Identifying links between sexual violence and youth violence perpetration: New opportunities for sexual violence prevention.

Abstract

Objective-One promising opportunity for advancing sexual violence (SV) research and identifying new avenues for prevention involves examining other forms of violence that may share risk factors with SV. Youth violence (YV) is ideal for consideration given evidence of overlap in SV and YV risk factors, a large set of established YV risk factors across the social ecology, and the number of evidence-based YV prevention strategies available. The current paper identifies shared and unique risk factors for SV and YV and highlights evidence-based YV prevention strategies that impact these shared risk factors.Conclusions-Researchers and program developers should consider adapting and evaluating evidence-based YV prevention strategies to prevent SV. Modifying these programs to address SV's unique risk factors may maximize their potential effectiveness. In addition, expanding SV research at the outer levels of the social ecology is critical to developing community-level prevention strategies. The YV literature suggests several potential risk factors at these levels in

Connecting the Dots: State Health Department Approaches to Addressing Shared Risk and Protective Factors Across Multiple Forms of Violence

“…This means that individuals and families living in some communities where there are many risk factors and structural causes of disparity (eg, high poverty, unemployment, and crime) are more likely than those living in other communities to experience multiple forms of violence. 23–25 For example, in neighborhoods where there is low cohesion, or where residents do not support and trust each other, risk for perpetration of child abuse and neglect, 26 intimate partner violence, 27 sexual violence, 28 teen dating violence, 29 youth violence, 30 and suicide 31–33 is higher than in neighborhoods with high support and cohesion between residents. Diminished economic opportunities in neighborhoods and high unemployment are also associated with perpetration of child abuse and neglect, 34 intimate partner violence, 24 self-directed violence, 35,36 sexual violence, 37,38 and youth violence.…”

“…13,73 Also, conflict within the family (eg, poor family management, violence between parents) is linked to almost all forms of violence perpetration including child abuse and neglect (children in homes with high conflict are at higher risk for being victims), 74,75 teen dating violence, 76 intimate partner violence, 42,77 sexual violence, 18 youth violence, 78,79 bullying, 80 and elder abuse and neglect. 13 Youth who associate with delinquent peers or friends are also at a higher risk of harming others through bullying, 52,80,81 youth violence, 79,82–84 teen dating violence, 29,48,85 later in life sexual violence, 18,28,48,60 and intimate partner violence. 49 …”

Prevalence of Teen Dating Violence and Co-occurring Risk Factors Among Middle School Youth in High-Risk Urban Communities

“…Although understanding the historical risk factors, such as exposure to IPV in childhood, is critical from an etiological standpoint, it is the modifiable risk factors that are the most important in designing primary prevention programs for TDV. Additionally, many negative behavioral outcomes for youth share similar risk factors [24]. Therefore, primary prevention approaches which target not only TDV but also a constellation of risk factors related to TDV may reduce engagement in TDV over time, both by addressing cognitive and behavioral risk factors for TDV perpetration and by reducing the overall number of behavioral risk factors in which teens are engaged.…”

Sexuell belästigendes Verhalten unter Schülern – Häufigkeit, Entstehungsbedingungen und Handlungsoptionen

“…Aufgrund der aktuell vorliegenden Daten ist davon auszugehen, dass sexuell belästigendes Verhalten zumindest zu einem nicht unerheblichen Teil Ausdruck eines sozial wenig kompetent geäußerten Beziehungswunsches gegenüber gegengeschlechtlichen Jugendlichen ist [3,23]. Gleichzeitig ist sexuell belästigendes Verhalten aber auch mit anderen dissozialen und aggressiven Verhaltensweisen verbunden, denen besonders häufig homosexuelle oder bisexuelle Jugendliche zum Opfer fallen [9,33]. Es ist nachvollziehbar, dass sich insbesondere im schulischen Umfeld, wo zwangsläufig regelmäßig Kontakt zu gegengeschlechtlichen Gruppen Gleichaltriger besteht, ein sexuell belästigendes Verhalten manifestiert.…”