The Prevalence of Sexual Revictimization: A Meta-Analytic Review
Date
2019
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Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
Abstract
The literature consistently demonstrates evidence that child sexual abuse survivors are at greater risk of victimization later in life
than the general population. This phenomenon is called sexual revictimization. Although this finding is robust, there is a large
amount of variability in the prevalence rates of revictimization demonstrated in the literature. The purpose of the present metaanalysis was to calculate an average prevalence rate of revictimization across the literature and to examine moderators that may
potentially account for the observed variability. Based on a review of PsycINFO and PILOTS, 1,412 articles were identified and
reviewed for inclusion. This process resulted in the inclusion of 80 studies, which contained 12,252 survivors of child sexual abuse.
The mean prevalence of sexual revictimization across studies was 47.9% (95% confidence intervals [43.6%, 52.3%]), suggesting that
almost half of child sexual abuse survivors are sexually victimized in the future. The present study failed to find support for any of
the examined moderators. Potential explanations of and implications for the results are offered, including suggestions for
therapists.
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Keywords
child sexual abuse, revictimization, sexual assault, rape
Citation
Walker, H. E., Freud, J. S., Ellis, R. A., Fraine, S. M., & Wilson, L. C. (2019). The prevalence of sexual revictimization: A meta-analytic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 20(1), 67-80.