A longitudinal study of risk factors for sexual victimization in Puerto Rican youth

To determine whether youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status are associated with youth-reported sexual victimization from childhood through young adulthood.We analyzed longitudinal data from 2 population-based samples of Puerto Rican youth living in the South Bronx (as a minoritized group) and Puerto Rico (as a non-minoritized group). Waves 1-3 were collected annually beginning in 2000 (youth age 5-13). Wave 4 was collected 2013-2017 (youth age 15-29). We estimated multivariable associations between youth, family, and neighborhood factors and minoritized status at Wave 1 (independent variables); and youth-reported sexual victimization at Waves 1-4 (dependent variables).None of the factors were associated with youth-reported sexual victimization at Wave 1 (N=1911). Among youth reporting no previous history of sexual victimization at Wave 1 (n=1823), youth in the South Bronx vs. Puerto Rico were more likely to report sexual victimization at Waves 2 or 3 (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]=3.62 [1.46-8.97]). Older youth were less likely to report sexual victimization (OR [95% CI]=.77 [.65-.91]) (all P.01). Among youth reporting no history of sexual victimization at Waves 1-3 (n=1782), youth in the South Bronx (OR [95% CI]=2.53 [1.52-4.22]), female youth (OR [95% CI]=2.81 [1.83-4.30]), and youth whose parents had more than a high school degree (OR [95% CI]=2.25 [1.38-3.67]) were more likely to report sexual victimization at Wave 4 than their counterparts (all P ≤ .001).Future research should investigate how living as a minoritized youth may contribute to an increased risk of sexual victimization.