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This study examined typologies of childhood polyvictimization and the associations of profiles with demographic characteristics at the levels of child, household, and primary caregiver. This study evaluated a sample of children aged 4 to 17 years residing in San Juan de Lurigancho District, an urban setting on the edge of Lima, Peru ( n = 384). An in-person interview of the primary caregiver of each child was conducted in June 2018, assessing the victimization of the child, the caregiver's exposure to trauma and abuse, and general socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the household. Latent class analysis was used to identify typologies of child victimization. Follow-up analysis was conducted to quantify differences between the classes which emerged, in terms of the child, caregiver, and household. Five classes emerged: High Peer victimization, Moderate Community victimization; High Community victimization; Verbal Abuse; High victimization across domains; and Low victimization across domains. Caregiver exposure to trauma was positively associated with membership in the high-exposure classes. This study offers a unique opportunity to more deeply understand childhood exposure to violence in Latin America, specifically in an urban setting in Peru, and to further understand how childhood victimization is associated with various characteristics of the child, caregiver, and household. These findings could inform interventions supporting children and families at risk of exposure to violence in Peru or globally.

Existing research has suggested children of caregivers with histories of exposure to trauma are at heightened risk for victimization, but few studies have explored potential mechanisms that explain this intergenerational transmission of risk. With data from peri-urban households in Lima, Peru (N = 402), this study analyzes parenting behaviors in the relation between caregivers' trauma history and child victimization for children aged 4-17. Results indicated caregivers' trauma history and negative parenting behaviors related to child victimization, and negative parenting behaviors mediated this relation. Positive parenting behaviors did not have significant direct effects and were not mediators of risk transmission. Parenting behaviors did not moderate the relation between caregiver and child victimization, suggesting parenting behaviors may not buffer or exacerbate intergenerational transmission. Post-hoc analyses revealed family type (e.g., single, cohabitating/married) exerted significant direct and moderating effects on child risk, interacting with positive parenting. Families with married/cohabitating caregivers reported overall lower levels of child victimization; however, the relation between positive parenting and victimization was slightly stronger for children in single-parent families. Results highlight potential pathways of the intergenerational cycle of victimization and suggest high-risk families in Peru may benefit from parenting supports, especially pertaining to remediation of negative parenting behaviors.

Background: Child victimization is one of the most serious, preventable threats to child health and wellbeing around the world. Contemporary research has demonstrated that polyvictimization, or children's experience of multiple types of victimization, is particularly detrimental., Objective: The current study aims to evaluate relationships between child victimization and child resilience with a particular focus on caregiver and family promotive factors., Participants and Setting: Participants included N = 385 caregiver-child dyads from a high-risk neighborhood in San Juan de Lurigancho district in Lima, Peru., Methods: Data were collected in the context of a representative survey of houses in the neighborhood; an index child (ages 4-17) was randomly selected for each household and caregivers provided reports on core study constructs., Results: Child victimization (β = .35, p < .001) and harsh punishment (β = .17, p < .001) were associated with higher levels of child adjustment problems. Caregiver depression was associated with both higher adjustment problems (β = .22, p < .001) and higher prosocial skills (β = .14, p = .003). Caregiver resilience was associated with lower adjustment problems (β = -.15, p = .01) and higher prosocial skills (β = .14, p = .04). Positive parenting was associated with lower adjustment problems (β = -.15, p < .001) and higher prosocial skills (β = .20, p < .001). Family cohesion (β = .23, p = .001) was positively associated only with children's prosocial skills., Conclusions: Findings suggest that caregiver resilience and positive parenting are consistent promotive factors for child resilience across indicators, including both adjustment problems and prosocial skills. These promotive factors may therefore be promising potential targets address in the context of interventions aimed at promoting child resilience., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Child and adolescent victims of violence are often exposed to more than one kind of physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment. Both individually and cumulatively, such victimizations have significant ramifications on mental health. Yet little is known about the relationships in which these different kinds of victimizations occur and how the relationship between the victim and perpetrators may influence later mental health. This retrospective, self-report study of a nationally representative sample of 2,500 young adults in Sweden examines associations between different types of victimization (including poly-victimization), the victim's relationship to the perpetrator, and how these factors are related to current mental health. Results indicate differential patterns of abuse based on the perpetrator; parents were most likely to use physical aggression, whereas siblings typically perpetrated property crimes and partners committed sexual assault. Peers were the most likely perpetrator of both physical and verbal victimizations and also most often committed poly-victimization by subjecting youth to multiple forms of violence. While males were more likely to be victimized by peers, females were more likely to be victimized by parents, siblings, and partners. Significant positive relations were found for the amount of victimization by peers and mental health problems among both males and females. In addition, for females, higher amounts of youth victimization by parents and partners related to higher levels of mental health problems during young adulthood. Taken together, these results suggest that peer victimization presents the greatest risk for males, whereas dysfunctional family relationships are most detrimental to victimized females.

