Abstract
Institutional Violence: how do Inmates Respond?
500 inmates in a maximum-security prison in Tennessee completed a questionnaire about the precautions they took to avoid being victimized in prison. Results show that fearful, older & socially isolated inmates tend to use more avoidance techniques to decrease their risk. Younger offenders, with longer histories of institutionalization & more past victimization experiences, use more aggressive techniques such as possessing weapons or lifting weights to reduce the risk of being victimized.