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

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.01.019

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 38, Issue 4, April 2014, Pages 640-649

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.01.019 Get rights and content

Abstract

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 were considered as polyvictims (i.e., experienced victimization in 7 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.

Section snippets

Sample

Participants were recruited from seven secondary schools in north-eastern Spain. The schools were stratified by socioeconomic status (low-medium-high). All participants in the study were between 12 and 17 years of age (M = 14.52, SD = 1.76). Students with cognitive and/or language difficulties, conditions which might undermine the validity of their responses to the assessment protocols, were excluded. The total sample comprised 1,107 young people (590 male and 517 female). Their main

Results

Among the 1,107 participants, 83% (85.1% of males and 80.7% of females, OR = 0.73, 95% CI [0.53, 1.00]) reported at least one type of victimization during their lives, and 68.6% (70.0% of males and 66.9% of females, OR = 0.87, 95% CI [0.67, 1.12]) during the last year.

The prevalence of various forms of victimization during the lifetime and in the past year is shown in Table 2, differentiated by JVQ modules, submodules, and individual events.

Discussion

Using self-reports, this study has shown the extent of youth victimization in north-eastern Spain. This procedure in itself constitutes a methodological innovation in the Spanish context. Rather than analyzing the extension of one specific form of victimization in isolation, we have taken into account the potential accumulation of victimization experiences throughout childhood. This approach is consistent with other recent international studies (e.g., Finkelhor et al., 2005b) and with some

Conclusions

Some practical implications can be derived from the results obtained. Spanish children suffer a variety of victimization experiences in different domains or contexts. These children are vulnerable to psychological maladjustment and other serious negative experiences such as revictimization during the lifespan (Finkelhor et al., 2007b, Gustafsson et al., 2009). Professionals should bear these results in mind in their attempts to identify these children promptly, and their interventions should be

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^☆: This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MEC) [grant number DER2012-38559-C03-02].

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

Abstract

Section snippets

Sample

Results

Discussion

Conclusions

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Journal of Adolescent Health

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Cyberbullying: Victimización entre adolescentes a través del teléfono móvil y de Internet

Psicothema

Bullying: Análisis de la situación en las aulas españolas

International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy

Child maltreatment polyvictimization: Rates and short-term effects on adjustment in a representative Hong Kong sample

Psychology of Violence

Codi deontològic

(Security and School Coexistence Survey in Catalonia. School year 2005–2006)

Poly-victimization as a life condition: Correlates of poly-victimization among Finnish children

Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention

At what age are children most likely to be bullied at school?

Aggressive Behavior

Psychosocial adjustment in aggressors, pure victims and aggressive victims at school

European Journal of Education and Psychology

Childhood victimization. Violence, crime and abuse in the lives of young people

Factors in the underreporting of crimes against juveniles

Child Maltreatment

The victimization of children and youth: A comprehensive national survey

Child Maltreatment

Polyvictimization and trauma in a national longitudinal cohort

Development and Psychopathology

Polyvictimization in developmental context

Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma