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Sexual harassment and emotional and behavioural symptoms in adolescence: stronger associations among boys than girls

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To study the associations between subjection to sexual harassment and emotional (depression) and behavioural (delinquency) symptoms among 14-to-18-year-old adolescents, and gender differences within these associations.

Methods

90,953 boys and 91,746 girls aged 14–18 participated in the School Health Promotion Study (SHPS), a school-based survey designed to examine the health, health behaviours, and school experiences of teenagers. Experiences of sexual harassment were elicited with five questions addressing five separate forms of harassment. Depression was measured by the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory and delinquency with a modified version of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD) instrument. Data were analysed using cross-tabulations with Chi-square statistics and logistic regression.

Results

All sexual harassment experiences studied were associated with both depression (adjusted odds ratios varied from 2.2 to 2.7 in girls and from 2.0 to 5.1 in boys) and delinquency (adjusted odds ratios 3.1–5.0 in girls and 1.7–6.9 in boys). Sexual name-calling had a stronger association with depression and with delinquency in girls (adjusted odds ratios, respectively, 2.4 and 4.2), than in boys (adjusted odds ratios, respectively, 2.0 and 1.7), but otherwise stronger associations with emotional and behavioural symptoms were seen in boys.

Conclusions

Subjection to sexual harassment is associated with both emotional and behavioural symptoms in both girls and boys. The associations are mostly stronger for boys. Boys subjected to sexual harassment may feel particularly threatened regarding their masculinity, and there may be less support available for boys traumatised due to sexual harassment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, Box 2000, 33521, Tampere, Finland

    Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino

  2. Vanha Vaasa Hospital, Vierinkiventie 1, 65380, Vaasa, Finland

    Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino

  3. School of Medicine, University of Tampere, 30014, Tampere, Finland

    Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino

  4. School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 30014, Tampere, Finland

    Sari Fröjd

  5. Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Mauri Marttunen

  6. Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Box 590, 00029, Helsinki, Finland

    Mauri Marttunen

  7. Mental Health Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Box 30, 00271, Helsinki, Finland

    Mauri Marttunen

Authors
  1. Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino
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  2. Sari Fröjd
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  3. Mauri Marttunen
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Correspondence to Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino.

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Kaltiala-Heino, R., Fröjd, S. & Marttunen, M. Sexual harassment and emotional and behavioural symptoms in adolescence: stronger associations among boys than girls. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 51, 1193–1201 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1237-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1237-0

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