Risk Recognition, Attachment Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and State Dissociation Predict Revictimization

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious research has identified a number of variables that constitute potential risk factors for victimization and revictimization. However, it remains unclear which factors are associated not only with childhood or adolescent victimization, but specifically with revictimization. The aim of this study was to determine whether risk recognition ability and other variables previously associated with revictimization are specifically able to differentiate individuals with childhood victimization only from revictimized individuals, and thus to predict revictimization.MethodsParticipants were N = 85 women aged 21 to 64 years who were interpersonally victimized in childhood or adolescence only, interpersonally revictimized in another period of life, or not victimized. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine whether risk recognition ability, sensation seeking, self-efficacy, state dissociation, shame, guilt, assertiveness, and attachment anxiety predicted group membership.ResultsThe logistic regression analysis revealed risk recognition ability, attachment anxiety, state dissociation, and self-efficacy as significant predictors of revictimization. The final model accurately classified 82.4% of revictimized, 59.1% of victimized and 93.1% of non-victimized women. The overall classification rate was 80%.ConclusionsThis study suggests that risk recognition ability, attachment anxiety, self-efficacy, and state dissociation play a key role in revictimization. Increased risk recognition ability after an interpersonal trauma may act as a protective factor against repeated victimization that revictimized individuals may lack. A lack of increased risk recognition ability in combination with higher attachment anxiety, lower self-efficacy, and higher state dissociation may increase the risk of revictimization.

The Role of Generalized Explicit and Implicit Guilt and Shame in Interpersonal Traumatization and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

“…After giving written informed consent to participate in the study, sociodemographic information (e.g., age, education) was gathered, and the participants conducted the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Subsequently, another experimental task, diagnostic interviews, and questionnaire measures were conducted that were part of a larger study (Bockers et al, 2014). Part of the questionnaire measures included the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA; Tangney et al, 2000).…”

Post-Traumatic Cognition Mediates the Relationship between a History of Sexual Abuse and the Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Sexual Assault Victims

“…Furthermore, revictimized women were at higher risk of engaging in prostitution and were less likely to use condoms consistently than women who had been sexually abused only as a child or an adult ( 5 ), resulting in higher social cost. Several studies have focused on the risk factors of revictimization, such as childhood abuse ( 6 ), risk recognition ( 7 ), and sexual assertiveness ( 8 ). PTSD symptoms ( 9 ) and depression and anxiety ( 10 ) have also been proposed as risk factors for rape and revictimization.…”

Childhood Sexual Abuse, Personality, and Risk Recognition

“…The current study sought to replicate previous research suggesting that a history of CSA is related to higher levels of negative affectivity, psychoticism, disinhibition, and antagonism and lower levels of detachment, based upon research related to Big Five personality characteristics (Allen & Lauterbach, 2007) as well as higher response latency (Bockers et al, 2014). The proposed study extended previous research by examining the relationship between personality characteristics and risk recognition among college-aged women.…”

“…Victims of intimate partner violence have higher response latency when watching video vignettes of aggressive encounters than non-victims (Witte & Kendra, 2010). Bockers et al (2014) examined responses to danger cues among individual with a history of CSA and those with a history of CSA and subsequent revictimization. Those who had experienced CSA, but not revictimization, responded to danger cues more quickly than those who had been revictimized (Bockers et al, 2014).…”

“…Bockers et al (2014) examined responses to danger cues among individual with a history of CSA and those with a history of CSA and subsequent revictimization. Those who had experienced CSA, but not revictimization, responded to danger cues more quickly than those who had been revictimized (Bockers et al, 2014). These results suggest that individuals may have a developed sensitivity to danger such that a history of CSA combined with repeated victimization is related to lower levels of risk recognition (or higher response latency).…”