Physical Revictimization Research Articles

Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Maltreatment in Childhood Are Differentially Associated With Sexual and Physical Revictimization in Adulthood

Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Maltreatment in Childhood Are Differentially Associated With Sexual and Physical Revictimization in Adulthood

Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Maltreatment in Childhood Are Differentially Associated With Sexual and Physical Revictimization in Adulthood.

Childhood maltreatment increases risk for sexual and physical revictimization in adulthood. The goal of the current study was to examine whether this risk is associated with specific maltreatment types (i.e., sexual vs. physical vs. emotional maltreatment vs. neglect) and perpetrators (i.e., mother vs. father). Participants included 720 adult women from North America and the United Kingdom, recruited through the online platform Prolific Academic. The severity of childhood maltreatment and adult physical and sexual victimization were assessed in two separate sessions through self-report questionnaires. All maltreatment types were modeled together to account for their co-occurrence. Greater severity of sexual maltreatment was significantly and independently associated with greater risk for sexual, physical, and sexual + physical revictimization. Further, in the full sample, risk of revictimization was predicted by greater severity of father-perpetrated emotional and physical maltreatment. In contrast, in subgroup analyses focusing on plurisexual (i.e., bi/pansexual) women, risk of revictimization was predicted by greater severity of mother-perpetrated emotional and physical maltreatment. These results suggest that girls with sexual and emotional maltreatment histories are at highest risk for revictimization. Future research identifying the biological, psychological, and social sequelae of these specific exposures may enable the development of specific intervention programs that have the potential for maximum efficacy in preventing further violence against women most at risk.

Sexual and physical revictimization in U.S. military veterans.

The present study examined revictimization, defined as sexual or physical assault in adulthood that followed a history of childhood maltreatment. We aimed to identify factors associated with revictimization over time in a group of U.S. military veterans deployed following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (9/11). As revictimization is associated with multiple negative mental health outcomes in the literature, identifying risk and protective factors can aid in the prevention of revictimization and associated poor health outcomes among veterans. In this sample, the proportion of adult revictimization was 2.7% for men, 95% CI [2.0, 3.6] and 22.9% for women, 95% CI [20.5, 25.8]. Using multilevel logistic models, we found that women, β=2.2, p<.001; Navy veterans, β=1.5, p<.001; and participants who reported posttraumatic stress symptoms, β=0.2, p=.028, were at significantly higher risk of revictimization across time compared to nonrevictimized counterparts. Social support while in the military was protective, β=-0.1, p<.001, against revictimization. In addition, childhood abuse experiences combined with characteristics such as female gender were related to an increased risk of revictimization during and following military service. The findings highlight opportunities for intervention and areas of strength within this population; social connection garnered during military service may serve as a protective factor against revictimization. Future research is needed to examine the role of social support in possibly lowering veterans' risk of revictimization over time, particularly for post-9/11 veterans struggling with transitioning from military to civilian life.

Revictimization Is Associated With Higher Cardiometabolic Risk in Sexual Minority Women.

Although there is evidence that interpersonal trauma is associated with cardiometabolic risk in women, previous studies have not assessed the potential role of revictimization (victimization in both childhood and adulthood) among sexual minority women. We used data from the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study to examine the associations of revictimization (including physical, sexual, and any revictimization) with self-reported psychosocial factors, health behaviors, and cardiometabolic risk factors (e.g., obesity, hypertension, and diabetes). We tested multiple logistic regression models, adjusted for covariates, to estimate odds ratios of the associations between revictimization and cardiometabolic risk. The sample included 615 sexual minority women with a mean age of 40.0years; 38.7% White. Eighty-three (13.5%) and 101 (16.4%) participants reported experiencing sexual revictimization and physical revictimization, respectively. Each form of revictimization was associated with higher odds of reporting lifetime depression and recent binge eating, but lower odds of having high social support. Physical revictimization was associated with higher odds of obesity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-4.10) and hypertension (AOR, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.70-6.46). Similarly, participants who reported any revictimization were more likely to have obesity (AOR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.42-3.92) and hypertension (AOR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.31-5.26). No form of revictimization was associated with a higher odds of diabetes. The higher odds of obesity and hypertension observed among sexual minority women who reported revictimization reinforce the need for early interventions to reduce cardiometabolic risk in this vulnerable population.

Lifetime Interpersonal Victimization Profiles and Mental Health Problems in a Nationally Representative Panel of Trauma-Exposed Adults From the United Kingdom.

