Teens become involved in relationships with older males for a variety of reasons. Two major reasons that girls become involved in these relationships is due to lack of communication between the teen and the parents, and the teen has been sexually abused in the past. When there is a lack of communication between the parents and the teen, the teen looks for someone who will listen to them and who can relate to what they are going through. Because these girls are vulnerable and looking for support, the males start off being their friend then manipulate the relationship into a sexual one before the girls realize what is happening. Such mistreatment may lead to many of the teens believing that they have little or no ability to make decisions that will have a positive effect in this life.
Males often manipulate teens into a sexual relationship by exploiting feelings of low self-esteem.
Also, these teens are usually in violent relationships and become victims of domestic violence. Some adult males are actually seeking out younger girls to have sexual relationships because they believe these girls have had fewer, if any, prior sexual relationships and the threat of contracting AIDS or sexually transmitted diseases is less. The males are less likely to use condoms and do not bother to ask the girls if they are using any birth control, thus the girls become pregnant. Also, the statistics for teens becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS are on the rise. Due to a high number of teens giving birth, Ventura County has been selected as one of sixteen counties in the state to receive grant funds to start a Statutory Rape Vertical Prosecution Program.