| Abstract [eng] |
Sexual crimes against children are increasingly shifting to the digital realm, where they can take various forms and have negative long-term consequences that increase victims’ vulnerability to future violence. Currently, the role of technology-facilitated sexual abuse against children in this process remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the links between young adults’ experiences of technology-facilitated sexual abuse in childhood and other adverse experiences, as well as risky behaviors and sexual victimization in adulthood. The study included 262 participants, of whom 231 were women and 25 were men. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 29 years (M = 23,15, SD = 3,11). Questions assessing experiences of technology-facilitated sexual abuse in childhood (Finkelhor et al., 2022), risky behaviors (Baldus et al., 2023; Laurinaitytė et al., 2022), and sexual victimization in adulthood, as well as the Adverse childhood experiences questionnaire (based on Dubre et al., 2001; Felitti et al., 1998), were used in this study. Of all study participants, 30,2 percent (n = 79) reported experiencing technology-facilitated sexual abuse during childhood. Pearson correlation and Chi-square tests indicated statistically significant associations between technology-facilitated childhood sexual abuse, adverse childhood experiences, risky behaviors, and sexual victimization in adulthood. Logistic regression and mediation analysis revealed that sexual victimization in adulthood is predicted by technology-facilitated childhood sexual abuse and higher levels of risky behavior, with risky behavior partially mediating the relationship between technology-facilitated childhood sexual abuse and sexual victimization in adulthood. |
