ERIC Number: EJ943097
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Nov
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0886-2605
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Unwanted Sex among Young Adults in the United States: The Role of Physical Disability and Cognitive Performance
Haydon, Abigail A.; McRee, Annie-Laurie; Halpern, Carolyn Tucker
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, v26 n17 p3476-3493 Nov 2011
This study examined associations between unwanted sexual experiences and both physical disability and cognitive performance in a nationally representative sample of young adults. We used data from 11,878 participants (ages 26-32) in Waves I, III, and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Logistic regressions determined associations between physical disability and level of cognitive performance (using a modified Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) and the odds of experiencing physically forced and nonphysically coerced sex. Approximately 24% of females and 4% of males reported unwanted sexual experiences. Compared to respondents without disabilities, females with a physical disability had greater odds of experiencing forced sex (OR = 1.49; 95% CI [1.06, 2.08]), whereas males with a physical disability had greater odds of coerced sex (OR = 1.90; 95% CI [1.02, 3.52]). Compared to those with average cognitive performance scores, females with scores above 110 had slightly higher odds of coerced sex (OR = 1.20; 95% CI [1.03-1.41]). Further research on pathways underlying these associations is needed to inform prevention efforts. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Females, Physical Disabilities, Young Adults, Males, Sexuality, Sexual Abuse, Mental Retardation, Cognitive Ability, Gender Differences, Comparative Analysis, Family Structure, Parents, Educational Attainment, Racial Differences, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Whites, Immigrants
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A