Noemí Pereda

Victimization and polyvictimization of Spanish children and youth: Results from a community sample

Most research into adolescent victimization and polyvictimization has been carried out in the United States and in northern European countries. The present study aims to determine the prevalence of victimization and polyvictimization in a community sample of Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of 1,107 youth (M=14.52, SD=1.76), 590 males and 517 females, randomly recruited from 7 secondary schools in a north-eastern region in Spain. The Spanish version of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire was applied, assessing 6 aggregate categories of childhood victimization (conventional crimes, caregiver, peer and sibling, witnessed and indirect, sexual, and electronic victimization). A total of 83% of adolescents reported at least 1 type of victimization during their lives, and 68.6% during the last year. Boys were generally more exposed to conventional crimes (68.0%), and girls to emotional abuse by caregivers (23.0%) and to sexual (13.9%) and electronic (17.6%) victimization during their lifetime. Age differences obtained in victimization rates for the past year confirmed that peer and sibling victimization peak in early adolescence (33.9%). Witnessing community violence was more frequent in older adolescents (34.7%). Almost 20% of the sample was considered as polyvictims (i.e., experienced 4 [corrected] or more forms of victimization). Adolescent polyvictims experienced victimization in 4 or more domains during their lifetime. This study adds new information on the epidemiology of victimization in the international context and is the first to do so from the perspective of a country in south-western Europe. It illustrates that Spanish youth experience a higher level of victimization than official records suggest, and that gender and age should be taken into account when analyzing this complex area of study.

Polyvictimization and its relationship to symptoms of psychopathology in a southern European sample of adolescent outpatients

This study examined the relationship between accumulated experiences of victimization and symptoms of psychopathology in 132 adolescent outpatients aged 12-17 years (M=14.27; SD=1.42). The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire and the Youth Self-Report were used to analyze polyvictimization and symptoms of psychopathology, respectively. The interviews were conducted between December 2009 and May 2012. Cluster analysis identified a subgroup of polyvictimized patients (n=17) whose general psychological impairment was significantly worse and who presented significantly more externalizing and internalizing symptoms in comparison to the rest of the sample. This difference remained significant when taking into account the clinical severity of these symptoms. These results should be taken into account when assessing and treating adolescent outpatients, for whom an adequate prognosis must be made in line with their experiences and distress. Both the self-report technique and the statistical procedure used have been shown to be suitable for identifying victimization experiences in outpatients, although this new evidence requires confirmation in future research.

Multiple online victimization of Spanish adolescents: Results from a community sample

Little is known about online victimization of Spanish adolescents. The present study aims to determine the past-year prevalence of online victimization in a community sample of Spanish adolescents. The final sample consisted of 3,897 adolescents between 12 and 17 years old (M=14.45, SD=1.59), 1,836 males and 2,049 females, recruited from 39 secondary schools in the east of Spain. The Cuestionario de victimización juvenil mediante internet y/o teléfono móvil (hereinafter, Juvenile Online Victimization Questionnaire, JOV-Q, Montiel & Carbonell, 2012) was applied for the assessment of eight types of online victimization grouped in two major domains: sexual (sexual coercion, sexual pressure, online grooming by an adult, unwanted exposure to sexual content and violation of privacy); and nonsexual victimization (online harassment, happy slapping, pressure to obtain personal information). Sixty-one percent of adolescents reported online victimization during the last year. Online sexual victimization was reported by 39.5% of adolescents and nonsexual victimization by 53.4% of them, whereas 31% of youth reported having experienced online victimization in both domains. The highest prevalence rates were recorded for online harassment (50%), unwanted exposure to sexual content (24.4%), pressure to obtain personal information (18.4%) and online grooming by an adult (17.2%), and the lowest for sexual coercion (6.7%) and happy slapping (2.2%). Thirty-five percent of the adolescents were considered online polyvictims and most of them experienced victimization in both sexual and nonsexual domains (88%). This study illustrates that Spanish adolescents experience high levels of online victimization and that multiple online victimization appears to be the norm among cybervictims.

Victimization and Polyvictimization of Spanish Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice

Multiple victimization, or polyvictimization, is closely related to delinquency and crime, although few studies have studied these experiences in juvenile offenders. Therefore, the aim of this study is to present victimization rates in young offenders from a Southwestern European country. The sample consisted of 101 youth aged between 14 and 17 years, who were mainly recruited from detention centers (77.2%). From a lifetime perspective, the majority had suffered a criminal offense against the person (93.1%), exposure to community violence (95.0%), and peer victimization (86.1%). Prevalence rates for direct and indirect family violence were also high (63.4% and 43.6%). Electronic victimization reached a rate of 40.6% and sexual victimization of 15.8%. Past year experiences showed lower but similar patterns. Based on a community population criterion to define polyvictimization, 65.3% of the sample were considered lifetime polyvictims, while 41.6% were defined as past year polyvictims. Interventions to address multiple, concurrent forms of exposure to violence should be implemented in the justice system as polyvictimization has been revealed as a frequent reality in young offenders, which may result in antisocial behavior.

