Gender Stereotyping, Homonegativity, and Misconceptions about Sexually Coercive Behavior among Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine gender stereotyping, homonegativity, and erroneous beliefs about sexual coercion among adolescents. The researchers distributed 1, 124 questionnaires to randomly selected schools in Newfoundland and Labrador for administration to students in Grades 10 and 12. An analysis of returns (1,045 questionnaires [response rate of 93%]) revealed that (a) male respondents were more likely to endorse gender-stereotypic and homonegative attitudes and were more likely to possess erroneous beliefs about sexual coercion than were female respondents; (b) self-reported academic achievement was negatively correlated with endorsement of gender stereotypes, homonegativism, and erroneous beliefs about sexual coercion; (c) neither religiosity (operationally defined as frequency of church attendance) nor respondents' site of residence (urban vs. rural) was associated with endorsement of these attitudes; and (d) homonegativism and endorsement of erroneous beliefs about sexual coercion were positively correlated.