Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D.

6 Factors That Make Adolescent Girls Vulnerable To Sexual Victimization.

by | Jan 5, 2011 | Anxiety, Life Ain't For Sissies, Personal Growth, Relationships, Therapy, Trauma/Crisis

Following up on a previous post, Sexual Victimization of Adolescent Girls, I want to list the factors that make girls particularly vulnerable to victimization.

 Six vulnerability factors:

  1. No parent or adult was around to provide authority, supervision or protection.  Same aged friends are also easily coerced and do not provide the protection of adults.
  2. The girl lacked experience with sex and dating. Because she was inexperienced, she was unsure about what was expected of her, unsure about when to set sexual limits, and uncertain about how to respond when the sexual activity went beyond her comfort.
  3. The perpetrator was using alcohol and/or drugs.  These substances, particularly alcohol, made him increasingly bold.
  4. The young woman was using alcohol and/or drugs. When she was high, her ability to fully understand, decide, or resist, was impaired.
  5. Concerns about the relationship, the perpetrator’s feelings, or her social status interfered with her ability to say ‘no’.
  6. She felt powerless if the perpetrator was an older man or an authority figure.

Information here was taken from Jennnifer A. Livingston, Amy Hequembourg, Maria Testa, and Carol VanZile-Tamsem.  “Unique Aspects of Adolescent Sexual Victimization Experiences” Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2007, volume 31 pp.331-343.

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