Exploring sexual harassment and related attitudes in Beninese high schools: a field study

Sexual harassment severely impacts the educational system in the West African country Benin and the progress of women in this society that is characterized by great gender inequality. Knowledge of the belief systems rooting in the sociocultural context is crucial to the understanding of sexual haras...

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Published in:Psychology, crime & law Vol. 19; no. 8; pp. 707 - 726
Main Authors: Waubert de Puiseau, Berenike, Roessel, Janin
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Abingdon Routledge 01.09.2013
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:
Acceptance
Ambivalence
ambivalent sexism
Attitudes
Beliefs
Benin (West Africa)
Criminology
Cultural factors
Fieldwork
Gender equity
Gender identity
Gender inequality
Mythology
Personal experiences
Psychology
Rape
rape myth acceptance
Secondary school students
Secondary schools
Self concept
Sexism
Sexual harassment
Social factors
Sociocultural factors
Student attitudes
Women
Benin
ISSN:1068-316X, 1477-2744
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Summary:Sexual harassment severely impacts the educational system in the West African country Benin and the progress of women in this society that is characterized by great gender inequality. Knowledge of the belief systems rooting in the sociocultural context is crucial to the understanding of sexual harassment. However, no study has yet investigated how sexual harassment is related to fundamental beliefs in Benin or West African countries. We conducted a field study on 265 female and male students from several high schools in Benin to investigate the link between sexual harassment and measures of ambivalent sexism, gender identity, and rape myth acceptance. Almost half of the sample reported having experienced sexual harassment personally or among peers. Levels of sexism and rape myth acceptance were very high compared to other studies. These attitudes appeared to converge in a sexist belief system that was linked to personal experiences, the perceived probability of experiencing and fear of sexual harassment. Results suggest that sexual harassment is a societal problem and that interventions need to address fundamental attitudes held in societies low in gender equality.
Bibliography:SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
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ISSN:1068-316X
1477-2744
DOI:10.1080/1068316X.2013.793336