Youth victimization in Sweden : prevalence, characteristics and relation to mental health and behavioral problems in young adulthood

• The present study examines multiple types of victimization simultaneously, their prevalence and characteristics in childhood and adolescence, and the associations between victimization and poly-victimization on the one hand, and single as well as multiple mental health and behavioral prob-lems on the other. The sample consisted of 2,500 Swedish young adults (20–24 years) who provided detailed report of multiple types of life-time victimization and current health and behaviors via an interview and a questionnaire. Results showed that it was more common to be victimized in adolescence as compared to childhood and more common to be victim-ized repeatedly rather than a single time, among both males and females. Males and females were victimized in noticeably different ways and partially at different places and by different perpetrators. With regard to mental health and behavioral problems, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, self-harm, and criminality were clearly over-represented among both males and females who had experienced any type of victimization. Poly-victimization was related to single and multiple mental health and behavioral problems among both males and females. We conclude that professionals need to conduct thorough evaluations of victimization when completing mental health assessments among troubled youths, and that youth might benefit from the development of interventions for poly-victimized youth

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Psychology

Psykologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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