Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to test the associations between physical and sexual victimizationin childhood with seven measures of health problems in adulthood. Data were gatheredfrom8,000 women interviewed in the National Violence Against Women Survey, a nationally representativesurvey conducted from November 1995 to May 1996.Results indicated that bothphysical and sexual victimization in childhood were significantly associated with poor perceptionsof general health, sustaining a serious injury, acquiring a mental health condition, usingdrugs, and using alcohol daily in adulthood. Women who experienced both physical and sexualvictimization as children were at increased risk of health problems in adulthood compared withwomen who experienced only one type of victimization. These associations could not be attributedto victim demographics or to revictimization in adulthood. Results suggest that interveningwith child abuse victims at an early stage may reduce children's likelihood of developing long-termhealth problems.
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