NCJ Number
207071
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 239-255
Date Published
April 2004
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined psychological distress in bystanders and victims of prevalent forms of repetitive abuse, such as bullying.
Abstract
Previous research has identified the importance of ordinary, everyday traumatic events in triggering psychological distress. Indeed, even witnessing the victimization of another has been identified as a traumatic stressor by the American Psychiatric Association. A key factor influencing the development and severity of psychological distress is the repeated exposure to a traumatic event over time. The current study compared bystanders and victims of repetitive abuse in terms of present and past levels of psychological distress. Participants were 79 students at a Midwestern university who completed the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and had their physiological reactivity measured through skin conductance and heart rate analysis during interviews in which they were asked to recall their experiences as victims or bystanders of repetitive abuse. Results of statistical analyses indicated that victims of repetitive abuse recalled significantly greater levels of trauma than bystanders, but both levels of psychological distress were unexpectedly high and were comparable to levels of distress experienced by combat veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychological distress scores assessing present levels of distress arising from recalling past experiences with repetitive abuse were similar for both victims and bystanders and exceeded levels of psychological distress experienced by police, firefighters, and other first responders following a severe earthquake. Measures of skin conductance and heart rate both indicated levels of physiological arousal consistent with the psychological assessments. The findings indicate that repetitive abuse carries long-term deleterious psychological effects for both victims and bystanders. The findings have implications for those in the mental health professions who should be aware of the deleterious psychological outcomes associated with behaviors previously identified as minor. Study limitations include problems of generalizability and the use of a homogeneous convenience sample. Tables, references