It takes two: A dyadic perspective on revictimization

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) victims are at increased risk for experiencing additional victimization later in life. Current understanding of the phenomenon of revictimization has largely focused on delineating victim vulnerability factors (e.g., substance use, PTSD symptomatology) that increase the risk of revictimization. These factors alone, however, are unable to fully account for revictimization experiences. Considering the dyadic context in which revictimization must take place, the current study broadens models based primarily on victim vulnerability factors to also include partner characteristics. More specifically, this study utilizes a sample of newlywed couples to investigate victim vulnerability factors and partner characteristics, both independently and in combination with one another, as mediators of the relationship between CSA and marital revictimization experiences. Results from this study identify trauma symptoms and psychological distress as significant victim-related mediators and hostility, childhood psychological abuse, and trauma symptoms as significant partner-related mediators. In addition, results reveal that the interaction between victim-related trauma symptoms and partner-related hostility mediates the CSA---marital revictimization relationship. Taken together, these findings highlight the important contribution that factors outside of victims make to in the incidence of revictimization and suggest new avenues for intervening to reduce risk of repeated victimization experiences.