The Relationship Between Sex Education and Sexual Violence Victimization Among American Adolescent Females

Abstract

American women are at high risk of experiencing sexual violence during their teenage years.However, the majority of victims have limited knowledge and awareness of sexual violence. Previous papers suggest that participation in formal sex education programs is associated with reduced sexual violence risk. Using National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) data for 2015-2017, this paper examines the relationship between participating in sex education programs and the risk of sexual violence victimization. The results of linear probability models that includes a set of behavioral and demographic controls suggest that the receipt of instruction on refusal skills and birth control is associated with lower rape rates, while participation in STD-related programs is associated with higher sexual violence risk. None of other sex education programs considered in my analysis are significantly related to my dependent variable. These findings indicates that participation in programs focusing on refusal skills and contraception may help to mitigate the risk of being victimized by sexual violence.