One hit makes the difference: the role of polyvictimization in childhood in lifetime revictimization on a southern European sample.
OBJECTIVE
To present statistics documenting the scope and the nature of child victimization, polyvictimization, and revictimization and to explore the relationship between victimization in childhood and later revictimization in adulthood.


METHODS
The sample comprises 975 undergraduates in a cross-sectional, retrospective design. Childhood victimization and lifetime revictimization were assessed using the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire.


RESULTS
26.59% of participants reported childhood interpersonal victimization and 16.80% reported an interpersonal victimization episode in adulthood. Polyvictimization was reported by 8.30%, whereas 7.50% of the sample suffered child victimization and adult revictimization. Multiple regression showed that child polyvictimization significantly predicted adult revictimization.


CONCLUSIONS
The results support the idea that polyvictimization in childhood exerts a cumulative effect on interpersonal victimization in adulthood. More importantly, polyvictimization is a key concept to understanding the risk of revictimization, even at low rates.
Noemí
N
Pereda
David
D
Gallardo-Pujol
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult