Minimizing Mistreatment by Female Adults: The Influence of Gender-Based Social Categories and Personality Differences on Attitudes about Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

We investigated the effects of gender-based social categories (i.e., men, women, boys, and girls) on attitudes about child sexual abuse and individual differences in the use of such categories. In four experiments, we systematically varied perpetrators’ sex and victims’ sex. In three investigations, we assessed personality variables potentially related to participants’ use of these social categories. Across these four experiments, we varied perpetrator-victim relationships (teacher-student, neighbors) and victims’ ages. In experiment one, individuals had the least negative attitude about child sexual abuse involving adult female neighbors and eighth grade male neighbors. In experiment two, we replicated this effect with fifth grade victims and demonstrated that attitudes were moderated by individual differences in intolerance of ambiguity. In experiment three, we again replicated the aforementioned effect while (a) extending this finding to teacher-student relationships with eighth grade adolescent victims and (b) demonstrating the need for cognition was a moderator. In experiment four, we again replicated (a) our perpetrator sex/victim sex interactive effect and (b) need for cognition moderation while also demonstrating that these effects were applicable to fifth grade victims. Methodological limitations as well as clinical and policy implications (e.g., attenuating the underreporting incidents of child sexual abuse) are discussed.

Keywords:

• Developmental issues
• personality
• psychology and law

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dawn O’Connor, Bailey Rector, and Sarah Letson for their assistance in collecting portions of the data reported in this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Preparation of this manuscript and the research described therein was supported by a Summer Research Grant from the University of North Florida to Christopher Leone. This work was also supported by an Undergraduate Research Grant from the University of North Florida to Melissa Bright.

Notes on contributors

Christopher Leone

Christopher Leone is a professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Florida.

LouAnne B. Hawkins

LouAnne B. Hawkins is now a project manager of advocacy in clinical training of nurses at The Arc Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida.

Melissa Bright

Melissa Bright was an assistant research scientist at the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in early childhood studies at the University of Florida. She is now at the Institute for Child Health Policy, Department of Health Outcomes and Policy.