Extrafamilial Victims Research Articles

Interpersonal Difficulties Arising from Child Sexual Abuse: Differences Between Intra-familial and Extra-familial Abuse Victims.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) often has serious implications for the victims. The scientific literature reflects a diversity of sequelae that may appear in the short and long term. Interpersonal difficulties have been shown to be one of the most common consequences. However, studies comparing these sequelae between victims of intra-familial (IF) and extra-familial (EF) CSA are scarce. The aim of this research was to analyze differences in dyadic satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and attachment patterns in adulthood between Spanish IF victims, EF victims, and non-victims of CSA. The Sexual Victimization Subscale of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, the Relationship Assessment Scale, the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale, and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire were administered to 140 adults (94 CSA victims and 46 non-victims) aged 18 to 54 years. CSA victims scored lower than the non-victims on the personal sexual satisfaction factor and attachment factors characterized by the need for approval, hostile resolution of conflicts, and emotional self-sufficiency. Statistically significant differences were also found between the victim groups in the factors characterized by the need for approval and communication of feelings and comfort with relationships showing the IF group to have more impairment in these areas than the EF group. In conclusion, CSA may have serious implications for the development of victims' interpersonal relationships. The context of sexual abuse and the relationship between victim and offender appears to play a role in the development of relational problems. These findings highlight the need to implement specific strategies in the psychological treatment of victims depending on their relationship with the offender and the environment in which the abuse occurred.

Contribution of a Cluster Approach to Identify the Profiles of Men Sentenced for Sexual Violence According to Their Risk of Reoffending.

The aim of this study is to propose a typology of recidivism risk profiles based on the criminogenic needs of a population of men sentenced for sexual violence. Their socio-demographic, criminological, psychological, and psychiatric factors and vulnerabilities are compared. This classification will respond to the need for a better identification of the factors involved in the risk of recidivism of men sentenced for sexual violence, in order to develop more effective management. Several psychological and psychiatric scales (personality traits, impulsivity, cognitive distortions, empathy, and psychiatric disorders) were completed by 86 men incarcerated for sexual violence. Their socio-demographic and criminological characteristics were also recorded, and the investigator rated three recidivism scales for all participants. Results: Cluster analysis led to identification of two significantly different needs groups. In contrast to the "Lower needs" profile (n = 54, 64%), the men with a "Higher needs" profile (n = 32, 36%) were significantly younger and less educated had more adult and extra-familial victims, scored higher on Neuroticism and lower on Conscientiousness and Empathy, and presented with more past and current psychiatric disorders. The overall findings of this study are consistent with the literature on the characteristics of men sentenced for sexual violence with high needs. The assessment and management of men who have committed sexual violence must consider: criminogenic factors, which should be prioritized; past or present psychiatric disorders, which may act as acute risk factors; and non-criminogenic needs, which should not be prioritized, but which may (when linked to criminogenic needs) impact the effectiveness of management.

A Qualitative Study of Young Women’s Abusive First Relationships: What Factors Shape their Process of Disclosure?

We qualitatively explored young women’s intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization within abusive first relationships (characterized by physical IPV, coercive control, and/or sexual IPV), and their disclosure process. We recruited a diverse sample (N = 21) from a university, a two-year college, and community sites serving low-income young women. We conducted retrospective, semi-structured interviews about their IPV experiences with their first boyfriends (M participant age when relationship started = 14.9 years old), and the factors that influenced their disclosure. We used grounded theory involving open, axial, and selective coding to analyze the role of social location; prior familial and extra-familial victimization; community, developmental, and situational factors; and stigmatization in shaping their experiences with IPV and disclosure. Four theoretical patterns emerged: 1) intimate terrorism, concomitant with the emergence of a quasi-parent-child dynamic between some participants and partners, and the role of these relationship characteristics in influencing disclosure, 2) key factors in those relationships marked by severe IPV but low fear, abuse minimization, and limited disclosure, 3) the role of IPV severity, type, and situational factors in distinguishing participants who sought help from law enforcement, and 4) how stigmatization, in concert with situational factors, shaped disclosure. Early IPV victimization is not uniformly experienced, and the disclosure process appears very complex and multi-determined. It is critical that we design IPV prevention and intervention approaches with this in mind, if we are to be effective in reaching an increasingly diverse generation of adolescents, facilitating their disclosure, and interrupting abuse.

