The impact of polyvictimization in the psychological functioning of adolescents in residential care

In Portugal, the existing knowledge on polyvictimization is still in an early stage, especially in residential care contexts. Exposed to intrafamilial victimization, adolescents in residential care tend to have several aspects of their development compromised, thus affecting their ability to adapt to life circumstances. It has already been demonstrated that victimization experienced in the early years of life is a predictor of later forms of victimization, and that the cumulative impact of experiencing several forms of victimization is more severe than experiencing repeated victimizations of a single type.

This research will translate and adapt the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ-R2) to a Portuguese version in order to study polyvictimization, its prevalence and impact on the psychological functioning and adjustment of 200 adolescents in residential care. It will also be studied the mediating role of trauma in the relationship between polyvictimization and the psychological functioning and adjustment of adolescents. The analysis will be performed by comparison with a sample of adolescents from the general population.