Charlene Y. Senn

Body Image and Sociocultural Norms A Comparison of Heterosexual and Lesbian Women

Internalization of sociocultural norms about the body has been theorized to be an important factor in fostering body dissatisfaction in women. Some theorists have suggested that a lesbian identity may buffer or immunize lesbians from the damaging effects of societys pressure to be thin by reducing this internalization. This study was designed to test this claim empirically. Questionnaires were completed by 108 lesbians and 115 heterosexual women recruited through snowball sampling. Lesbians felt more fit, reported less negative attitudes toward their lower bodies, and internalized sociocultural norms less than heterosexual women. For all women, internalization of sociocultural norms significantly predicted body attitudes. Lesbians and heterosexual women appear to be similarly exposed to and aware of societys messages, and as such their body attitudes substantially overlap. However, lesbians are buffered from these views in some specific areas. These differences appear to be primarily the result of differential internalization of sociocultural norms.

Predicting Coercive Sexual Behavior Across the Lifespan in a Random Sample of Canadian Men

In order to end or at least reduce the amount of sexual violence in our society, it is necessary to identify the factors that play a part in mens sexual aggression against women they know. One hundred and ninety-five men ranging in age from 19 to 82 were randomly sampled from enumeration records of a small Canadian city and completed questionnaires. Overall, 73 percent of men reported never having been sexually coercive. Logistic regression analysis, using a dichotomous coercion criterion, established that childhood abuse, adolescent promiscuity, and restrictive emotionality all increased the likelihood of sexual coercion. Early sexual socialization and aspects of the male role related to emotional expressivity appear to be important in the development of coercive behavior. As such, prevention programs must be aimed at earlier interventions in families, communities, and schools.

Evaluating Measures of Contemporary Sexism

Two recently published measures of contemporary sexist attitudes were examined and compared with a sample of 106 Canadian college students. Swim, Aikin, Hall, and Hunters (1995) Modern Sexism scale was found to be an acceptable measure of sexist attitudes in terms of its internal reliability and its ability to predict other gender-related political attitudes. Although the Modern Sexism scale and the Neosexism scale (Tougas, Brown, Beaton, & Joly, 1995) were equally good at predicting support for the feminist movement and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, the Neosexism scale had better internal reliability and exhibited stronger gender differences. Moreover, the Neosexism scale was superior at predicting value orientations relevant to modern prejudices.

Efficacy of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for University Women

BACKGROUND Young women attending university are at substantial risk for being sexually assaulted, primarily by male acquaintances, but effective strategies to reduce this risk remain elusive. METHODS We randomly assigned first-year female students at three universities in Canada to the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act Sexual Assault Resistance program (resistance group) or to a session providing access to brochures on sexual assault, as was common university practice (control group). The resistance program consists of four 3-hour units in which information is provided and skills are taught and practiced, with the goal of being able to assess risk from acquaintances, overcome emotional barriers in acknowledging danger, and engage in effective verbal and physical self-defense. The primary outcome was completed rape, as measured by the Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization, during 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS A total of 451 women were assigned to the resistance group and 442 women to the control group. Of the women assigned to the resistance group, 91% attended at least three of the four units. The 1-year risk of completed rape was significantly lower in the resistance group than in the control group (5.2% vs. 9.8%; relative risk reduction, 46.3% [95% confidence interval, 6.8 to 69.1]; P=0.02). The 1-year risk of attempted rape was also significantly lower in the resistance group (3.4% vs. 9.3%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS A rigorously designed and executed sexual assault resistance program was successful in decreasing the occurrence of rape, attempted rape, and other forms of victimization among first-year university women. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the University of Windsor; SARE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01338428.).

Health Care Utilization in a Sample of Canadian Lesbian Women: Predictors of Risk and Resilience

ABSTRACT This study was designed to test an exploratory path model predicting health care utilization by lesbian women. Using structural equation modeling we examined the joint influence of internalized homophobia, feminism, comfort with health care providers (HCPs), education, and disclosure of sexual identity both in ones life and to ones HCP on health care utilization. Surveys were completed by 254 Canadian lesbian women (54% participation rate) recruited through snowball sampling and specialized media. The majority (95%) of women were White, 3% (n = 7) were women of colour, and the remaining six women did not indicate ethnicity. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 67 with a mean age of 38.85 years (SD = 9.12). In the final path model, higher education predicted greater feminism, more disclosure to HCPs, and better utilization of health services. Feminism predicted both decreased levels of internalized homophobia and increased disclosure across relationships. Being more open about ones sexual identity was related to increased disclosure to HCPs, which in turn, led to better health care utilization. Finally, the more comfortable women were with their HCP the more likely they were to seek preventive care. All paths were significant at p <.01. The path model offers insight into potential target areas for intervention with the goal of improving health care utilization in lesbian women.

