The effect of lifetime victimization on the mental health of children and adolescents
Abstract
This paper examines the cumulative prevalence of victimization and its impact on mental health in a nationally representative sample of 2030 children aged 2-17 in the USA. Telephone interviews conducted with both caregivers and youth revealed socio-demographic variations in lifetime exposure to most forms of victimization, with ethnic minorities, those lower in socio-economic status, and those living in single parent and stepfamilies experiencing greater victimization. Sexual assault, child maltreatment, witnessing family violence, and other major violence exposure each made independent contributions to levels of both depression and anger/aggression. Other non-victimization adversities also showed substantial independent effects, while in most cases, each victimization domain remained a significant predictor of mental health. Results suggest that cumulative exposure to multiple forms of victimization over a child's life-course represents a substantial source of mental health risk.
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Multiple forms of victimization in a child's life create an increased risk for mental health difficulties.
“Examining multiple forms of victimization in a representative sample of 2,030 children, Turner, Finkelhor, and Ormrod (2006) determined that multiple forms of victimization in a child's life created an increased risk for mental health difficulties.”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Turner, Finkelhor, and Ormrod, 2006
Each victimization domain, including IPV, remained a significant predictor of mental health.
“Interestingly, Turner et al. noted that although forms of victimization may be interrelated, they demonstrated that 'each victimization domain, including IPV, remained a significant predictor of mental health' (p. 13).”
From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Turner et al., 2006
Age, sex, and learning difficulties, as well as low socioeconomic status, are well-established predictors of mental health problems in children in general.
“Age, sex, and learning difficulties [31,32], as well as low socioeconomic status [33,34], are well-established predictors of mental health problems in children in general.”
From Mental disorders in foster children: a study of prevalence, comorbidity and risk factors (2013) · cites this paper as [31]
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“Examining multiple forms of victimization in a representative sample of 2,030 children, Turner, Finkelhor, and Ormrod (2006) determined that multiple forms of victimization in a child’s life created an increased risk for mental health difficulties.”
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- Authors
- Turner, H. A., Finkelhor, D., & Ormrod, R.
- Affiliations
- University of New Hampshire (US)
- Corresponding author
- Turner, Heather A.
- ORCID
- Turner, Heather A.
- Venue
- Social Science & Medicine
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-01
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 13-27
- ISSN
- 0277-9536 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2024743493
- Cited by
- 768
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 67 · 2017: 74 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 50 · 2012: 36
- FWCI
- 12.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Social Science & Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- University of New Hampshire Scholars Repository (University of New Hampshire at Manchester) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Keywords
- lifetime victimization, child mental health, adolescents, sexual assault, child abuse, witnessing family violence, depression, anger and aggression, ethnic minorities, socioeconomic status, single-parent families, stepfamilies, childhood adversity
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Aggression, Anger, Mental Disorders, Child, Child Abuse, Child, Preschool, Depressive Disorder, Family, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, United States, Violence, Crime Victims, Proxy
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