Extensive research on childhood victimization has consistently revealed that a significant number of children experience various forms of violence throughout their development, resulting in lasting impacts on their mental health. The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) establishes a comprehensive assessment of childhood victimization. Assessing psychometric evidence in different contexts is of utmost importance for further exploring the role of victimization in mental health throughout life. As such, this study aimed to (1) provide evidence on validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the JVQ-R2 (adult retrospective), and (2) explore associations between victimization profiles and mental-health or well-being outcomes. A sample of 491 Portuguese adults (M = 38.54, SD = 10.03), mostly women (83.1%) was included. Data on childhood victimization experiences, quality of life, anxiety, and depression were collected through an online survey. The factorial structure of the five modules of the JVQ-R2 was replicated, and good internal reliability was found. Findings also showed that victimization experiences were associated with poorer mental health, and poly-victims had higher scores for depression and anxiety (compared to victims and non-victims), were less satisfied with their social relationships (compared to victims), and had lower levels of psychological health (compared to non-victims). This study provides an updated screening of childhood victimization and informs future interventions with poly-victims to lessen the impact on mental health and quality of life.

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Childhood victimization,Juvenile victimization questionnaire,Mental health

• Basic Medicine - Medical and Health Sciences
• Clinical Medicine - Medical and Health Sciences
• Health Sciences - Medical and Health Sciences
• Psychology - Social Sciences
• Sociology - Social Sciences
• Law - Social Sciences