Comparing the Sexual and Mental Health of Justice-Involved Youth Across Gender and Sexual Orientation

• Author: Nyssa L. Snow-Hill,Ashley D. Kendall,Erin M. Emerson,Angela L. Walden,Geri R. Donenberg,Kevin J. Hsu
• DOI: 10.1177/07340168221078343
• Date: 01 September 2022
• Published date: 01 September 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

Comparing the Sexual and

Mental Health of Justice-

Involved Youth Across Gender

and Sexual Orientation

Kevin J. Hsu

1

, Angela L. Walden

1

,

Ashley D. Kendall

2

, Nyssa L. Snow-Hill

1

,

Erin M. Emerson

2

, and Geri R. Donenberg

2

Abstract

Justice-involved youth may experience unique sexual and mental health risks related to both their

gender and sexual orientation. Although previous research has revealed important gender and sex-

ual orientation differences in the sexual and mental health of justice-involved youth, no study has yet

examined gender and sexual orientation differences simultaneously within the same sample. The

present study addressed this gap in a sample of 347 probation-involved youth, 13–17 years old,

recruited as part of a randomized controlled trial of PHAT Life, an HIV/STI, mental health, and sub-

stance use prevention program. On the one hand, female and non-heterosexual youth were less

likely than male and heterosexual youth to report having ever had sex and to be considered high

sexual risk. On the other hand, female youth were more likely than male youth to test positive

for STIs and to report certain mental health problems, but non-heterosexual youth showed no dif-

ference from heterosexual youth. Finally, female non-heterosexual youth were more likely to report

externalizing problems than youth of other gender and sexual orientation combinations. Findings

highlight the need for prevention and intervention efforts that specif‌ically target justice-involved

youth who identify as female, non-heterosexual, or both.

Keywords

Justice-involved youth, gender, sexual orientation, sexual risk, mental health

1

Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

2

Department of Medicine, Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago,

IL, USA

Corresponding Author:

Kevin J. Hsu, Department of Psychological and Social Sciences, PennsylvaniaState University, 1600 Woodland Road, Abington,

PA 19001, USA.

Email: khsu@psu.edu

Article

Criminal Justice Review

2022, Vol. 47(3) 354–368

© 2022 Georgia State University

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DOI: 10.1177/07340168221078343

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