title: Sexual violence against adolescent girls: influences of immigration and acculturation.
abstract: This study investigates associations between immigration and acculturation with sexual assault among a large, representative sample of high school girls. The analysis utilized data from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted in 1999, 2001, and 2003 (N = 5,919). Adjusted logistic regression analyses were conducted among the full sample and a sexually active subsample. Being an immigrant was associated with recurring sexual assault victimization; this effect was not consistent across age and racial/ethnic groups. Immigrant status conferred risk among adolescent girls aged 15 and younger, Black adolescent girls, and sexually active Hispanic girls. No differences were detected in sexual assault victimization based on acculturation.
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Michele R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: Jay G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Silverman
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011902:Rape / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health