Chilean Adolescents Research Articles

Validation of the European Drug Addiction Prevention Trial Questionnaire (EU-Dap) for substance use screening and to assess risk and protective factors among early adolescents in Chile.

BackgroundSubstance use is highly prevalent among Chilean adolescents, and the damage it causes at the neurobiological, psychological, and social levels is known. However, there are no validated screening instruments that also assess risk and protective factors for this population in Chile, which is essential for evaluating future prevention interventions.ObjectiveTo determine the psychometric properties of the European Drug Addiction Prevention Trial Questionnaire (EU-Dap) questionnaire.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out in 13 schools in the city of Santiago de Chile. The sample included 2261 adolescents ranging from 10 to 14 years old. Linguistic and cultural adaptation was assessed using focus groups with adolescents, the construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis, and measures of its reliability were also determined. Furthermore, the associations regarding risk and protective factors with substance use were explored.ResultsSubstance use questions were well understood and seemed to adequately capture the consumption of different drugs. Regarding the subscales of risk and protective factors, the analyses showed that most subscales had good psychometric properties, and few needed some degree of improvement (e.g., some items were removed). After the changes, most final subscales had good or adequate goodness of fit adjustments and good or acceptable internal consistency. Finally, the main associated factors with the substance use outcomes were: future substance use and school bonding for tobacco use; negative beliefs about alcohol, future substance use, school bonding and refusal skills for alcohol use; and negative beliefs about marihuana, positive attitudes towards drugs, risk perception, and substance abuse index for marihuana use. Normative beliefs increased the risk for all substances use.ConclusionsThe current findings suggest that the EU-Dap is a valid and reliable instrument, and it may help to evaluate the effectiveness of drug use prevention interventions.

Associations between adverse home environments and appetite hormones, adipokines, and adiposity among Chilean adolescents.

Little is known regarding the relationship between adverse home environments and hormones important in regulation of appetite and their impact on obesity in children and adolescents. In this study, we examined the impact of socioeconomic economic status, family stress and maternal depressive symptoms on appetite hormones, adipokines and adiposity. To determine whether adverse home environments in childhood and adolescence relate to adiposity in adolescence and disruptions in appetite hormones and adipokines, specifically lower levels of adiponectin and ghrelin and elevated levels of leptin and orexin. Adversity in the home (maternal depressive symptoms, family stress, socioeconomic disadvantage) was measured in the households of 593 Chilean youth at age 10 years (52.3% male) and in 606 youth at 16 years. At 16 years, participants provided fasting blood samples for assessment of adipokines and appetite hormones. Waist-to-height ratio was used to assess central adiposity. Correlational analyses examined associations between continuous levels of adversity in childhood and adolescence and appetite hormones and adiposity in adolescence. Multinomial logistic regressions compared hormone levels by tertiles of adversity. Participants were 52% male, with average age at the 16 years hormone assessment being 16.8 (n=606, SD=0.26). Those with highest maternal depression at age 10 had lower adiponectin OR=0.95 [95% CI: 0.91, 0.99], p=0.005) and ghrelin levels (OR=0.98 [95% CI: 0.98, 1.00), p=0.022) than those in the lowest maternal depression group at age 16. Those with the highest family stress at 16 years had lower adiponectin levels (OR=0.93 [95% CI: 0.89, 0.98), p=0.004) and higher central adiposity (OR=1.05 [1.01, 1.08], p=0.009) than the lowest family stress group. There were no significant associations found between socioeconomic status at either 10 or 16 years and appetite hormones. Results add new evidence regarding the relationship between household adversity to appetite hormones and adipokines, with the most consistent results for adiponectin. Current findings suggest that the relationship between home environment and adipokines and appetite hormones may play a role in altered adiposity in children and adolescents.

