Social Factors Associated with History of Sexual Assault Among Ethnically Diverse Adolescents.
We examine the association of adolescents' self-reported sexual assault victimization with their living arrangements, parent's education, and plans for college. Participants included 1,634 ethnically-diverse and economically-disadvantaged high school students in southeast Texas. Lifetime history of forced sexual assault was reported by 8.3% of girls and 9% of boys. No association with gender, age, or parent's education was detected. However, adolescents in non-traditional households (living with one parent, grandparents, or other) were more likely to report rape than youth living with both parents. Adolescents who were one race/ethnicity were less likely to report being raped than those in the multiple race category. Sexual assault intervention programs should account for a teenager's living situation; and prevention efforts may benefit from targeting individuals in non-traditional households. The lack of an association with either gender or socio-educational status indicates that all children are at risk and that school-based programs should be broadly targeted.
Freeman
Daniel H
DH
Edgar Gnitzinger Distinguished Professorship in Aging, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-1148, USA, dfreeman@utmb.edu.
Temple
Jeff R
JR