These summaries were written by SVPEP staff and are based on original papers published within the last 2 years. The information available on this web site is provided as a public service and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Arizona Department of Health Services, or the University of Arizona. To conduct an individual search or locate older articles use the Search Summary Database which includes over 600 articles related to sexual violence.

Basile, K. C., Black, M. C., Simon, T. R., Arias, I., Brener, N. D., & Saltzman, L. E. (2006). The association between self-reported lifetime history of forced sexual intercourse and recent health-risk behaviors: Findings from the 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39, 752.e1-752.e7. [Posted January 2007]

Key Points: In a nationally representative sample of 13,080 high school students, 1 in 8 girls and 1 in 16 boys reported a history of forced sexual intercourse. Female and male victims were more likely to also have experienced recent dating violence and engage in health risk behaviors compared to non-victims.

Summary: This study used data from the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Students provided information on a range of health risk behaviors.  Both female and male victims of forced sex were more likely than non-victims to have been physically abused by a dating partner and to have considered or attempted suicide in the previous 12 months. Female and male victims were more likely to have engaged in recent unhealthy eating behaviors and substance abuse.  Because the survey asked about only one type of sexual violence (forced intercourse), it is likely that the rates of sexual victimization were higher than reported in the study. The researchers recommend increasing both primary and secondary prevention efforts to reduce the harm of sexual violence.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; prevalence; risk

Brown, J., L'Engle, K., Pardun, C., Guang, G., Kenneavy, K., & Jackson, C. (2006). Sexy media matter: Exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television, and magazines predicts black and white adolescents' sexual behavior. Pediatrics, 117, 1018-1027. [Posted September 2006]

Key Points: Media is more likely to influence the sexual behavior of white adolescents than black adolescents.

Summary: This article reports the findings of a longitudinal study of 1,017 adolescents regarding their media use. The study found that white adolescents exposed to sexual content in music, movies, television, and magazines increased their sexual activity and were at higher risk of engaging in early sexual intercourse. Black adolescents were less influenced by the media. Instead, black adolescents were more influenced by their perceptions of their parent's expectations and the sexual behavior of their peers.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; media/internet

Chisholm, J. F. (2006). Cyberspace violence against girls and adolescent females. Annals of New York Academy of Science, 1087, 74-89. [Posted April 2007]

Key Points: Youth are often not psychologically equipped to protect themselves from bullying and exploitation online. Most adults are not aware of the risks to which young people are exposed through electronic communication.

Summary: This article summarized types of “cyberviolence” (online bullying and other forms of exploitation). The ability to send messages anonymously and instantly through text messaging or email has created a new set of potential benefits and dangers for young people. Online culture evolves rapidly and can vary dramatically by age group. Adults who are not as technologically savvy as youth may not be aware of bullying and other damaging online behavior and thus not able to protect young people from online dangers.

Several projects working to prevent or mitigate victimization are presented. The author recommended that research be done to examine the effects of online socializing on adolescent development, and how the Internet continues to change patterns of communication. She also recommended training for mental health practitioners who work with youth to recognize signs of online victimization.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; media/Internet; prevention

Decker, M. R., Raj, A., & Silverman, J. G. (2007). Sexual violence against adolescent girls: Influences of immigration and acculturation. Violence Against Women, 13, 498-513. [Posted October 2007]

Key points: Immigrant girls are twice as likely to experience recurring (past and present) sexual violence compared with non-immigrant girls. Acculturation (measured by language usually spoken at home) was not associated with sexual violence.

Summary: Researchers looked at data from Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted in 1999, 2001, and 2003 to identify associations between immigrant status, acculturation, and sexual assault among adolescent girls (N = 5,919).

Fifteen percent of girls in the sample had experienced sexual violence (defined as “sexual contact against your will”). Immigrant girls had twice the risk for recurrent sexual violence compared with non-immigrant girls. Compared with the total sample (including other immigrants), immigrant girls aged 15 or younger and Black adolescent immigrant girls were at increased risk for recurrent sexual assault. Although researchers found significant sexual violence risks for all sexually active girls, sexually active immigrant Hispanic girls were at greater risk compared with nonimmigrant sexually active Hispanic girls.

Recommendations for further studies included a break down of ethnic identification and country of origin (this study collapsed both); exploring the relationship of the perpetrators and victims; and separating and quantifying measures of consensual and non-consensual sexual activity.

Limitations: Respondents may not have distinguished between having had intercourse voluntarily or through force or coercion, which may have resulted in girls who had only experienced abuse being labeled sexually active. Researchers were unable to identify the relationship of the perpetrator to the victim. Highest-risk adolescents may not have been in school and may not have been represented in the study.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; racial/ethnic differences; underserved populations

Fitzgerald, M.M., Danielson, C.K., Saunders, B., & Kilpatrick, D.G. (2007).Youth victimization: Implications for prevention, intervention, and public policy. The Prevention Researcher, 14, 3-7. [Posted August 2007]

Key Points: Policies and practices are needed to minimize the harm of youth victimization by encouraging assessment, targeted prevention, and treatment interventions.  

Summary: The authors review national prevalence rates of youth victimization, including: sexual, emotional or physical abuse; witnessing domestic or community violence; property crime; and excessive punishment. They note gender and race/ethnicity differences in prevalence rates as well as mental health effects. Specific recommendations for assessing risk and resiliency factors as well as screening for victimization in clinical settings are given. The authors discuss the importance of targeted interventions for specific groups, and urge adoption of an ecological model. Finally, the authors discuss how public and organizational policies can help decrease the impact of victimization and increase the availability of supportive services for youth and their families.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; effects; medical response; prevalence; prevention; racial/ethnic differences

Forbes, G., Adams-Curtis, L., Pakalka, A., & White, K. (2006). Dating aggression, sexual coercion, and aggression-supporting attitudes among college men as a function of participation in aggressive high school sports. Violence Against Women, 12, 441-455. [Posted September 2006]

Key Points: Participation in aggressive sports is associated with attitudes that support violence against women, and violent acts against women. This study does not, however, imply causal relationships between sports and violence against women (i.e. that aggressive sports cause men to be more violent, or that violent men choose to play aggressive sports).

Summary: This article describes the findings from a study of 147 college men, in which 115 men reported that they had participated in 1 or more sports in high school. Of these 115 men, 101 men had played an "aggressive" sport (football, basketball, wrestling, or soccer). Relative to a comparison group of 46 men, the men who had participated in an aggressive sport in high school reported that they used more psychological and physical aggression, and more sexual coercion in their college dating relationships. These men also scored higher on measures of Acceptance of Violence, Hostility Toward Women, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Homonegativity scales.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; athletes

Johnson, R., Rew, L., & Kouzekanani, K. (2006). Gender differences in victimized homeless adolescents. Adolescence, 41, 40-53. [Posted July 2006]

Key Points:
When working with homeless youth, identification of abuse history can be critical in developing effective interventions. This study indicates that young men and boys who have been sexually abused can benefit from learning assertive communication skills, as other studies have shown with young women and girls.

Summary:
This study sought to determine how gender and sexual abuse history influence cognitive-perceptual and behavioral factors associated with the sexual health practices of homeless adolescents. The investigators conducted a secondary analysis of data collected for a study of sexual health practices of homeless adolescents, using a sample of 414 participants. They found that females reporting a history of sexual abuse had a shorter future time perspective that females who did not report abuse, indicating a reduced belief that the future has a structure, can be controlled and is predictable. Males who did not report a history of sexual abuse had higher perceived health status than abused females, and were more assertive communicators than abused males.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; underserved populations

Lacasse, A. & Mendelson, M. J. (2007). Sexual coercion among adolescents: Victims and perpetrators. Violence Against Women, 22, 424-437. [Posted April 2007]

Key Points: In a small sample of students in Grades 8-11, sexist beliefs were associated with being a victim of sexual harassment or coercion among girls and with perpetrating sexual harassment or coercion among boys.

Summary: Students in a suburban Quebec school were asked if other students had verbally harassed them, made non-coercive sexual contact (e.g., unwanted kissing) or attempted to obtain sexual favors using blackmail or force in the previous 3 months. They were also asked if they had perpetrated those acts on another student. The study included 37 students who reported being victimized and 21 who reported perpetrating the behavior. These groups were then compared with a matched control sample of students.

Female students who were victims (n=27) were more likely to endorse sexist attitudes than other girls; boys who were perpetrators were more likely to endorse sexist attitudes than other boys. All victims were more likely to use drugs and alcohol than controls or perpetrators. Both victims and perpetrators were involved with more deviant behaviors than controls.

