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Connecting Childhood Victimization to Later Alcohol/Drug Problems: Implications for Prevention

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Abstract

This article addresses the connections between childhood victimization and the development of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and problems in late adolescence or during adulthood. Initially, we provide a brief overview of the definitions and rates of childhood victimization in the general population. The empirical evidence for the relationships between AOD and childhood victimization for both adult reports and adolescent/child reports are then examined. A brief summary of theoretical frameworks for these relationships follows. In conclusion, issues related to the development of new prevention models are offered with an emphasis on the intersection between victimization and AOD problems. Because victimization and AOD problems do not necessarily occur within the same development period, there is emphasis on the importance of moving prevention efforts towards a lifespan focus. Program implications are different for preventing youth from being victims of childhood violence versus preventing the development of AOD problems. Concerns about intergenerational transmission of both violence and AOD problems may also require that different approaches to address the problems. A portfolio of preventive interventions is needed and a more inclusive targeting of appropriate individuals for these programs is recommended.

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  1. Prevention Research Center/PIRE, Berkeley, California

    Brenda A. Miller

  2. Research Center for Youth and Children, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York

    Richard F. Mancuso

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Miller, B.A., Mancuso, R.F. Connecting Childhood Victimization to Later Alcohol/Drug Problems: Implications for Prevention. The Journal of Primary Prevention 25, 149–169 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000042387.04080.7b

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