title: Sexual harassment victimization in adolescence: Associations with family background.
abstract: Sexual harassment has been studies as a mechanism reproducing inequality between sexes, as gender based discrimination, and more recently, as a public health problem. The role of family-related factors for subjection to sexual harassment in adolescent has been little studied. Our aim was to study the role of socio-demographic family factors and parental involvement in adolescent's persona life for experiences of sexual harassment among 14-18-year-old population girls and boys. An anonymous cross-sectional classroom survey was carried out in comprehensive and secondary schools in Finland. 90953 boys and 91746 girls aged 14-18 participated. Sexual harassment was elicited with five questions. Family structure, parental education, parental unemployment and parental involvement as perceived by the adolescent were elicited. The data were analyzed using cross-tabulations with chi-square statistics and logistic regressions. All types of sexual harassment experiences elicited were more common among girls than among boys. Parental unemployment, not living with both parents and low parental education were associated with higher likelihood of reporting experiences of sexual harassment, and parental involvement in the adolescent's personal life was associated with less reported sexual harassment. Parental involvement in an adolescent's life may be protective of perceived sexual harassment. Adolescents from socio-economically disadvantaged families are more vulnerable to sexual harassment than their more advantaged peers.
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere, School of Medicine, 30014 University of Tampere, Finland; Vanha Vaasa Hospital, Vierinkiventie 1, 65380 Vaasa, Finland; Tampere University Hospital, Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, 33380 Pitkäniemi, Finland. Electronic address: merihe@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Riittakerttu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaltiala-Heino
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere, School of Health Sciences, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland. Electronic address: sari.frojd@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fröjd
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mental Health Unit, Box 30, 00271 Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Box 590, 00029 HUS, Finland. Electronic address: mauri.marttunen@thl.fi.
authors.forename: Mauri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marttunen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012572:School Health Services; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Adolescence; Family factors; Sexual harassment