Variation in Sexual Double Standards across Schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 702-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Soller ◽  
Dana L. Haynie
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Double Standard ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Sexual Double Standard ◽  
Adolescent Sexual Behavior ◽  
Double Standards ◽  
School Based ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Sexual Double Standards

The sexual double standard—a condition in which sexual activity is perceived to entail more social benefits for boys and men than for girls and women—has implications for adolescent sexual behavior. We employ an innovative assessment of the sexual double standard, measuring the strength of it across 75 high schools with Add Health data ( N = 8,458). Drawing on theories of culture and gender, we test the association between school-based sexual double standards and the number of sexual partners reported by adolescents, paying particular attention to gender differences in the association. Results indicate substantial variation in the strength of the sexual double standard across schools. In addition, boys report greater numbers of sexual partners as the sexual double standard in their school becomes stronger. Conversely, the sexual double standard is not associated with the number of girls’ partners. This study illustrates the interactive roles of gender and culture in shaping adolescent sexual behavior.

scholarly journals Not One Sexual Double Standard but Two? Adolescents’ Attitudes About Appropriate Sexual Behavior

2020 ◽  
pp. 0044118X2095792
Author(s):  
Maud Hensums ◽  
Geertjan Overbeek ◽  
Terrence D. Jorgensen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Female Sexuality ◽  
Measurement Equivalence ◽  
Double Standard ◽  
Sexual Double Standard ◽  
Double Standards ◽  
Female Sexual Behavior ◽  
Male Sexual Behavior ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Sexual Double Standards

Popular belief holds that sexual behavior is evaluated more liberally for males than females. However, the assessment of this “sexual double standard” is controversial. Therefore, we investigated measurement equivalence of commonly used items to assess sexual double standards in previous research. Based on established measurement equivalence, we investigated whether adolescents endorsed a sexual double standard. Using data from 455 adolescents ( Mage = 14.51, SD = 0.64), confirmatory factor analyzes showed that the sexual double standard concept was measurement equivalent across sex, and partly across evaluations of the same and opposite sex. Factor analyzes demonstrated that there was not one, but two sexual double standards. Male adolescents evaluated male sexual behavior more liberally than female sexual behavior, but female adolescents evaluated female sexual behavior more liberally than male sexual behavior. This contradicts the traditional notion of the existence of one sexual double standard that favors male and suppresses female sexuality.

The Sexual Double Standard in the Real World

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Marks ◽  
Tara M. Young ◽  
Yuliana Zaikman
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Double Standard ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Sexual History ◽  
Sexual Double Standard ◽  
Female Friend ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. The sexual double standard (SDS) has traditionally been studied by examining evaluations of hypothetical targets. Although much knowledge has been gained regarding the SDS by using this methodology, the literature thus far has suffered from a lack of ecological validity. The goal of the present study was to determine whether the SDS emerged in evaluations of participants’ real-life friends and acquaintances. Participants ( n = 4,455) evaluated a single, randomly assigned male or female friend or acquaintance whose sexual history they were familiar with. Women were evaluated more negatively as their number of sexual partners increased, whereas number of partners was not related to evaluations of men. The SDS was not moderated by the closeness of the relationship between the participant and the target person.

scholarly journals General characteristics of adolescent sexual behavior: National survey

2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 409-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miodrag Stankovic ◽  
Srbobran Miljkovic ◽  
Grozdanko Grbesa ◽  
Aleksandar Visnjic
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Sexual Activity ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Sexual Disorders ◽  
National Study ◽  
Adolescent Sexual Behavior ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners

Introduction. Investigation of adolescent sexual behavior carried out on a large sample is primarily motivated by health and social problems which can occur when young people practice sex without protection and necessary information. There is no data that the national study on adolescent sexual behavior has been conducted in the Serbian speaking area. Objective. Monitoring and follow-up of trends in adolescent sexual behavior. Methods. The investigation sample comprised 1101 adolescents (472 male and 629 female), aged 13-25 years. As an instrument of polling, the questionnaire 'Sexual Behavior' was used specifically designed for the purpose of this investigation. Results. Eighty-four percent of males and 65% of females reported having sexual experience. The age of the first sexual experience, total number of partners, number of sexual partners in the last year and the last month were investigated, and the number of loved and sexual partner compared. In addition, the length of foreplay, frequency of sexual activity, masturbation, sexual dreams and sexual daydreams and engagement into alternative sexual activities (oral sex, anal sex, group sex, exchange of partners) were estimated, as well as the reasons for their practicing. Sexual desire and its correlation with personality dimensions, the frequency of sexual disorders (erectile and ejaculation problems, anorgasmia), abortion, rape and identification of the rapist, the use of condoms and other methods of contraception were assessed. Conclusion. It could be postulated that biological influence on sexual behavior is powerful and resistant to the influence of time and place, as well as socio-cultural religious influences. A high rate of premarital sexual activity with a number of sexual partners, a relatively low rate of condom use and the fact that 4% of the female adolescents in this sample had an induced abortion suggest that there are gaps in the education provided to adolescents about sexual and reproductive risks within the Serbian speaking territory. An alarming statistic is that 5% of the female adolescents in this sample reported that they had been raped, or forced to participate in non-consensual sex within an ongoing relationship with a regular partner. There is a need for systemic changes within the field of sexual education and protection from sexually risky behavior among young adults.

scholarly journals Invariance of the Sexual Double Standard Scale: A Cross-Cultural Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria del Mar Sánchez-Fuentes ◽  
Nieves Moyano ◽  
Carmen Gómez-Berrocal ◽  
Juan Carlos Sierra
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Double Standard ◽  
Sexual Double Standard ◽  
Sexual Freedom ◽  
Relevant Variable ◽  
Standard Scale ◽  
Cross Cultural Study ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Spanish Women ◽  
And Gender

