Citation

Lehrer JA, Lehrer EL, Oyarzún PB. Rev. Med. Chile 2009; 137(5): 599-608.

Vernacular Title

Violencia sexual en hombres y mujeres jovenes en Chile: Resultados de una

Affiliation

Centro de Estudios de la Prevencion del SIDA, Universidad de California, San Francisco, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Sociedad Medica De Santiago)

DOI

/S0034-98872009000500002

PMID

19701548

Abstract

Background: Experiences of sexual violence in adolescence and young adulthood have received little attention in Chilean public health research and practice. Aim: To describe the prevalence and contexts of sexual violence victimization in a sample of university students in Chile. Material and Methods: A self-administered, quantitative survey including items on sexual violence was completed by 484 female and 466 male students at a public university in Chile in 2005. Results: Thirty-one percent of women and 21 % of men reported having experienced at least one incident of sexual violence since age 14; the corresponding percentages for the past 12 months were 17% and 12%, respectively. The perpetrators were identified predominantly as an acquaintance; another important fraction corresponded to a partner or a date. Alcohol or other substances were involved in most cases. Among students who indicated having been assaulted, the incident was reported to the police by none of the men and 2% of women. Twenty one percent of women and 9% of men reported having experienced sexual violence before age 14. Conclusions: The high prevalence of sexual violence found in this study indicates that this issue merits further public health attention in Chile.

Language: es