Sexual Dating Violence, School-Based Violence, and Risky Behaviors Among U.S. High School Students

State-level structural sexism and adolescent sexual violence victimization in the US

BACKGROUND

Adolescent sexual violence victimization is a significant public health issue in the United States. Structural sexism, a form of gender inequality at the societal level, may play a crucial role in influencing the prevalence of sexual violence victimization among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the association between state-level structural sexism and sexual violence victimization among adolescents and to explore how this relationship varies between male and female adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data was derived from a nationally representative sample of high school students in grades 9-12 across the United States who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) in 2017 and 2019.

METHODS

A state-level structural sexism index was created from nine different items to reflect the multidimensional nature of structural sexism. This study employs multi-level regression analysis to investigate the impact of state-level structural sexism on three types of sexual violence victimization: sexual violence, sexual dating violence, and physical dating violence.

RESULTS

This study revealed a significant interaction between structural sexism and gender. In states with higher levels of structural sexism, female adolescents reported increased likelihood of sexual violence (β = 0.013, p < .001), sexual dating violence (β = 0.006, p < .001), and physical dating violence (β = 0.006, p < .001) compared to males. Conversely, male adolescents in these states reported lower rates of victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

The results underscore the role of structural sexism in influencing sexual violence victimization among adolescents. Addressing structural sexism may be essential in mitigating the risk of sexual violence victimization, especially for female adolescents.

LGBTQIA+ Individuals' Experiences With Intimate Partner Violence and Perceptions of Victim Services

This study explored lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Seven participants completed a one-on-one, in-depth interview to share their experiences of IPV and any internal or external factors that influenced whether they sought support services or reported victimization. Thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes: (a) health complications, (b) coping mechanisms, (c) barriers to seeking professional help, and (d) suggestions for professionals. Results contribute insight into internal and external barriers LGBTQIA+ IPV survivors face when accessing support services and outline practical approaches for professionals providing support to LGBTQIA+ IPV survivors.

A Scoping Review of Anti-Bullying Interventions: Reducing Traumatic Effect of Bullying Among Adolescents

Bullying is a violent activity that causes significant harm to both victims and perpetrators. Anxiety, despair, low self-esteem, and suicidal ideation are signs of bullying's traumatic effect. The social environment's support proved critical in lessening the devastating experience of bullying on adolescents. The purpose of this study is to conduct a scoping Review of Anti-Bullying Interventions with the aim of reporting techniques to reduce traumatic effect of bullying among adolescents. A design scoping review was done in this investigation. The publications were discovered using the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Review method. Three databases were used to find this article: PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus. The inclusion criteria for this study were that the sample included adolescent victims of bullying, that it was full text, that it was written in English, that it included anti-bullying therapies, that it used randomized control trials or quasi-experimental designs, and that it was published during the last ten years (2014-2023). The authors found 16 articles were obtained that explored Anti-bullying therapies to minimize symptoms of trauma in adolescent bullies. All of the studies found that the intervention significantly reduced the effects of bullying on victims (p<0.05). The sample sizes ranged from 31 to 5539 teenage respondents. This study discovered three types of anti-bullying interventions: social support, social skills, and school-based programs. Activities such as education, counseling, and training are used to prevent bullying behavior in schools. Adolescent intervention takes into account the participants' physical and psychological situations and focuses on completing the stages of adolescent development. Interventions to reduce the impact of trauma on bullying victims need to involve health providers, parents, and adolescents. This aims to form a mutually supportive system in overcoming the problem of bullying.

