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Childhood Victimization, Poly-Victimization, and Adjustment to College in Women

NCJ Number
228655
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 330-343
Author(s)
Ann N. Elliott; Apryl A. Alexander; Thomas W. Pierce; Jeffery E. Aspelmeier; Jessica M. Richmond
Date Published
November 2009
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effects of childhood victimization and poly-victimization on women's adjustment to college.
Abstract
Women in the study reported high rates of childhood victimization, with approximately 98 percent reporting exposure to at least one category of victimization (proper crime, physical assault, peer or sibling abuse, child maltreatment, witness or indirect victimization, sexual victimization). These results are consistent with the growing body of literature suggesting that individuals who have experienced one category of childhood victimization are likely to have experienced other categories as well. Future studies assessing childhood maltreatment, poly-victimization, and adjustment to college are needed to replicate these findings and extend them to a more diverse sample of participants. Utilizing a sample of 329 traditional college-aged female undergraduates aged 18 to 24 years, this study examined the relationships among poly-victimization, 6 categories of childhood victimization, and college adjustment in females. Tables and references