Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to study the relationship between different areas of victimization (e.g., sexual victimization) and psychological symptoms taking into account the full range of victimizations adolescents suffer. The final aim is to contribute further evidence regarding the bias that those studies which focus on just one area of victimization may be introducing into our psychological knowledge. A total of 923 adolescents (62.4 % girls) between 14 and 18 years old were recruited from seven secondary schools in Catalonia, Spain. The Youth Self-report and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire were employed to assess psychological problems (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and victimization, respectively. The large majority of adolescents reported having experienced more than one area of victimization. However, Conventional Crime area was the one that was more reported in isolation. Overall, the explicative power of a particular area of victimization was greatly reduced or even lost its significance when the other areas were taken into account. However, some areas remained significant and were different by gender. Clinicians and researchers should take into account the whole range of victimizations adolescents suffer when intending to understand the psychological aftermaths of victimization. Some areas of victimization appear to be more important at explaining particular psychological symptoms, those being Peer and Sibling Victimization in the case of boys, and both Conventional Crime and Internet Victimization in the case of girls.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abad J, Forns M, Gómez J (2002) Emotional and behavioral problems as measured by the YSR: gender and age differences in Spanish adolescents. Eur J Psychol Assess 18(2):149–157
Abad J, Forns M, Amador JA, Martorell B (2000) Fiabilidad y validez del youth self report en una muestra de adolescentes. Reliability and validity of the youth self report in a sample of adolescents. Psicothema 12(1):49–54
Achenbach TM, Rescorla LA (2001) Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. Burlington: VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and Families
Bayarri E, Ezpeleta L, Granero R, de la Osa N, Domènech JM (2011) Degree of exposure to domestic violence, psychopathology, and functional impairment in children and adolescents. J Interpers Violence 26(6):1215–1231
Bifulco A, Moran P, Jacobs C, Bunn A (2009) Problem partners and parenting: exploring linkages with maternal insecure attachment style and adolescent offspring internalizing disorder. Attach Hum Dev 11(1):69–85
Cantón-Cortés D, Cantón J (2010) Coping with child sexual abuse among college students and post-traumatic stress disorder: the role of continuity of abuse and relationship with the perpetrator. Child Abuse Neglect 34(7):496–506
Cohen P, Cohen J, Kasen S, Velez C, Hartmark C, Johnson J, Rojas M, Brook J, Streuning E (1993) An epidemiological study of disorders in late childhood and adolescence–I Age- and gender-specific prevalence. J Child Psychol Psyc 34(6):851–867
Crosby JW, Oehler J, Capaccioli K (2010) The relationship between peer victimization and post-traumatic stress symptomatology in a rural sample. Psychol Schools 47(3):297–310
Cutler S, Nolen-Hoeksema S (1991) Accounting for sex differences in depression through female victimization: childhood sexual abuse. Sex Roles 24(7–8):425–438
Finkelhor D, Hamby SL, Ormrod RK, Turner HA (2005) The juvenile victimization questionnaire: reliability, validity, and national norms. Child Abuse Neglect 29(4):383–412
Finkelhor D, Ormrod RK, Turner HA (2007) Poly-victimization: a neglected component in child victimization. Child Abuse Neglect 31(1):7–26
Finkelhor D, Ormrod RK, Turner HA, Hamby SL (2005) Measuring poly-victimization using the juvenile victimization questionnaire. Child Abuse Neglect 29(11):1297–1312
Ford JD, Elhai JD, Connor DF, Frueh BC (2010) Poly-victimization and risk of posttraumatic, depressive, and substance use disorders and involvement in delinquency in a national sample of adolescents. J Adolescent Health 46(6):545–552
Gershon A, Minor K, Hayward C (2008) Gender, victimization, and psychiatric outcomes. Psychol Med 38(10):1377–1391
Grills AE, Ollendick TH (2002) Peer victimization, global self-worth, and anxiety in middle school children. J Clin Child Adol Psychol 31(1):59–68
