NCJ Number
224746
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 14 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 1128-1147
Date Published
October 2008
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article develops an agenda for further research on sexual revictimization by identifying three priority areas for investigation, including prospective research, revictimization resilience, and contextualizing revictimization, and provides an overview of cutting-edge statistical methods that offer innovative ways to investigate these priority areas, including growth, multilevel, and person-centered models.
Abstract
Despite the considerable inquiry focused on the problem of sexual revictimization, researchers have not yet been able to explain why some survivors are vulnerable to repeated violent victimization and why other survivors seem to be resilient to further violence. Also, little is known about how to effectively prevent revictimization. Building from existing revictimization knowledge, this article identifies three priority areas for a revictimization research agenda and three cutting-edge statistical tools are highlighted and discussed in terms of their utility for advancing revictimization knowledge. The three priority areas that future revictimization efforts should address are (1) greater use of prospective and longitudinal research, (2) the investigation of revictimization resilience to better understand what factors help survivors avoid revictimization, and (3) the investigation of ecological contextual factors that shape survivors’ vulnerability and resilience. The three cutting-edge methods that can address the three revictimization research priority areas include: (1) growth models, (2) multilevel models, and (3) person-centered models. Sexual violence against women is a significant problem with serious consequences for women’s well-being. Because factors and processes that drive revictimization are still largely unknown, little evidence exists to inform revictimization prevention interventions. This article takes stock of what is known about revictimization and prioritizes next steps for research. References