Examining Direct and Indirect Pathways between Adolescent Extra-Familial Criminal Victimization and Adult Mental Health

This study examines the association between extra-familial criminal victimizations in adolescence and two mental health outcomes—depressive symptomology and suicide ideation—reported in adulthood (mean age = 28). Guided by the adverse childhood experiences and the stress process model, this association is explored while considering other salient predictors of adult mental health, including childhood abuse, negative life events experienced in adolescence and adult stressors including recent criminal victimization and economic strain. Utilizing Wave I (1994–1995) and IV (2008–2009) data from the restricted version of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescents to Adult Health, mediation analyses reveal that adolescent extra-familial victimization experiences are largely associated with adult mental health outcomes indirectly, via adolescent mental health. These results suggest that while such victimization experiences are important factors in understanding adult mental health and should be considered when examining the enduring consequences of adverse childhood experiences, this particular association is complex, nuanced, and only one ingredient in a mixture of an array of adverse experiences that affect adult mental health.

Women and Men who Committed Murder: Male/Female Psychopathic Homicides.

The present study was designed to compare gender differences in psychiatric diagnosis with the dimension of psychopathy in women and men who had attempted or committed homicide. The study samples consisted of 39 homicidal females and 48 homicidal males who were confined in one of Italy's REMS or prison facilities in two southern provinces of Italy (Puglia and Basilicata). Assessment instruments included the SCID-5, the PID-5 IRF, and the PCL-R. Each gender group was stratified according to the level of criminal responsibility for the homicidal offense (full, partial, absent), and after assessments, according to the degree of the psychopathic dimension. There were clear gender differences in homicidal individuals. Female offenders were less likely to have had a record of criminal charges/convictions or imprisonment, and their homicides were more often intrafamilial, victimizing especially of their children, whereas males targeted intimate partners and extrafamilial victims. In the entire group, there was an inverse relationship between the level of psychopathy and the personality disorder on one side, and the psychotic disturbance on the other. Factor 2 (lifestyle/antisocial dimension) of the PCL-R was higher among the homicidal males, whereas females tended to score higher on Factor 1 (the interpersonal/affective dimension). Finally, if the psychopathic dimension is a qualifier for antisocial personality disorder, as indicated in DSM-5, this appears to be less true for females who tend to have other personality disorders.

초기청소년기 가정 내 학대피해와 가정 외 폭력피해 및 자살시도: 다중폭력피해 관점의 적용

본 연구의 목적은 가정 내 학대피해에 노출된 초기청소년의 가정 외 폭력피해와 자살시도에 미치는 영향력을 검증하여 아동 및 청소년 대상 폭력의 예방을 위한 개입의 단초를 제공하는데 있다. 이를 위해 한국청소년정책연구원에서 2013년 진행한 ‘청소년 문제행동 저연령화 실태 및 정책과제연구’에서 수집된 횡단데이터를 활용하여 총 6,308명을 최종 분석 자료로 활용하였다. 본 연구의 주요 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 잠재계층분석 결과 가정 내 학대피해는 위험 수준에 따라 고위험, 저위험의 2개 집단으로 구분되며, 이 중 고위험집단은 전체 연구대상자의 13.2%로 분석되었다. 둘째, 가정 내학대피해 고위험집단일수록 가정 외 폭력피해에 포함되는 모든 유형에의 위험비가 유의미하게 높은 가운데 특히 이웃에 의한 신체 및 정서폭력 위험비가 가장 큰 것으로 나타났다. 또한 고위험집단일수록 피해의 중첩을 의미하는 누적 피해 위험도 유의미하게 높은 것으로 검증되었다. 셋째, 연구모형검증 결과, 가정 내 학대피해 고위험집단일수록 가정 외 폭력피해 위험 승산비가 2.8배 높은 것으로 분석되었다. 넷째, 가정 내 학대피해 고위험집단일수록 가정 외 폭력피해 및 자살시도 위험비도 2.1배 높은 것으로 나타났다. 이는 한 체계 내에서의 폭력 피해가 다른 체계에서의 폭력 피해의 위험요인이 된다는 다중폭력피해(poly-victimization) 관점을 지지하는 결과이다. 이러한 결과를 토대로 아동학대를 위시한 아동 및 청소년 대상 폭력 예방, 그리고 이로 인한 자살시도 위험을 감소시키기 위한 정책적 방안을 제안하였다.

Comparative Psychology of Children Who Experience Intra-familial Versus Extra-familial Victimization

This study is based on secondary analysis from a sample of individuals attending colleges in the United States. It is an examination of links between childhood victimization and subsequent depression. An assessment of the effect on depression of intra- and extra-familial victimization was made to identify the means by which each affects depression. It was hypothesized that victimization affects subsequent depression through its damaging impact on the development of social resources and personal resources, including family support, peer support, self-esteem, and mastery. It was hypothesized that the importance of each mediator in explaining the link between victimization and depression differs by the type of victimization experienced. To test these hypotheses, a series of hierarchical regression analyses were performed. Findings indicate that victimization by non-family is related to depression independent of victimization by family, but victimization by family is not related to depression independent of victimization by non-family. The resource variables demonstrated disparate mediating influences; each produced a different sized reduction in the strength of relationship between extra-familial victimization and depression.

Victim Crossover Index Offending Patterns and Predictors in a Portuguese Sample.

Sex offenders who cross over in victims' age, gender and relationship usually have a greater number of victims, which is associated with sexual recidivism. This investigation aimed to examine the prevalence of crossover index offending in Portugal, and to explore the predictive ability of sociodemographic and criminological variables on this outcome. A retrospective sample of 247 male individuals incarcerated for sex offenses in a Portuguese prison was drawn from official records. From those offenders with multiple victims (n = 94), 48% had victims of different age categories, 10% had both gendered victims, and 12% had intrafamilial and extrafamilial victims. Comparative statistics and logistic regressions were able to identify variables that distinguished noncrossover and crossover offenders and that predicted crossover, respectively. While likely underestimates of the prevalence of victim crossover, these findings are compared to previous international studies and provide a better understanding of the phenomenon.

A Systematic Review of Family Victimization Experiences Among Sexual Minority Youth.

Sexual minority youth experience substantially higher rates of family victimization than their heterosexual peers. No systematic review has yet identified the predictors and consequences in this vulnerable population of childhood abuse, exposure to sibling abuse and domestic violence, and sibling aggression. This systematic review aims to (a) describe differences in these family victimization rates by sexual orientation, gender, and race/ethnicity; (b) identify potential sexual minority and non-sexual minority-specific risk factors; and (c) identify physical, mental, and behavioral health and extrafamilial victimization correlates. The systematic review, which followed PRISMA guidelines, yielded 32 articles that met study inclusion criteria. Rates of childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse were consistently higher for sexual minority youth than for their heterosexual peers. Bisexual youth appear to be at greater risk for physical abuse than their gay and lesbian peers. Younger age at sexual minority milestones (first awareness, disclosure, and same-sex sexual contact) and higher levels of sexual minority-specific (sexuality disclosure, gender non-conformity) and non-sexual minority-specific (delinquent behaviors, parental drinking) risk factors were associated with higher rates of family victimization. Sexual minorities who experienced some form of childhood abuse reported more frequent physical (higher rates of HIV, higher BMIs, lower levels of perceived health), mental (higher rates of depression, PTSD symptoms, experiential avoidance, internalized homophobia), and behavioral (higher rates of suicidality, substance misuse, earlier sexual debut, unprotected anal sex) health problems relative to heterosexual or non-abused sexual minority peers. Sexual minority females who experienced childhood physical or sexual abuse were at greater risk than abused sexual minority males for sexual assault later in life. We conclude this systematic review with recommendations for future research, including the necessity for longitudinal research that utilizes a poly-victimization conceptual framework to identify the developmental pathways connecting risk factors, different types of family victimization, and health and extrafamilial victimization consequences.

