Revictimization far more likely for women. (original) (raw)

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CHICAGO -- Gender plays a significant role in the rate and type of revictimization experiences of adults with a childhood history of abuse, according to a retrospective study of 207 adults.

Revictimization was self-reported by 90% of the cohort, but overall women were significantly more likely to experience revictimization than were men, principal investigator Anne Dietrich, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

The women were 3.5 times more likely to experience revictimization and were almost 4 times more likely to report some form of revictimization within interpersonal relationships.

In terms of sexual revictimization, women were 3 times more likely than were men to report sexual revictimization and 23 times more likely to report sexual assault by a partner.

The only type of revictimization that was higher for men in the sample was physical assault by a stranger, which was three times more likely among men than women, said Dr. Dietrich, a psychologist in private practice in Vancouver, B.C.

Nearly half (46%) of the sample were prison inmates, which could inflate the risk of physical assault by a stranger. But no significant difference was observed for this outcome between male inmates and female inmates or the remaining 54% of participants who were recruited from clinical practice and the Internet.

Dr. Dietrich also conducted hierarchical, stepwise logistic regression analyses on demographic variables, childhood maltreatment types, and the eight trauma measures used. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms predicted various types of revictimization, with the most consistent predictor being interpersonal relationship problems, as measured by the Self-Report Inventory of Disorders of Extreme Stress (SIDES-SR).

In the final model, the main predictors of physical revictimization that remained for women were childhood physical abuse (odds ratio 1.9) and SIDES-SR relationship problems (OR 1.2). Childhood sexual abuse (OR and parental substance abuse (OR 4.1) predicted physical revictimization for men. PTSD (OR 2.5) and SIDES-SR relationship problems (OR predicted sexual revictimization of women, whereas childhood maltreatment severity did so for men (OR 1.2), she said.

Childhood psychological abuse (OR 6.8) and current substance abuse (OR 1.1) played a role physical violence against women in relationships, while feeling unloved by their mother (OR 2.3) predicted sexual victimization of women in relationships. Partner revictimization was not examined for males.

The majority of the sample was white (85.5%), followed by Aboriginal (10%), Hispanic (1.5%), black (1%), Asian (1%), or other (1%). Their mean age was 38 years (range, 18-65), and 63% were women.

Limitations of the study included its retrospective design and self-report measures, Dr. Dietrich said.

The study was supported by fellowships from the University of British Columbia, the Canadian Chapter of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Dr. Dietrich reported no conflicts of interest.

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