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

Abstract

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.

Transgender Experiences with Violent Victimization and their Effects on Mental Health in Adulthood

“…The study found partial support for Freyd's betrayal trauma theory. 38 Consistent with prior research, 39 trans persons who experienced parental physical maltreatment were more likely to report revictimization in adulthood. When different types of childhood victimization were modeled simultaneously, emotional maltreatment (bullying), sexual maltreatment, and parental physical victimization were significantly associated with revictimization in adulthood.…”

Sex differences in the association between (sexual) abuse and lower urinary tract symptoms

“…Particularly the childhood abuse group was small, as respondents who had experienced trauma both in childhood and adulthood were excluded from the analysis. The fact that more than half of the victims experienced abuse both in childhood and in adulthood is consistent with the phenomenon of revictimization: childhood abuse increases the risk of revictimization in adulthood 23 …”

“…The fact that more than half of the victims experienced abuse both in childhood and in adulthood is consistent with the phenomenon of revictimization: childhood abuse increases the risk of revictimization in adulthood. 23…”

Stress Across the Lifespan in Canada: From Risk to Management. Conference Report

“…The Stress and Developmental symposium discussed the feasibility of pivoting stress research in children to remote platforms and the role of parental care and childhood adversity on the regulation of stress-sensitive systems [27][28][29][30]. Presenters showed that stress reactivity in young children is not only moderated by the child's mental health risk status but may also be buffered by parental presence during stress induction [29].…”

“…Although current findings are inconclusive [28], parental training interventions to enhance nurturing care have been proposed to help regulate stress-sensitive systems and to foster the wellbeing of the developing child. A sex and gender lens was also incorporated into this symposium, showing that early childhood maltreatment is robustly associated with revictimization among women; however, a more nuanced exploration of the type of maltreatment, the perpetrator (i.e., maternal or paternal), and sexual identity (monosexual vs. plurisexual) is integral to understanding how early childhood maltreatment may result in revictimization later in adulthood [30].…”