The impact of extrafamilial victimization and poly-victimization on the psychological well-being of English young people

Childhood victimization impacts on the well-being of children and young people, particularly those experiencing an extreme amount of different types of victimization (i.e., poly-victims). However, limited attention has been given to the impact of different categories of extrafamilial victimization (experienced outside of the family), particularly in the UK. The intricacies of the significant detrimental impact poly-victimization has on victims are also poorly understood. In this study, 730 young people, aged 13 to 16 years (mean 13.8 years), from one county in the UK, were surveyed about their lifetime and past year experiences of extrafamilial victimization, the locations in which these occurred, and current trauma symptoms. The results showed that interpersonal forms of extrafamilial victimization (e.g., sexual victimization) were significant predictors of trauma, whilst more indirect forms of extrafamilial victimization (e.g., witnessing the victimization of others) were not. When extrafamilial poly-victimization and number of extrafamilial victim locations were accounted for within regression models, however, this impact was reduced. Poly-victimization within the past year was the strongest predictor of trauma symptoms. Number of victim locations did not significantly predict trauma symptoms above and beyond the impact of poly-victimization, although it was a contributory predictor. These findings suggest that a holistic exploration of a young person's extrafamilial victim experiences is needed in any clinical assessment or research into its psychological impact. Specifically, attention should be given to the experiencing of extreme levels of victimization (e.g., poly-victimization). Further longitudinal research is needed to understand why poly-victimization has the greatest impact on psychological well-being.

Les expériences d’adversité chez les auteurs d’infractions à caractère sexuel

Research has suggested that children who experience violence and sexual abuse are at risk for inappropriate behavior, including repeating the violence and sexual abuse as adults. Many theories posit that sexual victimization in childhood plays an important role in later sexual offending against children and studies generally find an association between childhood sexual abuse and sexual offending against children. The most prominent hypothesis about offenses against children is the “sexually abused – sexual abuser”. This hypothesis predicts that individuals victimized in childhood will perpetrate sexual abuse upon child victims in the future. This research's objective was to assess the childhood experience of care and abuse among sex offenders (sexual assault on children, adult or the both) in comparison to non-sex offenders in a forensic population (n=99). These experiences are evaluated with the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA), based on a semi-structured interview. The CECA evaluates the chronology, duration, and the intensity (no, low, moderate, high) of the different types of adversity (antipathy, neglect, parental violence, sexual, physical or psychological abuse). The aim is to identify the different adversities and types of care experienced by sex offenders, by type of type of sex offenders in comparison to non-sex offenders. The results are: non-sex offenders present fewer sexual abuses than AICS with young extrafamilial victims and AICS with children and adult victims. However, the severity of the abuse does not vary between the groups compared to neglect, physical abuse and parental violence. These three types of adversity are usually with a marked severity among non-sex offenders. The AICS showed less marked severities.

Intra- and Extra-Familial Victimization Experiences: Differentiating Between Incarcerated Serious Youth Offenders and Youth Rapists.

Although research is becoming increasingly nuanced by exploring differential risk factors linked with types of youth offenders, typological distinctions have rarely been made between youth rapists and other serious youth offenders. This study tests the relative effects of intra- and extra-familial victimization-while holding other theoretically driven variables constant-on membership in three mutually exclusive youth offending groups: non-serious non-sexual offenders (n = 4,013), serious non-sexual offenders (n = 2,571), and rapists (n = 489). Data were drawn from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP). Incarcerated youth (N = 7,073) were surveyed on multiple constructs. Using appropriate weights in analyses, a multinomial logistic regression (referencing serious offenders) revealed youth who were victims of intra-familial physical abuse (22%) and intra-familial forced sex (42%) had a decreased risk of being in the non-serious offender category relative to the serious offender category. Furthermore, intra-familial emotional abuse (75%) and intra-familial forced sex (202%) demonstrated an increased risk of being in the rapist category relative to serious offender category. Although extra-familial victimization was statistically significant, victimization within the family had larger effects when predicting rape group membership. The research and practice implications are discussed.

