Bennett Amanda, Clement Alex, Walton Rachel, Jackson Yo, Gabrielli Joy
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Child Maltreat. 2024 May;29(2):283-296. doi: 10.1177/10775595231163452. Epub 2023 Mar 12.
Maltreatment type, severity, and chronicity are predictors of poor youth outcomes, yet youth reported perpetrators of abuse have gone largely unstudied. Little is known about variation in perpetration across youth characteristics (e.g., age, gender, placement type) and abuse features. This study aims to describe youth reported perpetrators of victimization within a foster care sample. 503 youth in foster care (ages 8-21 years) reported on experiences of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Follow up questions assessed abuse frequency and perpetrators. Mann-Whitney U Tests were used to compare central tendency differences in number of perpetrators reported across youth characteristics and victimization features. Biological caregivers were commonly endorsed perpetrators of physical and psychological abuse, though youth also reported high levels of peer victimization. For sexual abuse, non-related adults were commonly reported perpetrators, however, youth reported higher levels of victimization from peers. Older youth and youth residing in residential care reported higher numbers of perpetrators; girls reported more perpetrators of psychological and sexual abuse as compared to boys. Abuse severity, chronicity, and number of perpetrators were positively associated, and number of perpetrators differed across abuse severity levels. Perpetrator count and type may be important features of victimization experiences, particularly for youth in foster care.
虐待类型、严重程度和长期性是青少年不良后果的预测因素，但对于青少年报告的虐待实施者，相关研究却很少。对于不同青少年特征（如年龄、性别、安置类型）和虐待特征下的虐待行为差异，我们知之甚少。本研究旨在描述寄养样本中青少年报告的受害行为实施者情况。503名年龄在8至21岁的寄养青少年报告了他们遭受身体、性和心理虐待的经历。后续问题评估了虐待频率和实施者。采用曼-惠特尼U检验来比较不同青少年特征和受害特征下报告的实施者数量的集中趋势差异。亲生照顾者通常被认为是身体和心理虐待的实施者，不过青少年也报告了较高程度的同伴侵害情况。对于性虐待，非亲属成年人通常被报告为实施者，然而，青少年报告称来自同伴的侵害程度更高。年龄较大的青少年和居住在寄宿照料机构的青少年报告的实施者数量更多；与男孩相比，女孩报告的心理和性虐待实施者更多。虐待严重程度、长期性与实施者数量呈正相关，且实施者数量在不同虐待严重程度水平上存在差异。实施者数量和类型可能是受害经历的重要特征，尤其是对于寄养青少年而言。
