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The Impact of Interpersonal Violence on Sexual Agency
Location: 42
Mentor: Dr. Andrew Porter
Interpersonal violence (IPV) is one of the most prevalent forms of violence against women, with severe consequences on overall well-being, including sexual agency. IPV Victimization has been linked to vulnerability factors associated with both societal norms and social determinants of health. Despite the significance of the issue, research on the impact of IPV on sexual agency among young populations remains limited. A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the relationship between IPV and sexual agency among 857 young adults surveyed on social media platforms. Sexual agency was measured using a sexual agency questionnaire across three domains, while IPV was assessed using the HITS scale. Regression models were utilized to analyze the associations between IPV, sexual agency and various risk factors. The results suggest that individuals who reported never experiencing IPV felt greater sexual agency than those who have (Δx=-0.18, p<0.001). It was found that the following co-variates also played a role in sexual agency either independently or in interaction with IPV: race minority status (interaction; B=0.069, p=0.032), education level (interaction; B=0.082, p=0.028) and sexually active status (alone; B=0.306, p<0.001). Other factors, such as sexual orientation, gender and homelessness, were found to be significant to IPV scores, but not sexual agency. These findings suggest that IPV impacts sexual agency and that race minority status, high levels of education and sexual activity may help buffer this impact. Further research is necessary to explore compounding effects, and whether other risk factors, such as mental health, contributes to IPV’s impact on sexual agency.