Limitations of this study include: a small sample size; students were only asked about peer-related behaviors outside of romantic relationships, which may have resulted in underreporting of victimization; and the perceived severity of the experiences was not assessed.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; harassment; myths/stereotypes; perpetration

Livingston, J. A., Hequembourg, M. T., & VanZile-Tamsen, C. (2007). Unique aspects of adolescent sexual victimization experiences.  Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 331-343. 
[Posted September 2008]
 
Key Points: Adolescent females may experience an increased risk of sexual victimization due to a combination of developmental, vulnerability, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

Summary:  Between 2000 and 2002 in Erie County, New York in-person interviews were conducted with 1,014 women between the ages of 18 and 30 to investigate factors that may lead to an increased vulnerability to sexual aggression during adolescence. Of the 1,014 women interviewed, women who indicated sexual victimization since age 14, 319 completed a brief event-based interview.  The study used quantitative and qualitative methods to pursue two goals:  identify contexts in which adolescent girls experience sexual aggression and to identify factors within those contexts that may contribute to vulnerability. The findings indicated that the following were the most common developmental influences:  inexperience with sex and dating, social and relationship status concerns, and powerlessness.  Sexual victimization was most often experienced in the context of intimate relationships (40%). The second most common was in the context of social gatherings (36%), in which most incidents involved substance use by the perpetrator (82%), the victim (76%), or both.

Limitations:  Sample included retrospective reports from women in one community that had telephones in their homes.

Topics: adolescent/high school, alcohol, risk, vulnerability

Mattaini, M. A., & McGuire, M. S. (2006). Behavioral strategies for constructing nonviolent cultures with Youth: A review. Behavior Modification, 30, 184-224.

This article provides a brief review of the roots of youth violence at a social level. It describes the traits of effective and ineffective programs to address youth violence, and focuses on two types of intervention strategies it considers to be promising and potentially effective. The first type is universal skill training with youth, for which the article provides an analysis of several programs using universal skill training. Each program description offers and a summary of its strengths and weaknesses. Such programmatic analysis is also provided for the second intervention type, which is the use of universal ecological based strategies in interventions. Such interventions are designed to change cultural practice in cultural networks.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; prevention; theory

Miller, K., Melnick, M., Farrell, M., Sabo, D., & Barnes, G. (2006). Jocks, gender, binge drinking, and adolescent violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 105-120. [Posted October 2006]

Key Points: Not all school athletes identify as “jocks,” and not all jocks are involved in school sports. This study found that being a jock was associated with higher levels of violent behavior. The most violence was found among white male jocks who did not participate in sports.

Summary: The Family and Adolescent Study gathered information on Western New York adolescents in six waves between 1989-1996. This article was based on a sample of 608 male and female adolescents from that study. The researchers looked at how 4 characteristics (jock identity, athletic participation, binge drinking, and gender) were associated with committing violence within the family or outside the family. They found that: males who identified as jocks but did not play sports were involved in more frequent violence outside the family than athlete jocks; jocks and non-jocks committed similar levels of family violence; binge-drinking was associated with family violence only among non-jocks; and females who identified as jocks were not more violent than non-jock females.

Limits to the study included a lack of specific information about the types of violence committed (for example, sexual violence, gang violence, or bullying). Adolescents were not asked to define what they meant by the term “jock.” Athletes were not separated out by sport, so differences between participants in individual and team sports or contact and no-contact sports could not be determined.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; athletes

Mitchell, K. J., Wolak, J., & Finkelhor, D.  (2008). Are blogs putting youth at risk for online sexual solicitation or harassment?  Child Abuse & Neglect, 32, 277-294. [Posted August 2008]
 
Key Points: Youth that interact with those they meet online, regardless of whether or not they blog or post personal information, were more at risk of online sexual solicitations.

Summary: A national telephone survey of 1,500 youth between ages 10-17 was conducted in 2005. The survey examined online sexual solicitation and harassment.  Youth were divided into 3 categories; those who kept an online journal (bloggers), those who interacted with people known in person (interactors), and those who interacted with people they met online (interactors).   The findings suggested that it is the actual interaction youth conduct with people they meet online that increases the likelihood of solicitation that may lead to sexual victimization.  Youth who were interactors were 2 times more likely to report sexual solicitation regardless if they were bloggers.  Bloggers who were not interactors were not found to have an increased risk of solicitation.  All youth who were bloggers and/or interactors were found to have an increased risk for harassment.
 
