Nonconsensual sexual behavior among youth: Age dynamics and implications for prevention

BACKGROUND: A recent study found that over 70% of self-reported experiences of sexual victimization during childhood are caused by other youth. This groundbreaking study confirmed the need to focus on youth in sexual violence perpetration prevention efforts but left unanswered questions about the age dynamics of youth-involved in this type of sexual violence (termed nonconsensual sexual behavior hereafter). That is, it remains unclear if most nonconsensual sexual behavior was caused by older youth toward younger children or between age-similar youth. OBJECTIVE: To examine the age differentials between youth who initiated and youth who experienced nonconsensual sexual behavior. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data were drawn from the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) comprising a nationally representative sample of 13,052 U.S. children and adolescents aged 0-17. METHODS: Analyses focused on 513 unique, self-reported incidents of nonconsensual sexual behavior. Incidents were categorized by developmental stage and age differential of the person who initiated the behavior and the person who experienced the behavior. RESULTS: In 60.2% of all cases, the individual who initiated the nonconsensual sexual behavior was younger than 18 years old. Of these instances, most (66.6%) occurred between two adolescents (13-17 years) and least (15.1%) between an adolescent and a child. In 71% of instances, the youth who initiated nonconsensual sexual behavior was two or fewer years older than the youth who experienced the behavior. CONCLUSION: Most youth-caused nonconsensual sexual behavior occurs between peers of similar age, supporting the idea that prevention efforts should address peer dynamics and healthy relationships. Adults were often aware of the instances when children experienced or initiated the nonconsensual sexual behavior but unaware when adolescents experienced or initiated such behavior.