Past Abuse Puts Homeless Youth at Risk for Early Sex: Study

Homeless youth who were sexually abused as children may engage in sex at a young age because they believe sex is a way to get people to like them, a new study suggests.


Canadian researchers gathered information from 179 homeless youth, aged 16 to 21, from five homeless shelters in Toronto and the surrounding area. Nearly 42 percent of them reported they were sexually abused as children. Females were much more likely than males to report sexual abuse -- 62 percent versus 26.9 percent.

Those who were sexually abused had their first sexual encounter, on average, at age 14. - US News and World Report