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The link between cognitive scripts for consensual sexual interactions and attitudes towards sexual coercion was studied in 524 Polish high school students. We proposed that risky sexual scripts, containing risk elements linked to sexual aggression, would be associated with attitudes condoning sexual coercion. Pornography use and religiosity were included as predictors of participants’ risky sexual scripts and attitudes towards sexual coercion. Risky sexual scripts were linked to attitudes condoning sexual coercion. Pornography use was indirectly linked to attitudes condoning sexual coercion via risky sexual scripts. Religiosity showed a positive direct link with attitudes towards sexual coercion, but a negative indirect link through risky sexual scripts. The results are discussed regarding the significance of risky sexual scripts, pornography use, and religiosity in understanding attitudes towards sexual coercion as well as their implications for preventing sexually aggressive behaviour.
Sexual aggression victimization and perpetration among female and male university students in Poland
(2015)
This study examined the prevalence of victimization and perpetration of sexual aggression since age 15 in a convenience sample of 565 Polish university students (356 females). The prevalence of sexual aggression was investigated for both males and females from the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators in relation to three coercive strategies, three different victim–perpetrator relationships, and four types of sexual acts. We also examined the extent to which alcohol was consumed in the context of sexually aggressive incidents. The overall self-reported victimization rate was 34.3% for females and 28.4% for males. The overall perpetration rate was 11.7% for males and 6.5% for females. The gender difference was significant only for perpetration. Prevalence rates of both victimization and perpetration were higher for people known to each other than for strangers. In the majority of victimization and perpetration incidents, alcohol was consumed by one or both parties involved. The findings are discussed in relation to the international evidence and the need for tailored risk prevention and reduction programs.
This longitudinal study investigated patterns of developmental problems across depression, aggression, and academic achievement during adolescence, using two measurement points two years apart (N = 1665; age T1: M = 13.14; female = 49.6%). Latent Profile Analyses and Latent Transition Analyses yielded four main findings: A three-type solution provided the best fit to the data: an asymptomatic type (i.e., low problem scores in all three domains), a depressed type (i.e., high scores in depression), an aggressive type (i.e., high scores in aggression). Profile types were invariant over the two data waves but differed between girls and boys, revealing gender specific patterns of comorbidity. Stabilities over time were high for the asymptomatic type and for types that represented problems in one domain, but moderate for comorbid types. Differences in demographic variables (i.e., age, socio-economic status) and individual characteristics (i.e., self-esteem, dysfunctional cognitions, cognitive capabilities) predicted profile type memberships and longitudinal transitions between types.
Detrimental effects of adverse family conditions for children's wellbeing are well-documented, but little is known about the impact of specific risk factors, or about potential protective factors that buffer the effects of family risk factors on negative development.
We investigated the impact of five important family risk factors (e.g., parental conflict) on internalizing and externalizing problems and the potential buffering effects of peer acceptance and academic skills at two measurement points two years apart in 1195 7-to 10-year-olds (T1: M-Age = 8.54).
Latent change models showed that increases in risk factors over the two years predicted increasing internalizing and externalizing problems. Parental conflict was the most impactful risk factor, although peer acceptance and academic skills showed some buffering effects.
The results highlight the necessity of investigating cumulative and single risk factors, specifically interparental conflict, and emphasize the need to strengthen children's internal and social resources to buffer the effects of adverse family conditions.
Links between exposure to sexualized Instagram images and body image concerns in girls and boys
(2022)
The current study examined the links between viewing female and male sexualized Instagram images (SII) and body image concerns within the three-step process of self-objectification among adolescents aged 13-18 years from Germany (N = 300, 61% female). Participants completed measures of SII use, thin- and muscular-ideal internalization, valuing appearance over competence, and body surveillance. Structural equation modeling revealed that SII use was associated with body image concerns for boys and girls via different routes. Specifically, female SII use was indirectly associated with higher body surveillance via thin-ideal internalization and subsequent valuing appearance over competence for girls. For both girls and boys, male SII use was indirectly linked to higher body surveillance via muscular-ideal internalization. Implications for the three-step model of self-objectification by sexualized social media are discussed.
