COMMON TARGETS OF ASM

While almost all children and youths respond to positive attention from an educator and other adults within the school system, students who are estranged from their parents, who are unsure of themselves, who are engaged in risky behavior, or whose parents are engaged in risky behavior are often targeted, not only because they might be responsive, but also because they are more likely to maintain silence (Robins, 2000). These children are easier to control, may welcome attention, and could be perceived as less credible if they make allegations.

Females comprise the overwhelming majority of adult sexual misconduct (ASM) victims (Sedlak et. al., 2010). African-American children are nearly twice as likely as white children to be targeted, while Hispanic children face a slightly elevated risk as compared to non-Hispanic white children (Sedlak et. al., 2010). Children with disabilities are almost three times more likely than their disability-free peers to become ASM targets, and those with intellectual and mental health disabilities appear to be most at risk (Lund and Vaughn-Jensen, 2012). This problem is compounded when a disability interferes with a child’s ability to report abuse to an adult (Skarbek, Hahn, and Parrish, 2009).

A recent survey of middle school and high school students ages 13 and older conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) (Kosciw, Greytak, Palmer, and Boesen, 2014) found that children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning their sexual identities (LGBTQ) sometimes hesitate to report ASM, believing that the incidence of homophobia among school personnel will prove to be an insurmountable barrier to getting help. In fact, GLSEN indicated that 56.9 percent of LGBTQ student responders were subjected to homophobic remarks from their teachers or other school staff.