Gustafsson PE, Nilsson D, Svedin CG (2009) Polytraumatization and psychological symptoms in children and adolescents. Eur Child Adoles Psy 18(5):274–283
Hamby SL, Finkelhor D, Ormrod RK, Turner HA (2004) The juvenile victimization questionnaire (JVQ): Administration and scoring manual. Crimes against Children Research Center, Durham
Hollingshead AB (1975) Four factor index of social status. Unpublished manuscript
Johansen VA, Wahl AK, Eilertsen DE, Weisaeth L (2007) Prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in physically injured victims of non-domestic violence: a longitudinal study. Soc Psych Psych Epid 42(7):583–593
Kearney CA, Wechsler A, Kaur H, Lemos-Miller A (2010) Posttraumatic stress disorder in maltreated youth: a review of contemporary research and thought. Clin Child Fam Psych 13(1):46–76
Kirchner T, Forns M, Soler L, Planellas. Post-traumatic stress problems among poly-victimized Spanish youth: Time effect of past vs. recent interpersonal victimizations. Child Abuse Neglect (2014). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.02.014
Marini ZA, Dane AV, Bosacki SL, Cura YLC- (2006) Direct and indirect bully-victims: Differential psychosocial risk factors associated with adolescents involved in bullying and victimization. Aggressive Behav 32(6):551–569
O’Donnell DA, Roberts WC, Schwab-Stone M (2011) Community violence exposure and post-traumatic stress reactions among Gambian youth: the moderating role of positive school climate. Soc Psych Psych Epid 46(1):59–67
Palesh OG, Classen CC, Field N, Kraemer HC, Spiegel D (2007) The relationship of child maltreatment and self-capacities with distress when telling one’s story of childhood sexual abuse. J Child Sex Abuse 16(4):63–80
Shenk CE, Noll JG, Cassarly JA (2010) A multiple mediational test of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury. J Youth Adolescence 39(4):335–342
Soler L, Paretilla C, Kirchner T, Forns M (2012) Effects of poly-victimization on self-esteem and post-traumatic stress symptoms in Spanish adolescents. Eur Child Adoles Psy 21(11):645–653
Soler L, Kirchner T, Paretilla C, Forns M (2013) Impact of poly-victimization on mental health: the mediator and/or moderator Role of Self-Esteem. J Interpers Violence 28(13):2695–2712
Soler L, Segura A, Kirchner T, Forns M (2013) Poly-victimization and Risk for Suicidal Phenomena in a Community sample of Spanish Adolescents. Violence Vict 28(5):899–912
Sullivan TN, Farrell AD, Kliewer W (2006) Peer victimization in early adolescence: association between physical and relational victimization and drug use, aggression, and delinquent behaviors among urban middle school students. Dev Psychopathol 18(1):119–137
Turner HA, Finkelhor D, Ormrod R (2010) Poly-victimization in a national sample of children and youth. Am J Prev Med 38(3):323–330
Turner HA, Finkelhor D, Ormrod R (2010) Child Mental Health Problems as Risk Factors for Victimization. Child Maltreatment 15(2):132–143
Ullman SE, Najdowski CJ, Filipas HH (2009) Child sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use: predictors of revictimization in adult sexual assault survivors. J Child Sex Abuse: Research, Treatment, & Program Innovations for Victims, Survivors, & Offenders 18(4):367–385
Ziv Y (2012) Exposure to violence, social information processing, and problem behavior in preschool children. Aggressive Behav 38(6):429–441
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by grants BES-2010-032381 and PSI 2009-11542 from Spain’s “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación”, under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by grant number 2014SGR1139 from the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants of the Government of Catalonia. The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire was translated by the Grup de Recerca en Victimització Infantil i Adolescent (2009) from the University of Barcelona, with the consent of the original authors.
Conflict of interest
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Soler, L., Forns, M., Kirchner, T. et al. Relationship between particular areas of victimization and mental health in the context of multiple victimizations in Spanish adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 24, 417–425 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0591-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0591-2