Sexual Victimization in School,Community,and Online Contexts: A Scoping Review on the Measurement of Youth Sexual Victimization

Abstract

Sexual victimization (SV) among youth remains a critical public health concern with far-reaching developmental and mental health consequences. However, inconsistent operationalization and measurement across studies undermine efforts to accurately assess prevalence and identify patterns of risk and resilience. Guided by PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a scoping review of U.S. studies assessing SV among youth ages 12 to 25 across school, community, and online settings and reporting at least one mental health outcome. In March 2024, we searched eight databases (e.g., PsycInfo, Medline, Criminal Justice Abstracts, and Web of Science), yielding 23,555 articles; 106 peer-reviewed articles were included. Inclusion criteria required studies to (a) include youth samples aged 12 to 25, (b) empirically assess SV, (c) occur in school, community, or online settings, and (d) be published in English with samples in the continental Unites States. Findings revealed substantial heterogeneity in SV measurement. Many studies used adapted or abbreviated versions of validated measures. Timeframes varied widely and many studies failed to specify the context in which SV occurred. Notably, although most studies reported the racial/ethnic composition of their samples, very few disaggregated SV outcomes by race or ethnicity, limiting the field’s ability to assess disparities or inform culturally responsive prevention efforts. Even studies using the same base measure differed in item content, developmental anchors, and scoring approaches. Findings underscore the need for developmentally grounded, context-specific, and racially inclusive measures and reporting standards (e.g., item-level transparency, consistent temporal anchors, routine disaggregation) to improve comparability and to inform setting-tailored, culturally responsive prevention and intervention.