SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 4th March (EUROPA PRESS) –
A study led by the University of La Laguna has examined the effectiveness of an intervention programme targeting adolescents. The study has successfully identified sexist attitudes and potential triggers while also evaluating the impact of an intervention programme.
723 students from four schools (three public and one private) took part in the research over various phases between March 2021 and January 2024.
The key findings reveal a high consumption of adult content among teenagers (89% of boys in the sample), negative perceptions of passive behaviour in female victims of gender violence, prevalence of sexist attitudes in male teenagers and those exposed to adult content, and the effectiveness of educational interventions in reducing such attitudes in the short and medium term.
This project was funded by Fundación CajaCanarias and ‘la Caixa’ social work. The leading researchers were Marta Díaz Gómez and José Miguel Díaz Gómez from the University of La Laguna, along with Elena Vila Cortavitarte from the Canarian Health Service.
Despite the significance of the issue, there is a lack of studies analysing factors related to sexist attitudes in teenagers. While it is known that comprehensive sexual education programmes are effective in combating gender inequality, there is limited research on their long-term impact. Thus, this study aimed to predict sociodemographic variables linked to sexism in teens and evaluate the impact of educational interventions on promoting equality and preventing gender violence.
The students in the sample completed two questionnaires on sexist attitudes, stereotypes, and gender roles. Some of the statements with the highest agreement included: “A father’s main responsibility is to provide financial support for his children” (agreed by 22.5%); “I always feel guilty when my partner is upset with me” (16.7%); “It is normal for men in love to feel jealous” (15.3%); and “Certain jobs are only suitable for either men or women” (11.9%).
The boys had significantly higher scores than girls, indicating higher levels of sexism. Additionally, students from other countries, mainly from Latin America, scored higher compared to those from Spanish backgrounds, as did students in public schools compared to those in private schools.
These responses captured explicit sexist attitudes, possibly influenced by social desirability. To evaluate implicit sexist attitudes, participants were asked for their opinions on a story involving gender violence without being aware that they were being assessed.
More than half of the teenagers considered passive female behaviour in an unwanted sexual encounter to be unacceptable. It is worth noting that 89% of adolescents admitted to consuming adult content, which was found to significantly influence sexist attitudes, with consumers scoring higher on both questionnaires attributing some of their relationship perceptions to such content.
INTERVENTION
The 561 first-year Baccalaureate students were randomly divided into an experimental group receiving gender violence prevention intervention and a control group attending a session on contraception and sexually transmitted infections.
The intervention comprised multiple sessions totalling 15 hours, involving lectures, debates, group activities, and videos focusing on equality and gender violence. It also included reading a comic illustrating signs of an unequal relationship and an escape room challenging students to identify historical obstacles faced by women in their quest for equality.
Changes pre and post-intervention at six and twelve months revealed a significant decrease in sexist attitudes among the experimental group, with notable improvements in perceptions of passive female behaviour in the story.
These changes were sustained throughout the follow-up period, indicating that this sexual education programme effectively reduces sexist attitudes in teenagers and fosters enduring attitudinal shifts in the medium term.
The research material and methodology are available on the website https://previogen.com/ to aid in addressing equality education and gender violence prevention among adolescents in educational settings. The outcomes of this study have led to a doctoral thesis presentation scheduled for this year, an article in the ‘International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health’, and multiple conference presentations.
