Digital Sexual Violence and Suicide Risk in a National Sample of Sexual Minority Adolescents

Abstract

This paper aimed to examine the association between digital sexual violence (threat to post or nonconsensual posting of sexually explicit media) and suicidal (ideation, planning, and attempt) and non-suicidal self-harm behavior. The data for the current analysis come from an online sample of sexual minority adolescents (aged 14–17) recruited from across the United States ( n = 970). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the association between digital sexual violence with suicide (ideation, planning, and attempt) and self-harm. In the sample, 9.1% of participants reported being threatened to have their sexually explicit media posted without their consent, while 6.5% reported their sexually explicit media had been posted without their consent. Threat to post sexually explicit media without consent was associated with higher odds of reporting suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.88), suicide plan (OR = 2.12), suicide attempt (OR = 3.56), and self-harm (OR = 1.96). While nonconsensual posting of sexually explicit media was associated with higher odds of reporting suicidal ideation (OR = 1.82) and suicide attempt (OR = 2.20). All models controlled for age, assigned sex at birth, sexual identity, and race and ethnicity. These findings underscore important considerations and future research directions. Given the associations between digital sexual violence and suicide risk among sexual minority adolescents, suicide prevention efforts with adolescents must be responsive to the needs of sexual minority adolescents and the changing landscape of sexual violence in digital spaces. Future research should examine the trajectories of digital sexual violence among adolescents and comparative analyses by demographic subgroups to better understand changes in these processes over time.

The Urgency of Digital Citizenship Learning Module for Indonesian Student

“…On the other hand, they are unaware of the security aspect of digital rape. Because they think a rape can only be done physically [54]. Furthermore, they are also unaware of the threat of extortion from the exchange of photos and personal data sent to strangers on the internet.…”

Bad Break-Up Behavior: Break-Up Characteristics, Emotional Dysregulation, and Alcohol Use as Risk Factors for Cyber Dating Abuse Among Sexual Orientation Diverse College Students

“…Additionally, SM report more barriers to receiving safe healthcare services and, as a result, are less likely to seek care (Tanner et al, 2014; Williams et al, 2021). This is particularly concerning given that SM are at increased risk for victimization from intimate partner violence (IPV), including T-IPV such as revenge porn and cyber harassment (Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021; Srivastava et al, 2022). In a study of SM youth conducted by Srivastava et al (2022), 16% of the sample reported that they had been threatened or had their sexually explicit media posted/shared without their consent, with over a third at the hands of an ex-intimate partner.…”

“…This is particularly concerning given that SM are at increased risk for victimization from intimate partner violence (IPV), including T-IPV such as revenge porn and cyber harassment (Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021; Srivastava et al, 2022). In a study of SM youth conducted by Srivastava et al (2022), 16% of the sample reported that they had been threatened or had their sexually explicit media posted/shared without their consent, with over a third at the hands of an ex-intimate partner. The experience of online sexual victimization has been linked to poor mental health outcomes, including increased risk for self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt (Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021; Srivastava et al, 2022).…”

“…In a study of SM youth conducted by Srivastava et al (2022), 16% of the sample reported that they had been threatened or had their sexually explicit media posted/shared without their consent, with over a third at the hands of an ex-intimate partner. The experience of online sexual victimization has been linked to poor mental health outcomes, including increased risk for self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt (Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021; Srivastava et al, 2022). Despite these concerning findings, little is known about the factors associated with increased risk for ex-partner CDA perpetration especially among SM populations.…”

When reality does not meet expectations: What sexual minority assigned-male-at-birth adolescents learn from using geosocial networking apps.

“…One prominent concern is linked to the idea that people online are not always who they seem (i.e., catfishing), which can lead to physical and/or emotional harm (Freed et al, 2023; Jozsa et al, 2021). Online relationships may also lead to multiple forms of cyber dating abuse, such as digital sexual violence, emotional abuse, and harassment (Caridade et al, 2019; Hellevik, 2019; Srivastava et al, 2023). These harms and drawbacks can be heightened for those with minoritized identities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth (Coyne et al, 2023; Ma et al, 2022) who tend to lack the knowledge and skills needed to navigate online dating spaces (Dhoest, 2022; Jozsa et al, 2021; Owens et al, 2023).…”