Relationship Between Dating Violence and Contraceptive Use Among Texas Adolescents

The recent overturning of Roe v. Wade has the potential to adversely impact reproductive health among adolescents experiencing unplanned pregnancies from dating violence. We examined the associations between contraceptive use and dating violence among Texas high schoolers in the years leading up to this new law. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data from Texas 9th to 12th graders from 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2019 were analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined the association between contraceptive use and key descriptive predictors (physical and/or sexual dating violence, survey year, age, sex, and race/ethnic group). Eleven percent of Texas adolescents surveyed reported experiencing either physical or sexual dating violence and 2% reported experiencing both types of violence. Those who experienced any dating violence were significantly more likely to report not using contraception versus those who did not experience violence (12.5% vs. 68.3%, p = 0.01). Adolescents who experienced any type of dating violence were more likely to report using hormonal contraception, condom use, or withdrawal versus those who did not experience dating violence. Hispanic adolescents were 63% more likely than their ethnic group counterparts to use no contraception (odds ratio [OR] 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.11-2.40]). A significant proportion of Texas adolescents reported experiencing dating violence, and this group also reported higher noncontraception use versus those not experiencing dating violence. Given new strict Texas antiabortion laws, dating violence prevention and contraceptive use promotion to prevent unwanted reproductive outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections or unplanned pregnancies are imperative in this age group.

Sexual minority status, school-based violence, and current tobacco use among youth

INTRODUCTION

Sexual minority individuals experience elevated risk for smoking and violence due to a combination of general and unique identity-based risk factors. This study examined associations among sexual minority status, school-based violence, and tobacco use, among youth.

METHODS

Data for this secondary data analysis consisted of Chicago-specific data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (n=1562). Current use (≥1 day during the previous 30 days) of any tobacco product (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and cigars) and school-based violence (avoided school because they felt unsafe, were threatened/injured with a weapon, were in a physical fight, and were bullied) were estimated by sexual orientation (heterosexual vs gay, lesbian, bisexual, and unsure). A chi-squared test was used to investigate associations among the variables. Path analysis was employed to examine possible mediation effects of school-based violence.

RESULTS

Thirty percent of sexual minority youth and 11.5% of heterosexual youth reported current tobacco use (χ²=55.91; p<0.001). Nearly one-third (31.8%) of youth reported school-based violence, with a higher rate (41.2%) reported by sexual minority youth compared to heterosexual youth (28.1%; χ²=19.48; p<0.001). Path analysis confirmed these associations, controlling for sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The model showed that sexual minority status increased odds of current tobacco use by a factor of 1.8 (95% CI: 1.3-2.6) via its relationship with school-based violence, explaining 33.8% of the total association between sexual minority status and tobacco use.

CONCLUSIONS

Tobacco use was higher among sexual minority youth. School-based violence partially mediated the association between sexual minority status and tobacco use. Findings highlight the need for tobacco prevention and treatment efforts for sexual minority youth and school-based interventions to reduce exposure to violence.

Short version of the Multidimensional Scale of Dating Violence (MSDV 2.0) in Spanish-language: Instrument development and psychometric evaluation

AIMS

To develop and psychometrically test the short version of the Multidimensional Scale of Dating Violence (MSDV 2.0) in Spanish-language to detect violence perpetrated and suffered in dating relationships.

DESIGN

A psychometric instrument development and validation study.

METHODS

A two-phase approach was used: Phase (1) the items of the original instrument were revised and new items related to online violence and sexual violence were incorporated. Content validation by a Delphi panel with 25 psychometric and dating violence experts were performed. Next, a face validity was performed in 32 students followed by a pilot study in another 74 participants. Phase (2) Psychometric validation, the instrument was tested in a sample of 1091 university students, analysing the psychometric properties based on construct validity and internal consistency. The study was conducted from September to November 2020 in the context of the Andalusian Public University System.

RESULTS

In phase (1) 42 items for each subscale (perpetration, victimization) were accepted by the Delphi panel, and acceptable values were obtained for the criteria of clarity, coherence, and relevance. In phase (2) the MSDV 2.0 showed acceptable psychometric properties. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a five-dimensional structure with 18 items for each subscale with excellent fit rates. Reliability analysis indicated adequate internal consistency (α = .879-.802) and correlations with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (ρ = .418-.225) and the self-perceived health item (ρ = .380-.179), providing evidence of its convergent validity. Cut-off points were also calculated for each dimension, with their corresponding sensitivity and specificity, indicating to be a good instrument for detecting possible cases of dating violence.

CONCLUSION

The MSDV 2.0 is the only short instrument published to date that measures the dating violence suffered and perpetrated taking into account all its dimensions. Its use would serve as support in prevention programs and design of public policies.