Relationship between eating disorders and internalized problems in chilean adolescents

BackgroundEating disorders (ED) are associated with internalized problems (INTP), such as depression and anxiety. Evidence shows that ED and INTP are associated with comorbidities. The relationship between these variables has not been the focus of studies on young people from Northern Chile. Children and adolescents are considered as an at-risk group, since they have been found to experience greater vulnerability to psychological problems than other age groups within the population and given the scarcity of studies in Chile, it is necessary to study the relationship between these variables.MethodsThis study analyzed the relationship between ED and INTP in Chilean high school students aged 12 to 18 years using Pearson's correlation. This is a non-experimental and transactional correlational study. We included 2277 students belonging to the public, government-subsidized, and private educational establishments in Northern Chile. The Child and Adolescent Evaluation System [Sistema de Evaluación de Niños y Adolescentes (SENA)] was used to detect a range of INTP, as well as ED. The Brief Self-Control Scale was used in this study.ResultsA strong and direct correlation of the eating disorder variable with depression and anxiety was found. Additionally, significant differences were observed with sex, highlighting females with a higher presence of INTP and ED.ConclusionsThere is a need to establish strategies in the school setting for detecting frequent symptomatology in adolescents with INTP and ED to achieve a timely and accessible intervention.Plain English SummarySince the symptomatology of ED is more prevalent in adolescents, this research evaluated relationships between ED and INTP in young people from Northern Chile. This research is relevant because the evidence on this topic in Chile is scarce and the relationships found could be the first research on the subject and serve to design an intervention plan at the school level in the medium and long terms. It is a non-experimental and transactional correlational study because all variables were measured at a single moment, and it sought to establish relationships between variables without assuming causality. The sample of secondary school students consisted of 2277 students, belonging to the public, subsidized, and private schools. Strong relationships were observed between INTP and ED, the strongest correlations being with the variables depression and anxiety. In addition, female participants presented greater problems in ED and INTP.

Could Physical Fitness Be Considered as a Protective Social Factor Associated with Bridging the Cognitive Gap Related to School Vulnerability in Adolescents? The Cogni-Action Project.

The first aim was to compare differences between school vulnerability groups, fitness levels, and their combination in adolescent cognitive performance. The second aim was to determine the mediation role of fitness in the association between school vulnerability and cognitive performance. A total of 912 Chilean adolescents aged 10–14 years participated in this study. The school vulnerability index (SVI) assigned by the Chilean Government was categorized into high-, mid-, or low-SVI. Adolescents were classified as fit or unfit according to their global fitness z-score computed from their cardiorespiratory (CRF), muscular (MF), and speed/agility fitness (SAF) adjusted for age and sex. A global cognitive score was estimated through eight tasks based on a neurocognitive battery. Covariance and mediation analyses were performed, adjusted for sex, schools, body mass index, and peak high velocity. Independent analyses showed that the higher SVI, the lower the cognitive performance (F(6,905) = 18.5; p < 0.001). Conversely, fit adolescents presented a higher cognitive performance than their unfit peers (F(5,906) = 8.93; p < 0.001). The combined analysis found cognitive differences between fit and unfit adolescents in both the high- and mid-SVI levels (Cohen’s d = 0.32). No differences were found between fit participants belonging to higher SVI groups and unfit participants belonging to lower SVI groups. Mediation percentages of 9.0%, 5.6%, 7.1%, and 2.8% were observed for the global fitness score, CRF, MF, and SAF, respectively. The mediation effect was significant between low- with mid-high-SVI levels but not between mid- and high-SVI levels. These findings suggest that an adequate physical fitness level should be deemed a protective social factor associated with bridging the cognitive gap linked to school vulnerability in adolescents. This favourable influence seems to be most significant in adolescents belonging to a more adverse social background.

Feasibility and Acceptability of "Cuida tu Ánimo" (Take Care of Your Mood): An Internet-Based Program for Prevention and Early Intervention of Adolescent Depression in Chile and Colombia.

The rapid internet penetration in Latin American countries has made it possible to implement digital mental health interventions. “Cuida tu Ánimo” (Take Care of Your Mood) is an internet-based program for the prevention and early intervention of depression in adolescents. A pilot study was conducted in Chile and Colombia to study the feasibility and acceptability of the program and estimate its effects. There were 199 participants (53.3% women; mean age = 14.8 years, SD = 1.0) recruited from two schools in Chile and two schools in Colombia. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied for data collection and analyses. Although the levels of acceptance were moderate to high across all variables, adherence was lower than expected. The participants deemed important for an intervention of this type offered a higher level of interaction with team members through internet-based and face-to-face activities. Post-intervention outcomes show a reduction in depressive and anxious symptoms in adolescents in Chile, while there were no significant changes in the level of symptomatology in adolescents in Colombia. The women used the program more than the men. Results show the need to improve the intervention by increasing its levels of customization and developing strategies to achieve better adherence. The contradictory results of the program in Chile and Colombia suggest the importance of other variables beyond the content of the intervention, such as the setting or context of the intervention.

