"Finding My Worth as a Sexual Being": A Qualitative Gender Analysis of Sexual Self-Concept and Coping in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is likely to have impacts on adult survivors' sexuality, particularly on their sexual self-concept. However, little is known about how survivors cope with CSA-related sexual impacts, including sexual self-concept impairments. Thus, this study aimed to examine the interplay between sexual self-concept and coping strategies in CSA survivors by (1) documenting the manifestations of their impaired sexual self-concepts; (2) identifying their strategies to cope with the sexual impacts of CSA; and (3) examining gender differences on sexual self-concept impairments and coping strategies. Content analysis was conducted on semi-structured interviews with 25 women and 26 men adult survivors of CSA recruited via social networks and victim support organizations. Analyses yielded three conceptual categories: (1) Developing an unconsolidated and unfavorable sexual self-concept following CSA; (2) Avoiding CSA-related sexual impacts and impaired sexual self-concept; (3) Approaching CSA-related sexual impacts with more authenticity. Men often managed their suffering and compensated for their impaired sexual self-concept by engaging in sexual dominance and over-investment, by accepting their sexual difficulties and relying on medication to overcome them. Women tended to restrict themselves and disconnect sexually to avoid suffering, complied with their partners' sexual demands out of a sense of duty, prioritized sexual intimacy over orgasm, and seek professional help. Interventions with survivors should promote the development of approach strategies to cope with sexual difficulties, including self-concept impairments, and foster sexual authenticity.

A Dyadic Analysis of Sexual Assertiveness and Sexual Outcomes in Adolescent Romantic Relationships.

Amid adolescence, youth are developing the relational skills necessary to form and maintain positive intimate relationships. Sexual assertiveness is a key skill that could be related to couples' sexual outcomes (i.e. sexual satisfaction, sexual concerns, and sexual function). However, dyadic studies are lacking, and associations between sexual assertiveness and adolescents' sexual health and well-being remain underexplored. This cross-sectional dyadic study examined associations between dimensions of sexual assertiveness and sexual outcomes in adolescent romantic relationships. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model guided analyses of self-reported questionnaires from 110 romantic dyads (aged 14-19 years; M = 16.51). Participants' gender was considered in the models, and gender differences emerged in the associations between study variables. Path analyses revealed that sexual needs and desires communication, refusal of unwanted sex, sexual intimacy initiation, and comfort talking about sex have significant actor and partner effects on adolescents' sexual outcomes in mixed-gender dyads. These findings suggest that authentically expressing one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits in adolescence may influence not only one's own sexual satisfaction, sexual concerns, and sexual function, but also their partner's. The aforementioned dimensions of sexual assertiveness could be important targets for research-based interventions to promote sexual health and well-being in adolescent romantic relationships.

"I Just Want to Feel Good Without Making You Feel Bad": Sexual Assertiveness Negotiation in Adolescent Romantic Relationships.

Sexual assertiveness is often conceptualized as an individual's ability to express one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits. Given that sexual assertiveness is embedded in interactions and can affect not only both partners' sexual well-being but also relationship satisfaction, dyadic approaches are needed to investigate sexual assertiveness negotiation within adolescent romantic relationships. This qualitative study aimed to document adolescents' ability to negotiate their sexual needs, desires, and limits with their partners during interactions where they discussed their sexual concerns. A directed content analysis, based on the life positions of the transactional analysis theory, was conducted on the interactions of 40 adolescent romantic dyads aged 14-19 years (M = 16.65; SD = 1.49). The results revealed four categories of strategies: (1) mutual assertiveness: negotiation of one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits with those of the partner; (2) singular passiveness: repression of one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits to privilege those of the partner; (3) singular aggressiveness: prioritization of one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits over those of the partner; and (4) mutual lack of negotiation skills: neglecting both partners' sexual needs, desires, and limits. Among other things, adolescents' ability to be sexually assertive was hindered by anticipations, including assumptions leading to disregarding one's own sexual needs, desires, and limits or fearing to ignore the partner's. To promote mutually rewarding sexual activities and prevent sexual violence, sexual education initiatives should support adolescents' ability to assertively negotiate their sexuality with their partner and avoid passiveness, aggressiveness, and lack of negotiation.

"I felt imprisoned": A qualitative exploration of controlling behaviors in adolescent and emerging adult dating relationships.

INTRODUCTION: First dating relationships can elicit intense emotions that youth may attempt to alleviate by using control tactics that negatively impact the quality of their relationship and their partner's well-being. Despite the breadth of research on dating violence, studies examining control tactics in youth relationships are limited. The current qualitative study documented control tactics from the perspective of youth who are currently in dating relationships. METHOD: Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 39 participants aged 15-22 years old to gather information regarding conflict management strategies used in their dating relationships. The participants were recruited from high schools and junior colleges across the province of Quebec, Canada. RESULTS: Direct content analysis revealed three categories of control tactics, including, isolation, domination, and emotional manipulation. These findings highlight the importance of further examining control dynamics in adolescent and emerging adult dating relationships to improve dating violence prevention programs. CONCLUSIONS: Educational programs can help prevent control from escalating to more direct forms of violence by supporting youth in identifying unhealthy relationship dynamics and providing them with tools to either safely end the relationship or communicate their concerns with their partner.

