Experiences of sexual harassment are associated with high self-esteem and social anxiety among adolescent girls

Abstract

Introduction: Subjection to sexual harassment among adolescents have been associated with negative mental health outcomes, such as depression and social anxiety. Self-esteem and social support may modify these associations.

Methods: The Adolescent Mental Health Cohort 10-year replication data were used. It is a cross-sectional classroom survey involving 656 girls and 636 boys aged (mean (sd)) 15.6 (0.4) years and 15.7 (0.4) years, respectively. Subjection to sexual harassment was elicited with five questions. Depression was measured by the Beck’s 13-item Depression Inventory, social anxiety by the SPIN-Fin Inventory, self-esteem by Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale and social support by the PSSS-R scale. The data were analysed using cross-tabulations with chi-square statistics and logistic regressions.

Resutls: Among girls, social anxiety and higher self-esteem were positively associated with experiencing subjection to sexual harassment in multivariate models. No statistically significant associations were detected among boys between experiences of sexual harassment and any of the four variables.

Conclusion: Experiences of being sexually harassed correlate among adolescents with high social anxiety but also with high self-esteem. Sexual harassment among adolescents may partly be explained as inept ways of showing interest, but it may nevertheless have detrimental effects on the well-being of the those subjected to it.

Keywords:

• Sexual harassment
• adolescence
• mental health
• depression
• social anxiety
• self-esteem
• social support

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sara Apell

Sara Apell, cand med, is studying medicine in Tampere University.

Mauri Marttunen

Mauri Marttunen, MD, PhD, is the professor of adolescent psychiatry in University of Helsinki.

Sari Fröjd

Sari Fröjd, PhD, is the senior assistant professor of social psychiatry in Tampere University.

Riittakerttu Kaltiala

Riittakerttu Kaltiala, MD, PhD, BSc, is the professor of adolescent psychiatry in Tampere University.