The Sexual Double Standard (SDS) is an instrument used to judge sexual behavior, in which men are usually granted greater sexual freedom, while the same sexual behavior is condemned in women. Culture can be a relevant variable for the SDS. Therefore, we have examined the measurement invariance of the Sexual Double Standard Scale (SDSS) across the Spanish and Colombian populations, comparing this phenomenon by country and gender. The scale comprises two factors: sexual freedom and sexual shyness. The sample consisted of 1832 heterosexual adults (46.3% men, 53.7% women), 54.3% of whom were Spanish and 45.7% Colombian. Strong invariance was found. The reliability values were good for country and gender. Men and women from both countries supported greater freedom for themselves compared to the other gender. Furthermore, Spanish women, unlike their Colombian counterparts, supported greater sexual shyness for men. Thus, what some authors have labeled as a "reverse sexual double standard" seems to emerge.

scholarly journals How Do Californians Define Safe Sex?

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel M. Moskowitz ◽  
Assunta Ritieni ◽  
Maya Tholandi ◽  
Qiang Xia
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Safe Sex ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
The Past ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Policies And Programs

Objectives: We examined definitions of “safe sex” among adults in California, and assessed whether definitions varied by sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behavior. Methods: We analyzed crosssectional data from the “AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors (KABB) Survey,” a statewide telephone survey of California adults conducted in 2000. Results: The four most common definitions of safe sex were condom use (68.0%), abstinence (31.1%), monogamy (28.4%), and safe partner (18.7%). Definitions were associated with sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, and number of sexual partners in the past 12 months. Conclusions: Most adults defined safe sex in terms of condom use either alone or in conjunction with other methods. Individuals’ definitions were complex and varied across sociodemographic groups which suggest the need for policies and programs which reflect this diversity.

scholarly journals Sexual Double Standards: Contributions of Sexual Socialization by Parents, Peers, and the Media

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce J. Endendijk ◽  
Maja Deković ◽  
Helen Vossen ◽  
Anneloes L. van Baar ◽  
Ellen Reitz
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Music Videos ◽  
Double Standards ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Media ◽  
Sexual Double Standards ◽  
Opposite Gender

Abstract(Hetero)sexual double standards (SDS) entail that different sexual behaviors are appropriate for men and women. There is large variation in whether people endorse SDS in their expectations about the sexual behavior of women and men (i.e., SDS-norms). To explain these individual differences, we examined associations between SDS-norms of Dutch adolescents (aged 16–20 years, N = 566) and what parents, peers, and the media teach adolescents about appropriate sexual behavior of boys and girls (i.e., SDS-socialization). Adolescents completed an online survey at school. Regarding SDS-socialization, more traditional SDS-norms conveyed by the media and peers, but not of parents, and less perceived sexual activity of female peers, were associated with more traditional SDS-norms. Only for boys, exposure to sexy girls/women on social media and sexual music videos of female artists were associated with more traditional SDS-norms. Thus, SDS-socialization by peers and the media and opposite gender models (for boys) are important in light of adolescents’ SDS-norms.

scholarly journals Genetic Influences on Female Infidelity and Number of Sexual Partners in Humans: A Linkage and Association Study of the Role of the Vasopressin Receptor Gene (AVPR1A)

Twin Research ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn F. Cherkas ◽  
Elizabeth C. Oelsner ◽  
Y. T. Mak ◽  
Anna Valdes ◽  
Tim D. Spector
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Vasopressin Receptor ◽  
Sexual Infidelity ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Lifetime Number ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners

AbstractIn humans, in contrast to animals, the genetic influences on infidelity are unclear. We report here a large study of over 1600 unselected United Kingdom female twin pairs who confidentially reported previous episodes of infidelity and total lifetime number of sexual partners, as well as attitudes towards infidelity. Our findings demonstrate that infidelity and number of sexual partners are both under moderate genetic influence (41% and 38% heritable, respectively) and the genetic correlation between these two traits is strong (47%). Conversely, attitudes towards infidelity are driven by shared and unique environmental, but not genetic, influences. A genome-wide linkage scan identified three suggestive but nonsignificant linkage areas associated with infidelity and number of sexual partners on chromosomes 3, 7 and 20 with a maximum LOD score of 2.46. We were unsuccessful in associating infidelity or number of sexual partners with a locus implicated in other mammals' sexual behavior, the vasopressin receptor gene. Nonetheless, our findings on the heritabil-ity of sexual infidelity and number of sexual partners provide support for certain evolutionary theories of human sexual behavior, as well as justifying further genetic and molecular research in this domain.

scholarly journals Associated factors to the sexual behavior in Peruvian women among 15 and 25 years old

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter L Arias Gallegos ◽  
Renzo Rivera
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Sexual Initiation ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Robust Variance ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners

Background: The sexual behavior of women is associated with various protective or risk factors, which are important to assess. To determine the socioeconomic factors associated with the sexual behavior of Peruvian women within 15 and 25 years old. Method: A secondary analysis of the 2016 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) was conducted. Our sample was 7962 women from 15 to 25 years old, from all over the Peruvian territory. Associative analyzes were carried out on the age of sexual initiation, the number of sexual partners and the use of contraceptives, based on sociodemographic variables. Poisson regression with robust variance was also used. Results: It was found the factors, that are associated with the age of sexual initiation and the number of sexual partners, are the area of origin, marital status, educational level, employment status and socioeconomic level. While women who work and whose partners do not drink alcohol are the most likely to use contraceptives. Conclusions: It can be concluded that certain socioeconomic and work conditions act as protective factors of female sexual behavior, while having a partner who drinks alcohol is a risk factor.

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