Discriminant factors for adolescent sexual offending: On the usefulness of considering both victim age and sibling incest

Understanding the pathways and circumstances of juvenile sexual offending is of utmost importance. However, juvenile sexual offenders (JSO) represent an especially diverse group of individuals, and several categorizations have been proposed to obtain more homogeneous subgroups. Victim age-based and family relation-based categorizations are particularly promising because they seem theoretically and clinically relevant. Empirical results however are still inconsistent, and most studies have not considered these two dimensions jointly. The first goal of this study was to further examine the value of subgrouping JSO according to the age of their victim. A second goal was to determine the supplementary value, if any, of considering sibling incest. Based on a sample of 351 male JSO, it was first confirmed that sexual abuse of children was more strongly related to asociality (social skill deficits) than sexual abuse of peers, the latter being more closely associated with antisociality (general delinquency). The relevance of considering mixed-type JSO (with both child and peer victims) separately was also confirmed. More importantly, multivariate statistical analyses demonstrated that adding sibling incest to the equation was useful. JSO of intra-familial child were significantly more likely to have been victimized during their own childhood compared to JSO with extra-familial victims. Nevertheless, adolescents who had committed sibling incest obtained middle ground results on most variables (except for crime severity), suggesting that they constitute a distinct but not extreme, subgroup. This study confirmed the utility of using both the age and the family relation with the victim in characterizing juvenile sexual offending.

The prevalence of childhood victimization experienced outside of the family: Findings from an English prevalence study

There has been little research carried out in the United Kingdom (UK) aimed at providing a holistic exploration of the victim experiences of young people within the school and community environments (extrafamilial victimization). This study therefore examined the prevalence of 24 different types of extrafamilial victimization experienced by a sample of 730 young people, aged 13–16 years (mean 13.8 years), from one county in the UK. The findings show that the vast majority of young people experienced some form of extrafamilial victimization over their lifetime (84.1%) and past year (67.2%). Looking at individual categories of victimization experienced over the lifetime, 7 out of 10 young people witnessed or experienced indirect victimization, 1 in 3 experienced property victimization, more than 1 in 4 physical victimization, almost 1 in 2 experienced bullying, 1 in 28 dating violence and 1 in 7 experienced sexual victimization. The findings also suggest that victimization is not an isolated event; participants experienced an average 2.8 different types of victimization across their lifetime. These research findings are compared to those from national victimization surveys in the USA and UK to compile a picture of the victimization prevalence rates across studies. The findings highlight the importance of adopting a holistic approach to the exploration of extrafamilial victimization in future research, assessment of victim experiences, and prevention of extrafamilial victimization.

Female sexual abuse and criminal justice intervention: A comparison of child protective service and criminal justice samples

Objective The current study compared a sample of female perpetrators reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) to a sample of women from the criminal justice system. Instead of examining a clinical or criminal justice sample in isolation, this comparison allows a more accurate description of female sexual offending. Methods Cases were drawn from a Midwestern state's child abuse registry, law enforcement records, and sex offender registry. The CPS sample consisted of 179 women, and the criminal justice system sample consisted of 57 women. All cases were reported to the agencies between 1994 and 2004. Results Victims ranged in age from 1 to 18 years old ( M = 9.98, SD = 4.37). As hypothesized, there were statistically significant differences between the CPS and criminal justice samples. Specifically, the CPS sample had a majority of victims under age 12 (74.9%), while the criminal justice sample had a majority of victims between ages 13 and 19 (73.8%). The CPS sample had predominantly intrafamilial victims (97.8%), while the criminal justice sample had a majority of extrafamilial victims (63.3%). The CPS sample also showed significantly more female victims (63.7%), while the criminal justice sample had mostly male victims (62.1%). Conclusions There were significant differences in the victim's age, the victim's gender and the perpetrator-victim relationship between cases managed in the CPS and the criminal justice system. The results highlight the need for further research into child welfare and law enforcement collaboration.

Specific Risk Assessment Based on Victim Type in Child Sexual Offenders

Actuarial instruments for assessing sex offender recidivism have limited utility for specific risk assessment questions, such as the risk posed to particular types of victim. In order to obtain variables that discriminate between offenders with different classes of victim, data were coded from 324 files of child sexual offenders from a community-based sexual offender treatment program. Offenders with single or multiple victims were compared, as were offenders who did or did not offend against victims of both genders, and offenders with only intra-familial or extra-familial victims versus offenders with victims in both relationship categories. Variables that discriminated single-victim and multiple-victim offenders were similar to those identified in actuarial risk assessment scales, with the exception of history of childhood sexual abuse. With the exception of physical abuse history, the same variables discriminated specific offender groups according to victim gender and victim relationship, although in different combinations. There was limited support for the notion of specific risk variables.

