WITHDRAWN: Physical and Sexual Revictimization By Peers: Delinquent Peer Affiliations and Advanced Pubertal Development As Risk Factors

Introduction

Child sexual and physical abuse have been linked with physical and sexual revictimization among women. Insufficient research has examined how the social ecology and developmental context contribute to revictimization risk during adolescence. Teenagers actively seek out peer relationships and their relations with delinquent peers may lead to contact with older, dangerous social networks that put them at risk for peer victimization. Additionally, advanced pubertal development is a known risk factor for associating with deviant peers, but less is known about how pubertal timing may interact with sexual and physical abuse to amplify pathways to revictimization. The current study aims to (a) test the prospective associations between child abuse and peer victimization via delinquent peer affiliation and (b) test the amplifying effect of advanced pubertal development on the pathway from child abuse to revictimization through delinquent peer affiliation.

Methods

Data on maltreated and non-maltreated girls were obtained from the LONGSCAN study (N = 625), a longitudinal project across five sites in the US. Severity of physical and sexual abuse from birth to age 10 was assessed via official reports from Child Protective Services. Pubertal development, delinquent peer affiliations, and peer victimization were self-reported by youth at ages 12 (M_age = 12.4), 14 (M_age = 14.4), and 16 (M_age = 16.3), respectively. Structural equation modeling was used to test study hypotheses and multiple imputation was used to estimate missing data.

Results

Model fit was good (CFI = .98; RMSEA = .03; SRMR=.02). Sexual abuse (β = .15, p < .01), pubertal development (β = .16, p < .05), and the interaction between sexual abuse and pubertal development (β = .13, p < .05) predicted delinquent peer affiliation at age 14. Delinquent peer affiliation was linked with physical (β = .27, p < .001) and sexual (β = .23, p < .001) peer victimization at age 16. There were significant indirect paths from sexual abuse to physical (β = .05, p < .001) and sexual peer victimization (β = .06, p < .001) through affiliation with deviant peers.

Discussion

Sexually abused girls are at substantial risk for delinquent peer group affiliation and this is exacerbated by advanced pubertal development in early adolescence. Girls who are affiliated with delinquent peer groups are at risk of being physically and sexually victimized by their peers. These findings complement past research on the role of peers in pathways from early adversity to risk outcomes. Interventions should focus on peer groups as a mechanism for revictimization among victimized youth. Further, bio-developmental factors such as pubertal development should be considered in secondary prevention efforts.