Protective Factors for Sexual Violence: Understanding How Trajectories Relate to Perpetration in High School

Abstract

Adolescent sexual violence (SV) perpetration is a significant public health problem. Many risk factors for perpetration are known, but less is known about what protects youth from perpetration, or how protective factors change over time. This longitudinal study reports trajectories of four potential protective factors for SV perpetration (empathy, parental monitoring, social support, and school belonging) across middle and high school and examines their relationship to SV perpetration in high school. Findings reveal that youth who identified as SV perpetrators had significantly lower mean empathy scores (d = − 0.18, 95 % CI [−0.26, −0.10]) and social support scores (d = − 0.05, 95 % CI [−0.14, −0.03]) at the beginning of middle school than non-perpetrators. We also found that youth who identified as SV perpetrators had a quicker deceleration in parental monitoring (slopes) and empathy from middle to high school, compared to non-perpetrators. Within-sex differences emerged; significant differences in slopes were detected for school belonging between male perpetrators and male non-perpetrators (Wald test = 3.76 (1), p = .05) and between female perpetrators and female non-perpetrators (Wald test = 3.95(1), p = .04). Significant differences in slopes for empathy between female perpetrators and female non-perpetrators (Wald test = 4.76(1), p = .03) were also detected. No differences were found between male and female SV perpetrators for either empathy or school belonging. These findings have implications for the content and timing of adolescent SV prevention efforts. Intervention in adolescence, involving parents and schools in a comprehensive, multi-level approach, may be effective in preventing SV perpetration.

Protective Factors of Homophobic Name-Calling and Sexual Violence Perpetration and Victimization Among LGB, Trans, and Heterosexual High School Students

“…The protective factors examined in this study are aimed at reducing earlier onset of bullying victimization to interrupt the pathway between homophobic name-calling and later sexual violence perpetration. We include multiple forms of social support, consistent with the literature that examines the prevention of sexual violence perpetration (Basile et al, 2018). Additionally, research suggests that belongingness may play a role in preventing sexual violence perpetration (Borowsky et al, 1997), and school belongingness in particular may contribute to less sexual violence perpetration when established early during the middle school years (Basile et al, 2018).…”

Efficacy of a Web-Based Intervention (Smart Choices 4 Teens) for Facilitating Parent-Adolescent Communication About Relationships and Sexuality: Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The goal of the relationships component was to foster communication around healthy relationships [ 47 ], increase parental monitoring [ 48 - 50 ], clarify expectations and values, provide skills for making healthy choices around the decisions related to relationships, and encourage reflection on decision making. This component was divided into five sections and was delivered via a video narrative, infogadget (activity with a series of tabs on a single topic, containing graphics and text), and interactive activity: (1) acknowledging how challenging parent-adolescent communication about relationships and sexuality can be (video narrative); (2) reflecting on healthy relationships (readiness for a relationship [interactive activity], prioritizing partner characteristics [interactive activity], and signs of emotional and verbal abuse [video narrative]); (3) smart decision making and sex expectancies (interactive activity), unintended health consequences such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (infogadget), social media responsibility (interactive activity), and refusal skills (video examples); and (4) values and guidelines (interactive activity).…”

Co-occurrence of Violence-Related Risk and Protective Behaviors and Adult Support Among Male Youth in Urban Neighborhoods

“…22 Social support and adolescent-adult connections with family and natural mentors have also been identified as protective factors in dating violence and bullying perpetration. 23,24,25 Research specifically among male youth in lower-resource urban neighborhoods has tended to focus on youth violence perpetration and community violence exposure, with mixed findings related to protective effects of adolescent-adult connections. 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33 Associations between adolescent-adult connections and other forms of violence perpetration (eg, sexual violence, bullying) are not as well characterized among youth in lower-resource urban neighborhoods.…”