Risk Factors in Adolescent Sexual Dating Violence: A Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

Sexual violence in adolescent couples continues to be a public health and social justice problem today. This type of violence is related to aggressive and violent childhood experiences, such as sexual abuse and battering. In contrast, family monitoring and religious practice are considered protective factors against violence. The general objective of the present study is to determine predictors and protective factors of sexual violence in adolescent couples. Two scales were applied to a sample of 453 adolescents between 13 and 19 years of age, one of sexual violence victimization and the other of perpetration. Complementing the scales, questions were asked about parental monitoring, religious practice, and the possibility of having suffered sexual abuse in childhood. Significant differences were found in the experience of sexual violence, with women recognizing greater victimization and men greater perpetration. On the other hand, having been sexually abused and beaten in childhood predicted the perpetration of sexual violence by young men toward their partners. In contrast, having been beaten or sexually abused in childhood did not predict sexual violence victimization in adolescence. That is, adolescents who were sexually abused or beaten in childhood were less likely to be victims in adolescence and young adulthood. In this study, parental monitoring and religious practice did not yield statistically significant results, so they were not considered protective factors against violence. The findings underscore the necessity for lifelong learning programs that restructure gender schemas and promote equality within the school environment, acting as preventive mechanisms against the consequences of early trauma on intimate partner violence.

Keywords

• adolescent
• prevention
• sexual violence
• education

Project Number

PID2022-142141OB-I00

Thanks

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Universities) under the R&D National Project “Transcultural Prevention of Cyberviolence in Adolescent Couples: Development and Evaluation of a Virtual and Community-Based Program (PT-CVPA)” [Ref. PID2022-142141OB-I00]

Ergenlerde Cinsel Flört Şiddetine İlişkin Risk Faktörleri: Nicel Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Ergen çiftler arasındaki cinsel şiddet günümüzde önemli bir halk sağlığı ve sosyal adalet sorunu olmaya devam etmektedir. Bu tür şiddet; cinsel istismar ve fiziksel şiddet gibi çocukluk dönemindeki saldırgan ve şiddet içerikli deneyimlerle ilişkilidir. Buna karşılık, ebeveyn denetimi ve dini pratikler şiddete karşı koruyucu faktörler olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Bu çalışmanın genel amacı, ergen çiftler arasındaki cinsel şiddetin yordayıcılarını ve koruyucu faktörlerini belirlemektir. Araştırmada 13 ile 19 yaş arasındaki 453 ergenden oluşan bir örnekleme iki ölçek uygulanmıştır; bunlardan biri cinsel şiddet mağduriyetini, diğeri ise cinsel şiddet uygulayıcılığını ölçmektedir. Ölçeklere ek olarak, ebeveyn denetimi, dini pratikler ve çocukluk döneminde cinsel istismara uğrama olasılığına ilişkin sorular yöneltilmiştir. Bulgular, cinsel şiddet deneyiminde anlamlı farklılıklar olduğunu göstermiştir; kadınlar daha fazla mağduriyet bildirirken, erkekler daha fazla şiddet uygulayıcılığı göstermiştir. Öte yandan, çocukluk döneminde cinsel istismara uğramış ve fiziksel şiddet görmüş olmanın, genç erkeklerin partnerlerine yönelik cinsel şiddet uygulamasını yordadığı belirlenmiştir. Buna karşılık, çocukluk döneminde fiziksel şiddet görmek veya cinsel istismara uğramak, ergenlik dönemindeki cinsel şiddet mağduriyetini yordamamıştır. Başka bir ifadeyle, çocukluk döneminde cinsel istismara uğrayan veya fiziksel şiddet gören ergenlerin, ergenlik ve genç yetişkinlik döneminde mağdur olma olasılıklarının daha düşük olduğu görülmüştür. Bu çalışmada ebeveyn denetimi ve dini pratikler istatistiksel olarak anlamlı sonuçlar vermediğinden, şiddete karşı koruyucu faktörler olarak değerlendirilmemiştir. Bulgular, toplumsal cinsiyet şemalarını yeniden yapılandıran ve okul ortamında eşitliği teşvik eden yaşam boyu öğrenme programlarının gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır. Bu tür programlar, erken dönem travmaların yakın partner şiddeti üzerindeki etkilerine karşı önleyici mekanizmalar olarak işlev görebilir.

Keywords

• ergenler
• önleme
• cinsel siddet
• egitim

Supporting Institution

Bilim, İnovasyon ve Üniversiteler Bakanlığı. İspanya Hükümeti

Project Number

PID2022-142141OB-I00

Ethical Statement

İspanyolca

Thanks

Bu çalışma, İspanya Bilim ve İnovasyon Bakanlığı (Üniversiteler) tarafından Ar-Ge Ulusal Projesi kapsamında desteklenmiştir: “Ergen çiftlerde siber şiddetin kültürlerarası önlenmesi: Sanal ve toplum temelli bir programın geliştirilmesi ve değerlendirilmesi (PT-CVPA)” [Ref. PID2022-142141OB-I00].

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