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Vulnerabilities and Strengths of Mexican Homosexual Adolescents Facing the Risk of Dating Violence

Irene Casique Rodríguez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Using data from the Survey on Dating, Empowerment and Sexual and Reproductive Health in Adolescent in High School in Mexico (ENESSAEP 2014 in Spanish) this paper explores dating violence among same-sex adolescent couples and compares the prevalence’s of the different expressions of this violence (emotional, physical, and sexual) between heterosexual couples and same-sex couples. Additionally, we identify those characteristics of homosexual adolescents that reduce or increase their vulnerability to dating violence, examining in particular the role played by various elements of empowerment, such as self-esteem, agency, gender role attitudes, social power, and adolescent sexual power. The results show higher prevalence of emotional and sexual dating violence received by adolescents with same-sex partners while physical dating violence is more prevalent for heterosexual adolescents. The experiences of emotional and physical violence received at home, during childhood and in the present, are more frequents for homosexual adolescents, andare significantly associated with higher risks of dating violence. Additionally, the results show a negative association of social empowerment with the three types of violence in the case of heterosexual adolescents, but no evidence of significant associations in the case of homosexuals. Similar results are found for the indicator of self-esteem, agency, and egalitarian attitudes towards gender roles.

Keywords: Gender, Children and youth, Inequality

See paper.

  Presented in Session 73. Gender-Based Sexual Violence