Risk Factors for Violent Victimization of Women in a Major Northeastern City, 1990-1991 and 1996-1997

This study addressed the question of whether women who were
 sexually abused as children were at increased risk of either sexual
 abuse or domestic violence victimization later in life. It also
 investigated the role of other potential risk factors, including
 family background, sexual behavior, alcohol problems, and a woman's
 own aggressive behavior. The investigators sought to answer the
 following questions: (1) Are victims of child sexual abuse at
 increased risk of adolescent or adult sexual victimization as compared
 to nonvictims? (2) Are victims of child sexual abuse at increased risk
 of physically violent nonsexual victimization as compared to
 nonvictims? (3) How is the risk of sexual revictimization and physical
 victimization among abuse survivors affected by their engaging in
 violent behavior, such as physical fighting, engaging in heavy
 drinking, and practicing risky sexual behavior, such as having
 multiple sexual partners? (4) Were women who reported drinking
 problems and physical fighting in Wave 2 at increased risk of domestic
 violence victimization at Wave 3, compared to the other child abuse
 victims in the study? This study consisted of a secondary analysis of
 selected variables collected during two waves of a three-wave
 prospective study of the consequences of child abuse and sexual
 assault for adult, adolescent, and child victims (McCahill, Meyer, and
 Fischman, 1979). During the first wave of the study, data were
 gathered on 206 girls ranging in age from 10 months to 12 years who
 were victims of reported cases of sexual abuse and who were examined
 at a municipal hospital in 1973-1975. In 1990 and 1991, follow-up
 interviews (Wave 2) were conducted with 136 of the original 206 girls,
 then aged 18 to 31. During this wave, a comparison group of girls
 treated at a hospital for reasons other than child sexual abuse was
 matched to the 206 victims on the basis of race, age, and date of
 hospital visit, for purposes of analysis of their official criminal
 records. The criminal records data are not included in this data
 collection. Also, none of the women in the comparison group were
 interviewed during Wave 2. In 1996 and 1997, another wave of follow-up
 interviews (Wave 3) was conducted. Using the same criteria as in Wave
 2, a new matched comparison group was identified, resulting in an
 additional 85 girls in the sample. Of the 174 women interviewed during
 Wave 3, 80 were known victims of child sexual abuse who also had been
 interviewed during Wave 2. The data in Part 2 (Wave 3 Women Also
 Interviewed at Wave 2) are a subset of Part 1 (All Wave 3
 Interviews). Part 1 variables supply information on self-reported
 family history of substance abuse and criminal activity, parental care
 and neglect, and family violence when the respondent was a
 child. Topics focusing on respondents' current (adult) experiences
 include violence in relationships, injuries as a result of domestic
 violence, use of a weapon during domestic violence, sexual history,
 sexual victimization, and parental attachment. Variables in Part 2
 cover parental affection and support received by the respondent when
 she was a teenager, history of fighting, physical abuse by a partner,
 dating and sexual history, alcohol abuse, and sexual
 victimization. Demographic variables (found in Part 1 only) include
age, marital status, race, and education.

Tags: alcohol-abuse, child-abuse, domestic-violence, family-history, family-violence, risk-assessment, risk-factors, sexual-abuse, sexual-behavior, victimization, women
Organization: Department of Justice