Polyvictimization, childhood victimization, and psychological distress in college women.
Two studies examined the relationships among polyvictimization (i.e., high cumulative levels of victimization), six categories of childhood victimization (i.e., property crime, physical assault, peer/sibling, witnessed/indirect, sexual, and child maltreatment), and current psychological symptomatology in college females. Results indicated that exposure to multiple types of childhood victimization is common. Regression analyses revealed that polyvictimization accounted for a significant proportion of variability in scores for psychological distress beyond that accounted for by any victimization category alone. Moreover, the six categories separately accounted for little to no variability beyond that accounted for by polyvictimization. Finally, polyvictimization accounted for a significant proportion of variability in scores for psychological distress, beyond that already accounted for through the simultaneous entry of all six categories of victimization. Findings reiterate the importance for clinicians and researchers to comprehensively assess multiple categories of childhood victimization and polyvictimization and provide preliminary evidence that the total number of lifetime victimizations is at least as important, if not more important, than individual categories of victimization in predicting psychological distress.
Richmond
Jessica M
JM
Department of Psychology, Box 6946, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142, USA.
Elliott
Ann N
AN
Pierce
Thomas W
TW
Aspelmeier
Jeffery E
JE
Alexander
Apryl A
AA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology