Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T08:28:15.971Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Changes in adolescents' risk factors following peer sexual coercion: Evidence for a feedback loop

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2012

Brennan J. Young ,
Wyndol Furman  and
Meredith C. Jones
Brennan J. Young
Affiliation:
Mayo Clinic
Wyndol Furman*
Affiliation:
University of Denver
Meredith C. Jones
Affiliation:
University of Denver
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Wyndol Furman, Department of Psychology, 2155 South Race Street, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208; E-mail: wfurman@psy.du.edu.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Investigators have identified a number of factors that increase the risk for experiencing sexual coercion, but as yet little is known about how sexual coercion in turn affects these risk factors. Using a sample of 110 adolescents, the current study examined the hypothesis that, after an incident of sexual coercion, adolescents would exhibit increases in several behaviors known to increase risk for victimization. As predicted, after experiencing sexual coercion, adolescents reported increased externalizing symptoms, more frequent sexual intercourse and a greater total number of intercourse partners. Finally, alcohol use, drug use, and problems related to substance use increased. These findings suggest the presence of a feedback loop, in which the experience of sexual coercion leads to an intensification of the factors that initially contributed risk for coercion.

Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , May 2012 , pp. 559 - 571
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Integrative guide for the 1991 CBCL/4–18, YSR, and TRF profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Ackard, D. M., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2002). Date violence and date rape among adolescents: Associations with disordered eating behaviors and psychological health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 26, 455–473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alexander, P. C. (1992). Application of attachment theory to the study of sexual abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 185–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, K. L. (2002). Perpetrator or victim? Relationships between intimate partner violence and well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 851–863.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, D. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Becker, J. V., Skinner, L. J., Abel, G. G., Axelrod, R., & Cichon, J. (1984). Sexual problems of sexual assault survivors. Women & Health, 9, 5–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brady, S. S., Tschann, J. M., Pasch, L. A., Flores, E., & Ozer, E. J. (2009). Cognitive coping moderates the association between violent victimization by peers and substance use among adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34, 304–310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brennan, K. A., Clark, C. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Self-report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview. In Simpson, J. A. (Ed.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Buzy, W. M., McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Swank, P. R., Rosenfield, D., Shimek, J. S., et al. (2004). Adolescent girls' alcohol use as a risk factor for relationship violence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 14, 449–470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Callahan, M. R., Tolman, R. M., & Saunders, D. G. (2003). Adolescent dating violence victimization and psychological well-being. Journal of Adolescent Research, 18, 664–681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Capaldi, D. M., & Crosby, L. (1997). Observed and reported psychological and physical aggression in young, at-risk couples. Social Development, 6, 184–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Capaldi, D. M., Dishion, T. J., Stoolmiller, M., & Yoerger, K. (2001). Aggression toward female partners by at-risk young men: The contribution of male adolescent friendships. Developmental Psychology, 37, 61–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collibee, C., & Furman, W. (2012). The impact of sexual coercion on subsequent romantic experiences. Manuscript in preparation.Google Scholar
Cooper, M. L. (1994). Motivations for alcohol use among adolescents: Development and validation of a four-factor model. Psychological Assessment, 6, 117–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, M. L., Agocha, V. B., & Sheldon, M. S. (2000). A motivational perspective on risky behaviors: The role of personality and affect regulatory processes. Journal of Personality, 68, 1059–1088.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, M. L., Frone, M. R., Russell, M., & Mudar, P. (1995). Drinking to regulate positive and negative emotions: A motivational model of alcohol use. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 990–1005.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, M. L., Krull, J. L., Agocha, V. B., Flanagan, M. E., Orcutt, H. K., Grabe, S., et al. (2008). Motivational pathways to alcohol use and abuse among Black and White adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117, 485–501.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, M. L., Shapiro, C. M., & Powers, A. M. (1998). Motivations for sex and risky sexual behavior among adolescents and young adults: A functional perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 1528–1558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crick, N. R., Nelson, D. A., Morales, J. R., Cullerton-Sen, C., Casas, J. F., & Hickman, S. E. (2001). Relational victimization in childhood and adolescence: I hurt you through the grapevine. In Juvonen, J. & Graham, S. (Eds.