Background: Previous research suggests that some types of childhood abuse and neglect are related to an increased likelihood of perpetrating criminal behaviour in adulthood. Little research, however, has examined associations between multiple different types of childhood victimisation and adult criminal behaviour., Aims: We sought to examine the contribution of multiple and diverse childhood victimisations on adult criminal behaviour. Our central hypothesis was that, after controlling for gender, substance use and psychopathy, each type of childhood victimisation - specifically experience of property offences, physical violence, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and witnessed violence - would be positively and independently related to criminal behaviour in young adults., Methods: We examined data from a large, nationally representative sample of 2244 young Swedish adults who reported at least one form of victimisation, using hierarchical regression analysis to also account for gender, substance use and psychopathy., Results: Experiences of physical assaults, neglect and witnessing violence as a child were significantly associated with adult criminal behaviour, but not experiences of property, verbal or sexual victimizations., Conclusions: Our findings help to identify those forms of harm to children that are most likely to be associated with later criminality. Even after accounting for gender, substance misuse and psychopathology, childhood experience of violence - directly or as a witness - carries risk for adulthood criminal behaviour, so such children need targeted support and treatment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Children who endure multiple victimization experiences, or "polyvictims," are vulnerable to maladaptive outcomes. Yet, little research exists evaluating the relationship between childhood polyvictimization and disordered eating symptoms (DES) in emerging adulthood. The current study examines the relationship between childhood polyvictimization and DES in emerging adults. Data were collected from 288 participants across two universities using online self-report measures. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between number of childhood victimization experiences and DES in young adulthood (ß=0.14; p=0.016). Female participants were more likely to demonstrate DES (ß=0.14; p=0.008). Further, high levels of emotion dysregulation during young adulthood were associated with more DES (ß=0.33; p<0.001). Findings suggest that exposure to victimization experiences in childhood increases individuals' risk for exhibiting DES in young adulthood. Results also highlight the strong relationship between individuals' emotion regulation abilities and the presence of DES. Findings align with the theory that children who have endured high levels of victimization often feel overwhelmed by their emotions and circumstances, demonstrate emotion regulation difficulties, and may rely on maladaptive coping strategies, including disordered eating, to manage adversities. Study results emphasize the importance of considering victimization history when working with emerging adults displaying disordered eating symptomatology., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The goal of the current study was to examine the direct relationship between diverse types of childhood victimization and physical health problems in early adulthood, controlling for other common factors that contribute to physical health problems, including psychopathology and health risk behaviors. The associations between types of victimization (e.g., physical assault) and specific health problems (e.g., pain) were also examined., Methods: 2500 Swedish young adults reported on their exposure to victimization in childhood and their current mental and physical health as adults., Results: Using multiple regression, results indicated that the amount of childhood victimization was a significant predictor of health problems in adulthood, controlling for the significant negative effects of health risk behaviors and mental health problems on physical health. Logistic regressions indicated that physical assaults and sexual abuse were associated with all types of health problems assessed. Sleep problems were associated with almost all types of victimization history., Conclusions: The long-term effects of childhood victimization on physical health in adulthood are serious and warrant significant attention. Primary care providers should include assessments of past victimization as one way of screening for health risk. Health providers should also consider multiple points of intervention that may help to reduce physical illness. For example, providing a mental health intervention or social service support related to victimization experiences may not only address these difficulties, but also more broadly impact physical health as well., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)