NCJ Number
167609
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: (August 1997) Pages: 513-529
Date Published
1997
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined the impact of videos that were designed to be used at school as part of a Dutch campaign to discourage sexual intimidation, including all "threats to the physical or psychological integrity of females."
Abstract
The campaign attempted to initiate a nationwide discussion of gender roles and make young males more aware of stereotypical images of masculinity and femininity, so as to change their behavior into less macho types of interactions with young females. In the video examined in this study two persuasive strategies were used to change undesirable concepts of dating behavior; one focused on the perpetrator, and the other focused on the victim. In this evaluation of the video's impact, 198 pupils from different schools participated. Participants who saw the victim-focused or the perpetrator-focused video were placed in small groups. The two videos featured a series of detailed interviews with real victims and perpetrators of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. Using a questionnaire, five dependent measures derived from the pertinent literature were applied: the evaluation of macho behavior in male-female interactions, sexual intimidation myths acceptance, the Conditional Acceptance of Coerced Sex Scale, the Likelihood of Negative Consequences for the Perpetrator Scale, and the Likelihood of Victims Suffering Psychological Distress Scale. Analyses showed several communication-sex interactions, suggesting that a perpetrator-focused message may inadvertently foster boys' positive evaluations of macho behavior and may strengthen their belief that coerced sex is acceptable under certain conditions. Instead of reducing such misconceptions, a perpetrator-focused message apparently backfired; stereotypes were reinforced. 1 table, 4 notes, and 56 references