Part 1: Adolescent Sexual Assault Risk Factors with Known Assailants and Implications for Prevention

Introduction: Sexual violence against children and adolescents in families creates short- and long-term consequences that includes risk for pregnancy, addiction and depression. Family members choosing to sexually victimize tween-teen children relatives use strategies targeting victim vulnerabilities which are unique to the assailant. This presentation explores early research from a large southern urban setting and the implications for policy in institutions andd systems working to prevent familial intergenerational sexual violence.

Methods and Design: A Concept Mapping framework identifed data fields associated with Adolescent Sexual Assault, guided data extraction from a large urban sexual assault response program data base, where de-identified aggregate data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Interfamilial victim reporting is delayed. Identified child and adolescent vulnerabilities include but not limited to parental victimization, gender, age, developmental delays, mental retardation, addiction, and absent mother. Offender methods improved access to the child victim through anger, surprise, confidence, exploitation, ploy, and intimidation.

Discussion: Sexual offenders have detectable, predictable methods for planning and implementing access to and continuing victimizations of children and adolescents available to them through familal relationships.  Offenders target the child’s vulnerabilities, which include the mother’s vulnerabilities. Understanding offender methods provide insight for institutions and systems about prevention policy and procedures, including strategies to improve outcomes for children, adolescents and non-offending family members. Identifying at-risk children and adolescents needing additional supervision protects them from interfamilial sexual predators. Early research guides policy, prevention, and replication studies in urban communities seeing child and adolescent sexual assault victims.