Effects Of An Interactive School-based Program To Prevent Adolescent Sexual Harassment

Author(s):

Paul Kocken(presenting / submitting)Gaby de Lijster

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

08. Research on Health Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

08 SES 05 A, Health, Schools and Inclusion

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-03

11:00-12:30

Room:

B101 Sala de Aulas

Chair:

Kevin Dadaczynski

Contribution

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Benzies & Batchies, an intervention program to prevent sexual harassment designed for students (both boys and girls), aged 12-16 years attending schools for preparatory secondary vocational education. Benzies & Batchies consists of a theatre play and school lessons.

Many adolescents experience sexual harassment behavior, either as victim, perpetrator or both. Sexual harassment is defined as unwanted sexual attention, including physical contact such as kissing, hugging and touching and non-physical contact such as sexual remarks, jokes, gestures, looks, showing sexual pictures, messages or notes and spreading sexually-related rumors (McMaster, Connolly, Pepler & Craig, 2002; Young, Grey & Boyd, 2009). Estimations of prevalence of sexual harassment behavior differ according to age (Hill & Kearl, 2011), definition of sexual harassment behavior (McMaster et al., 2002; Young et al., 2009) and time frame (Witkowska & Menckel, 2005; De Bruijn, Burrie & Van Wel, 2006). In the Western population, prevalence rates for girls being a victim are found between 45-56% and for being a perpetrator between 7-21%. Prevalence rates for boys being a victim are found between 40-55% and for being a perpetrator between 13-36% (McMaster et al., 2002; Bonino, Ciairano, Rabaglietti & Cattelino, 2006; Hill & Kearl, 2011; Yu Li, Frieze & Tang, 2010). Girls are more likely to be a victim (Bonino et al., 2006), while boys are more likely to be perpetrator (Young et al., 2009).With age, prevalence rates for both female and male adolescent victims of sexual harassment change. Younger male students reported more sexual harassment victimization than older male students, while older girls experienced more sexual harassment than younger girls (Hill & Kearl, 2011).

Method

Benzies & Batchies is an intervention program to prevent sexual harassment designed for students (both boys and girls), aged 12-16 years attending schools for preparatory secondary vocational education. The intervention consists of several components complementing each other: (1) an introductory lesson, (2) an educational peer-performed theatre play followed by a peer-led group discussion, (3) three consecutive lessons aimed at teaching skills and resilience with regard to social and sexual behavior and (4) a closing lesson. Both the introductory and closing lesson are carried out by the students’ own teacher in the classroom. The three lessons aimed at students’ skills and resilience are carried out by experienced social skills trainers from outer school. Main purpose of the intervention is to reduce sexual harassment behaviors among adolescents (being either perpetrator or victim). Trained adolescent peer-educators served as models in both theatre play and discussion afterwards. The play comprised short scenes in which male and female peer-educators performed examples of sexual harassment behaviors and reactions on those behaviors. The theatre play lasted 30 minutes, the discussion thereafter 60 minutes. Modeling, peer-education and theatre are suitable methods for changing attitudes and images of prototypes in students (Hecht et al., 1993; Stephenson, Strange, Allen, Copas, Johnson et al., 2008; Mellanby, Newcombe, Rees & Tripp, 2001). Modeling of the peer-educators may also influence the student’s perception of other’s behavior (social normative behavior; Bandura, 1986). Modeling, planning coping responses, resistance to social pressure and guided practice are methods used in the lessons on social and sexual behavior to influence behavioral determinants of sexual harassment behavior (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005; Evans, Getz & Raines, 1992; McAlister, Perry & Parcel, 2008). The lessons on social and sexual behavior used strategies such as worksheets, discussions, films and role-play. In a cluster randomized controlled design schools were randomly assigned to the experimental or control condition. Multilevel analyses were conducted to obtain effects of the intervention at first post-test and six month follow-up using a two-level random intercept model. Outcome measures were sexual harassment behaviors, behavioral determinants, distal factors influencing sexual harassment behavior and sexual self-esteem.

Expected Outcomes

Results show that 29% of the students reported having been a victim of sexual harassment behavior, 29% having been a perpetrator of sexual harassment behavior and 27% having rejected sexual harassment behavior by saying ‘no’ in the past six months. At first post-test students in the experimental group less intended to commit sexual harassment behavior compared to students in the control group. They also showed a higher self-efficacy in succeeding to reject sexual harassment behavior. Moreover, at first post-test and six month follow-up a significant effect was found on the determinant social norm with regard to rejecting sexual harassment behavior. After six months follow-up students in the experimental group showed a significantly higher sexual self-esteem. Moreover, stronger effects of the intervention were found on self-efficacy with regard to not committing sexual harassment behavior for non-native students, on prototype of a victim of sexual harassment for boys and on attitude towards committing sexual harassment behavior, social norm with regard to sexual harassment and prototype of a perpetrator of sexual harassment behavior for students with a higher education. No significant effects were found on sexual harassment behavior itself after six month follow-up. The long term effects on the social norm opposed to sexual harassment and improvement of sexual self-esteem are a promising result of the theater play and school lessons. Repeating health education to prevent sexual harassment behavior in school lessons in subsequent school years is advised. Moreover, an evaluation study with a longer follow-up of students to monitor their behavior is recommended.

References

Bonino, S., Ciairano, S., Rabaglietti, E., & Cattelino, E. (2006). Use of pornography and self- reported engagement in sexual violence among adolescents. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 3, 265-288. Bruijn, P. de, Burrie, I., & Wel, F. van (2006). A risky boundary: unwanted sexual behaviour among youth. Journal of Sexual Agression, 12, 81-96. Chiodo, D., Wolfe, D.A., Crooks, C., Hughes, R., & Jaffe, P. (2009). Impact of sexual harassment victimization by peers on subsequent adolescent victimization and adjustment: a longitudinal study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45, 246-252. Evans, R.I., Getz, J.G., & Raines, B.S. (1992). Applying social inoculation concepts to prevention of HIV/AIDS in adolescents: Just say no is obviously not enough. Paper presented the meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, New York. Gibbons, F.X., Gerrard, M., Vande Lune, L.S., Wills, T.A., Brody, G. & Conger, R.D. (2004). Context and cognitions: environmental risk, social influence, and adolescent substance use. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 1048-1061. Hill, C., & Kearl, H. (2011). Crossing the line: sexual harassment at school. Washington: AAUW. McAlister, A.L, Perry, C.L, & Parcel, G.S. (2008). How individuals, environments and health behaviors interact: Social Cognitive Theory. In K. Glanz, B.K. Rimer & K. Viswanath (Eds). Health behavior and health education (4th ed., pp 169-188). San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass. McMaster, L.E., Connolly, J., Pepler, D., & Craig, W.M. (2002). Peer to peer sexual harassment in early adolescence: a developmental perspective. Development and Psychopathology, 14, 91-105. Witkowska, E. & Menckel, E. (2005). Perceptions of sexual harassment in Swedish high schools: experiences and school-environment problems. European Journal of Public Health, 15, 78-85. Young, A.M., Grey, M., & Boyd, C.J. (2009). Adolescent’s experiences of sexual assault by peer: prevalence and nature of victimization occurring within and outside of school. Journal Youth Adolescence, 38, 1072-1083. Yu Li, M., Frieze, I., & Tang, C.S (2010). Understanding adolescent peer sexual harassment and abuse: using the theory of planned behavior. Sexual Abuse, 22, 157-171.

Author Information

Paul Kocken (presenting / submitting)

TNO

Child Health

Leiden

Gaby de Lijster

TNO, Netherlands, The

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