Through the Eyes of a Child: Witnessing Childhood Trauma Is as Impactful as Experiencing Trauma for Polyvictimized Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse.

In this retrospective study of 244 adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA), their experiences of childhood polyvictimization were analyzed as to their cumulative effect on trauma symptoms, education, and income levels. The data were gathered by anonymously sampling adult survivors of CSA from websites that were specific to this population (such as online peer support groups). Their experiences of victimization were examined as to Cumulative Polyvictimization, Witnessing Traumas (such as witnessing intimate partner violence), and Experiencing Traumas (such as child physical abuse).