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Infant victimization in a nationally representative sample

Heather A Turner1, David Finkelhor, Richard Ormrod

  • 1Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA. haturner@cisunix.unh.edu

Pediatrics
|June 23, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Nearly one-third of infants experience victimization, including sibling assault and witnessing family violence. This exposure is linked to emotional and behavioral symptoms, highlighting a need for broader prevention efforts.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Criminology

Background:

  • Infant victimization is understudied compared to older children.
  • Existing child maltreatment research often overlooks indirect and witnessing exposure.
  • Understanding early-life victimization is crucial for developmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the prevalence of various forms of infant victimization in the U.S.
  • To investigate the association between infant victimization and emotional/behavioral symptoms.
  • To identify specific risk factors for infant victimization.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional national telephone survey.
  • Inclusion of 503 caregivers of children under 2 years old.
  • Data collection on personal, witnessing, and indirect victimization experiences.

Main Results:

  • 31.6% of infants experienced some form of victimization.
  • Caregiver maltreatment rate was 2.1%, but sibling assault was 15.4%.
  • Infant victimization correlated with emotional and behavioral symptoms, particularly sibling assault and witnessing family violence.

Conclusions:

  • Infant victimization encompasses diverse forms beyond caregiver maltreatment.
  • Sibling assault and witnessing family violence are significant risks for infants.
  • Prevention strategies must broaden to include these wider victimization sources.
Abstract

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