Is it Right or Wrong? Examining Latino Adolescent's Definitions of Sexual Coercion
Research on sexual coercion and Latinos has been sparse, yet it is very important since it has been demonstrated that experiencing sexual coercion can alter adolescents' development and well-being. In order to raise awareness and create a prevention program on sexual coercion, we must assess the ways in which adolescents understand what is and is not sexual coercion. Three Latino young adults and one Latino youth proficient in English completed a demographic information sheet and participated in a focus group about sexual coercion and its tactics. The focus groups were analyzed for common themes and content. Results show that adolescents had trouble defining sexual coercion. Both adolescents and young adults noted that verbal coercion was the most common tactic employed, specifically, "sweet talking". Participants noted that culture could play a factor in how the victim copes, and how society views the victim and the incident. Future research could focus on making a "kid-friendly" definition of sexual coercion.
School:
University of Texas at El Paso
Department:
Psychology
Research Advisor:
Helen Neville
Department of Research Advisor:
Educational Psychology
Year of Publication:
2005