NCJ Number
231248
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 34 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 438-447
Date Published
June 2010
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Data is presented on adolescents' experience in a survey on sexuality and sexual abuse with a special focus on vulnerable groups of participants.
Abstract
Results of the study indicate that the majority of adolescents did not feel discomfort when completing a survey about sexuality and sexual abuse. Acceptance of rape myths was the strongest indicator of discomfort in the final model. Sexual inexperience was the next strongest predictor. Experience of penetrating sexual abuse was not directly related to discomfort in the model. The most important result was that discomfort ratings were not highly related to any of the predictors and that the final model only explained a small amount of the variance in discomfort ratings. Future research is recommended that includes other factors that might be able to predict feelings of discomfort related to survey questions about sexuality and sexual abuse. A lack of empirical data is seen on adolescents' experience of participation in research about sensitive issues or participants' views on the risks, harms, and benefits of research. The purpose of this research was to study the discomfort experienced by adolescents who answer questions in a survey about sexuality and sexual abuse and to investigate factors that may determine eventual experience of discomfort. The focus of the research was on two vulnerable groups of adolescents: those who have been sexually abused and those who are sexually inexperienced. The study was based on data from Estonia and Sweden from the Baltic Sea Regional Study on Adolescents' Sexuality implemented in 2003 among seniors in high school. Tables, figure, and references