Mediation Role of Physical Fitness and Its Components on the Association Between Distribution-Related Fat Indicators and Adolescents' Cognitive Performance: Exploring the Influence of School Vulnerability. The Cogni-Action Project.

Background: Physical fitness and fatness converge simultaneously modulating cognitive skills, which in turn, are associated with children and adolescents’ socioeconomic background. However, both fitness components and fat mass localization are crucial for understanding its implication at the cognitive level.Objective: This study aimed to determine the mediation role of a global physical fitness score and its components on the association between different fatness indicators related to fat distribution and adolescents’ cognitive performance, and simultaneously explore the influence of school vulnerability.Methods: In this study, 1,196 Chilean adolescents participated (aged 10–14; 50.7% boys). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness (MF), and speed-agility fitness (SAF) were evaluated, and a global fitness score (GFS) was computed adjusted for age and sex (CRF + MF + SAF z-scores). Body mass index z-score (BMIz), sum-of-4-skinfolds (4SKF), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were used as non-specific, peripheral, and central adiposity indicators, respectively. A global cognitive score was computed based on eight tasks, and the school vulnerability index (SVI) was registered as high, mid or low. A total of 24 mediation analyses were performed according to two models, adjusted for sex and peak high velocity (Model 1), and adding the school vulnerability index (SVI) in Model 2. The significance level was set at p < 0.05.Results: The fitness mediation role was different concerning the fatness indicators related to fat distribution analyzed. Even after controlling for SVI, CRF (22%), and SAF (29%), but not MF, mediated the association between BMIz and cognitive performance. Likewise, CRF, SAF and GFS, but not MF, mediated the association between WHtR and cognitive performance (38.6%, 31.9%, and 54.8%, respectively). No mediations were observed for 4SKF.Conclusion: The negative association between fatness and cognitive performance is mitigated by the level of adolescents’ physical fitness, mainly CRF and SAF. This mediation role seems to be more consistent with a central fat indicator even in the presence of school vulnerability. Strategies promoting physical fitness would reduce the cognitive gap in children and adolescents related to obesity and school vulnerability.

The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-Positive scale (CAPE-P15) accurately classifies and differentiates psychotic experience levels in adolescents from the general population.

There is increasing interest in studying psychotic symptoms in non-clinical populations, with the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-Positive scale (CAPE-P15) being one of the self-screening questionnaires used most commonly for this purpose. Further research is needed to evaluate the ability of the scale to accurately identify and classify positive psychotic experiences (PE) in the general population. To provide psychometric evidence about the accuracy of the CAPE-P15 for detecting PE in a sample of Chilean adolescents from the general population and classifying them according to their PE severity levels. We administered the CAPE-P15 to a general sample of 1594 students aged 12 to 19. Based on Item Response Theory (IRT), we tested the accuracy of the instrument using two main parameters: difficulty and discrimination power of the 15 items. We found that the scale provides very accurate information about PE, particularly for high PE levels. The items with the highest capability to determine the presence of the latent trait were those assessing perceptual anomalies (auditory and visual hallucinations), bizarre experiences (a double has taken the place of others; being controlled by external forces), and persecutory ideation (conspiracy against me). The CAPE-P15 is an accurate and suitable tool to screen PE and to accurately classify and differentiate PE levels in adolescents from the general population. Further research is needed to better understand how maladaptive psychological mechanisms influence relationships between PE and suicidal ideation (SI) in the general population.

Comparison of Emotional Behaviour of Spanish, Chilean and England Adolescents, and Their Relationship with Effective Personality.

