Polyvictimization and internalizing behaviors among adult women

Although current studies on female victimization have focused on the prevalence of several forms of violence, including separate measures of child abuse and intimate partner violence, little research has examined the extent of polyvictimization (e.g., multiple victimizations) among adult women. In this study, we use data from life histories of 424 women to examine the extent to which women are exposed to multiple forms of victimization, including child abuse, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and traumatic life events. Additionally, we will examine the effects of the separate types of victimization on women’s health-related outcomes (e.g., self injury, drug/alcohol use) as well as the effects of the accumulation of various forms of victimization on such outcomes. Lastly, we will examine whether the types, prevalence rates, and effects of victimization are significantly different between the subsamples of incarcerated and non-incarcerated women