The impact of sex, bullying, forced sexual contact, and body dissatisfaction on depressive symptoms and suicide risk

Date

2017

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Women’s University

Abstract

This study explores the effects of these behaviors on adolescents. Traditional bullying, cyber bullying, sexual assault and body dysphoria's effect on depression and increased suicide risk are the focus of this dissertation. Data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is analyzed for this purpose. Logistic regression and multiple regression are used to explore the relationships between these variables. Adolescent females appear to be at increased risk of depression and suicide due to school bullying, cyber-bullying, sexual assault and body dysphoria. Results from the YRBSS indicate that many high school students are engaged in health-risk behaviors associated with suicide: a leading cause of death among teens in the United States. The results support the hypotheses that adolescent female victims of traditional bullying, sexual assault and body dissatisfaction are more at risk of depression and suicidal thoughts, plans and implementation. Cyberbullying had a stronger impact on whether boys reported that they felt sad and hopeless, made a suicide plan and were a suicide risk than it did for girls. (Author Abstract)

Description

Keywords

child abuse, adolescents, youth, teens, research

Citation

Romanus, A. (2017). The impact of sex, bullying, forced sexual contact, and body dissatisfaction on depressive symptoms and suicide risk (Doctoral dissertation). Texas Women’s University.

DOI