Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) adolescents, especially girls, face disproportionately high rates of sexual violence compared to their peers in Hawaiʻi, according to a new University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa study.
Published in JAMA Pediatrics , the study was co-authored by Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health Dean Alex Ortega and Associate Dean Meripa Godinet. The researchers said the findings highlight a critical but often overlooked public health concern.
"NHPI youth are often overlooked or statistically obscured in health data-either by being combined with other racial groups or excluded altogether," said Godinet. "This prevents us from fully understanding the scope of the problem and from developing culturally relevant prevention and intervention programs."
Survey findings
The researchers analyzed data from the Hawaiʻi Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) between 2017 and 2023, which included 12,962 public high school students in grades 9–12 (about ages 14-18).
This research shines a light on a problem that is too often hidden.
—Meripa Godinet
The survey asked about experiences such as unwanted sexual contact in the prior 12 months and whether a student has ever been physically forced to have sex. They found:
- Nearly one in eight NHPI girls (12.7%) reported being forced to have sex at some point in their lives, in comparison to 8.4% of Asian girls and 11.7% of White girls.
- About one in six NHPI girls (16.7%) experienced unwanted sexual contact in the past 12 months of taking the survey, in comparison to 9.9% of Asian girls and 14.4% of White girls.
- NHPI boys also reported slightly higher rates of sexual violence compared to Asian and White boys, although rates among boys in general were lower overall.
"This research shines a light on a problem that is too often hidden," Godinet said. "By naming and understanding these disparities, we can strengthen prevention and support programs that safeguard our youth, nurture their well-being, and ensure our communities can respond with care and protection."
Call for culturally-grounded support
Because NHPI youth are often excluded from national health surveys, their risks can be hidden in broader datasets. The study emphasizes the importance of disaggregated data to identify disparities and develop targeted interventions into specific community groups.
The authors note limitations, including reliance on self-reported data, exclusion of private school students (about 20% of Hawaiʻi's total high schoolers), and a lack of contextual factors such as family background or prior trauma. Still, the findings stress the urgent need for targeted, culturally grounded interventions.
"My hope is that this research spurs state and federal investment in programs that address the root causes of sexual violence among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth in Hawaiʻi," said Ortega. "We also urgently need sustained funding for school-based counselors and social workers who understand the cultural and economic realities of these youth."
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