Effects of Childhood Polyvictimization on Victimization in Juvenile Correctional Facilities: The Mediating Role of Trauma Symptomatology

• Date: 01 April 2019
• DOI: 10.1177/1541204018757038
• Published date: 01 April 2019
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Effects of Childhood

Polyvictimization on

Victimization in Juvenile

Correctional Facilities: The

Mediating Role of Trauma

Symptomatology

Jamie R. Yoder

1

, Ashleigh I. Hodge

2

, Donna Ruch

2

,

and Rebecca Dillard

2

Abstract

Polyvictimization refers to multiple forms of victimization experienced by youths. The extent to

which aggregated or cumulative early life victimization increases risk of victimization within juvenile

correctional facilities is unclear. Furthermore, pathways from early polyvictimization to facility

victimization may be partly explained by trauma symptomatology. Drawing upon the extant

polyvictimization literature, this study explores both composite and cumulative effects of childhood

victimization on later victimization within correctional facilities and the mediating role of trauma

symptomatology among a nationally representative sample of incarcerated youth. Data were drawn

from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement. Incarcerated youths (N¼7,073) were surveyed

on constructs including early victimization, trauma symptomatology, and experiences of victimiza-

tion within correctional facilities. Using appropriate weights in analyses, structural equation models

revealed the relationship between amassed early polyvictimization and composite facility victimi-

zation was partially explained by trauma symptoms; facility victimization also linked to trauma

symptoms. Additional models revealed that as youths report more victimization experiences, there

was a successive increased likelihood for trauma symptoms, facility robbery, and facility physical

victimization. The relationships between cumulative early victimization and facility robbery, physical,

and sexual victimization were partially or fully mediated by trauma symptoms. Research and practice

implications are discussed.

Keywords

polyvictimization, incarcerated youth, juvenile offenders, correctional facility victimization

1

School of Social Work, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

2

College of Social Work, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jamie R. Yoder, School of Social Work, Colorado State University, 1586 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.

Email: jamie.yoder@colostate.edu

Youth Violence and JuvenileJustice

2019, Vol. 17(2) 129-153

ªThe Author(s) 2018

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DOI: 10.1177/1541204018757038

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Literature Review

Introduction

Early life victimization, which may involve sexual, physical, or emotional abuse; exposure to

domestic violence; abandonment; or neglect, occurs all too often in the lives of youth (Costello,

Erkanli, Fairbank, & Angold, 2002; Finkelhor, Ormrod, Turner, & Hamby, 2005; Ford, Chapman,

Mack, & Pearson, 2006). Rates of victimization among delinquent youths, however, are about 2

times higher than those in the general population (Coleman, 2005; Coleman & Stewart, 2010).

Approximately 40–60%of adjudicated delinquent youths have been victimized (Currie & Tekin,

2006; Ford, Chapman, Hawke, & Albert, 2007; Stahl, 2006). Victimization research has tended to

focus narrowly on a single event occurring at one point in time (Turner, Finkelhor, & Ormrod, 2010),

despite contrary findings that youths who endure one type of victimization are likely to experience

other forms (Dong et al., 2004; Finkelhor, Ormrod, & Turner, 2007a; Saunders, 2003) in other

contexts (Turner, Shattuck, Finkelhor, & Hamby, 2016). Consequently, research has also investi-

gated the effects of multiple types or forms of abuse experienced by youth and children, a concept

coined polyvictimization (Finkelhor, Ormrod, & Turner, 2009a).

Abuse or victimization experiences can lead to myriad adverse outcomes (Turner et al., 2010)

including trauma symptomatology (Cuevas, Finkelhor, Clifford, Ormrod, & Turner, 2010; Finkelhor

et al., 2007a) and repeated victimization (Cuevas et al., 2010; Tseloni & Pease, 2003; Turanovic &

Pratt, 2012b). Given that revictimization is higher among youths who have endured polyvictimiza-

tion (Finkelhor, Ormrod, & Turner, 2007b), juvenile justice–involved youths with cumulative vic-

timization experiences may be at greater risk of victimization in confined settings. However, this has

yet to be tested. Further, the relationship between polyvictimization and repeated victi mization

experiences may be partially explained by the trauma symptoms that often accompany early victi-

mization experience(s) (Cuevas et al., 2010). Nevertheless, there is limited research on the extent to

which early life amassed or cumulated forms of victimization increase risk of facility revictimization

in juvenile justice settings, whether this relationship is partially explained by trauma symptomatol-

ogy, or whether facility victimization also contributes to trauma symptoms. This study uses a

nationally representative sample of incarcerated youths to (1) test the relative effects of composite

and cumulated early life victimization on collective and independent experiences of physical and

sexual victimization and robbery in juvenile correctional facilities, (2) determine the mediating

effects of trauma symptomatology in these relationships, and (3) determine the independent

relationship between facility victimization and trauma symptoms.

Guiding Framework

While there are many theoretical frameworks explaining the etiology of juvenile offending, the

polyvictimization/revictimization literature can elucidate linkages between multiple forms of early

life victimization and revictimization experiences among individuals in correctional facilities (List-

wan, Daigle, Hartman, & Guastaferro, 2014). Specifically, robust research reveals successive effects

of early victimization; one or more experience(s) creates cumulated risk of trauma symptomatology

and subsequent revictimization relative to never experiencing victimization (Finkelhor et al., 2007b;

Turner et al., 2010). This body of work symbolizes a victim–repeat victim hypothesis; it is a nexus of

experiences in which multi ple forms of early life victimi zation create vulnerabili ties that then

generate additional risk of victimization. Such a frame work may be applied to juvenile justice

involved youths, adding to the victim-offender hypothesis (see Widom, 1989) to further explicate

why victimized offenders may be revictimized in incarceration settings. Nevertheless, there are very

few studies examining the relationship between polyvictimization, revictimization, and the mediat-

ing role of trauma among incarcerated youths; the effects of facility victimization on trauma

130 Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 17(2)