Course and Prediction of Sexual Perpetration in Adolescence through Young Adulthood

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With more than 280,000 victims in 2014, sexual violence (SV) is one of the most costly crimes, second only to homicides. Given the general lack of SV perpetration research in adolescence, it is unsurprising that little is known about perpetration among sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth (e.g., those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual; or transgender). GuwM is the only national longitudinal survey of youth designed to study the emergence of sexual violence in adolescence. The study began in 2006 to examine the long-term linkages between exposure to violent media and the subsequent expression of violent behaviors among 1,600 child-caregiver pairs. In 2010, when the youth cohort was 14-17 years of age, the study was re-funded to examine the emergence of sexually violent behavior in adolescence. The study was recently funded again (R01 HD083072) to continue following the existing cohort into later adolescence (i.e., 20-25 years of age) as well as to recruit a new cohort of youth 14- to 15-year-olds and their caregivers to follow them through their greatest age at risk. Sexual and gender minority identity have been queried of GuwM youth since Wave 4. Preliminary findings suggest that rates of SV are higher for SGM youth compared to non-SGM youth. Clearly, understanding how SV emerges similarly and differently for SGM and non-SGM youth is critical to inform the development of inclusive, as well as SGM-centered, prevention programs. In order to conduct fully powered comprehensive analyses, we need to supplement the funded cohorts with an oversample of SGM youth. To this end, we propose to recruit and survey 850 SGM youth. To engage this hard-to-reach population, we will use Facebook recruitment strategies. These quantitative data will be enhanced with qualitative interviews with a sub-sample of youth. Our specific aims are as follows: Specific Aim 1: To investigate the developmental progression of onset and co-occurrence of different types of SV perpetration among SGM youth. Specific Aim 2: To understand the contextual factors that may help explain differences in perpetration rates among SGM youth. Using the Minority Stress Model as a guide, we will examine general stressors, distal minority stressors, and proximal minority stressors to determine how they contextualize rates. Specific Aim 3: To illuminate how influential predictors that contextualize the emergence of SV among SGM are similar and different for non-SGM youth. Specific Aim 3a. Using the Minority Stress Model as a guide, we will examine general and distal minority stressors to determine how these factors contextualize rates for SGM versus non-SGM youth. Specific Aim 3b. We will conduct one-on-one qualitative interviews with 60 purposefully sampled SGM and non-SGM youth to illuminate how minority stress helps explain elevated rates among SGM youth.