The researchers at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in a study reported that teenagers in New York face sexual violence at 16 percent higher rate than the national average.

The researchers found that 1 in 6 teen subjects of the study had experienced sexual violence at some time in their lives. The study involved more than 1,300 high school students ranging in age from 13-21 with majority of participants 15 or 16 years old.

The study revealed that about 89pct of those who have experienced sexual violence knew the person who perpetrated the victimization, while 28 pct of those who reported having perpetrated sexual violence against their dating partner, reported having carried a weapon in the past month. Almost 60 pct of youth were physically violent with their dating partners. They also reported of having engaged in other physical fights in the last year.

Victims of physical dating violence also reported poorer health status (28pct) and lower self-esteem (25 pct) than youth who have not experienced physical dating violence (21pct and 18pct respectively).

Harriet Lessel, executive director of the New City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, was hopeful that these findings will highlight an issue that has been kept in the shadows for far too long.

Professor of clinical Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, Vaughn Rickert also said that these data call for an early identification, treatment as well as prevention.