The Role of the New “Date Rape Drugs” in Attributions About Date Rape

This study investigates the effect of voluntary and involuntary drug use on attributions about sexual assault. The sample was composed of 280 randomly selected male and female undergraduate students. The type of drug used (GHB, alcohol, or none) and the voluntariness of the administration were varied in an unambiguous date rape scenario. Participants viewed sexual assault facilitated by alcohol or drugs similarly to sexual assault without drug or alcohol involvement, assigning the highest levels of responsibility and blame to the perpetrator and the lowest levels of both to the victim in these situations. In contrast, womens voluntary consumption of drugs prior to a sexual assault reduced perpetrator responsibility and blame and increased blame to the victim compared to other situations (except in some cases, voluntary drunkenness). These findings extend the limited research on date rape drugs and previous work on the influence of alcohol on date rape attributions.

Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women In Men of South Asian Ancestry: Are Acculturation and Gender Role Attitudes Important Factors?

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward violence against women in men of South Asian ancestry. Studies conducted on other cultural groups have examined separately the influence of gender role attitudes and acculturation on violence against women. In the current study, we proposed that acculturation and attitudes towards violence against women were related through the mediation of gender role attitudes. One hundred male South Asian university students were administered questionnaires that measured their acculturation, gender role attitudes and attitudes towards wife beating. Results indicated that gender role attitudes fully mediated the relationship between acculturation and attitudes towards violence against women. This means that lower acculturation is only related to higher acceptance of wife assault because lower levels of acculturation are related to more restrictive and conservative beliefs about the roles of men and women.

Sources of Information about Dating and Their Perceived Influence on Adolescents

This study examined the impact of parents, peers, the media, and sex education on shaping adolescents’knowledge about dating relationships. Half of the 100 (48 females, 52 males) participants were early adolescents (13 to 14 years) and half were middle adolescents (15 to 16 years). Through a questionnaire, participants identified the quantity of information, perceived correctness, and influence of each of the sources. Friends and sex education teachers were perceived to provide the most information, adults to provide the most accurate information, and friends to have the greatest influence on dating choices. Sex differences existed across various questions and source types. Girls received more information on dating across sources, perceived parents and the media to be more accurate sources of information, and were more influenced by their parents than were boys. Boys gave higher rankings to dating partners and dating behavior as comfortable sources of information than did girls.

Emancipatory Sexuality Education and Sexual Assault Resistance Does the Former Enhance the Latter

The current study examined whether adding emancipatory sexuality education, which encourages the exploration of women’s own sexual values and desires, to a sexual assault resistance program would improve women’s resistance to sexual assault by known men. The participants were 214 first-year university students. A randomized experimental design evaluated the effectiveness of a basic and sexuality enhanced version of a sexual assault resistance program against a no-program control. Both programs, compared to the control group, increased women’s perception of their own risk, their confidence that they could defend themselves if attacked, and their use of more effective methods of self-defense in hypothetical situations of acquaintance sexual assault. Effects were maintained from 3 to 6 months after program completion. No significant reductions in completed sexual assault were found. The sexuality enhanced program was superior in several areas, particularly risk detection and initiation of sexual activity, which may be important to women’s integration of the program’s content to their lives. Future research will need to strengthen and continue to evaluate the promising programs for women which now exist. Until effective programming for men on campus is developed and implemented widely, our best hope to improve the health and safety of female students lays in comprehensive women-only multi-unit sexual assault resistance education.

Body Image Perception among Women of African Descent: A Normative Context?

The purpose of this article is to integrate research from across the social sciences in order to understand Black womens body image perceptions. To accomplish this goal, the effects of race, ethnicity, class and culture are examined. Cultural differences between African Canadians/Americans and Blacks living in Africa and the Caribbean are outlined and their effects on Black womens experiences of weight and eating are also discussed. Some of the historical underpinnings, and several aspects of the current social context within which Black women live are explored in order to explain body image perceptions.