Health Provider Checklist for Adolescent and Young Adult Males

Trauma

Violence

Key Points

  • Among 9th to 12th graders, males are significantly more likely to engage in violent behavior and suffer injury as a result of it.
  • Adolescent males are frequently victims of relationship violence.
  • Adolescent dating violence is associated with an increase in other violence-related behaviors, substance use, depression, poorer educational outcomes, posttraumatic stress, unhealthy weight control and risky sexual behavior.
  • Health care providers have an opportunity to promote healthy relationships, improve communication, and improve the detection of unhealthy relationships through screening for intimate partner violence.

Questions to ask young male patients about Violence

Questions to ask young male patients about Intimate Partner or Relationship Violence

Overview

According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey,1 in that year, among 9th through 12th grade students in public and private schools, males were significantly more likely than females to:

  • Carry a gun or another weapon on school property at least 1 day
  • Be threatened or injured with a weapon on school property one or more times
  • Be engaged in a physical fight on school property one or more times
  • Be injured in a physical fight one or more times
  • Have their property stolen or deliberately damaged on school property one or more times

Other studies2 have shown that:

  • Adolescent and young adult males suffer from homicide at four times the rate of adolescent and young adult females
  • Across all age groups and races/ethnicities, males have a higher rate of non-sexual assault compared to females
  • Emerging young adult males (18-25) are 8.6 times more likely to suffer non-fatal firearm injury than their females counterparts
  • Among 12 to 25 year olds, males have seven times the non-fatal firearm injury rate of females.3

Although males are often thought of as perpetrators (of violence), they are also frequently victims. In 2011, 4.5% of high school males reported forced intercourse (compared with 11.8% of females); in other forms of dating violence, rates are similar between males and females, with 9.5% of high school males and 9.3% of females reporting that their partner hit, slapped, or physically hurt them.4 (as cited in 5)

Adolescent dating violence was associated with an increase in other violence-related behaviors, substance use, depression, poorer educational outcomes, posttraumatic stress, unhealthy weight control and risky sexual behavior.6

Violence in adolescent relationships can include bullying, threatening, sexual harassment, dating violence, and/or coercion. Within the context of intimate relationships among romantic and sexual partners, such violence can be verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual. Male adolescents can be perpetrators, victims, or both. For example, 9.9% of high school students nationwide reported having been hit, slapped, or physically hurt intentionally by their boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year.7 Overall, the prevalence of experiencing dating violence was higher among male (11.0%) than female (8.8%) 9th- and 12th-grade students. Despite the high prevalence, many adolescents who are victims or perpetrators of violence do not seek help.8 (as cited in 9)

While little research exists on dating violence among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth, research on same-gender violence among GLBT adults shows violence patterns similar to those among heterosexual youth.10

Membership/identification with gangs is a high risk factor for violence victimization/perpetration for both males and females.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, Health Risk Behaviors by Sex. 2011.

2 Neinstein, Lawrence. The New Adolescents: An Analysis of Health Conditions, Behaviors, Risks, and Access to Services Among Emerging Young Adults. 2013.

3 Ibid

4 Eaton DK, Kann L, Kinchen S, et al; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Youth risk behavior surveillance - United States, 2011. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2012; 61(4):1–162

5 Bell, David A. Breland, David J., and Ott,Mary. Adolescent and Young Adult Male Health: A Review . Pediatrics; originally published online August 12, 2013; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-3414

6 Holmes K, Sher L. Dating violence and suicidal behavior in adolescents. J of Adolesc Hlth. 2013.

7 Eaton DK, Kann L, Kinchen S, et al; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance: United States, 2007. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2008;57(4): 1–131

8 Ashley OS, Foshee VA. Adolescent help- seeking for dating violence: prevalence, sociodemographic correlates, and sources of help. J Adolesc Health. 2005; 36(1):25–31

9 Marcell, Arik V. et al Male Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Care. Pediatrics. 2011.

10 Advocates for Youth. Dating Violence Among Adolescents,