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Experiences of violence and abuse among internally displaced adolescent girls following a natural disaster
Author(s) -
Sloand Elizabeth,
Killion Cheryl,
Yarandi Hossein,
Sharps Phyllis,
LewisO'Connor Annie,
Hassan Mona,
Gary Faye,
Cesar Nicole Muller,
Campbell Doris
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1111/jan.13316
Subject(s) - physical abuse , sexual abuse , internally displaced person , poison control , domestic violence , sexual violence , psychology , suicide prevention , injury prevention , natural disaster , occupational safety and health , medicine , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medical emergency , population , environmental health , geography , criminology , pathology , meteorology
Abstract Aim To describe the physical, psychological and sexual violence among internally displaced adolescent girls following the 2010 Haiti earthquake and related risk factors, health concerns and cultural norms. Background Thousands of adolescents were displaced following the earthquake, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and violence. Displaced survivors are disproportionately vulnerable to violence after natural and man‐made disasters. Design A descriptive‐correlational design was used to: (1) describe the extent of violence, health risks and concerns in the displaced adolescent girls; and (2) identify correlations in the strength and magnitude of relationships between selected variables including demographics, risk factors and cultural tolerance of violence. Methods Data were collected from participants using computer‐assisted self‐interviews between 2011–2013 including demographics, pre‐ and post‐earthquake violence, perpetrators, risk factors and health consequences. Analysis included frequency, logistic regression and multiple regression. Results/Findings A majority reported physical, psychological, or sexual abuse both pre‐ (59%) and post‐ (64.1%) earthquake. Pre‐earthquake, abused adolescents reported the perpetrator as a boyfriend (50%) or family member (30%). Post‐earthquake, 20.5% of physical abuse perpetrators were family members. Pre‐ and post‐earthquake physical and sexual abuse did not change. The risk of being sexually abused post‐earthquake increased after controlling for age and education. Conclusion Displaced adolescent girls reported similar rates of physical and sexual abuse pre‐ and post‐earthquake. These findings show the importance of preventive policies for adolescent girls in disaster situations in countries with low resources. Social and cultural change is critically needed since abuse was at an unacceptably high rate prior to the earthquake.