Poly-victimization from different methodological approaches using the juvenile victimization questionnaire: Are we...

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Poly-victimization, experiencing multiple forms of victimization, is a significant concern in adolescent populations.
• The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) is a common tool for assessing victimization experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the consistency of three distinct methodological approaches in identifying poly-victims among adolescents.
• To compare how different operationalizations of poly-victimization impact the identification of affected youth.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 1,105 adolescents (aged 12-17) from Spanish secondary schools participated.
• The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) was administered to assess lifetime and past-year victimization experiences.
• Three different methods were employed to define and identify poly-victims within the sample.

Main Results:

• Poly-victims consistently reported higher rates of all victimization types compared to non-poly-victims, irrespective of the assessment method.
• Moderate agreement was observed between the three methods for identifying poly-victims across both lifetime and past-year timeframes.
• The highest agreement for lifetime poly-victimization was between the "one-above-the-mean" method and Latent Class Analysis (LCA), while for past-year victimization, it was between the "top 10%" method and LCA.

Conclusions:

• The choice of method for operationalizing poly-victimization significantly influences which adolescents are identified as poly-victims.
• Researchers and clinicians must acknowledge these discrepancies, as different identification strategies can lead to varied implications for intervention and support.
• Prioritizing the standardization and refinement of poly-victimization assessment methods is crucial for future research and practice.