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Childhood Victimization, Poly-Victimization, and Adjustment to College in Women

Radford University

Apryl A. Alexander

Florida Institute of Technology

Thomas W. Pierce

Radford University

Jeffery E. Aspelmeier

Radford University

Jessica M. Richmond

University of Akron

This study examines the relationships among poly-victimization (i.e., high cumulative levels of victimization), six aggregate categories of childhood victimization (property crime, physical assault, peer and sibling, witnessed and indirect, sexual, child maltreatment), and college adjustment in females. This study first examines the relative contributions of poly-victimization and individual categories of childhood victimization in predicting college adjustment. The study then examines whether poly-victimization contributes any unique variance, beyond that accounted for by the combination of all six aggregate categories. Regression analyses reveal that a) poly-victimization accounts for a significant proportion of variability in scores for college adjustment, beyond that accounted for by any of the six categories of childhood victimization alone, and b) the categories of childhood victimization contribute little to no variability beyond that accounted for by poly-victimization. Furthermore, poly-victimization accounts for a significant proportion of variability in college adjustment, beyond that already accounted for by the simultaneous entry of all six categories as predictor variables. Finally, although victimization does not predict GPA, it predicts other domains of college adjustment. Results suggest that counselors working with college students should a) assess multiple categories of victimization and poly-victimization, and b) evaluate clients' adjustment to college across multiple domains (e.g., academic, social, interpersonal).

Key Words: college adjustment • adult survivors • long-term effects • adult retrospective reports • child victims • poly-victimization • multiple victimization

This version was published on November 1, 2009

Child Maltreatment, Vol. 14, No. 4, 330-343 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1077559509332262


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