Childhood conduct problems and adolescent sexual harassment victimization: Understanding the role of cumulative processes

Sexual harassment victimization is prospectively associated with poorer mental health, accounting for other forms of victimization. To better understand the link between childhood conduct problems and vulnerability for sexual harassment, the three objectives of this study were to (1) examine the links between childhood conduct problems and sexual harassment victimization during early adulthood; (2) identify the mediating role of common developmental sequelae of childhood conduct problems (adolescent peer victimization, substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and number of delinquent peers) in this association; and (3) explore whether these links differed for boys and girls. Participants were drawn from a longitudinal sample that over-recruited children with conduct problems ( N = 744; 50.5% conduct problems; age M : 8.42; 47% girls), from Quebec, Canada. Childhood conduct problems were linked to increased sexual harassment victimization in early adulthood (β = 0.08, p < .05), an association that was mediated by adolescent peer victimization (β = 0.04, p < .01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 0.06) and adolescent substance use (β = 0.02, p < .05; 95% CI: 0.003, 0.05). Differences were not observed across either model for boys and girls. Findings suggest the pertinence of assessing the existing prevention and intervention approaches for populations with conduct problems.