The Developmental Epidemiology of Childhood Victimization

This article examines developmental trends in the rates of different kinds of victimization across the span of childhood. The Developmental Victimization Survey was a national telephone survey of the victimization experiences of 2,030 children from ages 2 to 17. The overall mean number of victimizat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of interpersonal violence 2009-05, Vol.24 (5), p.711-731
Main Authors: Finkelhor, David, Ormrod, Richard K., Turner, Heather A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior - psychology
Adolescents
Age Differences
Aggression
Bullying
Child
Child Abuse
Child abuse & neglect
Child Abuse - psychology
Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data
Child Abuse - trends
Child Abuse, Sexual - statistics & numerical data
Child Abuse, Sexual - trends
Child Behavior - psychology
Child Development
Child Sexual Abuse
Child, Preschool
Childhood
Children
Crime Victims - psychology
Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data
Developmental Stages
Epidemiology
Family Relationship
Family Structure
Females
Gender Differences
Humans
Incidence
Interpersonal Relations
Males
Peer Relations
Peer Relationship
Racial Differences
Risk Factors
Sexual Abuse
Sibling Relationship
Siblings
Surveys and Questionnaires
Survivors - psychology
Survivors - statistics & numerical data
Telephone Surveys
Time Factors
United States - epidemiology
Victimization
Victims of Crime
Vulnerability
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Summary:This article examines developmental trends in the rates of different kinds of victimization across the span of childhood. The Developmental Victimization Survey was a national telephone survey of the victimization experiences of 2,030 children from ages 2 to 17. The overall mean number of victimizations during a single year increased with age, as did the percentage of children with polyvictimizations (4 or more different kinds of victimization). However, some specific types of victimization, physical bullying and sibling assaults, were highest prior to adolescence and then declined. Other types had different developmental patterns by gender. Peer assaults increased in adolescence for boys but not for girls. Child maltreatment and sexual victimization increased in adolescence for girls but not for boys. The complex and diverse patterns of developmental vulnerability to different kinds of victimization at different ages need more exploration and explanation in order to better target prevention and intervention policies.
ISSN:0886-2605
1552-6518
DOI:10.1177/0886260508317185