Childhood risk factors for women's sexual victimization

The purpose of this study, was to examine a broad range of childhood experiences associated with risk for sexual assault victimization in adulthood. Childhood experiences hypothesized to enhance vulnerability for adult sexual victimization, including maltreatment experiences perpetrated by adults and children as well as family composition variables, were examined. A community sample of 277 women attending outpatient clinics at an urban hospital provided retrospective self-report regarding family, composition and cohesion, childhood maltreatment experiences perpetrated by adults and peers, and adulthood victimization. Results of logistic regression analysis indicate that early, sexual experiences with peers, childhood sexual abuse by adults, father or father figure's absence as a primary caregiver in childhood, perceived level of closeness to father in adolescence, and neglect by mother pose significant risk for subsequent adult victimization.