Victimization and Its Consequences Over the Life Course

Summary:

This presentation synthesizes and integrates multidisciplinary research on victimization across the life course, from early life through old age. Drawing on an ecological framework, I discuss how individual, relational, institutional, and macrosystemic factors shape both the risks and consequences of victimization at different developmental stages. Research reveals that victimization experiences, and their impacts, vary considerably based on age-graded changes in autonomy, social contexts, and available coping resources. While some stages of life have received extensive scholarly attention (childhood, adolescence), others remain understudied (early life, midlife). A life-course perspective can illuminate important patterns in victimization risk and resilience across development, while highlighting critical gaps in our understanding. This synthesis carries implications for advancing theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches, and evidence-based interventions to prevent victimization and support victims across all life stages.