Probation Officers' and Judges' Discretionary Sanctioning Decisions about Sex Offenders: Differences Between Specialized and Standard Probation Units

This article focuses on discretionary judgements made about sex offenders on probation. The sample consisted of 567 sex offenders on standard adult probation and 395 sex offenders on specialized sex offender probation in four counties in Illinois. The authors found that probation officers in specialized sex offender probation units, which included intensive training on sex offenders and uniform sanctioning guidelines, made more predictable decisions to file violation of probation petitions (VOPs), and were more likely to file a VOP for treatment noncompliance, compared to probation officers in standard units. Moreover, specialized probation officers were more likely to consider chronic sexual deviancy and extra familial victims, which are two high-risk predictors of sexual recidivism, but also were found to be significantly more likely to file a VOP against noncompliant minorities than against noncompliant Caucasians. Judges were more likely to support specialized probation officers' decisions to request revocation when sex offenders committed a technical violation, treatment noncompliance, general recidivism, or violent recidivism, but not sexual recidivism. The article suggests that probation officers in standard probation and judges need additional training about sex offenders. This article suggests that uniform sanctioning guidelines and training on sex offenders may contribute to the criteria that probation officers use in deciding whether to file a VOP. The focus on discretionary judgments highlights the caveat that risk classification schemes should not be based on empirical analyses of predictors of probation termination, because this outcome entangles both discretionary judgments and noncompliant behavior.

A Brief Screening Scale to Identify Pedophilic Interests Among Child Molesters

Among child molesters, phallometrically measured sexual interest in children is associated with having male victims, multiple victims, younger victims, and extrafamilial victims. These sexual offense history variables are also associated with risk for sexual recidivism. The present study of 1, 113 child molesters was conducted to determine if these sexual offense history variables could be used as items in a brief screening scale to identify pedophilic interests (SSPI: Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interests). Using a cutoff score that classified 90% of a sample of 206 nonchild molesters as not having pedophilic interests, SSPI scores identified pedophilic interests among child molesters significantly better than did chance. In phallometric testing, individuals with the highest SSPI score were more than 5 times as likely to show pedophilic interests than individuals receiving the lowest score. The SSPI is not intended to be a substitute for phallometric testing, but it may be useful for triage and risk management when testing is difficult to conduct, or as a research instrument when phallometric data are unavailable.

Familial support as perceived by adult victims of childhood sexual abuse

With the increasing popularity of family therapies in cases of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), many studies have discussed the importance of familial support in the successful recovery of victims. Therefore, a systematic study exploring family support of victims was undertaken to shed light on the level of family support perceived by adult victims of CSA. It was anticipated that victims of intrafamilial CSA would report more family dissatisfaction and perceive less family support than extrafamilial victims. As hypothesized, intrafamilial victims reported significantly more general family dissatisfaction and specifically, perceived significantly less father, parent, and brother support. Additionally, the gender of the victim played a significant role: Male victims reported less father, parent and sister support and less family protectiveness after disclosure when compared to female victims. Based on the results, clinicians should be aware that issues of gender and relatedness may play a significant part in the effectiveness of their CSA clients' family support systems.

Familial support as perceived by adult victims of childhood sexual abuse.

With the increasing popularity of family therapies in cases of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), many studies have discussed the importance of familial support in the successful recovery of victims. Therefore, a systematic study exploring family support of victims was undertaken to shed light on the level of family support perceived by adult victims of CSA. It was anticipated that victims of intrafamilial CSA would report more family dissatisfaction and perceive less family support than extrafamilial victims. As hypothesized, intrafamilial victims reported significantly more general family dissatisfaction and specifically, perceived significantly less father, parent, and brother support. Additionally, the gender of the victim played a significant role: Male victims reported less father, parent and sister support and less family protectiveness after disclosure when compared to female victims. Based on the results, clinicians should be aware that issues of gender and relatedness may play a significant part in the effectiveness of their CSA clients' family support systems.