Child and Adult Victimization: Sequelae for Female Caregivers of High-Risk Children

• NCJ Number: 223833
• Journal: Child Maltreatment Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 235-244
• Author(s): Cindy E. Weisbart; Richard Thompson; Melissa Pelaez-Merrick; Jeongeun Kim; Traci Wike; Ernestine Briggs; Diana J. English; Howard Dubowitz
• Date Published: August 2008
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the mental and physical health outcomes of victimized women compared to nonvictimized women.

Abstract

The study findings show that women with any history of victimization are at risk for depression, poor social support, and poor health. Women with a history of victimization both as a child and adult shows the greatest risk for depression and poor health. Child–only victimizations effects, however, did not differ significantly from adult-only victimization. Careful assessment of victimization history of women by mental and physical health providers and child welfare workers should be provided for the assessment of treatment needs. Clinicians should also consider the presence of co-occurring victimization such as intimate partner violence (Bensley et al., 2003) and victimization severity in understanding the functioning of victimized persons (Clemmons et al., 2007). Further research on the assessment of victimized women is suggested. Data were from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), 890 participants from the southern, northwestern, eastern, midwestern, and southwestern regions of the United States. Tables, references