Adolescent victimization and psychosocial well-being in a Finnish population-based sample

ABSTRACT

Potentially traumatizing events are common in adolescence, and these experiences have an impact on psychopathology. Furthermore, these events cumulate for certain individuals. More knowledge about the relationship between well-being and victimization experiences’ amount, type, and timing in adolescents is needed to understand the phenomenon of adolescent victimization. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated in a population-based sample of Finnish adolescents, whether victimization experiences associate with psychosocial well-being. The study sample comprised 5743 adolescents aged 15–16 years who filled in a questionnaire about 12 victimization experiences and psychosocial well-being. General Linear Model regression analyses were used for statistical analysis. A greater number of victimization experiences and recent timing, as well as type of victimization such as cyberbullying, were linked to problems related to psychosocial well-being. It is important to recognize current forms of youth victimization to identify the adolescents at risk for psychosocial distress and investigate on specific types of victimization.

KEYWORDS:

• Polyvictimization
• trauma
• adolescents
• well-being
• population-based sample
• cyberbullying

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2023.2273385

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the following non-profit organizations: the Pediatric Research Foundation of Finland and the Helsinki University Hospital Research Funds (grants TYH2021301 and TYH2022203).

Notes on contributors

Katri Lahti

Katri Lahti, MSc., is clinical psychologist and doctoral researcher in Child Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Her main interests are child and youth victimization and its impact on mental health.

Heidi Backman

Heidi Backman, Ph.D., is clinical psychologist and researcher in Child Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Her scope of interests includes child and adolescent behavioral disorders, callous-unemotional traits, and parental practices.

Taina Laajasalo

Taina Laajasalo, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor (Docent) in Forensic Psychology at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Chief Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare. Her main research activities relate to various aspects of child maltreatment, as well as child and adolescent behavioral disorders.

Markus Kaakinen

Markus Kaakinen, Ph.D., is a senior researcher at the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy at the University of Helsinki. His research interests are related to youth delinquency and crime prevention, with a current emphasis on the importance of groups, technology and identities in criminal behavior.

Eeva T. Aronen

Eeva Aronen, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor in Child Psychiatry at the University of Helsinki and Senior Child Psychiatrist at Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Her scope of interests includes sleep, executive functions, stress and adverse life events in children and their relevance to child psychiatric disorders, behavioral disorders in children, and parenting.