"Many bad things had been happening to me": Children's perceptions and experiences of polyvictimization in the context of child physical abuse

The association between child maltreatment and polyvictimization has received growing attention since being identified by Finkelhor and colleagues in 2005. The current study was designed to explore the experiences and perceptions of children who reported polyvictimization during forensic interviews. This mixed-methods study sample comprised 117 children aged 5–14, referred for the first time to forensic interviews following suspected physical abuse by a parent. More than one-third of the children reported polyvictimization. A thematic analysis was carried out to spotlight these children's experiences. The analysis identified three main themes: the way children comprehend the polyvictimization, the consequences of the polyvictimization regarding the children's negative self-attribution, and the way the polyvictimization was constructed through the dynamic with the forensic interviewers. The findings pointed to the importance of the forensic interview platform in assessing children's maltreatment burden. The current study also provided a glance into the possible involvement of the mechanics of self-blame among maltreated children. These findings have the potential to enhance our understanding of the excessive psychological toll taken on polyvictimized children.