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BackgroundPrevious research has identified a number of variables that constitute potential risk factors for victimization and revictimization. However, it remains unclear which factors are associated not only with childhood or adolescent victimization, but specifically with revictimization. The aim of this study was to determine whether risk recognition ability and other variables previously associated with revictimization are specifically able to differentiate individuals with childhood victimization only from revictimized individuals, and thus to predict revictimization.MethodsParticipants were N = 85 women aged 21 to 64 years who were interpersonally victimized in childhood or adolescence only, interpersonally revictimized in another period of life, or not victimized. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine whether risk recognition ability, sensation seeking, self-efficacy, state dissociation, shame, guilt, assertiveness, and attachment anxiety predicted group membership.ResultsThe logistic regression analysis revealed risk recognition ability, attachment anxiety, state dissociation, and self-efficacy as significant predictors of revictimization. The final model accurately classified 82.4% of revictimized, 59.1% of victimized and 93.1% of non-victimized women. The overall classification rate was 80%.ConclusionsThis study suggests that risk recognition ability, attachment anxiety, self-efficacy, and state dissociation play a key role in revictimization. Increased risk recognition ability after an interpersonal trauma may act as a protective factor against repeated victimization that revictimized individuals may lack. A lack of increased risk recognition ability in combination with higher attachment anxiety, lower self-efficacy, and higher state dissociation may increase the risk of revictimization.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and interpersonal traumatization are frequently associated with trauma-related guilt and shame. However, research on generalized guilt and shame in PTSD is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate generalized explicit and implicit guilt and shame in interpersonal traumatization and PTSD. Interpersonally traumatized women either with PTSD (n = 28) or without PTSD (n = 32) and 32 nontraumatized women completed the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 and the Implicit Association Test to measure explicit and implicit guilt and shame. Explicit guilt and shame were significantly higher in women with PTSD than in traumatized women without PTSD. Traumatized women without PTSD showed significantly higher levels of explicit guilt and shame than nontraumatized women did. PTSD was associated with implicit guilt but not implicit shame. In addition to trauma-related guilt and shame, generalized explicit guilt and shame and implicit guilt seem to play a crucial role in PTSD.

Survivors of child interpersonal traumas are at increased risk of revictimisation in adulthood. Despite high prevalences of childhood victimization as well as adulthood revictimisation knowledge of psychological mechanisms underlying revictimisation is deficient. The present review describes and discusses different findings and theories on revictimisation. Derived from updated findings a bio-psycho-social model of vulnerability to revictimisation is developed.

Abstract. Although awareness of the importance of reconciliation in post-conflict societies has grown in recent decades, validated measures assessing victims’ attitudes toward reconciliation are lacking. To fill this gap, the Readiness to Reconcile Inventory (RRI) was developed and its factor structure and aspects of construct validity were psychometrically tested in two independent samples of survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Exploratory factor analysis in a sample of N = 247 survivors identified a 13-item, three-factor internal structure of the RRI that was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample of N = 830 survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime. All RRI subscales showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s αs from .80 to .83). Multiple-group analysis established configural, metric, and scalar invariance across sex. The RRI thus demonstrated good reliability and fulfilled some aspects of construct validity. It is a time-effective and easy-to-administer instrument for assessing readiness to reconcile in victims of war and conflict.

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Gentzler AL, Kerns KA. Associations between insecure attachment and sexual experiences. Pers Relatsh 2004; 11: 249-265 Hazan C, Shaver P. Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. J Pers Soc Psychol 1987; 5: 511-524 Jaremka L M, Glaser R, Loving TJ et al. Attachment anxiety is linked to alterations in cortisol production and cellular immunity. Psychol Sci 2013; 24: 272-279 Kearns MC, Calhoun KS. Sexual revictimization and interpersonal eff ectiveness. Violence Vict 2010; 25: 504-517 Kessler BL, Bieschke KJ. A retrospective analysis of shame, dissociation, and adult victimization in survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

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