A cross-sectional examination of sexual victimization and heavy episodic drinking among high school students

Abstract

Sexual victimization is an important risk factor for problematic alcohol use across the lifespan. Heavy episodic drinking (HED) among high school students is associated with numerous negative physical, psychological, and academic outcomes. Whereas previous research has examined the association between a history of sexual victimization and HED in young adult and adult samples, far less research is focused on high school youth. Accordingly, the present study aims to determine the association between history of sexual victimization and HED among high school students (N = 1,844), in the context of individual (i.e., gender, sexual orientation), peer- (i.e., perceived peer norms), and community-level factors (i.e., school connectedness). Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that among girls, lifetime history of sexual victimization, peer engagement in violence, and perceived peer support for violence were positively associated with HED and school connectedness was negatively associated with HED. Among boys, whereas perceived peer support for violence was positively associated with HED, school connectedness was negatively associated with HED. Self-identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual was not associated with HED for girls or boys. Findings elucidate the importance of addressing sexual victimization, perceptions of school connectedness, and perceptions of peer support for violence in the context of substance use prevention programs for youth.