Effects of criminal victimization on the perception of the world in a sample of Colombian technical university students

Objective: The aim of this paper was to recognize the effects of criminal victimization on the perception of the world in a Colombian university sample. Method: A measure of the perception of the world was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of students of technical, technological and university careers (N = 3,436) from 33 Colombian cities. Results: The results showed an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .94, Omega = .94) of the world perception measure, as well as an acceptable construct validity (CFI = .93, TLI = .92, RMSEA = .07, SMSR = .04). Victims of crimes (i.e, sexual assault, road injuries, homicide or suicide of a family member, bullying) reported a view of the world, of others and of themselves, more negative than non-victims. In addition, men, older age, and people from lower social class reported a more negative perception of the world than women and people from middle and upper class. Finally, a high correlation was found between a higher regional crime rate and a perceived lack of control over one's life. Conclusions: Epidemiological implications of the results and of the effects of victimization on the individual's belief system are discussed.