Prevalence and Correlates of Sexual Revictimization in Middle and High School Youth

Research consistently shows that individuals who experience a sexual assault are at an increased risk to experience a subsequent sexual assault, a phenomenon known as sexual revictimization. However, little research has used a longitudinal methodology to examine rates and correlates of peer-to-peer sexual revictimization in middle and high school youth. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature. Participants were 1,706 youth in Grades 7 to 10 (51.3% female) who completed surveys at the beginning and end of an academic year, approximately 6 months apart. Results showed that the vast majority (n = 1561, 90.4%) of youth reported no sexual victimization at either time point, 125 youth (7.2%) reported sexual victimization at one time point, and 40 youth (2.3%) reported sexual victimization at two time points. Among victims (n = 165), about one quarter (n = 40, 24.2%) were victimized at both time points. Binge drinking, depression, and suicidal thoughts were all higher among multiple and singular victims compared with nonvictims and among multiple victims compared with singular victims. Girls and sexual minorities were more likely to be multiple and singular victims compared with nonvictims and multiple victims compared with singular victims. Older youth were more likely to be multiple and singular victims compared with nonvictims. These data underscore the need for programming that concurrently focuses on mental health and sexual assault risk reduction, especially among high-risk youth.