Conclusions

1

Adolescents sexual activity before and after
an initial incident of sexual victimization Brenn
an J. Young, Meredith C. Jones Wyndol Furman

• Analyses
• Growth curves were constructed to describe the
  developmental trajectory of adolescents sexual
  activity over the course of the five data waves.
• In order to compare the trajectory of
  adolescents sexual activity before and after
  victimization, a piecewise growth curve was
  constructed. This model separated adolescents
  sexual experience prior to victimization from
  adolescents sexual experience after
  victimization by calculating a separate slope and
  intercept for each.
• All adolescents were included in both sets of
  growth curve analyses.
• Results
• Adolescents Sexual Experience
• A single growth curve was constructed to describe
  the developmental trajectory of adolescents
  sexual activity without regard to victimization
  incidents.
• A quadratic growth curve provided the best fit to
  the data.

• Changes in Sexual Experience Following
  Victimization
• The piecewise growth model fit the data
  significantly better than the baseline quadratic
  growth model (??2 (1df) 5.00, p lt .05).
• A higher intercept after victimization indicated
  an increased level of sexual experience after the
  incident.
• Thus, adolescent victims engaged in sexual
  activity more frequently after victimization than
  they did before victimization.

• Introduction
• Sexual victimization by a peer is commonly
  reported in adolescence and emerging adulthood.
  Incidence estimates for females range over 50
  (Poitras Lavoie, 1995).
• Adolescents who experience peer sexual
  victimization are at significantly higher risk
  for future victimization (Young Furman, 2008).
• Prospective studies of risk show that adolescents
  who engage in more sexual activity are more
  likely to experience sexual victimization (Vezina
  Hebert, 2007).
• Less is known concerning the effects that
  victimization may have upon adolescents future
  sexual behavior or whether changes in sexual
  behavior may increase risk for revictimization.
• Traumatic sexualization has been used to
  describe a tendency toward later sexual
  promiscuity among adult survivors of childhood
  sexual abuse (CSA) and has been cited as a
  potential link between CSA and revictimization in
  adulthood (Gold, Sinclair Balge, 1999).
• Current Study
• As yet, we do not know if peer sexual
  victimization affects later sexual activity in a
  similar manner as experiencing CSA.
• The current study hypothesized that a pattern of
  increased sexual activity would be exhibited
  among adolescents following an unwanted or
  coerced sexual encounter with a peer.
• Methods
• Participants
• 200 adolescents were assessed annually in an
  ongoing longitudinal study of adolescents close
  relationships.

Before victimization
After victimization
Conclusions These results support the
hypothesis that the experience of sexual
victimization is associated with a subsequent
increase in sexual activity, similar to patterns
of traumatic sexualization reported in victims of
CSA. Such a relationship may constitute a
feedback loop, wherein higher levels of sexual
activity serve to further increase an
adolescents risk for subsequent victimization.
Indeed, adolescents who experience sexual
victimization are at much higher risk for
experiencing subsequent incidents (Humphrey
White, 2000). Finally, the current results
suggest that future prevention efforts may be
enhanced by targeting individuals who have
previously experienced sexual victimization and
by incorporating an emphasis upon safe and
appropriate sexual practices to help them avoid
re-victimization.

References Gold, S. R., Sinclair, B. B., Balge,
K. A. (1999). Risk of sexual revictimization A
theoretical model. Aggression Violent
Behavior, 4, 457-470. Humphrey, J. A., White,
J. W. (2000). Womens vulnerability to sexual
assault from adolescence to young adulthood.
Journal of Adolescent Health, 27, 419-424. Koss,
M. P., Gidycz, C. A. (1985). Sexual
experiences survey Reliability and validity.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,
53, 422-423. Poitras, M., Lavoie, F. (1995). A
study of the prevalence of sexual coercion in
adolescent heterosexual dating relationships in
a Quebec sample. Violence Victims, 10,
299-313. Vezina, J. Hebert, M. (2007). Risk
factors for victimization in romantic
relationships of young women A review of
empirical studies and implications for
prevention. Trauma, Violence Abuse, 8,
33-66. Young, B. J., Furman, W. (2008).
Interpersonal factors in the risk for sexual
victimization and its recurrence during
adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

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  contact us at byoung7_at_du.edu.