Sexual Coercion among Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents: The role of family factors. Children and Youth Services Review.

Abstract

Sexual coercion among adolescents has been studied as a public health issue in developed and developing countries; however, little is known about the role of family in sexual coercion in Chinese context. A representative school-based survey of 2243 boys and 1664 girls aged 12-17 years in secondary schools was conducted by the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong. The results indicated that severe sexual coercion is not common among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. No gender differences in three dimensions of sexual coercion (including sexual assault, being pressured into sex and condom use request) are observed. An unhappy family life is associated with a greater likelihood of being pressured into sex and condom use requests being ignored or refused. Poor communication about sex with one's mother is positively associated with condom use requests being ignored or refused. In addition, sexual coercion exerts a negative impact on mental health problems including self-harm, suicidal ideation and planning, and substance use such as frequent smoking and alcohol consumption.