster

communities.

INTRODUCTION

Scholars have recognized a schism between disaster research and broader

sociological concerns. Rather than focusing on the issues of specific institu-

tions charged with disaster management, Kathleen Tierney (2007) suggests

that sociologists of disaster concentrate on core sociological concerns. By

situating disaster research within broader theoretical frameworks, sociolo-

gists can focus on the commonalities that all disasters have regarding

origins, dynamics, and outcomes. As Quarantelli (2005, p. 330) has argued,

“[W]e will do better disaster studies by being better sociologists.” More

specifically, Tierney (2000, 2007) identifies several frameworks from which

sociologists should draw to better integrate the study of disasters with

sociology: mental health, risk, and environment. Missing opportunities to

study emotional responses to environmental dangers, Hale (1996, p. 120)

noted “[B]y comparison with the output from other disciplines, there has

been relatively little work from social psychologists on the specific issue of

fear of crime.” Prompted by these disciplinary concerns, I use this chapter

to examine how perceived risk, criminal victimization, and community

environment affect the mental health of evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina

and Rita.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, wreak-

ing havoc across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Soon after, Hurri-

cane Rita impacted Louisiana and Texas on September 24. Having been

in the path of both hurricanes, Louisiana incurred the most devastation.

228 ALEXANDER LU