Stereotypes About Sexual Double Standards: Contributions of Sexual Socialization by Parents, Peers, and the Media

• In Event: Gender socialization, stereotyping and gender development across childhood and adolescence

Abstract

(Hetero)sexual double standards (SDS) dictate that men/boys should be sexually active, dominant, and the initiator of (hetero)sexual activity, whereas women/girls should be sexually reactive, submissive, and passive. There is large variation in whether people endorse SDS in their expectations about the sexual behavior of men and women (i.e., SDS-stereotypes) (Endendijk, van Baar, & Deković, 2019). It is important to explain these individual differences, because endorsing traditional SDS-stereotypes has been associated with a multitude of negative consequences, such as slut-shaming, sexual risk behavior, perpetration of sexual coercion by men and victimization of women, lower sexual pleasure experienced by women, homophobia, sexism, and gender inequality. Therefore, we examined associations between SDS-stereotypes of Dutch adolescents (aged 16-20 years, N = 566, ethnic diversity similar to Dutch population) and what parents, peers, and the media teach adolescents about appropriate sexual behavior of boys and girls (i.e., SDS-socialization). This will increase our knowledge about the relative importance of each factor, and how they covary and operate in conjunction with each other. We also tested social-learning theory’s same-gender-modeling hypothesis (Bandura, 1977), which would suggest that SDS-socialization by same-gender peer and media models is more strongly associated with adolescents’ SDS-stereotypes than SDS-socialization by other-gender models.
Adolescents completed an anonymous online survey at school (duration: approximately 45 minutes). Only previously validated questionnaires or adaptations from validated questionnaires were used. The survey contained questionnaires about:
- adolescents’ SDS-stereotypes
- perceived SDS-attitudes of parents, peers, and the media
- perceived parental rules about sex, dating, and sexual media use
- perceived sexual behavior of male and female peers
- exposure to sexualized music videos of male and female artists, online pornography, reality tv, and sexualized men and women on social media
Exploratory factor analyses confirmed that the different questionnaires measured distinct constructs. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted with the inclusion of relevant covariates in Step-1, SDS-socialization variables in Step-2, and interactions between gender and SDS-socialization by peer and media models in Step-3 (see Table 1 for Results).
More traditional SDS-attitudes conveyed by the media and peers, and less perceived sexual activity of female peers and more perceived sexual activity by male peers, were associated with more traditional SDS-stereotypes in adolescents (for boys and girls). Only for boys, exposure to sexy girls/women on social media and sexual music videos of female artists were associated with more traditional SDS-stereotypes (see Figure 1). The following covariates were associated with more traditional SDS-stereotypes: younger age, female gender, Dutch ethnicity, having a heterosexual orientation, and a gender typical identity.
Thus, SDS-socialization by peers and the media are important in light of adolescents’ SDS-stereotypes. The lack of associations with parental SDS-socialization fit with the diminishing influence of parents during adolescent development. Adolescent boys and girls were equally susceptible to the SDS-socialization by male and female peers, but boys were more susceptible to exposure to sexualized female models in the media (in contrast to the same-gender modeling hypothesis). An important next step is to longitudinally examine associations between SDS-socialization, SDS-stereotypes, and adolescents’ own sexual behavior.

Authors

• Joyce Endendijk, Universiteit Utrecht
  Presenting Author

• Maja Deković, Utrecht University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Helen Vossen, Utrecht University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Anneloes Louise Van Baar, Utrecht University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ellen Reitz, Utrecht University
  Non-Presenting Author