Internalizing symptoms and polyvictimization in a clinical sample of adolescents: the roles of social support and non-productive coping strategies

Given the high prevalence of internalizing disorders during adolescence, it is necessary to determine the factors influencing their development and evolution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of polyvictimization in developing internalizing symptoms while considering the possible effect of non-productive coping and the availability of social support. The participants were 144 adolescents (M=14.31, SD=1.48) cared for in child and adolescent mental health services. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that polyvictimization, non-productive coping and social support were good predictors of internalizing symptoms. In addition, non-productive coping acted as a mediator in the relationship between polyvictimization and internalizing symptoms. The results of the study emphasized the importance of the studied factors to understanding the process of development internalizing symptoms and to preventing or treating adolescents who suffer from these types of disorders.

Good practices in the assessment of victimization: The Spanish adaptation of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire.

Objective: To provide the first validity evidence for the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) under the causal indicators approach, using lifetime experiences of victimization in a community sample of adolescents, and to explore the associations between polyvictimization and psychopathological symptoms. Method: The final sample comprised 804 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.52, SD = 1.76) and recruited from 7 secondary schools in northeastern Spain. Victimization experiences and psychopathological symptoms were assessed through the JVQ (Finkelhor, Hamby, Ormrod, & Turner, 2005) and the Youth Self-Report (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001). Results: There were low correlations between JVQ items, indicating that victimization events tend to be independent. The causal indicators model for causing psychological distress fitted the data, explaining up to 38% and 40% of the variance in internalizing and externalizing symptoms, respectively. Conclusions: An inappropriate approach to validation can have important consequences for applied research into victimization. Using a causal indicators approach it can be concluded that the JVQ is a valid assessment instrument that can obtain relevant information regarding victimization directly from children and adolescents. This information can be used to help tailor clinical interventions to the needs of child and adolescent victims.

Systematic review of the psychological consequences of terrorism among child victims

Terrorist acts have an enormous potential to produce trauma, especially in vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents. However, few studies have analysed the potentially adverse effects of terrorism on child victims. The present article systematically reviews the literature on the psychological consequences which exposure to acts of terrorism can have for children. A total of 54 publications were reviewed, the majority originating from the USA (72.22%) and linked to the 9/11 attacks in New York (50%). Most of the studies analysed post-traumatic symptoms (64.81%) in children who were indirect victims through exposure to media reports about the attack (33.33%). There is a need for trained professionals to work with child victims of terrorism; they must be able to recognize the symptoms associated with these experiences, as well as the damaging effects they may have on children.

Psychopathological Correlates of Polyvictimization in Young Offenders

Previous research has demonstrated a significant relationship between victimization and involvement in delinquency, but few studies have focused on exploring the effects of victimization on young offenders. This study analyzed the relationship between accumulated experiences of victimization, or polyvictimization, and the presence of psychopathology in 100 Spanish offenders (81% males) aged 14 to 17 years (M = 16.08, SD = 0.99). By means of cluster analysis, three groups of polyvictimized and two groups of less victimized offenders were identified. After controlling for demographic and criminal characteristics, polyvictims were more likely to reach a clinical level (T ≥ 65) of externalizing behavior (odds ratio [OR] = 3.136) and general impairment (OR = 2.878) than the remaining adolescents. These results showed that assessing multiple and less common forms of victimization is an important task when evaluating adolescent offenders, as polyvictimization is highly prevalent and places young people at a high risk of psychological impairment.

Victimization and polyvictimization among Spanish adolescent outpatients

This article aimed to analyze lifetime and past-year victimization and polyvictimization experiences in adolescent outpatients from a southern European country. The sample included 149 adolescents (35.6% boys, 64.4% girls), aged 12 to 17 (M = 14.28, SD = 1.45). Experiences of victimization were assessed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ; Finkelhor, Hamby, Ormrod, & Turner, 2005). Results showed that 99.3% of those interviewed had experienced at least one type of victimization during their lifetime, and 84.6% reported past-year victimization. Gender and age differences were found. Based on community criteria, the proportion of polyvictims in the sample was 32.2% for lifetime victimization and 20.1% for past-year victimization. When assessing children in the context of outpatient mental health services, it is essential that clinicians explore any history of exposure to violence, as this information is crucial in determining the young person’s therapeutic needs.