Citation

Ryan RM, Mendle J, Markowitz AJ. J. Adolesc. Health 2015; 57(3): 342-347.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.06.005

PMID

26299561

Abstract

PURPOSE: Although links between early childhood maltreatment and girls' sexual behavior in adolescence have been well established, it is unclear whether different forms of maltreatment are differentially associated with sexual outcomes and whether distinct mechanisms explain associations across maltreatment types.

METHODS: Using data from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the present study examines whether physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect in early childhood differentially predict girls' age at first intercourse and number of sexual partners in early adulthood. The study also tests whether early pubertal timing mediates the link between early maltreatment and sexual behavior (N = 6,364).

RESULTS: Findings indicate that early sexual and physical abuse were equally predictive of earlier age at first intercourse and a greater number of sexual partners, but that only the sexual abuse-age at first intercourse link was mediated by early puberty.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that sexual abuse and physical abuse are associated with earlier and riskier sexual behavior in girls relative to no maltreatment and to similar degrees. However, only the link between sexual abuse and sexual behavior involves a biological mechanism manifested in early pubertal timing.

Language: en