VULNERABILITY TO CRIMINAL EXPLOITATION - INFLUENCE OF INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE DIFFERENCES AMONG PEOPLE WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION

A study by Wilson & Brewer (1992) has indicated that people with menta l retardation are at greater risk of having a crime committed against them than age-matched cohorts from the general population. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that this heightened vulner ability is partially explained in terms of behavioural shortcomings re flecting interpersonal competence. Twenty victims of crime and 20 nonv ictims, all with mental retardation, were recruited so that means for age, adaptive behaviour and IQ were similar. Groups were compared on t he Test of Interpersonal Competence and Personal Vulnerability (TICPV) developed for the present study. Results showed poorer interpersonal competence among the victims, indicating that victims had difficulty i n deciding on the appropriate behaviour in some interactions. Performa nce on the test was shown to be internally consistent, stable over tim e and a valid measure of vulnerability. The study concluded with recom mendations for more detailed investigation of the precise behaviours w hich influence risk as a first step in an attempt at remediation.