Diversity of Profiles and Coping Among Adolescent Girl Victims of Sexual Dating Violence.

Sexual dating violence (DV) is common among female adolescents, and victims may experience other forms of DV (physical, psychological, and cyberviolence) and report a history of child sexual abuse (CSA). Heterogeneity of these victimization experiences could influence how adolescent girls' cope. We aimed to identify distinct profiles of victimization experiences among adolescent girls who reported sexual DV and to explore if these profiles were associated to their coping strategies. Of an initial sample of 1,300 female adolescents who completed online questionnaires, 835 (Mage = 16.8 years) reported at least one experience of sexual DV and were included in the analyses. Hierarchical classification with the Two Step analysis revealed four distinct profiles of victimization. A first cluster named Moderate CSA & Cyber-sexual DV (21.4%) is characterized by moderate percentage of all forms of victimization. The second cluster CSA & DV excluding cyber-sexual DV (34.4%) included victims of traditional DV, moderate rates of CSA and no experience of cyber-sexual DV. A third cluster CSA & DV Co-occurrence (20.6%) regrouped victims who have experienced different forms of DV in co-occurrence and CSA. Finally, the fourth cluster, named No CSA & DV Co-occurrence (23.6%) involved victims who have experienced different forms of DV in co-occurrence, but did not report a history of CSA. Analyses revealed significant differences between the profiles on the use of avoidance coping, in their perceived social support, and on help-seeking strategies deployed toward a partner and a health professional. These findings offer cues for prevention and intervention efforts for victimized female adolescents.

Associations between Conflict Negotiation Strategies, Sexual Comfort, and Sexual Satisfaction in Adolescent Romantic Relationships.

Achieving healthy and satisfying sexual relationships is a major developmental task in adolescence, but factors promoting sexual satisfaction among adolescent romantic relationships remain underexplored. Since sexuality is shaped by relational experiences, strategies mobilized to negotiate conflicts in romantic relationships could be related to sexual satisfaction through comfort in negotiating sexual experiences. Sexual comfort refers to the ease of discussing sexuality, and feeling comfortable with one's own sexual life and with others' sexual behaviors. This cross-sectional dyadic study examined the mediating role of sexual comfort in the associations between perceived conflict negotiation strategies and sexual satisfaction among adolescent romantic dyads. The actor-partner interdependence model guided the analyses of self-reported questionnaires from 104 mixed- and same-sex dyads (Mage = 18.99 years, SD = 1.51). An adolescent's higher compromise and lower submission were related to their own higher sexual satisfaction via their own higher sexual comfort. The results also revealed a direct association between an adolescent's higher domination and their own lower sexual satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of considering conflict negotiation strategies and sexual comfort as key factors related to adolescents' sexual satisfaction.

A Typological Analysis of Help-Seeking Profiles in Youth and Associations with Victimization.

The need for autonomy and independence in adolescence is so fundamental that it can be difficult for youth to seek help when they experience difficulties. To date, few studies have documented profiles of help-seeking behavior according to victimization, gender, and perceived social support among adolescents and emerging adults. The aims of the study were to: (1) identify distinct help-seeking profiles according to gender, victimization experiences and perceived social support, and (2) illustrate the distinct profiles in light of the help-seeking experiences of participants. A total of 397 youth aged 14 to 25 years old completed a questionnaire; a subsample of 100 youth also participate in an individual semi-structured interview. Questions on dating violence and a history of child sexual abuse, help-seeking strategies, and perceived social support were administered. A significant proportion of respondents experienced child sexual abuse and reported dating violence experiences. Four clusters highlighting the diversity of help-seeking profiles among youth were identified: (1) Friend-oriented help-seekers; (2) Proactive help-seekers; (3) Formal help seekers; (4) Self-reliant youth. The results suggest that youth are more likely to rely on their friends for help and less likely to seek help from formal resources. Girls are more proactive than boys in help-seeking. Youth victims of psychological and physical dating violence are more likely to be classified in the self-reliant group while youth with a history of child sexual abuse were found in greater proportion in the friend-oriented group. Results underscore that perceived social support is associated with help-seeking behavior, and highlight the importance of addressing the reluctance of youth to reach for informal help, especially in youth who experienced dating violence. This study also underlines the relevance of bystander interventions to support youth who experienced dating violence or child sexual abuse.

A cluster analysis of dynamics in adolescent romantic relationships.