Analysing the emotional behaviour of adolescents is fundamental because of its relationship with maladaptive behaviour and even possible psychological maladjustments. For this reason, this study had two objectives: to analyse the existence of significant differences in socio-emotional behaviour in English, Spanish, and Chilean adolescents, taking gender into account, and to analyse the relationship between emotional behaviour and the effective personality model in the Spanish and Chilean samples. A total of 2534 adolescents participated (609 English, 1677 Spanish, and 248 Chilean). The Abbreviated Scale of Emotional Behaviour (ECEA_R: aggressive tendency, social reactivity, and social support) and the Effective Personality Questionnaire—Adolescents (CPE-A: academic self-realisation, socio-affective self-realisation, and resolute efficacy) were applied. A MANOVA was carried out to study the differences in adolescents’ socio-emotional behaviour, taking gender and nationality into account, and a correlational analysis was undertaken to explore the relationship between the variables of emotional behaviour (aggressive tendency, social reactivity, and social support) and effective personality (academic self-realisation, socio-affective self-realisation, and resolute efficacy). Regarding the first objective, for aggressive tendency, English male adolescents stood out, followed by Spanish and Chilean male adolescents and females of all nationalities. In terms of social reactivity, female adolescents stood out over male adolescents and, with regard to social support, Spanish adolescents (male and female) stood out over other nationalities, followed by Chilean and English adolescents (males and females). The results of the second objective indicated a negative relationship between aggressive tendency and academic self-realisation, but a positive relationship for social reactivity and social support (only in the Spanish sample) with most of the effective personality factors. The results are relevant for the application of prevention and intervention programs that improve or implement social and affective competencies in adolescents who develop the effective personality construct.

Propiedades psicométricas del Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) en una muestra de hombres y mujeres jóvenes chilenos

Drive for muscularity, although it mainly occurs in men, is also experienced by women. It is important to have instruments to measure this construct, which is the reason why the aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS) in Chilean adolescents and young adults (n = 602). The DMS and the SATAQ-4 were administered. The confirmatory factor analysis showed two factors, one representing attitudes and the other behaviors, in addition to a second-order factor. This structure had a good fit for both sexes, although for women it was necessary to remove two items. Regarding sex, men showed higher scores and, with respect to age, adolescents manifested greater drive for muscularity. For both sexes a positive correlation between the DMS and the athletic/body ideal internalization scale was observed. These results confirm that the Chilean version of the DMS has adequate psychometric properties.

Cyberbullying. Bullying and antisocial behavior among Chilean adolescents

Cyberbullying is a phenomenon that affects teenagers around the globe. Studies suggest that it has a negative impact on both victims and aggressors, becoming a public health concern. Previous studies have sought to define its predictors; however, most studies have not assessed the relationship between cyberbullying and traditional bullying or other types of aggression. Herein, we aimed to assess the association between antisocial behaviors and traditional bullying as forms of aggression that could predict cyberbullying in victims and perpetrators. A total of 791 adolescents from Santiago, Chile, were included in our study; mean age of 13.57 years old, 46.06% female. We used the structural equations model to test our model. Our results show a good fit of the model, showing a relation between antisocial behaviors and bullying, but only for the perpetrator. Bullies were associated with the roles of cyberbullying victim and cyberbullying perpetrator. Bullying victims were only associated with cyberbullying victims. Our results confirm the relation between different types of aggressive behavior, particularly for perpetrators, which could account for a unique dynamic for bullying and cyberbullying perpetrators. Prevention programs should explore more comprehensive interventions aimed at adolescents and promote a better understanding of this type of aggression.

Growing up in the context of intimate partner violence: Experiences and meanings for adolescents in Chile

BackgroundGrowing up in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with a range of mental health problems in childhood. A recent area of research in this field considers the perspectives of children and adolescents in understanding the phenomenon of IPV. ObjectiveTo explore the lived experiences of adolescents growing up in the context of IPV and the meanings they construct about the phenomenon. Participants and settingTen adolescents (five females and five males), between 12 and 17 years old, who were attending psychosocial programs specialized in child maltreatment in Santiago, Chile. MethodsThe data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and thematic narrative analysis. ResultsThe results show that many of the adolescents narrate their lived experiences of severe and chronic episodes of IPV as part of their life story, and that they continue to do so even after their parents separate. It was also found that the adolescents suffered other forms of victimizations, such as physical and sexual abuse. ConclusionsAdolescents growing up in the context of IPV are demonstrated to be not only direct victims of violence but also active agents capable of reflecting on it. The implications of children and adolescents participating in such investigations for the development of effective interventions in IPV are also discussed.

