Understanding everyday victimization experiences in vulnerable youth: an ecological momentary assessment approach

Early victimization significantly increases the risk of subsequent revictimization throughout life, yet the underlying psychological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) studies hold promise in clarifying how contextual factors and social attributions influence everyday victimization experiences. This study utilized EMA to examine daily victimization in out-of-home care (OOHC), a high-risk group for (re-)victimization, compared to children and adolescents living with their biological families (BF). Over two weeks, 157 participants, aged eight to 21 years (N = 68 in OOHC and N = 89 in BF group) reported their victimization experiences, including contextual and individual factors via EMA. Additionally, participants answered standardized questionnaires on lifetime victimization and psychopathology. Attending school was identified as a contextual risk factor for everyday victimization experiences. Higher levels of psychopathology and OOHC residence were associated with increased everyday victimization. In contrast, lifetime victimization did not predict current victimization frequency but significantly impacted daily affective states and social acceptance levels. Internal attribution styles for everyday victimization experiences were associated with lower affective valence and social acceptance. These findings emphasize the heightened vulnerability of children and youth in OOHC to frequent victimization, with internal attribution styles in response to victimization being a significant risk factor for negative affect and feelings of social ostracism. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the nature of victimization experiences among OOHC and BF. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing internal attribution styles in interventions designed to support vulnerable populations like children and adolescents in OOHC.