Traumatic event exposure has been associated with negative psychological outcomes. There is, however, a dearth of research on revictimization. The current study examined patterns of lifetime interpersonal victimization based on six types of childhood maltreatment, physical and sexual assault, and assault with a weapon during adulthood via latent class analysis (LCA), with gender as covariate. Using a three-step approach, we assessed differences across the latent classes in symptoms and diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A trauma-exposed adult sample representative of the United Kingdom population (N = 1,051) was recruited online through a research panel. The mean participant age 47.18 years (SD = 15.00, range: 18-90 years; 68.4% female). The LCA identified five classes: lifetime polyvictimization (8.3%; 69.5% female), sexual revictimization (13.7%; 96.5% female), physical revictimization (12.5%; 1.5% male), childhood trauma (25.9%; 85.6% female), and limited victimization (39.7%; 40.3% female). Compared to the other classes, the polyvictimization class, followed by the childhood trauma class, demonstrated the highest scores on anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. The polyvictimization class had nearly a nine- to 33-fold increase in risk of depression, OR = 9.48, 95% CI [3.34, 26.87]; anxiety, OR = 12.10, 95% CI [5.36, 27.36]; and PTSD diagnoses, OR = 33.63, 95% CI [16.35, 69.43], compared to the limited victimization class. The findings facilitate the identification of individuals at risk for revictimization and indicate that evidence-based clinical interventions should be targeted toward those with exposure to revictimization and childhood trauma exposure to alleviate mental health challenges.

Patterns of victimization: A person-centered approach to physical and sexual violence in a representative sample of Danish youth.

Professionals and policy makers have only recently begun to recognize the extent to which different types of victimization are interconnected. To enhance our knowledge of the co-occurrence of physical and sexual violence across childhood and adolescence/early adulthood, the present study investigated distinct typologies of victimization in a sample of adolescents and young adults and explored the relationship between victimization typologies and gender, age, and mental health. Data from the Danish 2013 National Health Survey ("How are you?") were used. Latent class analysis (i.e., a person-centered approach) was used to identify typologies of physical and sexual victimization in a representative sample of 3812 adolescents and young adults aged 16-24 years. Five distinct victimization typologies emerged: a normative, non-victimization group (76%), a physical victimization in adolescence/early adulthood group (13%), a physical revictimization group (5%), a poly-victimization group (4%), and a physical victimization in childhood group (2%). Physical revictimization, poly-victimization, and physical victimization in childhood were highly associated with poor mental health status. Using a latent variable modeling approach, we identified meaningful subgroups of the victimized population. Two subgroups (i.e., physical revictimization and poly-victimization), which comprised a third of all individuals in the victimization subgroups, had a high probability of exposure to multiple traumatic events and poor mental health. These study findings underscore the need to promote interventions addressing the co-occurrence of physical and sexual victimization and the persistence of victimization over time.

Testing Two Approaches to Revictimization Prevention Among Adolescent Girls in the Child Welfare System

PurposeGirls in the child welfare system are at high risk of revictimization in adolescence. The present study compared two interventions designed to decrease revictimization in a diverse sample of adolescent child welfare–involved girls. The social learning/feminist (SL/F) intervention focused on concepts derived from social learning and feminist models of risk, such as sexism and beliefs about relationships. The risk detection/executive function (RD/EF) intervention focused on development of specific executive function abilities related to detecting and responding to risky situations/people. MethodsParticipants were randomized to RD/EF (n = 67) or SL/F intervention (n = 67). A group of youth (n = 42) engaged in the research assessments only. Participants (n = 180) were assessed before intervention, immediately after intervention, 2 months after intervention, and 6 months after intervention. We examined revictimization (the presence/absence of sexual or physical assault in any relationship) over time. ResultsAdolescent girls in the RD/EF condition were nearly five times less likely to report sexual revictimization compared with girls in the no-treatment group. A trend suggested that girls who participated in the SL/F intervention were 2.5 times less likely to report sexual revictimization relative to the no-treatment group. For physical revictimization, the odds of not being physically revictimized were three times greater in the SL/F condition and two times greater in the RD/EF condition compared with the no-treatment group. ConclusionsThe active interventions did not differ significantly from one another in rates of revictimization, suggesting that practitioners have at least two viable options to engage high-risk youth in revictimization prevention.

