March 2012Vol. 13, No. 2Data on Multiple Types of Victimization
A recent study found that children and youth witnessing or experiencing one type of victimization are at much greater risk for experiencing other types of victimization—a problem known as polyvictimization. The study, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), used data from the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) and the Developmental Victimization Survey (DVS) to examine children who experienced physical assault, child maltreatment, sexual abuse, or bullying as well as those who witnessed violence at home, in school, or in the community. Major findings include:
- Forty-nine percent of youth experienced two or more kinds of victimization or exposure to violence, crime, or abuse in the last year, and 8 percent of youth experienced seven or more.
- Polyvictimized youth were more likely to experience serious victimization, faced more life adversities, and showed more signs of psychological distress than their peers.
- Factors most associated with polyvictimization included living in a violent family or neighborhood, living in a distressed and chaotic family, and having preexisting psychological symptoms.
- Victimization usually persisted over time and was most likely to start near the beginning of elementary or high school.
Professionals should be aware that the physical, mental, and emotional harm caused by polyvictimization is likely to accumulate and multiply over time. To improve services and support for polyvictimized children, the authors of the report offer recommendations in the areas of prevention, assessment, intervention, and treatment.
"Polyvictimization: Children's Exposure to Multiple Types of Violence, Crime, and Abuse," by D. Finkelhor, H. Turner, S. Hamby, and R. Ormrod, was published in the October 2011 issue of OJJDP's Juvenile Justice Bulletin. The study is available to download from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service website:
