The Cedar Project: Historical trauma, sexual abuse and HIV risk among young Aboriginal people who use injection and non-injection drugs in two Canadian cities

Abstract

Recent Indigenist scholarship has situated high rates of traumatic life experiences, including sexual abuse, among Indigenous peoples of North America within the larger context of their status as colonized peoples. Sexual abuse has been linked to many negative health outcomes including mental, sexual and drug-related vulnerabilities. There is a paucity of research in Canada addressing the relationship between antecedent sexual abuse and negative health outcomes among Aboriginal people including elevated risk of HIV infection. The primary objectives of this study were to determine factors associated with sexual abuse among participants of the Cedar Project, a cohort of young Aboriginal people between the ages of 14 and 30 years who use injection and non-injection drugs in two urban centres in British Columbia, Canada; and to locate findings through a lens of historical and intergenerational trauma. We utilized post-colonial perspectives in research design, problem formulation and the interpretation of results. Multivariate modeling was used to determine the extent to which a history of sexual abuse was predictive of negative health

High prevalence of HIV infection among homeless and street-involved Aboriginal youth in a Canadian setting

“…Given that incarceration has been associated with both HIV risk behaviours [15] and HIV incidence [16] in Vancouver, interventions to reduce street youths' exposure to correctional environments and the HIV-related harms associated with them are in urgent need of evaluation. Of further concern is that over half of HIV-infected Aboriginal participants reported experiencing sexual abuse, a finding which supports a recent study showing strong associations between sexual abuse and HIV risk behaviours among this population [17]. These results suggest that programs which aim to support HIV positive Aboriginal young people should recognize and address the lasting effects of historical trauma and cultural assimilation stemming from the Canadian residential school system on current levels of sexual abuse, substance use, and other HIV-related vulnerabilities.…”

Correlates of Suicidality: Investigation of a Representative Sample of Manitoba First Nations Adolescents

“…However, having had a parent attend a residential school was found to be associated with sexual abuse in a sample of 14-30 year old Aboriginals who use drugs in a bivariate analysis (Cedar Project Partnership et al, 2008). On the other hand, no differences were found in terms of levels of happiness, quality of life, and quality of relationships with family members between Aboriginals who had and had not gone to residential schools (Barton et al, 2005).…”

“…Particularly noteworthy was abuse/fear of abuse, which was strongly related to SI, SA, and any suicidality in bivariate analyses and remained a significant correlate of suicidality in the most stringent multivariate model. Victims of abuse have been shown to be at risk for a range of negative outcomes in indigenous samples, including several mental disorders and engagement in problem behaviour (Cedar Project Partnership et al, 2008;Libby et al, 2005;Robin, Chester, Rasmussen, Jaranson, & Goldman, 1997b). It is possible that in communities where most people know one another, youth who are abused are at risk of not getting help because they have no one whom they trust to disclose their experience.…”

Facilitators and barriers to medical evaluation of child maltreatment in northern British Columbia

“…One study looked at the experiences of 543 Aboriginal people between 14-30 years of age who use drugs and reside in Prince George or Vancouver (Cedar et al 2008). Fifty percent had at least one parent who had attended residential school and 73°/o had been taken from their biological parents into care (Cedar et al 2008(Cedar et al , p. 2189.…”

“…One study looked at the experiences of 543 Aboriginal people between 14-30 years of age who use drugs and reside in Prince George or Vancouver (Cedar et al 2008). Fifty percent had at least one parent who had attended residential school and 73°/o had been taken from their biological parents into care (Cedar et al 2008(Cedar et al , p. 2189. They found that 48°/o reported a history of sexual abuse and that this was predictive of vulnerability to adverse health outcomes including HIV infection , involvement in survival sex, history of self-harm , suicidal ideation , suicide attempts , and overdose (Cedar et al) .…”