%0 Journal Article %T Childhood polyvictimization, adult violent victimization, and trauma symptomatology: an exploratory study of prostitution diversion program participants %J Journal of family violence %D 2019 %A Updegrove, Alexander H. %A Muftić, Lisa R. %V 34 %N 8 %P 733-743 %X Prostitution diversion program participants who have experienced lifelong patterns of abuse, including child polyvictimization and later adult victimization, may exhibit greater trauma symptomatology than participants who have not experienced lifelong abuse. If true, these participants may face unique barriers to successful program completion as a result of their increased trauma symptomatology. This calls into question whether incarceration is an appropriate sanction for program failure. Data from a prostitution diversion program located in Houston, Texas, was used to conduct a series of bivariate analyses that examined whether participants who had experienced multiple types of child abuse: (1) were more criminally involved, (2) were more likely to report adult victimization, and (3) exhibited greater trauma symptomatology relative to program participants who had never experienced child abuse, or only experienced a single type. Participants who had experienced multiple types of child abuse were more likely to report adult victimization and greater trauma symptomatology relative to participants who had not experienced any child abuse. The prostitution diversion program examined in this study contained a subgroup of participants who had experienced multiple types of child abuse, possessed an increased risk of adult victimization, and reported greater trauma symptomatology. These participants are trauma survivors, and may face unique barriers to program completion. Consequently, incarceration is a misguided sanction for program failure, as it may lead to further traumatization.

Language: en

%G en %I Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group %@ 0885-7482 %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10896-018-0015-z