Original articleImpact of Sexual Harassment Victimization by Peers on Subsequent Adolescent Victimization and Adjustment: A Longitudinal Study
Section snippets
Study participants and design
Students (N = 1897) from 23 high schools participated in this study, which was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Western Ontario. Data were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a school-based intervention program to reduce adolescent dating violence and related risk behaviors. Sexual harassment victimization was assessed at the beginning of grade 9 and again 2.5 years later at the end of grade
Results
The parent consent–youth assent rate was 75%, with a combined return rate (yes or no) of 82%. Longitudinal analyses included only students who provided data at both waves (1734/1897; retention rate 92%; 51% female). Of the 334 students who had changed schools at T2, 186 were located and completed the on-line survey at their new school. The remaining students lost to follow-up refused to participate (n = 29) or could not be located (n = 119). The subsample of students lost to follow-up did not
Discussion
Sexual harassment victimization is prevalent among youth entering high school, occurring at equivalent rates for girls (44%) and boys (43%) in the present study. However, the nature of sexual harassment victimization differed for boys and girls, with girls experiencing more unwanted comments, gestures, and touch, and boys experienced more homosexual slurs and being shown or given unwanted sexual pictures, photos, messages, or notes. At the same time, the overlap across items should not be
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). We recognize RBC Financial Group for their support of the Chair in Children's Mental Health (D. Wolfe), and the Royal Lepage Shelter Foundation for their generous support for violence prevention efforts with adolescents.
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