For Better or Worse: The Role of Revictimization and Stress in the Course of Treatment for Dissociative Disorders

Revictimization and life stressors are common among dissociative disorder (DD) patients, yet no studies have examined the prevalence rates for these experiences or their relationships with treatment outcome. This study aimed to examine the rates of revictimization and victimization of others using therapist–DD patient pairs from the naturalistic Treatment of Patients with Dissociative Disorders (TOP DD) study while also considering the role of revictimization and life stressors among 49 patients who greatly improved or worsened during 30 months of treatment. Therapists reported that sexual and physical revictimization in the previous 6 months was high among the patients (3.5%–7.0% and 4.1%–7.1% in the overall TOP DD sample, respectively), and emotional revictimization was quite high (29%–36%). Revictimization showed a decreasing trend over the 30 months of the study. Therapists reported that more than a quarter of the patients who were revictimized were also occasionally emotionally or physically abusive to others. More patients showed sudden improvement versus sudden worsening in patient-reported symptoms at 1 or more time point(s). Patients who improved had significantly fewer revictimizations and stressors overall than patients who worsened, suggesting that revictimization and/or stressors may contribute to worsening in treatment. Further research is needed to learn more about the roles of revictimization, victimization of others, and stressors in DD treatment. [Supplementary material is available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Trauma & Dissociation for the following supplemental resource: Baseline Demographic Information of TOP DD Improving and Worsening Subgroups]

Betrayal and revictimization: Preliminary findings.

The link between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent sexual, emotional, and physical revictimization has been widely reported. The literature is limited, however, in its exploration of the extent to which the level of betrayal inherent in a given childhood traumatic experience affects the likelihood of experiencing similar revictimization in adolescence and adulthood. This study assessed revictimization within a betrayal trauma framework among a sample of 271 college students. As predicted, individuals who reported experiencing high-betrayal trauma at any time point (childhood, adolescence, or adulthood) were more likely to report experiences of trauma high in betrayal during adolescence and adulthood. Relative risk ratios suggest that those who experience childhood trauma high in betrayal are 4.31 times more likely to be victimized in adolescence and 5.44 times more likely to be victimized in adulthood. Logistic regression analyses identified rate of childhood high-betrayal traumas and high levels of traumatic symptoms as significant predictors of high-betrayal trauma victimization in adolescence. Finally, participants’ responses to an exploratory self-report measure examining the relationship among revictimization, awareness for interpersonal betrayals, and response to betrayals in interpersonal contexts were analyzed. Preliminary findings indicate that revictimization risk may be linked to inaccurate identification of specific intimate partner betrayals and the inability to engage in proper self-protection. Suggestions for future research and clinical implications are discussed.

Sexual and physical revictimization among victims of severe childhood sexual abuse

Objective This 15-year prospective, longitudinal study examines adolescent and young-adult female self-reports of traumatic sexual and physical experiences occurring subsequent to substantiated childhood sexual abuse— revictimizations ( N = 89). Method These incidences were contrasted to sexual and physical victimizations reported by a group of non-abused comparison females ( N = 90). Results Abused females were almost twice as likely to have experienced sexual revictimization (odds = 1.99 ± 2.79, p < .05), and physical revictimization (odds = 1.96 ± 2.58, p < .05) as compared to victimization rates reported by comparison females. Abused females’ revictimizations were also more likely to have been perpetrated by older, non-peers and characterized by physical injury than were victimizations reported by comparison females. Conclusion Early childhood sexual abuse may provide information regarding the level of risk for recurrent sexual and physical victimization.

Labeling of Abuse Experiences and Rates of Victimization

Research has consistently found that a history of previous sexual victimization increases risk for future sexual assault, which might be due to women with a history of sexual victimization having difficulty identifying risky cues and not perceiving their own vulnerability for future assaults. This study investigated how acknowledgment of previous experiences with interpersonal violence is related to risk perception and rates of victimization. Participants were 198 college women who completed assessments of victimization, personal risk appraisal, and acknowledgment. Analyses indicated differences in rates of victimization based on labeling of experiences and differences in efforts to change behaviors to reduce risk for future assaults based on level of acknowledgment. Also, there were a number of situational factors significantly related to likelihood of acknowledgment. The findings differed for physical and sexual violence. This study suggests that acknowledgment is an important factor to consider in studies of sexual and physical revictimization.

The relationship between characteristics of sexual abuse and dissociative experiences.

Childhood sexual abuse has been associated with adult dissociative symptomatology. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between specific characteristics of sexual abuse and dissociative experiences in adulthood. Fifty-six female inpatients with a history of physical abuse and severe sexual abuse reported on their history of abuse and dissociative experiences. A logistic regression that controlled for physical revictimization showed that sexual abuse by a greater number of different sex abuse offenders was significantly related to an elevated level of dissociation. In exploring how many sex abuse offenders are associated with dissociative experiences, a logistic regression revealed a significant relationship between four or more sex abuse offenders and greater dissociative symptomatology. The reported age of onset of the sexual abuse was not a significant predictor of dissociation when sexual revictimization was included in the analysis. These findings suggest that severely traumatized patients with a history of multiple sex abuse offenders are highly likely to use dissociation as a primary psychological defense. The implications of the study are discussed.