IMPACT

The short version of the MSDV 2.0 could be a comprehensive enough instrument to enable a detection and evaluation of dating violence in the educational setting.

A Dating Violence Prevention Program for Middle School Youth: A Cluster Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVES

We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial to test the a priori hypothesis that students attending an intervention middle school would be less likely to report physical adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) 1 year later compared with students attending a control school. Secondary objectives were to determine if the intervention reduced substance misuse, bullying, and fighting.

METHODS

Twenty-four Texas public middle schools were matched by the size of student enrollment, number of economically disadvantaged students, and race and ethnicity of the student body and randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 12; 1237 participants) or the control (n = 12; 1531participants) group. The intervention, Fourth R, is a classroom-based curriculum delivered by existing teachers and consists of 21 lessons on injury prevention, substance use, and growth and development.

RESULTS

Participants (50% female) self-reported ethnicity as Hispanic or Latinx (35%), Black or African American (24%), Asian American (17%), White (8%), and multiethnicity or other (16%). Among those who have dated, students in the intervention schools were less likely to report perpetrating physical ARA (intervention = 14.9% versus control = 18.3%) relative to students in the control schools (adjusted odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-1.00; P = .05). In the overall sample, no significant differences emerged between control and intervention groups with respect to substance misuse, fighting, and bullying.

CONCLUSIONS

The middle school version of Fourth R is effective in reducing physical ARA perpetration over at least 1 year. The intervention did not have an effect on bullying perpetration, physical fighting with peers, and substance misuse. Long-term assessment, especially follow-up that covers the transition to high school, is needed to examine the program benefit on key outcomes.

Increased Likelihood of Forced Sexual Intercourse, Sexual Violence, and Sexual Dating Violence Victimization Among Sexual Minority Youth

Sexual violence victimization among adolescents, specifically sexual minority youth, is a significant public health concern. The purpose of this study was to compare sexual violence victimization rates among sexual minority and heterosexual youth using nationally representative data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System. Results indicated that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth were significantly more likely than heterosexual youth (p < .05) to experience sexual violence (22.3% vs. 9.1%), sexual dating violence (16.3% vs. 6.4%), and forced sexual intercourse (17.6% vs. 5.9%). Among sexual minority youth, female participants were more likely than male participants (p < .05) to experience sexual violence (23.5% vs. 18.0%), sexual dating violence (17.2% vs. 11.6%), and forced sexual intercourse (19.0% vs. 13.1%). This study identified varying rates of sexual violence victimization among a national sample of youth while examining the differences between heterosexual and sexual minority communities. The additional behavioral risks experienced by sexual minority youth should be further researched to determine impact on overall quality of life and to help guide health education intervention development.

Risk Behaviours Associated with Dating and Relationship Violence among 11-16 Year Olds in Wales: Results from the 2019 Student Health and Wellbeing Survey

(1) Background: This study examines the associations between risk behaviours and adolescent emotional and physical dating and relationship violence (DRV) victimisation and perpetration, and how these vary by gender. The risk behaviours explored include bullying, cyberbullying, sexting, alcohol, and cannabis use; (2) Methods: Cross-sectional self-report data from the School Health Research Network (SHRN) 2019 Student Health Wellbeing (SHW) survey of 48,397 students aged 11–16 from 149 schools across Wales were analysed using single and multiple-behaviour logistic regression models to explore the associations between each risk behaviour and emotional and physical DRV victimisation and perpetration; (3) Results: Bivariate analyses revealed a statistically significant association between DRV and all risk behaviours. In multivariate analyses, students who reported bullying, cyberbullying, sexting, and substance use, compared to those that had not, had significantly higher odds of experiencing and perpetrating emotional and physical DRV; and (4) Conclusions: Future studies on DRV should consider a mixed-methods approach to explore the context in which DRV and risk behaviours interrelate. Results from this study indicate the possibility that prevention and intervention programmes in school settings that seek to develop healthy school environments and peer-to-peer relationships, could inadvertently reduce the occurrence of future DRV and associated risk behaviours.