Online sexual harassment and depression in Chilean adolescents: Variations based on gender and age of the offenders

BackgroundOnline sexual harassment in adolescence is associated with depressive symptoms. There is, however, a dearth of research investigating variability of symptom profiles in this population in relation to offender gender and age. ObjectiveTo identify the proportion of adolescents reporting online harassment by different types of offenders and compare their levels of depression. Participants and settingParticipants were 18,872 Chilean students aged 12 to 17 years (3.063 of them online sexually harassed). MethodsThe study involved a secondary analysis of self-report data on online sexual harassment, poly-victimization, and depression collected as part of the National Poly-victimization Survey. ResultsIn 37.6% of the cases the offender was male under 18, in 22.4% an adult male, in 14.5% a female under 18, and in 2.9% an adult female. In 22.5% of cases the offender could not be identified. An ANCOVA demonstrated levels of poly-victimization across the lifespan and frequency of online sexual harassment in the last year to predict depressive symptomatology. In females, higher levels of depressive symptoms were observed among those sexually harassed by either a female under 18, an offender whose age and gender the victim could not identify, or an adult male. In males, higher levels of depression were observed among those harassed by either an adult male, an offender whose age and gender the victim could not identify, or a male under 18. ConclusionsThe current study highlights the importance of offender's age and gender in predicting depression levels in adolescent victims of online sexual harassment.

School Climate, Bullying and Mental Health among Chilean Adolescents

School Climate, Bullying and Mental Health among Chilean Adolescents

Relationship between Everyday Discrimination and Substance Use among Adolescents in Northern Chile.

Substance use is a public health problem that affects the normal physical, neurological, and psychological development of adolescents. Apparently, discrimination is an important variable for explaining the initiation and continued use of alcohol and marijuana. Since most research focused on discrimination based on factors, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender faced by minority groups, studies on discrimination faced by the general population remain scarce. This cross-sectional study described the relationship between everyday discrimination and alcohol and marijuana use-related behaviors among Chilean adolescents. It included 2330 students between 12 and 20 years of age from educational establishments in the city of Arica. To evaluate substance use, specifically alcohol and marijuana, the Child and Adolescent Evaluation System (SENA) was used. The Everyday Discrimination scale was used to evaluate discrimination. Age and everyday discrimination can predict up to 11% of the variance in substance use. Reducing the incidence of everyday discrimination may help reduce heavy alcohol and marijuana consumption among adolescents.

Psychometric Properties of the Maternal and Paternal Parenting Styles Scale in Chilean Adolescents.

Parenting style has been related to a series of positive outcomes that extend into adulthood. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the maternal and paternal parenting styles scale (PSS-MP) in a sample of adolescents. A cross-sectional design was used, with a probability sample of 2683 adolescents (48.8% women) from 32 public, private, and subsidized schools in Chile. In total, four confirmatory factor models were contrasted, which was the best fit to support the originally proposed six-correlated factor structure. The factor invariance analysis reflected that the metric equivalence according to sex is present at the level of scale invariance. It is concluded that the abbreviated version of the PSS-MP provides sufficient evidence for use in the Chilean adolescent population.

Novel loci and Mapuche genetic ancestry are associated with pubertal growth traits in Chilean boys

Puberty is a complex developmental process that varies considerably among individuals and populations. Genetic factors explain a large proportion of the variability of several pubertal traits. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of variants involved in traits that result from body growth, like adult height. However, they do not capture many genetic loci involved in growth changes over distinct growth phases. Further, such GWAS have been mostly performed in Europeans, but it is unknown how these findings relate to other continental populations. In this study, we analyzed the genetic basis of three pubertal traits; namely, peak height velocity (PV), age at PV (APV) and height at APV (HAPV). We analyzed a cohort of 904 admixed Chilean children and adolescents with European and Mapuche Native American ancestries. Height was measured on roughly a 6-month basis from childhood to adolescence between 2006 and 2019. We predict that, in average, HAPV is 4.3 cm higher in European than in Mapuche adolescents (P = 0.042), and APV is 0.73 years later in European compared with Mapuche adolescents (P = 0.023). Further, by performing a GWAS on 774, 433 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, we identified a genetic signal harboring 3 linked variants significantly associated with PV in boys (P< 5 times 10^{-8}). This signal has never been associated with growth-related traits.

Preferred sources of help for mental health problems among Chilean adolescents: a descriptive study.

A timely search for professional help regarding mental health issues in adolescents is critical in preventing severe disorders. However, adolescents generally tend not to seek help. This investigation aimed to study Chilean adolescents' willingness to seek help in mental health issues by identifying their preferred help-seeking sources. We conducted a cross-sectional-correlational study with 493 high school students between 14 and 19 years of age (mean ± standard deviation = 16.28 ± 1.29). The instruments we used were the general help-seeking questionnaire (vignette version), adapted and validated in Chile, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Data showed that adolescents are more willing to seek help from informal rather than from formal sources. We identified no sex differences in terms of willingness to seek help from formal sources. However, males were more willing to seek help from informal sources. Similar to other cultures, Chilean adolescents are more willing to seek help from informal sources regarding mental health problems.