A growing body of research has demonstrated negative effects of sexualization in the media on adolescents' body image, but longitudinal studies and research including interactive and social media are scarce. The current study explored the longitudinal associations of adolescents' use of sexualized video games (SVG) and sexualized Instagram images (SII) with body image concerns. Specifically, our study examined relations between adolescents' SVG and SII use and appearance comparisons, thin- and muscular-ideal internalization, valuing appearance over competence, and body surveillance. A sample of 660 German adolescents (327 female, 333 male;M-age = 15.09 years) participated in two waves with an interval of 6 months. A structural equation model showed that SVG and SII use at Time 1 predicted body surveillance indirectly via valuing appearance over competence at Time 2. Furthermore, SVG and SII use indirectly predicted both thin- and muscular-ideal internalization through appearance comparisons at Time 1. In turn, thin-ideal internalization at Time 1 predicted body surveillance indirectly via valuing appearance over competence at Time 2. The results indicate that sexualization in video games and on Instagram can play an important role in increasing body image concerns among adolescents. We discuss the findings with respect to objectification theory and the predictive value of including appearance comparisons in models explaining the relation between sexualized media and self-objectification.
Women’s exposure to sexualized TV, self-objectification, and consideration of cosmetic surgery
(2022)
Public Policy Relevance Statement TV is full of content presenting women in a sexualized way, with a focus on their sexual appearance and appeal to others. We found that across an age spectrum from 15 to 72 years, the more women watched sexualized TV, the more concerned they were about their body; a link between watching sexualized TV and considering cosmetic surgery was found only for women above the age of 31. Adding to the evidence documenting negative consequences of sexualized media use on young women's body image, this study is a first indicator that these might also apply to women across a broader age spectrum. <br /> Extensive research has documented links between sexualized media use and body image concerns. Previous findings are based largely on female adolescents or young adults, although objectification theory predicts changes of body image concerns with age. Therefore, the current study investigated the link of sexualized TV exposure (STE) with self-objectification and consideration of cosmetic surgery within the framework of objectification theory in a sample of 519 female participants between the age of 15 and 72 (M = 39.43 years). Participants completed measures of STE, appearance-ideal internalization, valuing appearance over competence, body surveillance, and consideration of cosmetic surgery. Structural equation modeling revealed that STE was indirectly linked with consideration of cosmetic surgery via valuing appearance over competence and body surveillance. Age was negatively related to internalization, valuing appearance over competence, and body surveillance, but did not moderate the links between STE and body image. Older women scored lower on the body-related variables, but the associations between STE and self-objectification were the same across the age spectrum. STE predicted consideration of cosmetic surgery only for women over 31 years of age. Implications concerning the role of age in linking sexualized media to self-objectification are discussed.
Female role models in video games are rare, and if they are present, they are often heavily sexualized. Objectification theory suggests that exposure to sexualized media characters increases self-objectification and decreases body satisfaction in female users. This study investigated the effect of playing a video game with a sexualized versus a nonsexualized character on women's experiences of self-objectification and body satisfaction. We further studied the effect of character personalization as a core feature of video games on the relation between sexualized avatars, self-objectification and body satisfaction. N = 262 female participants reported state self-objectification and body satisfaction after 30 min of playing the video game The Sims 4 with a sexualized or nonsexualized avatar that was either generic or personalized to look like the participant. We predicted that controlling for trait self-objectification, playing the game with a sexualized character would increase state self-objectification, especially in the personalized condition. Regarding the effect of character sexualization on body satisfaction, competing hypotheses based on priming vs. the Proteus effect were tested, considering character personalization and enjoyment of sexualization as moderators and controlling for trait body satisfaction. The current study did not find evidence for the proposed hypotheses. The findings are discussed in terms of the relevance of objectification theory in explaining effects of sexualized models in interactive media.
As research on sexual aggression has been growing, methodological issues in assessing prevalence rates have received increased attention. Building on work by Abbey and colleagues about effects of question format, participants in this study (1,253; 621 female; 632 male) were randomly assigned to one of two versions of the Sexual Aggression and Victimization Scale (SAV-S). In Version 1, the coercive tactic (use/threat of physical force, exploitation of the inability to resist, verbal pressure) was presented first, and sexual acts (sexual touch, attempted and completed sexual intercourse, other sexual acts) were presented as subsequent questions. In Version 2, sexual acts were presented first, and coercive tactics as subsequent questions. No version effects emerged for overall perpetration rates reported by men and women. The overall victimization rate across all items was significantly higher in the tactic-first than in the sexual-act-first conditions for women, but not for men. Classifying participants by their most severe experience of sexual victimization showed that fewer women were in the nonvictim category and more men were in the nonconsensual sexual contact category when the coercive tactic was presented first. Sexual experience background did not moderate the findings. The implications for the measurement of self-reported sexual aggression victimization and perpetration are discussed.