1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This study aims to document lifetime experiences of victimization and polyvictimization among children in Quebec to examine whether they predict mental health symptoms. A second purpose is to assess whether categories of victimization still contribute to mental health symptoms after considering polyvictimization, therefore having worse impacts on children’s mental health.» (p. 618)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The final sample included 1,401 caregivers of children between 2 and 11 years old. Approximately half of the children in the sample were male (51%). Of the children in the sample, 43% were between 2 and 5 years old and 47% were between 6 and 11 years old.» (p. 619)

Instruments :
Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«This study confirms that the majority of young children (68%) were victimized during their lifetime. The most common experience was assault, which was experienced by 45% of the children between 2 and 11 years old during their lifetime and significantly more often experienced by boys. Property victimization, a victimization rarely considered in studies of children, was experienced by almost a third of the sample (30%), mostly in the form of vandalism, with 22% having a belonging broken or destroyed on purpose. This research also confirms previous findings indicating that the multiple victimization of children is common in Canada. […] Living in a single- or stepparent family was predictive of children’s depressive and anger symptoms, even when polyvictimization and all the victimization categories were considered, indicating that children from non-intact families have more adaptation problems.» (p. 626-627)