NCJ Number
246698
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 38 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2014 Pages: 280-295
Date Published
February 2014
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined variation in sexual harassment among 5,907 young Internet users (13-18 years old) by mode (e.g., in-person, online); its impact on the victim; and its similarities and differences by sexual orientation and gender identity.
Abstract
The broad definition of "sexual harassment" used in this study is "unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and sexual comments or gestures that occur in any environment." Past-year sexual harassment was reported by 23-72 percent of the youth, depending on sexual orientation. Transgender youth reported the highest rates of sexual harassment (81 percent), followed by gender non-conforming/other gender youth (69 percent). Fifty-two percent of youth identifying as female reported sexual harassment, as did 34 percent of youth identifying as male. These patterns held for sexual harassment by mode and by type of harassment. Male youth reported significantly less distress than all other groups (37 percent). The other groups reported elevated odds of distressing and non-distressing sexual harassment. Distress caused by sexual harassment was highest for youth who identified both as transgender and gender non-conforming. Lower than average income and Hispanic ethnicity were positively related to distressing harassment. These findings add to the growing literature in the field of youth violence that documents increased risk for sexual harassment among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Socio-emotional programs that emphasize self-esteem building could be particularly beneficial for reducing the likelihood of distressing responses to sexual harassment. 6 tables and 76 references