Citation

Cerezo MA, Pérez-García E. Span. J. Psychol. 2019; 22: E20.

Affiliation

Universitat de València (Spain).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Complutense University of Madrid, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/sjp.2019.24

PMID

31044685

Abstract

Victimization experienced in childhood has been linked with health-risk behaviors (HRBs) in adulthood. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey was to provide data regarding the HRBs using the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool Retrospective version (ICAST-R), Spanish version. This aimed to broaden existing knowledge by assessing both being victimized by adults and by peers in a Spanish general population of 348, aged 18-35. Age and timing of the reported victimization were also considered. Victimization: physical, psychological, sexual abuse by adults and/or peers showed a prevalence of 44.54%. Of these, 41.29% reported abuse by both. Children victimized by adults, regardless of type, were significantly associated to be psychologically abused by their peers (p <.001). Moreover, psychological maltreatment by adults was significantly associated with two peer victimizations: Physical and psychological (p <.001 in both). Regarding HRBs, peer victimized groups showed significantly higher levels of severity than non-victimized, with a higher proportion reporting attempted suicide (p <.05) and psychological or psychiatric treatment (p <.05). Participants victimized only by adults reported higher number of HRBs (p <.01), their victimization was associated to more severe abuse of drugs/alcohol (p ≤.05), and suicide attempts (p <.05). Those victimized by adults and peers received treatment in higher proportion than non-victims (p <.001). Participants reporting victimization since before 5 years to age of 17, compared with non-victimized, showed more substance abuse (p <.05), attempted suicide (p <.01) and receipt of treatment (p <.05). These findings highlight the relevance of ICAST-R in studying HRBs.

Language: en

Keywords

ICAST-R; adult victimization; childhood maltreatment; health-risk behaviors; peer victimization