Variables Differentiating Singly and Multiply Victimized Youth: Results From the National Survey of Adolescents and Implications for Secondary Prevention

The authors examined variables differentiating singly and multiply victimized youth with a national household probability sample of 4,023 adolescents. Youth endorsing one episode (i.e., one incident or series of repeat incidents) of sexual or physical assault were classified as singly victimized (n = 435). Multiply victimized youth were those who endorsed multiple discrete episodes of sexual or physical assault and both sexual and physical assault (n = 396). For boys, heightened risk of multiple victimization was associated with family alcohol problems, Native American race, and earlier age at assault onset. For girls, increased multiple victimization risk was associated with family alcohol problems, older current age, and several characteristics of the initial assault episode—earlier age at onset, acquaintance perpetrator, chronicity, perceived life threat, and injury. Findings imply that secondary prevention programs may be strengthened by broadening risk-reduction strategies to address a greater range of victimization experiences. Additional implications for secondary prevention are discussed.