Abstract
Objective
To determine whether youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status
are associated with youth-reported sexual victimization from childhood through young
adulthood.
Methods
We analyzed longitudinal data from 2 population-based samples of Puerto Rican youth
living in the South Bronx (as a minoritized group) and Puerto Rico (as a nonminoritized
group). Waves 1 to 3 were collected annually beginning in 2000 (youth age 5–13). Wave
4 was collected 2013 to 2017 (youth age 15–29). We estimated multivariable associations
between youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status at Wave 1 (independent
variables); and youth-reported sexual victimization at Waves 1 to 4 (dependent variables).
Results
None of the factors was associated with youth-reported sexual victimization at Wave
1 (N = 1911). Among youth reporting no previous history of sexual victimization at
Wave 1 (n = 1823), youth in the South Bronx vs Puerto Rico were more likely to report
sexual victimization at Waves 2 or 3 (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 3.62
[1.46–8.97]). Older youth were less likely to report sexual victimization (OR [95%
CI] = 0.77 [0.65–0.91]) (all P < .01). Among youth reporting no history of sexual victimization at Waves 1 to 3
(n = 1782), youth in the South Bronx (OR [95% CI] = 2.53 [1.52–4.22]), female youth
(OR [95% CI] = 2.81 [1.83–4.30]), and youth whose parents had more than a high school
degree (OR [95% CI] = 2.25 [1.38–3.67]) were more likely to report sexual victimization
at Wave 4 than their counterparts (all P ≤ .001).
Conclusions
Future research should investigate how living as a minoritized youth may contribute
to an increased risk of sexual victimization.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 26, 2022
Accepted:
December 16,
2022
Received:
March 3,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Identification
Copyright
Copyright © 2023 by Academic Pediatric Association