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and victimized (pp. 196–214). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Einhorn, H., & Hogarth, R. (1975). Unit weighting schemes for decision making. Organizational Behavior & Human Performance, 13, 171–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, D., Shaver, P. R., & Vernon, M. L. (2004). Attachment style and subjective motivations for sex. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 1076–1090.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duncan, T. E., Duncan, S. C., Strycker, L. A., Li, F., & Alpert, A. (1999). An introduction to latent variable growth curve modeling. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Dutton, M. A., Green, B. L., Kaltman, S. I., Roesch, D. M., Zeffiro, T. A., & Krause, E. D. (2006). Intimate partner violence, PTSD, and adverse health outcomes. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7, 955–968.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eaton, D. K., Davis, K. S., Barrios, L., Brener, N. D., & Noonan, R. K. (2007). Associations of dating violence victimization with lifetime participation, co-occurrence, and early initiation of risk behaviors among U.S. high school students. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22, 585–602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eaton, D. K., Kann, L., Kinchen, S., Shanklin, S., Ross, J., Hawkins, J., et al. (2010). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States 2009. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 59, 1–142.Google ScholarPubMed
Eggert, L. L., Herting, J. R., & Thompson, E. A. (1996). The Drug Involvement Scale for Adolescents (DISA). Journal of Drug Education, 26, 101–130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elkington, K. S., Bauermeister, J. A., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2010). Psychological distress, substance use, and HIV/STI risk behaviors among youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 514–527.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finkelhor, D., & Browne, A. (1985). The traumatic impact of child sexual abuse: A conceptualization. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55, 530–541.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flanagan, A. S., & Furman, W. C. (2000). Sexual victimization and perceptions of close relationships in adolescence. Child Maltreatment, 5, 350–359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foshee, V. A., Benefield, T. S., Ennett, S. T., Bauman, K. E., & Suchindran, C. (2004). Longitudinal predictors of serious physical and sexual dating violence victimization during adolescence. Preventive Medicine, 39, 1007–1016.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furman, W., Low, S., & Ho, M. J. (2009). Romantic experience and psychosocial adjustment in middle adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 38, 75–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Furman, W., & Wehner, E. A. (1992). Sexual Attitudes and Behavior Questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript, University of Denver.Google Scholar
Furman, W., & Wehner, E. (1994). Romantic views: Toward a theory of adolescent romantic relationships. In Montemayor, R., Adams, G. R., & Gullota, T. P. (Eds.), Advances in adolescent development: Personal relationships during adolescence (Vol. 6, pp. 168–195). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Furman, W., & Wehner, E. (1999). The Behavioral Systems Questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript, University of Denver.Google Scholar
Gidycz, C. A., Hanson, K., & Layman, M. J. (1995). A prospective analysis of the relationships among sexual assault experiences: An extension of previous findings. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 5–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gold, S. R., Sinclair, B. B., & Balge, K. A. (1999). Risk of sexual revictimization: A theoretical model. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 4, 457–470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gollinelli, D., Longshore, D., & Wenzel, S. L. (2009). Substance use and intimate partner violence: Clarifying the relevance of women's use and partners' use. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 36, 199–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harold, G. T., Fincham, F. D., Osborne, L. N., & Conger, R. D. (1997). Mom and dad are at-it again: Adolescent perceptions of marital conflict and adolescent psychological distress. Developmental Psychology, 33, 333–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harter, S. (1988). Manual for the self-perception profile for adolescents. Unpublished manuscript, University of Denver.Google Scholar
Hedtke, K. A., Ruggiero, K. J., Fitzgerald, M. M., Zinzow, H. M., Saunders, B. E., Resnick, H. S., et al. (2008). A longitudinal investigation of interpersonal violence in relation to mental health and substance use. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 76, 633–647.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hickman, L. J., Jaycox, L. H., & Aronoff, J. (2004). Dating violence among adolescents: Prevalence, gender distribution, and prevention program effectiveness. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 5, 123–142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Howard, D. E., & Wang, M. Q. (2005). Psychosocial correlates of U.S. adolescents who report a history of forced sexual intercourse. Journal of Adolescent Health, 36, 372–379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Humphrey, J. A., & White, J. W. (2000). Women's vulnerability to sexual assault from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27, 419–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, L., Hughes, M., & Unterstaller, U. (2001). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in victims of domestic violence: A review of the research. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 2, 99–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Koss, M. P., & Gidycz, C. A. (1985). Sexual experiences survey: Reliability and validity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 422–423.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krahe, B. (1998). Sexual aggression among adolescents: Prevalence and predictors in a German sample. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 22, 537–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krakow, B., Artar, A., Warner, T. D., Melendrez, D., Johnston, L., Hollifield, M., et al. (2000). Sleep disorder, depression, and suicidality in female sexual assault survivors. Crisis, 21, 163–170.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, H. Y., Ju, E., & Lightfoot, E. B. (2010). The role of substance use by both perpetrators and victims in intimate partner violence outcomes. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 10, 3–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leonard, L. M., & Follette, V. M. (2002). Sexual functioning in women reporting a history of child sexual abuse: Review of the empirical literature and clinical implications. Annual Review of Sex Research, 13, 346–388.Google ScholarPubMed
Leppanen, U., Niemi, P., Aunola, K., & Nurmi, J. (2004). Development of reading skills among preschool and primary school pupils. Reading Research Quarterly, 39, 72–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, F., Duncan, T. E., Duncan, S. C., & Hops, H. (2001). Piecewise growth mixture modeling of adolescent alcohol use data. Structural Equation Modeling, 8, 175–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Margolin, G., & Gordis, E. B. (2000). The effects of family and community violence on children. Annual Review of Psychology, 51, 445–479.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2006). Mplus user's guide (4th ed.). Los Angeles: Author.Google Scholar
Polusny, M. A., & Follette, V. M. (1995). Long-term correlates of child sexual abuse: Theory and review of the empirical literature. Applied & Preventive Psychology, 4, 143–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schachner, D. A., & Shaver, P. R. (2004). Attachment dimensions and sexual motives. Personal Relationships, 11, 179–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schafer, J. L. (1999). NORM: Multiple imputation of incomplete multivariate data under a normal model (Version 2) [Computer software]. Retrieved from www.stat.psu.edu/~jls/misoftwa.htmlGoogle Scholar
Schafer, J. L., & Graham, J. W. (2002). Missing data: Our view of the state of the art. Psychological Methods, 7, 147–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shapiro, B. L., & Schwarz, J. C. (1997). Date rape: Its relationship to trauma symptoms and sexual self-esteem. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12, 407–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shedler, J., & Block, J. (1990). Adolescent drug use and psychological health: A longitudinal inquiry. American Psychologist, 45, 612–630.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., & Nelligan, J. S. (1992). Support seeking and support giving within couples in an anxiety-provoking situation: The role of attachment styles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 434–446.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spielberger, C. D. (1983). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (form y). Redwood City, CA: Mind Garden.Google Scholar
Stovall-McClough, K. C., & Cloitre, M. (2006). Unresolved attachment, PTSD, and dissociation in women with childhood abuse histories. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 219–228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Testa, M., Livingston, J. A., & Leonard, K. E. (2003). Women's substance use and experiences of intimate partner violence: A longitudinal investigation among a community sample. Addictive Behaviors, 28, 1649–1664.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Testa, M., VanZile-Tamsen, C., & Livingston, J.A. (2007). Prospective prediction of women's sexual victimization by intimate and nonintimate perpetrators. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 52–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thelen, M. H., Sherman, M. D., & Borst, T. S. (1998). Fear of intimacy and attachment among rape survivors. Behavior Modification, 22, 108–116.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trites, D., & Sells, S. (1955). A note on alternative methods for estimating factor scores. Journal of Applied Psychology, 39, 455–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, C. F., Ku, L., Rogers, S. M., Lindberg, L. D., & Pleck, J. H. (1998). Adolescent sexual behavior, drug use, and violence: Increased reporting with computer survey technology. Science, 280, 867–873.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Berlo, W., & Ensink, B. (2000). Problems with sexuality alter sexual assault. Annual Review of Sex Research, 11, 235–257.Google Scholar
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.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walsh, J. F., & Foshee, V. (1998). Self-efficacy, self-determination, and victim blaming as predictors of adolescent sexual victimization. Health Education Research: Theory and Practice, 13, 139–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welsh, D. P., Haugen, P. T., Widman, L., Darling, N., & Grello, C. M. (2005). Kissing is good: A developmental investigation of sexuality in adolescent romantic couples. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 2, 32–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, B. J., & Furman, W. (2008). Interpersonal factors in the risk for sexual victimization and its recurrence during adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 297–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar