SEXUAL ABUSE HISTORY AND ASSOCIATED MULTIPLE RISK BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENT RUNAWAYS

Relationships between sexual abuse and sexual risk, substance use, emo tional distress, and conduct problems were examined among 190 runaways . Those who had been abused were significantly more likely than nonabu sed peers to engage in unprotected sex, have more sexual partners, and use alcohol and drugs, but did not differ in emotional distress. Thos e abused after after 13 were more often engaged in sex work than nonab used peers. Males abused before age 13 had more sexual partners than t hose not abused, and runaway males were significantly more likely to h ave been sexually abused than has been reported in prior research.