Brief Research Report: The Association Between Educational Experiences and Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Variables, and Mental Health Among Children and Adolescents.

Introduction: Mental health problems among children and adolescents are frequent. Today, the world is facing a pandemic with a novel coronavirus, which is related to the higher rates of mental problems reported worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the Covid-19 related experiences, educational experiences, and family functioning on mental health and wellbeing among children and adolescents in Chile during the Pandemic and lockdown health measures.Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of the first wave of an ongoing longitudinal study among girls and boys of Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade (4–18 years old) in Santiago, Chile. The sample consisted of 979 students from eight different schools. The method of data collection was online surveys administered to parents and adolescents. The dependent variables were mental health problems and wellbeing. Several independent variables were assessed (sociodemographic variables, Covid-19 related experiences, related educational experiences, and family functioning). A descriptive analysis and univariable and multivariable regression models were performed to study the association between variables.Results: Positive educational experiences, primarily academic self-concept, reduced the probability of mental health problems and increased wellbeing. Among covid-19 related variables, practicing meditation or praying reduced emotional problems, while having family or health problems increased emotional problems among adolescents. No clear association between Covid-19 related experiences variables among children was found.Conclusions: Our findings may help educational and public health authorities to plan future school preventive interventions to improve mental health and wellbeing in this population.

Occupations of Chilean adolescents: level of importance according to gender

An occupational view of public health takes care of the lifestyles of specific groups of people and how they influence their health and quality of life. Adolescents are positioning themselves as a group with their own needs from all areas of health, betting that the well-being of young people is an investment for the near future. Little is known about the nature of adolescents' occupational choices and how routines and lifestyles are installed. The challenges of this stage of life condition participation in occupations, to such a level that, from becoming involved in them, the interests and roles of adolescents are defined. The level of importance they attach to their activities would define their occupational routine based on the preferences of some activities over others. This research aims to define the differences in the level of importance that Chilean adolescents give to their occupations according to their gender. This study is quantitative in descriptive design. 109 Chilean adolescents who defined their daily occupations and the level of importance for each of them were evaluated. The Mann Whitney U test that compares two non-parametric samples was used. Regarding the results of this study, there are significant differences in the Play, especially in the play with friends, being the male adolescents those who give a higher level of importance to this type of play than their female peers. No significant differences were found by gender in Social Participation and Leisure activities, therefore, it could be said that adolescent men and women give the same level of importance to these occupations.

Gender Differences in the Disclosure of Sexual Abuse in Chilean Adolescents

Child sexual abuse is a frequent phenomenon in Chile, but it is not often disclosed by its victims. The lack of disclosure is more common in the male population, presumably owing to cultural factors. The objective of this study was to deepen understanding of child sexual abuse disclosure in the Chilean population, focusing particularly on the role of gender. The study combined data extraction from the internal database of child sexual abuse specialist care centres with a small number of in‐depth interviews. In the initial quantitative phase, data on 210 adolescents between ten and 18 years of age were reviewed, and in the qualitative phase, ten young people between 18 and 20 years participated; all the participants had suffered sexual abuse. The results of the quantitative phase show that boys actively disclose less frequently than girls. The results of the qualitative analysis revealed some obstacles to disclosure both in boys and in girls (guilt and shame, or the lack of family support), but they suggested that the disclosure process would be particularly difficult for boys owing to cultural factors (e.g. questioning the masculinity of male victims and the feminisation of sexual abuse). The discussion addresses the implications of these results for promoting disclosure in adolescents of both genders.‘Child sexual abuse is a frequent phenomenon in Chile, but it is not often disclosed by its victims’Key Practitioner Messages In Chile, disclosure of sexual abuse is difficult for male and female adolescents owing to guilt and shame, or the lack of family support. In macho cultures, male adolescents would have greater difficulty with disclosure given the associated stigmatisation and gender stereotypes. All practitioners who work with children and adolescents in Chile should be attentive to the gender factors that hinder the disclosure of sexual abuse in male and female adolescents.