INTRODUCTION: While several studies involving adolescents have addressed issues related to romantic relationships and dating violence, there is a limited understanding of adolescent romantic relationship dynamics. Typological analyses have been useful to provide targeted interventions and to simplify our understanding of complex phenomena. METHODS: This study explored dynamics in adolescent romantic relationships, considering the interaction between romantic partner characteristics to identify dyadic profiles. A sample of 90 heterosexual dyads of Canadian adolescents (Mage = 18.44 years, SD = 1.47) completed a self-reported questionnaire. A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted based on the dimensions of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (i.e., cohesion, flexibility, and communication; Olson & Gorall, 2003). RESULTS: Analysis revealed four profiles of romantic relationship dynamics: 1) balanced dynamic (51.0% of the sample); 2) hampered dynamic (8.3%); 3) entangled dynamic (20.8%); and 4) rigid dynamic (13.5%). Taking into account the variations between and within dyads, results highlight the diversity of romantic experiences and offer a better understanding of the intricacies of different adolescent romantic relationship dynamics. Correlates indicated that the profiles can be distinguished by different personal and interpersonal characteristics. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the importance of integrating a more person- and dyad-oriented framework in our understanding of adolescent romantic dynamics, since a unique approach to prevention and intervention may not address the needs of all adolescents. The results provided important insight into the identified profiles, guiding dating violence prevention efforts and programs and promoting harmonious and egalitarian romantic relationships.

Interaction Patterns in Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Typological Analysis.

While several studies in adolescents have addressed issues related to romantic relationships and dating violence, there is a limited understanding of their interaction patterns. This study aims to document interactions in conflict situations by identifying profiles of adolescent romantic relationships. Qualitative analysis based on the dimensions of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems was used to investigate the interaction task of 40 dyads. A typological analysis revealed four profiles: (1) rigid, (2) entangled, (3) hampered, and (4) balanced. Results highlight the diversity of romantic experiences and offer a better understanding of the intricacies of different interaction profiles. Dating violence prevention efforts and programs promoting harmonious and egalitarian romantic relationships could benefit from the insights of the identified profiles.

Meeting the needs of adolescent and emerging adult victims of sexual violence in their romantic relationships: A mixed methods study exploring barriers to help-seeking.

BACKGROUND: Sexual dating violence is highly prevalent within the context of intimate relationships but this form of violence remains understudied among teenagers and emerging adults. OBJECTIVES: To identify the specific needs of adolescents and emerging adults who reported sexual dating violence, this study aimed to document the: 1) prevalence of sexual DV; 2) perceived social support and help-seeking strategies; 3) facilitating factors and barriers. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A total 396 heterosexual youths and emerging adults (aged 14-25) participated in this study focussing on issues associated with romantic and sexual relationships, including experiences of victimization and help-seeking strategies. METHODS: This analysis relied on a mixed methods design. Sexual dating violence in the last 12 months was assessed using an adapted version of the Sexual Experiences Survey (Koss et al., 2007). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subsample of 100 youths and emerging adults. RESULTS: Close to 30% of participants reported having experienced at least one episode of sexual dating violence in the past year. Participants could count on a friend and/or a parent but girls were more likely to seek help compared to boys. Effect sizes were moderate to small. Several barriers were identified, including, having to disclose intimate aspects of their personal life to a stranger. CONCLUSION: Given ambiguities regarding sexual consent and sexual violence within the context of an intimate relationship, victims expressed reluctance to get formal support. These findings support the relevance of exploring barriers and facilitators to help-seeking to improve access to services for adolescents and emerging adults who report sexual DV.

The role of attachment avoidance in extradyadic sex.

The purposes of the present research were to examine the relationship between attachment and extradyadic sex and to investigate a mediator of this relationship. Study 1 showed that attachment avoidance was positively associated with extradyadic sex, while attachment anxiety was unrelated to it. These results were maintained after controlling for sexual satisfaction, sexual desire, gender, and age. Study 2 replicated the results from Study 1, while also controlling for couple adjustment. Study 3 used a prospective design and further showed that concerns with the partner's desire for engagement mediated the relationship between attachment avoidance and extradyadic sex. Overall, the findings suggest that attachment avoidance increases people's irritation relative to their partner's desire for engagement which, in turn, increases their likelihood to engage in extradyadic sex. The possibility that individuals characterized by attachment avoidance might use extradyadic sex as a way to distance themselves from their partner is discussed.

French adaptation of the eating disorder recovery self-efficacy questionnaire (EDRSQ): psychometric properties and conceptual overview.

High prevalence of Eating Disorders (EDs) and poor treatment outcome rates have urged research in the assessment of EDs. Self-efficacy is a key motivational factor in the recovery from EDs. A self-report measure, the Eating Disorder Recovery Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (EDRSQ), was recently developed to assess confidence in adopting healthy eating behaviours and in maintaining a realistic body image. The objectives of this study were to (a) translate the EDRSQ to French (EDRSQ-F), (b) assess the psychometric properties of this French version, and (c) establish normative data for a non-clinical sample. Participants were 203 undergraduate women. They completed the EDRSQ-F and measures of ED symptoms, depression and self-esteem. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed a bi-factorial structure. Both scales demonstrated evidence of reliability and theoretically consistent evidence of construct validity. Findings support the validity of the EDRSQ-F and suggest it is a useful instrument for the assessment of EDs.