Gender-based harassment in early adolescence: Group and individual predictors of perpetration

Tam, Michelle; Jewell, Jennifer A.; Brown, Christia Spears

doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2019.02.011

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…[ 64 ]) and sexual harassment specifically; other studies have also found that many adolescent sexual harassment perpetrators are also victims [ 31 ], with a 2011 U.S study reporting that almost a quarter of perpetrators cited retaliation as a reason for their behavior [ 23 ]. There is also evidence that among adolescents, perpetration is more likely among those who have witnessed peers engage in more sexual harassment, and that homophily (within friendship group similarity) occurs in respect of potentially offensive sexual behaviors, suggesting the importance of perceived group norms and the potential for engaging in behaviors in order to fit in with the group [ 65 , 66 ]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Low-level verbal/visual behaviors were generally those that students were most likely to report being unsure about having experienced in the survey. Previous authors have suggested how such ‘everyday sexism’ is either unrecognized, normalized or perceived as not worth reporting [ 2 , 63 , 66 , 68 , 69 ]. Some view this as one end of a continuum of sexual violence in which (men’s) ‘typical’ and ‘aberrant’ behaviors shade into one another [ 70 , 71 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sexual harassment in secondary school: Prevalence and ambiguities. A mixed methods study in Scottish schools

et al. 2022

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Background Adolescence is characterized by identity formation, exploration and initiation of intimate relationships. Much of this occurs at school, making schools key sites of sexual harassment. Schools often lack awareness and understanding of the issue, and UK research on the topic is scarce. We explored prevalence and perceptions of sexual harassment in a school-based mixed-methods study of 13–17 year-old Scottish adolescents. Methods A student survey (N = 638) assessed past 3-months school-based victimization and perpetration prevalence via 17 behavioral items based on the most commonly used school-based sexual harassment measure (‘Hostile Hallways’). Eighteen focus groups (N = 119 students) explored which of 10 behaviors were perceived as harassing/unacceptable and why. Results Two-thirds reported any victimization: 64.7% ‘visual/verbal’ (e.g. sexual jokes) and 34.3% ‘contact/personally-invasive’ behaviors (e.g. sexual touching; most of whom also reported experiencing visual/verbal types) in the past 3-months. Data suggested a gateway effect, such that contact/personally-invasive behaviors are more likely to be reported by those also reporting more common visual/verbal behaviors. Some survey participants reported being unsure about whether they had experienced certain behaviors; and in focus groups, participants expressed uncertainty regarding the acceptability of most behaviors. Ambiguities centered on behavioral context and enactment including: degree of pressure, persistence and physicality; degree of familiarity between the instigator-recipient; and perception of the instigator’s intent. In attempting to resolve ambiguities, students applied normative schemas underpinned by rights (to dignity, respect and equality) and ‘knowingness’, usually engendered by friendship. Conclusions Our study confirms school-based sexual harassment is common but also finds significant nuance in the ways in which students distinguish between acceptable and harassing. School-based strategies to tackle sexual harassment must engage with this complexity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual harassment in secondary school: Prevalence and ambiguities. A mixed methods study in Scottish schools

et al. 2022

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“…It is possible that greater felt need to conform to gender stereotypes, coupled with a stronger preference for one's gender in‐group can help explain the differences between boys and girls. Indeed, research has documented that felt pressure to conform to gender norms is related to gender‐based harassment in early adolescence (Tam et al., 2019). Future research exploring children's support for the gender status quo, as well as felt need to conform to gender stereotypes, will help us to understand who is most likely to evaluate challenger peers negatively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children's and adolescents’ evaluations of peers who challenge their group: The role of gender norms and identity

2021

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In-group members who challenge group norms (hereon "challenger peers") often are evaluated less positively by their peers compared to those who adhere to group norms.In the present study children (n = 118, M age = 10.01) and adolescents (n = 132, M age = 13.32; total n = 269) were inducted into a gender-based group who endorsed an activity norm. Participants evaluated a challenger peer who was either cisgender or transgender. Adolescent girls, compared to girls in childhood, individually evaluated a challenger peer more positively while perceiving their group would be less positive than they themselves would be. In contrast, boys in both childhood and adolescence individually evaluated a challenger peer less positively and believed their group also would. These effects were independent of the challenger peer's gender identity, suggesting that in the context of evaluating a challenger to a stereotypical gender norm, adherence to the norm can take primacy over gender identity.

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“…Children and adolescents tend to associate with peers who engage in a similar degree of bullying and aggressive behavior (Espelage et al, 2003), and social groups may be organized around different roles in bullying situations (Salmivalli et al, 1997). In addition, witnessing peers engage in gender-based harassment and other abusive behavior toward females is a strong predictor of multiple forms of adolescents’ perpetration of violence, including bullying and sexual harassment (Miller et al, 2020; Tam et al, 2019). There has been particular emphasis on the peer influences on males’ violence perpetration (Berkowitz et al, in press; Miller et al, 2020).…”

Section: Personal Normative Attitudes and Perceived Peer Normsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of personal and perceived peer norms in bullying and sexual harassment perpetration.

Nickerson¹,

Jenkins²,

Bellavia³

et al. 2022

School Psychology

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Bullying, cyberbullying, and sexual harassment can be impacted by both personal attitudes and perceived social norms, although few empirical studies on this topic have been conducted with high school students. In this cross-sectional study, 233 high school students completed measures about personal normative attitudes, perceptions of peer norms, and perpetration of bullying, cyberbullying, and sexual harassment. Consistent with social norms theory, students perceived themselves to hold more prosocial (i.e., antibullying/antisexual harassment) personal normative attitudes than they perceived the typical student in their school to hold (i.e., peer norms). Path analyses revealed that students’ personal normative attitudes (e.g., antibullying/antiharassment) were negatively related to their bullying, cyberbullying, and sexual harassment perpetration, although perceived peer norms were negatively related to sexual harassment perpetration only. Multiple-group path analysis revealed significant gender differences. Personal normative attitudes related to females’ behavior for all forms of perpetration and only sexual harassment and cyberbullying for males (with more antibullying/antiharassment attitudes relating to less perpetration), although associations for males were stronger. Perceived peer norms related to bullying perpetration for males only. Results are discussed with regard to social–cognitive and peer contextual factors and implications for social norms interventions.

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Gender-based harassment in early adolescence: Group and individual predictors of perpetration

Cited by 13 publications

References 69 publications

Sexual harassment in secondary school: Prevalence and ambiguities. A mixed methods study in Scottish schools

Sexual harassment in secondary school: Prevalence and ambiguities. A mixed methods study in Scottish schools

Children's and adolescents’ evaluations of peers who challenge their group: The role of gender norms and identity

The role of personal and perceived peer norms in bullying and sexual harassment perpetration.

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