Is Peer Victimization a Significant Risk for Acquiring Sexually Transmitted Infections? Exploring the Pathways in a Sample of Urban African American Youth

Background: African American adolescents, particularly those living in urban communities with limited resources, are frequently confronted with violence, placing them at a heightened risk of peer victimization. These youths are also vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as they are exposed to unsafe behaviors and risky activities in their community. Therefore, peer victimization and high rates of STIs are major public health concerns, especially for African American youth in low-income communities. Although studies document that peer victimization is a precursor to risky behaviors, research examining the association between peer victimization and STIs is limited. The present study examines whether peer victimization is associated with STIs and whether affiliation with sexually active peers, substance use, and condom use are pathways linking this association among urban African American adolescents in Chicago’s Southside. 

Method: Participants comprise 277 African American adolescents (ages 13-22) from low-income communities in Chicago’s Southside. This study used cross-sectional research design and self-report surveys, which included peer victimization, affiliation with sexually active peer networks, substance use, condom use, and STIs. Correlational analysis was conducted to examine the relationship among the measured variables in the hypothetical model of this study. To test the pathways from peer victimization and STIs, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used, which allowed testing of the direct and indirect effects of peer victimization and STIs after controlling for the demographic variables (age, sex, and government assistance). Specifically, SEM involves (a) the direct effects among the variables in the path model, and (b) the indirect effects of peer victimization on STIs via affiliation with sexually active peers, substance use, and condom use.

Results: Peer victimization was found to be negatively related to condom use, and affiliation with sexually active peers was positively related to substance use. However, peer victimization was not directly associated with STIs but had an indirect effect through condom use. More specifically, peer victimization was associated with condom use, which in turn, was related to STIs.

Conclusion and Implications: Chronically bullied adolescents in low-resourced communities may be less likely to use condoms and might put themselves at risk of STIs. Also, youths with greater affiliation with a sexually active peer network are more likely to use substances. In fact, given African American youths’ heightened vulnerability to STIs, targeted and tailored prevention and interventions to address STI risk factors are a high priority. As correct and consistent condom use can significantly reduce the risk of STIs among adolescents, public health interventions have sought to promote factors that facilitate this behavior. In particular, urban African American youth who experience peer victimization may not only be less receptive to peer-based prevention programs but may also be embedded in risky social groups or networks. Researchers, practitioners, and individuals who seek to improve the sexual health outcomes of urban African American youth must be aware of the social contexts in which youth’s risk and protective behaviors occur.