Not much has been known about how many young people are using sexual violence, but a new study has revealed surprising details about this issue in youths under the age of 21.

As the criminal justice system is not often involved, very little information has been collected. But this public health issue is affecting over 1 million victims and costing $127 billion a year.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, employs data collected online in 2010 and 2011 from the national Growing Up With Media study.

Participants consisted of 1,058 young people aged 14 to 21-years-old who lived at home at least half of the time, and who had used the internet during the last 6 months.

For the study, youths were asked about how often they had ever:

  1. Tried, but were not able to, make someone have sex with them when they knew they did not want to
  2. Made someone have sex with them when they knew they did not want to
  3. Gotten someone to give in to sex with them when they knew they did not want to.
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The study reveals that 1 in 10 youths have instigated sexual violence, which can cause victims to experience health problems and suicidal tendencies.

The study revealed that 9% of the participants reported some kind of sexual violence that they had instigated in their lifetime, with 4% of them (10 females and 39 males) reporting attempted or completed rape.

Additionally, 8% reported kissing, touching or forcing contact, while 3% reported coercive sex. Another 3% attempted rape but were not successful.

The researchers report that those who instigated sexual violence tended to report more frequently that they had been exposed to media displaying sexual or violent scenarios, but they note that the results were not always statistically significant.

The authors write:

”Links between perpetration and violent sexual media are apparent, suggesting a need to monitor adolescents’ consumption of this material, particularly given today’s media saturation among the adolescent population.”

Rather than using threats or physical force, the perpetrators reported trying to force sex using “coercive tactics” like arguing, pressuring, getting angry or using guilt.

The most common age at which a young person employed sexual violence was 16-years-old, but males were more likely to have their first incident at 15 years of age or younger.

Researchers say it was not until the ages of 18 or 19 that males and females became relatively equally represented as perpetrators. Females were more likely to prey on older victims, while males mostly chose younger victims.

The victims were usually a romantic partner, and 50% of the perpetrators said the victim was to blame for the sexual violence.

Researchers note that victim blaming is a common occurrence, while experiencing consequences is not. Most of the perpetrators reported that nobody found out about the incidents, and contact with the justice system was therefore uncommon.

The researchers write:

Because victim blaming appears to be common while perpetrators experiencing consequences is not, there is urgent need for high school (and middle school) programs aimed at supporting bystander intervention.”

They conclude their study by pointing out that as well as high societal costs, the impact of sexual violence on the victim can be high, including posttraumatic stress disorder, physical health problems and suicidal tendencies.

RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network provides help for victims of sexual violence in the US.