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A Comparison of Two Models of Risky Sexual Behavior During Late Adolescence

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Abstract

Two models of risky sexual behavior (RSB) were compared in a community sample of late adolescents (N = 223). For the traumagenic model, early negative sexual experiences were posited to lead to an association between negative affect with sexual relationships. For the cognitive escape model, depressive affect was posited to lead to engagement in RSB as a way to avoid negative emotions. The current study examined whether depression explained the relationship between sexual trauma and RSB, supporting the cognitive escape model, or whether it was sexual trauma that led specifically to RSB, supporting the traumagenic model. Physical trauma experiences were also examined to disentangle the effects of sexual trauma compared to other emotionally distressing events. The study examined whether the results would be moderated by participant sex. For males, support was found for the cognitive escape model but not the traumagenic model. Among males, physical trauma and depression predicted engagement in RSB but sexual trauma did not. For females, support was found for the traumagenic and cognitive escape model. Among females, depression and sexual trauma both uniquely predicted RSB. There was an additional suppressor effect of socioeconomic status in predicting RSB among females. Results suggest that the association of trauma type with RSB depends on participant sex. Implications of the current study for RSB prevention efforts are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Work on this article was supported by Grant MH54248 from the Prevention and Behavioral Medicine Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Services Research, NIMH, U.S. PHS; by Grant HD054880 from the Social and Affective Development/Child Maltreatment and Violence Branch, NICHD, NIH, U.S. PHS; and Grant 90CA1781 from the Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. We are grateful to the participants in this study for their long term and steadfast participation. We would like to thank Dare Baldwin, Jeffrey Sprague, and Diana Strand for their comments on a previous version of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, California School of Professional Psychology-San Diego, Alliant International University, 10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego, CA, 92116, USA

    Sopagna Eap Braje

  2. Partners for Our Children, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    J. Mark Eddy

  3. Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR, USA

    J. Mark Eddy

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA

    Gordon C. N. Hall

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  1. Sopagna Eap Braje
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  2. J. Mark Eddy
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Correspondence to Sopagna Eap Braje.

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Braje, S.E., Eddy, J.M. & Hall, G.C.N. A Comparison of Two Models of Risky Sexual Behavior During Late Adolescence. Arch Sex Behav 45, 73–83 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0523-3

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