Limitations:  There was a low response rate of .45 to the survey.

Topics: adolescent/high school, harassment, media/internet

O'Donnell, L., Stueve, A., Myint-U, A., Duran, R., Agronick, G., & Wilson-Simmons, R. (2006). Middle school aggression and subsequent intimate partner physical violence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 693-703. [Posted January 2008]

Key Points: Aggressive interpersonal behavior in eighth grade is predictive of both intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization in young adults.

Summary: Youth in three Brooklyn, NY schools completed a survey three times: in eighth grade, in high school, and as young adults (age 19-20) (N=977). They were asked about interpersonal violence experienced and perpetrated in school, and about domestic violence experienced or witnessed in the home. Demographic information was collected to see if there was a relationship between violence and gender, race/ethnicity, which parent(s) were living in the home, religious service attendance, school performance, substance use, and age at sexual initiation.

For young adult females, being a victim of intimate violence was associated with witnessing or experiencing physical aggression in the home as a child and with substance abuse, and was not associated with early aggression or any other characteristics. Perpetrating partner violence was associated with early aggression or with witnessing/experiencing violence as a child. Females who were witnesses or victims of domestic aggression as children were 2-3 times as likely to report perpetration.

Among young men, exposure to domestic physical violence as a child, early aggression and early sexual initiation were associated with perpetrating and experiencing partner violence. No other demographic characteristics were related to partner violence.

For both males and females, violence in the home was the factor most strongly correlated with early aggression as well as perpetrating and being a victim of partner violence.

Limitations: The sample in this study may not be representative of all youth. Because the most aggressive males had the highest attrition rate over the course of the study, male violence in relationships may be underestimated by the results. Only physical abuse was considered in this study.

Topics: Adolescent/High school; perpetration

Omerod, A. J., Collinsworth, L. L., & Perry, L. A.  (2008). Critical climate: Relations among sexual harassment, climate, and outcomes for high school girls and boys.  Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32, 113-125. [Posted August 2008]

Key Points:  School climates that tolerate harassment of girls are associated with direct negative effects on girls and indirect, negative effects on boys and girls.

Summary:  Seniors from 7 public schools in a Midwestern state participated in a study that examined the relationship among peer-to-peer sexual harassment, school climate, adult-to-student harassment and the psychological and physical well being, school withdrawal and safety outcomes among students.  Relationships of the variables and outcomes were measured separately for boys and girls.  The findings suggested high rates of reported peer sexual harassment but the meanings or experiences of the behaviors were different for boys and girls.  Overall, both genders experienced damaging effects of harassment and school climate was related to feeling unsafe, withdrawal, and low self-esteem.  Girls experienced more peer harassment than boys, but boys experienced negative consequences regardless if they were the targets of the harassment.  Both genders suffered when harassment was perceived to be tolerated by teachers and administrators.  

Limitations:  Data was collected only from seniors and may not be generalizable to experiences of younger students.

Topics: adolescent/high school, harassment

Prospero, M. (2006). The role of perceptions in dating violence among young adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 470-484. [Posted January 2008]

Key Points: Boys were more likely than girls to expect aggressive behavior responses in dating situations even if behavior triggering the aggression was not perceived as inappropriate.

Summary: A group of predominately Hispanic seventh and eighth grade students (n=89) were read four dating scenarios and asked questions about the protagonist’s perception of what the behavior meant and how the protagonist should respond to the behavior. They chose from a set of closed responses which the researchers coded as aggressive or non-aggressive. Although most students thought that the protagonist would not perceive the behavior aggressively (63-76%), most thought that the protagonist should respond aggressively (64-82%). More males than females thought that the response should be aggressive.

To develop the dating scenarios and responses, the authors used focus groups made up of youth from the same population as those to whom the survey was given. They recommend use of this method to ensure that interventions target diverse groups appropriately.

Limitations: Participants may have responded with what they thought their peers would believe to be appropriate behaviors, and may not have actually acted that way in a real-life situation. The sample used was taken from one school, and the results may not be generalizable.

Topics: Adolescent/High school; male-female relations

Schad, M. M., Szwedo, D. E., Antonishak, J., Hare, A., & Allen, J. P. (2007). The broader context of relational aggression in adolescent romantic relationships: Predictions from peer pressure and links to psychosocial functioning. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 346-358. [Posted January 2008]

Key Points: The qualities of adolescent friendships and peer groups are related to the qualities of their later romantic relationships and higher levels of later depression and alcohol abuse.

