Effects of Gender on Perceptions of Child Sexual Abuse

• NCJ Number: 172427
• Journal: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (1997) Pages: 51-63
• Author(s): H D Smith; M E Fromuth; C C Morris
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Earlier version of paper presented at the 40th annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, 1994, New Orleans

Annotation

This study of gender differences in perceptions of sexual relations between older adolescents and high school teachers found men were more likely than women to differentiate between the male teacher/female student pairing and the female teacher/male student pairing.

Abstract

Study participants included 94 male and 75 female students from a southeastern university; most were white and between 18 and 21 years of age. Participants read a vignette describing a sexual experience between a male teacher and a female student or between a female teacher and a male student and then rated their perceptions of the vignette. The vignette was constructed to reflect a power differential between teachers and students, and students were portrayed as being vulnerable. Overall, women viewed teacher/student involvement as more serious than men and indicated such involvement would have more negative effects on students. Further, involvement between a male teacher and a female student was viewed more negatively than involvement of a female teacher with a male student. Men were more likely than women to consider gender issues in their ratings. Both men and women generally viewed teacher/student involvement as inappropriate. 18 references and 2 tables