Hij is stoer, zij een hoer! De seksuele dubbele standaard en seksuele ontwikkeling van jongeren (16-18 jaar)

Abstract

The sexual double standard is a social norm in society. This norm prescribes different sexual standards for boys and girls respectively. The sexual double standard in turn leads to different attitudes about sexually appropriate behaviour. The norm can negatively influence adolescents’ perceptions or behaviours, boys are for example more likely to be perpetrators, while girls are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse. This study has examined the role of sexual double standard related attitudes of both parents and peers on adolescents’ stereotypes. It also explored if there were any gender differences present in these stereotypes. Attitudes of parents and peers were assessed on a continuum from egalitarian to traditional sexual double standard attitudes, in which traditional attitudes corresponded with persistent sexual double standards. By conducting a multiple regression analysis this study has found various results. The attitudes related to the sexual double standard of both parents and peers appeared to be predictors of adolescents’ stereotypes. This means that traditional attitudes of parents and peers corresponded with more traditional stereotypes of adolescents. Moreover, no gender differences in adolescents’ stereotypes and the relation between sexual double standard attitudes of parents and peers and adolescents’ stereotypes were found. These results have several implications for interventions and future research. It is important that everyone involved is given information about the role parents and peers play in determining adolescents’ sexual double standard stereotypes. The results also suggested that no distinction has to be made between boys and girls in interventions. This study provides new perspectives for future research regarding this topic.