Types of Childhood Exposure to Violence and Association With Caregiver Trauma in Peru.

This study examined typologies of childhood polyvictimization and the associations of profiles with demographic characteristics at the levels of child, household, and primary caregiver. This study evaluated a sample of children aged 4 to 17 years residing in San Juan de Lurigancho District, an urban setting on the edge of Lima, Peru ( = 384). An in-person interview of the primary caregiver of each child was conducted in June 2018, assessing the victimization of the child, the caregiver's exposure to trauma and abuse, and general socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the household. Latent class analysis was used to identify typologies of child victimization. Follow-up analysis was conducted to quantify differences between the classes which emerged, in terms of the child, caregiver, and household. Five classes emerged: High Peer victimization, Moderate Community victimization; High Community victimization; Verbal Abuse; High victimization across domains; and Low victimization across domains. Caregiver exposure to trauma was positively associated with membership in the high-exposure classes. This study offers a unique opportunity to more deeply understand childhood exposure to violence in Latin America, specifically in an urban setting in Peru, and to further understand how childhood victimization is associated with various characteristics of the child, caregiver, and household. These findings could inform interventions supporting children and families at risk of exposure to violence in Peru or globally.