Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents: Associations With Bullying Involvement and Victimization Experiences

• In Event: Bullying at School and Online

Abstract

Sexual risk behaviors among adolescents can result in deleterious health outcomes including HIV, other STDs, and unintended pregnancies. Understanding which youth might be at heightened risk for these behaviors will help inform prevention efforts. This study explores associations among sexual risk behaviors, bullying involvement, and victimization experiences (e.g., sexual abuse) among a sample of 11,523 heterosexual and GLBTQ high school students from the Midwestern United States. Students completed self-report computerized surveys. Preliminary findings suggest that sexual risk behaviors are associated with physical abuse, sexual abuse, exposure to domestic violence, and dating violence victimization. In addition, youth classified as bullies and bully-victims reported engaging in more sexual risk behaviors than uninvolved youth and victims of bullying. Additional multivariate analyses are underway.

Authors

• Melissa K. Holt, Boston University

• Dorothy L. Espelage, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Brian Koenig, K12 Associates