Factors Predicting Family Violence Revictimization Among Army Families With Child Maltreatment

Area of Science:

• Family Violence Research
• Military Psychology
• Child Maltreatment Studies

Background:

• The Army Family Advocacy Program (Army FAP) aims to prevent and mitigate family violence.
• Family violence revictimization poses significant challenges for military families.
• Understanding factors influencing revictimization is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine individual, family, community, and treatment factors associated with family violence revictimization.
• To identify predictors of revictimization within Army families.
• To assess the impact of Army FAP interventions on revictimization rates.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 134 Army FAP case files for families with substantiated child maltreatment closed in 2013.
• Coding of risk factors, protective factors, and intervention characteristics.
• Matching case files with Army Central Registry data to determine revictimization rates through 2017.

Main Results:

• Twenty-three percent of families experienced revictimization.
• Community risk factors were significant predictors of revictimization.
• Higher intervention dose was associated with reduced revictimization.

Conclusions:

• Community factors, such as relocation and housing issues, are critical in understanding repeated family violence in military contexts.
• Further research is needed to identify effective treatment components for Army FAP interventions.
• Tailoring interventions to address community-level risks may enhance prevention efforts.