University of North Florida, University of Chicago/NORC. PA

1
Childhood Sexual Contact in China
Ye Luo, Ph.D., William L. Parish, Ph.D., Edward
O. Laumann, Ph.D. University of North Florida,
University of Chicago/NORC
OBJECTIVES
B. LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Childhood sexual contact by age
Sexual problems
? Provides national estimate of the prevalence of
childhood sexual contact. ? Examines its
long-term effects on sexual and general
well-being.
Hyper-sexuality
Growing rate or more likely reporting?
DATA
Chinese Health and Family Life Survey
1999-2000 ? National stratified probability
sample. ? Analytical sample 1,519 women and
1,475 men aged 20-64 years in urban China.
? Public use data at http//www.src.uchicago.edu
/prc/chfls.php
Childhood sexual contact by fathers occupation
Psychological well-being
Higher for clerical/self-employed, but not sig.
Victimization in later sexual history
MEASUREMENT
Did someone have sexual contact with you before
you turned age 14? Sex contact here includes
vaginal intercourse (sleeping with someone or
making love), caressing as well as other ways of
stimulating genitals/female breasts.
CONCLUSIONS

• Prevalence
• Lower rate compared to the West.
• Higher rate among younger cohorts (is the rate
  growing?).
• Lower rate among women than men
  (under-reporting?).
• Similar rates for socioeconomic groups.
• Long-term consequences
• Similar to the West.
• Bimodal leading both to heightened sexuality
  and to more sexual and psychological problems.
• Policy implications
• Increase public awareness.
• Remove the stigma associated with being abused.
• Strengthen the reporting system.
• Provide counseling and support to victims.

A. PREVALENCE
Childhood sexual contact by childhood residence
Childhood sexual contact by gender and type
Peer contact higher among men.
Not sig. different.
Notes Percentages and odds ratios adjusted for
sampling design. Adjusted odds ratios estimated
with logistic regression of each sexual and
psychological outcome measure on childhood sexual
contact, controlling for age, fathers occupation
and residence at age 14. p lt .05, p lt .01,
p lt .001.
PAA Annual Conference, March 2007