The effects of dating violence, substance use and risky sexual behavior among a diverse sample of Illinois youth.
This study examines the relationship between dating violence, forced sexual intercourse (FSI), and four measures of sexual risk taking (i.e., age at first sex, number of recent (within the last three months) sex partners, alcohol/drug use at last sex, and condom use at last sex) among a sample of 1124 ethnically diverse sexually active adolescents in Illinois. Given conflicting reports regarding the role of gender in dating violence, and the dearth of research examining the role of gender in relations between dating violence, sexual violence, and sexual risk taking, we also examine whether gender moderates the relation between these constructs. The findings indicate significant relationships among dating violence and FSI and age at first sex, number of sexual partners, and condom use across various ethnic groups. Findings also show that when controlling for gender, dating violence and FSI are related to number of sexual partners and age at first intercourse regardless of ethnic group identification.
Alleyne
Binta
B
Jane Addams College of Social Work (MC 309) University of Illinois at Chicago, 1040 West Harrison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7134, USA. balleyne@uic.edu
Coleman-Cowger
Victoria H
VH
Crown
Laurel
L
Gibbons
Maya A
MA
Vines
Linda Nicole
LN
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003380:Courtship; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000208:ethnology; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology