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Portilla-Saavedra D, Pinto-Cortez C, Guerra C, Cárdenas FP. Victimization by Caregivers: Prevalence and Risk Factors in Chilean Children and Adolescents. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2022; 16:74. [PMID: 36071482 PMCID: PMC9454106 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-022-00509-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the prevalence and risk factors associated to victimization by caregivers in a national large sample of Chilean children and adolescents. 19,687 children and adolescents aged 12-17, selected by random probability sampling of 699 public schools in Chile who were surveyed by trained interviewers. Victimization by Caregivers was evaluated through a module of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ). The prevalence (12 months) for physical abuse were (12.9%), for emotional abuse (27.9%), neglect (5.3%) and parental interference (3.5%). The results suggest as risk factors, sex, age, migration status, disability, geographical location, and type of school. The findings highlight the urgent need to address the issue of child maltreatment and victimization by caregivers in Chilean society and minimize its impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristián Pinto-Cortez
- Escuela de Psicología Y Filosofía, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Juridicas, Universidad de Tarapacá, Avenida 18 de Septiembre 2222, Casilla 7-D, Arica, Chile.
| | - Cristóbal Guerra
- grid.441783.d0000 0004 0487 9411Centro Cielo, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales Y Comunicaciones, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fabiola Peña Cárdenas
- grid.441241.60000 0001 2187 037XUniversidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Matamoros, México
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Child and Adolescent Multiple Victimization and/or Polyvictimization: A Portuguese Comparative Study. SOCIETIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/soc11040120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, children and adolescents are exposed to violence every day and in countless contexts, whether in the family, at school, or in the community. Child multiple victimization has been the subject of extensive international research because of the impact on child and youth development. A quantitative and comparative study aiming to understand child multiple victimization and/or polyvictimization from the perspective of children is presented. Two groups were studied, with and without psychological counselling, with 20 children each, aged 12–18 years old. All the participants answered to juvenile victimization questionnaire (JVQ). The study was approved by the University Ethics Committee responsible for the study in Portugal, and it was initiated after the obtained consent of the children’s legal guardians. The results indicated that young people frequently experience violent situations, with particular emphasis on conventional crimes, e.g., theft, robbery, vandalism, and assault with or without a weapon, with sexual victimization being less common. The results also show that there is a cumulative experience of violence, which evidences multiple victimization and polyvictimization of the child/adolescent throughout their life. These phenomena are not necessarily more common between populations with clinical follow-up. When the types of violence were compared, multiple victimization and polyvictimization, this study found no differences between the samples with and without psychological counselling. It can be concluded that the multiple victimization or polyvictimization problem is not unusual among the population in the studied age range. It is important to alert to the phenomenon of child/adolescent multiple victimization, aiming at a more effective assessment and intervention among these populations. Raising awareness of the phenomenon of multiple child and youth victimization or polyvictimization is of particular importance for preventing violence at all stages of development.
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Pinto-Cortez C, Peña F, Garrido N, Muzatto P, Pereda N. Self-Reported Sexual Victimization Among Chilean Children and Youth. VIOLENCE AND VICTIMS 2021; 36:306-319. [PMID: 33795475 DOI: 10.1891/vv-d-19-00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sexual victimization among a representative sample of children and youth from Chile and to analyze the sex and age differences. The First National Survey of Poly-victimization collected cross-sectional data via a self-report survey of 19,648 children and youth (aged 12-18 years). Lifetime victimization was reported by 31.9% of children and youth (23.9% of males and 39.7% of females) and 21.9% reported victimization in the past year (16.8% of males and 26.9% of females). Girls presented higher percentages of lifetime sexual victimization with and without physical contact in practically all of the items. However, boys had a higher prevalence in statutory rape. Younger participants reported a prevalence of sexual victimization of 23.1%, while older participants reported a prevalence of 40.0%. Youth between the ages of 15 and 18 years had a higher prevalence of lifetime sexual victimization in practically all its forms, except for verbal sexual harassment. The results show that Chilean children and youth are exposed to sexual victimization in an extensive way, which demands an immediate response by public policy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabiola Peña
- Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Unidad Multidisciplinaria Matamoros, México, North America
| | - Norman Garrido
- Universidad de Tarapacá, Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Chile, South America
| | - Paola Muzatto
- Universidad de Tarapacá, Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Chile, South America
| | - Noemí Pereda
- Universidad de Barcelona, Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamientos Psicológicos, España
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de Azeredo LA, Viola TW, Rothmann LM, Trentin R, Arteche AX, Kristensen CH, Buchweitz A, Grassi-Oliveira R. Hair cortisol levels and mental health problems in children and adolescents exposed to victimization. Stress 2020; 23:546-555. [PMID: 31701783 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1690448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Youths who experience multiple forms of victimization are at a heightened risk for psychopathology across the lifespan. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a key target for the investigation of neurobiological changes induced by chronic stress and violence exposure. The measurement of hair cortisol concentration allows the investigation of long-term HPA activity and its association with victimization. The present study investigated the impact of exposure to polyvictimization in Latin-American children and adolescents on hair cortisol levels. We investigated association among cortisol, mental health problems and victimization. The study included 83 youths (mean age 10.84 years-old) from southern Brazil. We assessed self-reported victimization scores (Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire - JVQ-R2), mental health problems (Child Behavior Checklist - CBCL/6-18), and hair cortisol concentrations for the previous 30 days. The results showed an association between exposure to multiple forms of victimization and higher concentrations of hair cortisol; the results also showed that cortisol levels and mental health problems were associated with the severity of polyvictimization. These findings suggest that preadolescent victimization is associated with hyperactivation of HPA axis and with increased risk of mental health issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Araújo de Azeredo
- School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Thiago Wendt Viola
- School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Melo Rothmann
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Trentin
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Adriane Xavier Arteche
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Christian Haag Kristensen
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Augusto Buchweitz
- School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
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