The Relationship between Bullying, Sexual Violence and Substance Use among Adolescents in the United States: Cross-sectional Study
Chimamanda Okafor 1, Shayesteh Jahanfar 2 * , Joseph Inungu 3, Mark Minelli 4
More Detail
1 MPH candidate, Department of public health, School of Health Sciences, Central Michigan University, USA2 PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Health Sciences Building 2239, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA3 DrPH, Professor, School of Health Sciences Building 2209, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA4 PhD, Professor, School of Health Sciences Building 2235, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Purpose: This study explored the relationship between bullying, sexual violence and substance use among adolescents.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of 14,765 adolescents using the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) survey was conducted. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, with substance use as the outcome and bullying and sexual violence as explanatory variables in separate models.
Results: The odds of substance in bisexual adolescence was twice as heterosexuals [AOR: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.26-3.22]. Adolescents who experienced electronic bullying had 67% higher odds of substance use than those who did not experience electronic bullying [AOR: 1.67; 95%CI: 1.09-2.55]. Also, adolescents who had experienced sexual violence were had higher odds of reporting substance use than those who had not experienced sexual violence [AOR: 1.68; 95%CI: 1.15-2.45]. Additionally, those who had experienced either school bullying or electronic bullying reported higher rates of sexual violence than those who had not experienced any bullying.
Conclusion: We found a strong association between bullying, sexual violence, and substance use. A multifaceted approach is needed to resolve these problems effectively.

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT, Volume 4, Issue 2, 2020, Article No: em0049

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8329

Publication date: 07 Jun 2020

Article Views: 2911

Article Downloads: 2372

Open Access References How to cite this article