PSYCHOSOCIAL SEQUELAE OF VIOLENT VICTIMIZATION IN A NATIONAL YOUTH SAMPLE

In a national telephone sample of youths aged 10-16 years, over one th ird reported having been the victims of an assault. Victimized respond ents displayed significantly more psychological and behavioral symptom atology than did nonvictimized respondents (more symptomatology relate d to posttraumatic stress disorder, more sadness;and more school diffi culties), even after controlling for some other possible sources of di stress. Sexual assault was associated with particularly high levels of symptomatology. However, victims of other forms of assault-nonfamily assaults involving weapons or physical injury (aggravated assaults), a ssaults by parents, violence to genitals, and attempted kidnappings-al so evidenced levels of distress that were not statistically lower than those suffered by victims of sexual assault. The findings suggest tha t substantial mental health morbidity in the general child and adolesc ent population is associated with victimization.