Why Do Victims Experience Victimization Again? Gender-Specific Pathways

• In Event: Understanding Youth Victimization

Abstract

The role of peer context in victimization research is well-established, yet its impact on repeat victimization remains understudied. This study examines the mediating pathways through which victimized youth develop affiliations with delinquent peers, thereby increasing their risk of future victimization. Additionally, it investigates how this mechanism changes over the life course and varies by gender. Using six waves of longitudinal data from South Korean youth (ages 13–18), this study employs a Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) to assess within-person changes over time. A multi-group RI-CLPM further examines gender-specific differences in the pathway to repeat victimization. Findings indicate that victimized adolescents are more likely to associate with delinquent peers, which subsequently heightens their risk of repeat victimization. This mediating process is significant in early adolescence but diminishes in young adulthood. Moreover, gender differences emerge: for girls, the mechanism is more prominent in early adolescence, while for boys, it becomes more evident in later adolescence.These results underscore the importance of interventions that address peer influences following victimization. Programs should focus on fostering positive peer relationships, particularly in early adolescence for girls and later adolescence for boys. Future research should continue to examine the developmental role of peer contexts in the victimization cycle.

Author

• Myunghee You, University of Florida