Sexual violence in intimate relationship of young people
A.A. Fernández Fuertes, A. Fuertes Martín

SUMMARY

Objectives: The purpose was to know if the problem of sexual violence in romantic relationships in our young people has a similar magnitude to other countries and also to analyse signicative differences between sexes and the relation between some demografic (sex and age) as well as relational variables (relationship’s duration, time they spend alone together, frequency with which they see each other, commitment level and importance given to relationship) and this phenomenon.

Design: Observacional-correlacional design with a retrospective-transverse and not controlled assessment.

Emplacement: Five public high-schools in Salamanca.

Participants: 572 adolescents from 15 to 19 years old.

Principal measurements: Sexual violence in the relationship (committed and suffered aggressions), demographic variables (age and sex) and relational aspects (relationship’s duration, time they spend together alone, frequency with which they see each other, commitment level and importance given to relationship).

Results: 47.9% of the sample (CI= 43.9%-51.9%) admitted to have perpetrated one or more sexual aggressions on their couple and 51.7% of young people (CI= 47.7%-55.7%) affirmed to have suffered at least one; in addition, we found significant differences between males and females in the amount of committed sexual violence, more usual by males, but not in relation to suffering sexual violence. The results also showed that the variable most clearly linked to having a committed sexual aggressions for both sexes was to have suffered this kind of violence.

KEY WORDS

Adolescents, courtship, couple, sex offenses, violence.