Community crime against older people is of increasing concern but the relationship between safety-seeking behaviours and continued psychological distress has not been examined. As existing assessment tools have limited validity, we aimed to investigate this by designing a novel person-reported safety-seeking behaviour measure (PRSBM) and conducting preliminary evaluation of its wider applicability.

We collected mixed-methods data from n=100 initially distressed older victims at 3 months post-crime, using the PRSBM. This asked older victims how often they engaged in six behaviours (checking, reassurance-seeking, rumination, avoidance, rituals, hypervigilance), what these were, how often, and how much they had changed since the crime. We measured continued distress using the two-item General Anxiety Disorder and Patient Health Questionnaires. We analysed qualitative behaviour data using codebook thematic analysis, quantitative data on behaviour frequency and change using logistic regression adjusted for gender, age and crime type, and explored the PRSBM psychometric structure using unique variable analysis.

Older victims reported a wide range of safety-seeking behaviours conceptually consistent with their experiences. Some were highly restrictive; others may help maintain independence. The frequency of checking, avoidance, and hypervigilance, and a change in avoidance, were most strongly associated with continued distress. The PRSBM was acceptable, comprehensive, and captured differences and commonalities in safety-seeking.

As older victims identified as avoidant appear at risk of losing their independence, referral for treatment is recommended. The PRSBM appears promising as a research and clinical tool in a range of settings, suggesting further testing in different populations would be worthwhile.