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Social Factors Associated with History of Sexual Assault Among Ethnically Diverse Adolescents

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported, in part, by the Edgar Gnitzinger Distinguished Professorship in Aging, the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and the UTMB President’s Cabinet. Dr. Temple is supported by Award Number K23HD059916 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development or the national Institutes of Health. This work would not have been possible without the permission and assistance of the Galveston Independent School District.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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

    Daniel H. Freeman Jr.

  2. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, 77555-0587, USA

    Jeff R. Temple

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  1. Daniel H. Freeman Jr.
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  2. Jeff R. Temple
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Correspondence to Jeff R. Temple.

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Submitted to Journal of Family Violence, April, 2009

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Freeman, D.H., Temple, J.R. Social Factors Associated with History of Sexual Assault Among Ethnically Diverse Adolescents. J Fam Viol 25, 349–356 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-009-9296-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-009-9296-6

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