Laat jij je beïnvloeden? De Relatie Tussen de Attitude van Ouders en Peers en de Seksuele Dubbele Standaard Onder Jongeren

Abstract

In this study, the sexual double standard (SDS) among Dutch adolescents was examined. The SDS is defined as the differential expectations and evaluations of sexual behaviors of men and women. Individuals with traditional SDS stereotypes expect men to be sexually active and dominant, whereas women are expected to be sexually submissive, reactive and passive. Known is that the traditional SDS has negative consequences, such as sexual risk behavior, sexual coercion, and gender inequality. Because of these negative consequences and because current knowledge about processes underlying SDS endorsement in adolescents is limited, it is important to gain more knowledge to design effective interventions to reduce or prevent the manifestation of the SDS. Therefore, this study examined if there was a relation between peers’ and parents’ endorsement of the traditional SDS and adolescents’ implicit SDS-stereotypes, and whether this relation is different for boys and girls. The participants included 259 Dutch adolescents between the ages of 16 to 18 (47,1% guys, 52,9% girls) and were selected from various high schools across the Netherlands. The participants’ implicit SDS-stereotypes were measured with the computerized version of the Implicit Association Task. Parents’ SDS endorsement was measured with a questionnaire based on the Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards Among Youth. Peers’ SDS endorsement was measured with a questionnaire consisting of items of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, applied to the SDS. Findings revealed that boys and girls did not differ in their implicit SDS-stereotypes. Both parents and peers showed relatively little SDS endorsement and parents’ and peers’ SDS endorsement as well as gender was not significantly related to adolescents’ implicit SDS-stereotypes. The relation between parents’ and peers’ SDS endorsement and adolescents’ implicit SDS-stereotypes did not differ for boys and girls. Our results were not consistent with our hypotheses and provide adjustments and suggestions for future research and implications. This study highlights the importance of sexual counseling at an earlier age, with a focus on prevention of the development of traditional SDS-stereotypes and sexual risk behaviors.