Summary: Relational aggression can be defined as an attempt to inflict harm on another person through manipulation or by damaging other social relationships by indirect or covert means (e.g., gossiping, lies, betrayal, isolation). It can occur in peer relationships as well as intimate relationships. This study looked at the association between experiencing relational aggression in best friend relationships and peer groups during adolescence and perpetrating or being a victim of relational aggression in later romantic relationships. Observational and written data was collected from a group of 15-year-olds (n=97) and their best friends; in the second wave of data collection three years later, target youth and their romantic partners completed written questionnaires.
Youth were more likely to exhibit relational aggression in future romantic relationships if their best friends and peer groups used pressuring behaviors. Those who had experienced peer pressure from their social groups were also more likely to report feeling victimized by relational aggression in later romantic relationships. Higher levels of alcohol use and depression were reported among youth in romantic relationships characterized by relational aggression.

Limitations: The study used a small sample, and some of the measurements need to be replicated and validated. The links between peer pressure, relational violence, alcohol use, and depression should be further investigated.

Topics: Adolescent/High school; alcohol; male-female relations

Silverman, J., Decker, M., Reed, E., Rothman, E., Hathaway, J., Raj, A., et al. (2006). Social norms & beliefs regarding sexual risk and pregnancy involvement among adolescent males treated for dating violence perpetration. Journal of Urban Health, 83, 723-735. [Posted October 2006]

Key Points: Beliefs about normal sexual behavior of men and women should be addressed when developing programs to reduce relationship violence and sexual risk.

Summary: The goal of this exploratory study was to generate hypotheses about the relationship between beliefs about sexual behavior and the practice of risky behaviors. Six focus groups were held with 34 young men aged 13-20 who were enrolled in dating violence programs because of actual abuse or concerns about their potential to abuse. Several major themes emerged from the groups. Participants believed that it was normal for men have multiple partners and that claims of sex gave men status. They described men as rationalizing rape to avoid thinking of themselves as rapists. They explained that men would not use condoms while high, or if putting a condom on gave a girl an opportunity to leave. They described hostile relations with women, who they believed usually lied about being raped. Participants believed men were not responsible for pregnancies because women used pregnancy to trick men into relationships.

Limitations of the study included the small sample, the inability to separate actual perpetrators from those merely at risk for dating violence, and the risk that focus group participants were trying to impress the researchers and each other.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; perpetration

Swahn, M.H., Simon, T.R., Arias, I., & Bossarte, R.M.  (in press). Measuring sex differences in violence victimization and perpetration within date and same-sex peer relationships.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence. [Posted July 2008]
 
Key Points:  This study highlights sex differences in the prevalence of physical violence and psychological aggression, victimization, and perpetration within dating and same-sex adolescent relationships.  

Summary: In 2004, 4,131 students from a high-risk school district were assessed on dating and peer physical violence and psychological aggression.  The objective of the study was to determine if boys’ and girls’ experiences of interpersonal violence differ by gender and grade level.  Students completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire that asked about dating and same-sex peer violence victimization that occurred in the past 12 months.  Results showed that several sex differences do occur in victimization and perpetration of physical violence in both relationship contexts. Females reported a higher incidence of reported physical violence perpetration within a dating context and boys reported more physical violence in same-sex peer relationships.  Boys were more likely to inflict injury in both types of relationships.  Experiences of interpersonal violence for boys and girls varied by age.  

Limitations:  The findings of the study were based on students in a high-risk community; indicators of risk include poverty, unemployment, single parent households, and serious crimes. 

Topics:  adolescent/high school, male-female relations, perpetration

Wolak, J., Mitchell, K., & Finkelhor, D. (2007). Unwanted and wanted exposure to online pornography in a national sample of young Internet users. Pediatrics, 119, 247-257. [Posted January 2007]

Key Points: A survey of Internet users aged 10-17 found that 42% had seen pornography online during the previous year, and 66% of those exposures were unwanted.

Summary: The 2005 Youth Internet Safety Survey conducted phone interviews with 1,422 youth to measure exposure to online pornography during the previous year and the characteristics of those most at risk of being exposed.

Online pornography was defined as pictures on a website or as a downloaded image of naked people or people having sex. Youth were divided into three groups: those with wanted exposure (they wanted to see the image); unwanted exposure (they did not want to see the image); and those with both types of exposures. Youth were also asked about how they used the Internet. 

The only type of Internet use related to unwanted exposure was the use of file-sharing programs to download images. More than half of all boys 14-15 years old and two-thirds of 16-17 year olds had some exposure to online pornography. As boys aged, they were more likely to want exposure than not. Among girls, wanted exposure increased slightly with age but unwanted exposure strongly increased. Depressed youth were slightly more likely to be exposed to wanted and unwanted pornography.

Filtering, blocking, or monitoring software and law enforcement presentations reduced unwanted exposure to online pornography.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; media/internet

Wolak, J., Finkelhor, D., Mitchell, K. J., & Ybarra, M. L. (2008). Online "predators" and their victims: Myths, realities, and implications for prevention and treatment. American Psychologist, 63, 111-128. [Posted April 2008]

Key Points: Prevention efforts based on myths about online sexual abuse are likely to be ineffective.

Summary: This article summarizes current research on online sexual victimization and compares it to media accounts. The authors identify the known characteristics of online crimes, victims, and offenders, using data from the nationally representative Youth Internet Safety Surveys (YISS) and the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (N-JOV). The YISS studies surveyed Internet users aged 10-17, and the N-JOV study collected information from law enforcement agencies on Internet-related sex crimes with underage victims.

The authors note that only 5% of crimes from the N-JOV study involved the use of force, and none involved children under the age of 12. They suggest that the emotional immaturity and strong sexual feelings of young adolescents may lead them to develop romantic attachments to people they meet online. The authors point out that traditional therapeutic treatment that emphasizes recovery from abuse may not be appropriate for youth who do not identify as victims, and that new models need to be developed. They recommend that prevention efforts with adolescents be targeted, age-appropriate, and include frank discussions of sexuality and the hazards of relationships with older people. Finally, they caution that the dynamic and evolving sphere of electronic communication, including text messaging and new online technologies, make continuing research into monitoring online environments essential to prevent victimization.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; media/internet; myths/stereotypes; perpetration; prevention; risk; treatment

Young, B. J., & Furman, W.  (2008). Interpersonal factors in the risk for sexual victimization and its recurrence during adolescence.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 37, 297-309. [Posted August 2008]
 
Key Points: Initial incident of sexual aggression is usually followed by another incident of aggression; risks associated with interpersonal variables remain consistent across multiple incidents of victimization.

Summary:  Data was collected from 200 tenth graders from a Western metropolitan area to examine developmental patterns of sexual aggression in adolescence and determine risk associated with interpersonal risk factors.  Measures that were taken included; sexual victimization, romantic styles, romantic competency, sexual experience, and rejection sensitivity.  The findings showed that 65% of those who indicated an initial incident of aggression reported a repeat incident.  Repeated incidents followed on average of 1.33 years after initial incident.  Risk factors seem to be consistent across time which may increase vulnerability to sexual aggression. 

Limitations:  It is unknown how interactions between interpersonal variables may influence risk for sexual victimization. 

Topics: adolescent/high school, secondary victimization, risk

Young, A., Young, A. & Fullwood, H. (2007). Adolescent online victimization. The Prevention Researcher, 14, 8-9. [Posted April 2007]

Key Points: As Internet use becomes more common, the number of youth exposed to online sexual solicitation, sexual material, and harassment (sexual or bullying) has increased.

Summary: In a review of three recent studies, the authors estimated national prevalence of online victimization of youth at 13% for sexual solicitation; 34% for exposure to unwanted sexual material; and 9% for any type of harassment. The majority of incidents was not distressing and was not reported to adults.

Risk factors for online victimization included older age (youth 14-17 were at higher risk than younger children) and gender (girls were more likely to experience sexual solicitation or harassment than boys). In one study, 60% of youth gave out personal information in an online questionnaire or form. About 45% gave that information to someone they had met online.

Possible prevention strategies include frank discussion by adults about Internet victimization so that youth are better equipped to avoid it and deal with it if it happens. The authors recommended making youth aware of the possible consequences of sharing personal information online. Adults can also prepare youth to take action if they are victimized: removing themselves from the situation; changing screen name; and reporting the incident to prevent others from being victimized.

Topics: Adolescent/high school; harassment; media/ Internet; prevalence; prevention; risk

*Return to Research Summary Index

Updated 09/30/08