Polyvictimization Across Social Contexts

• Author: Daniel J. Flannery,Fredrick Butcher,Jeff M. Kretschmar,Megan R. Holmes
• Date: 01 December 2016
• Published date: 01 December 2016
• DOI: 10.1177/0093854816662679
• Subject Matter: Articles

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2016, Vol. 43, No. 12, Decenber 2016, 1726 –1740.

DOI: 10.1177/0093854816662679

© 2016 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

1726

POLYVICTIMIZATION ACROSS

SOCIAL CONTEXTS

Home, School, and Neighborhood Violence Exposure

FREDRICK BUTCHER

MEGAN R. HOLMES

JEFF M. KRETSCHMAR

DANIEL J. FLANNERY

Case Western Reserve University

Exposure to violence is a widespread problem that affects the mental health of children and adolescents particularly in at-risk

populations such as juvenile justice involved youth. While a number of studies have examined the cumulative impact of

violence exposure, few studies have examined the importance of social context. The present study examined classifications

of youth exposed to violence by contextual location (home, school, and neighborhood) in a sample of 2,124 juvenile justice

involved youth. Latent class analysis revealed three classes of youth exposed to violence: (a) low violence exposure, (b)

moderate and high home/school violence exposure, and (c) violence exposure in all three social contexts. Furthermore, distal

outcomes analysis showed differences in internalizing and externalizing problems based on class membership. Findings from

the current study underline the importance of understanding the role of social context in assessing violence exposure in

juvenile justice involved youth.

Keywords: exposure to violence; Latent Class Analysis; juvenile justice; polyvictimization; behavioral health

INTRODUCTION

Exposure to violence (ETV) continues to be a widespread problem that negatively affects

children’s behavioral and mental health functioning. Approximately 41% of youth have

been a victim of physical assault and 22% have witnessed violence in the past year

(Finkelhor, Turner, Shattuck, & Hamby, 2013). Of those children who had experienced

victimization or witnessed violence, nearly 65% reported multiple violence experiences

(Finkelhor, Turner, Hamby, & Ormrod, 2011). Although polyvictimization (i.e., experienc-

ing multiple victimizations of different types) has been noted as an important classification

AUTHORS’ NOTE: This research was supported in part by grants from the Ohio Department of Youth

Services and the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services. Correspondence concerning this

article should be directed to Fredrick Butcher, Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research & Education,

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 11402

Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH 44106-7167; e-mail: fredrick.w.butcher@case.edu.

662679CJBXXX10.1177/0093854816662679CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIORButcher et al. / POLYVICTIMIZATION ACROSS SOCIAL CONTEXTS

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