Criminal Victimization and Agency Attitudes in Mexico

Abstract

In regions with protracted violence, why do some people view collective resistance as personally agentive relative to other forms of political participation? I argue that victimization experiences shape attitudes about civilian agency. Specifically, individuals who experience direct victimization are most likely to view collective resistance as agentive. To test this, I conceptualize individual-level agency attitudes as a multiform outcome to measure if individuals report that voting, nonviolent organizing or armed organizing is the best way they can personally improve their security. I account for if respondents feel uncertain or apathetic to their situation. In addition, I employ novel measures of victimization to investigate the heterogenous effects of high and low intensity types of victimization, as well as the effects of direct and indirect victimization experiences. Using original survey data from Mexico’s criminal conflict, I find that direct victimization experiences are associated with viewing collective resistance as agentive.