Troubling Secondary Victimization of Bullying Victims: The Role of Gender and Ethnicity.

Bullying is a severe public health problem, and bystanders' reactions are a key variable in its perpetration and maintenance. This study aimed to assess the level of secondary victimization of bullying victims as a function of the student's sex and the victim's category (nonnormative vs. normative) in three experimental conditions (feminine, masculine, and ethnicity) from a socioecological perspective. Specifically, two dimensions of secondary victimization were evaluated: avoidance and devaluation/blaming of the victim. A sequence of mixed-design ANOVAs was performed with a sample of 553 Spanish (53.3%) and Portuguese (46.7%) students, aged between 14 and 19 years. Results show that nonnormative victims, those who transgress feminine and masculine gender stereotypes, and those who belong to a minority ethnic group (gypsies) are avoided more than normative victims; and that boys perpetrate more secondary victimization than girls. These results reveal the situation of vulnerability suffered by adolescents who transgress the gender norm as well as those who belong to minority ethnic groups, and highlight that the motivations concealed by the secondary victimization of bullying victims originate in the group processes of identity construction and categorization that configure the boundaries of "legitimacy" and are strongly influenced by social beliefs about normative and nonnormative identities. This socioecological approach could guide prevention strategies, so generic antibullying policies that do not explicitly address biases about gender, sexual, and cultural identity can be overcome to reduce the high levels of stigma occurring in the schools through critical and culturally responsive pedagogy.

Socio-Educational Support Deficits in the Emancipation of Protected Youth in Spain.

Background: The process of transition to adult life of youth with a record of protection is crucial to overcome the difficulties to achieve an independent life. Objective: This research aims to analyze the conditions under which protected youth are emancipated, as well as the factors that facilitate emancipation. Method: A qualitative study was performed with three samples: longitudinal follow-ups with youths when they exit the system and during 12 months (N = 24); life stories of youths who have exited the child welfare system at least 2 years ago and a maximum of 5 years ago (N = 22); interviews with professionals conducting their intervention in adolescent protection resources (N = 18). Results: The results indicate that protective action is not enabling youths' learning in normalized contexts, which negatively affects the conditions under which emancipation occurs. The experience of the protective action conditions the tendency to benefit from the post-majority socio-educational accompaniment. Conclusions: The importance of socio-educational intervention continuing during the first moments of emancipation, providing professional accompaniment to the entire collective, is highlighted.

El acoso sexual en la universidad: la visión del alumnado / Sexual harassment in the university: The students' visión

Resumen Introducción/objetivo: El acoso sexual es una de las violencias que más debe preocupar a la comunidad educativa, por ello, el objetivo de este estudio consiste en analizar los conocimientos, las percepciones y las actitudes de los y las estudiantes universitarios hacia el acoso sexual. Método: Desde un enfoque cualitativo se han realizado diez entrevistas individuales a estudiantes (seis alumnas y cuatro alumnos) y ocho grupos de discusión heterogéneos formados por 67 estudiantes. Todos pertenecientes a una universidad de carácter público situada en el noroeste de España. Resultados: El alumnado tiene pocos conocimientos sobre el acoso sexual y, además, no recibe formación que le otorgue las herramientas que le permitan identificarlo y combatirlo. Asimismo, la mayoría de los/as participantes expresa que el acoso sexual es habitual en el entorno académico, pero que está invisibilizado. A través de sus propias palabras se identifica que perciben actitudes permisivas hacia el acoso sexual por parte de los/as docentes y de la universidad, considerando que no hay una verdadera implicación para intervenir en las situaciones de acoso. Conclusiones: Es necesario que la universidad se comprometa a implementar estrategias de prevención e intervención, con el propósito de identificar, sancionar y erradicar todas y cada una de las formas de violencia, incluido el acoso sexual.

Abstract Introduction/objective: Sexual harassment is one of the types of violence that should most concern the educational community, consequently, the objective of this study is to analyze the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of university students towards sexual harassment. Method: From a qualitative approach, ten individual interviews were carried out with students (six female students and four male students) and eight heterogeneous discussion groups made up of 67 students. All of them belong to a public university located in the northwest of Spain. Results: The students have little knowledge about sexual harassment and, in addition, they do not receive training that gives them the tools that allow them to identify and combat it. Likewise, most of the participants express that sexual harassment is common in the academic environment, but that it is invisible. Through their own words, it is identified that they perceive permissive attitudes towards sexual harassment on the part of teachers and the university, considering that there is no real implication to intervene in harassment situations. Conclusions: It is necessary for the university to commit to implement prevention and intervention strategies, in order to identify, punish and eradicate each and every one of the forms of violence, including sexual harassment.

Sex Education in the Spotlight: What Is Working? Systematic Review.

Adolescence, a period of physical, social, cognitive and emotional development, represents a target population for sexual health promotion and education when it comes to achieving the 2030 Agenda goals for sustainable and equitable societies. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of what is known about the dissemination and effectiveness of sex education programs and thereby to inform better public policy making in this area. Methodology: We carried out a systematic review based on international scientific literature, in which only peer-reviewed papers were included. To identify reviews, we carried out an electronic search of the Cochrane Database Reviews, ERIC, Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, Scopus and PsycINFO. This paper provides a narrative review of reviews of the literature from 2015 to 2020. Results: 20 reviews met the inclusion criteria (10 in school settings, 9 using digital platforms and 1 blended learning program): they focused mainly on reducing risk behaviors (e.g., VIH/STIs and unwanted pregnancies), whilst obviating themes such as desire and pleasure, which were not included in outcome evaluations. The reviews with the lowest risk of bias are those carried out in school settings and are the ones that most question the effectiveness of sex education programs. Whilst the reviews of digital platforms and blended learning show greater effectiveness in terms of promoting sexual and reproductive health in adolescents (ASRH), they nevertheless also include greater risks of bias. Conclusion: A more rigorous assessment of the effectiveness of sexual education programs is necessary, especially regarding the opportunities offered by new technologies, which may lead to more cost-effective interventions than with in-person programs. Moreover, blended learning programs offer a promising way forward, as they combine the best of face-to-face and digital interventions, and may provide an excellent tool in the new context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Intimate Partner Cyberstalking, Sexism, Pornography, and Sexting in Adolescents: New Challenges for Sex Education.

BACKGROUND: Within the context of the widespread use of technologies by adolescents, the objectives of this study were to identify the perpetrators of intimate partner cyberstalking (IPCS) in adolescents; to analyze the relationship between IPCS and gender, age, sexting behaviors, pornography consumption, and ambivalent sexism; and to investigate the influence of the study variables as predictors of IPCS and determine their moderating role. METHODS: Participants were 993 Spanish students of Secondary Education, 535 girls and 458 boys with mean age 15.75 (SD = 1.47). Of the total sample, 70.3% (n = 696) had or had had a partner. RESULTS: Boys perform more sexting, consume more pornographic content, and have more hostile and benevolent sexist attitudes than girls. However, girls perpetrate more IPCS than boys. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression indicate that hostile sexism is a predictor of IPCS, as well as the combined effect of Gender × Pornography and Benevolent Sexism × Sexting. CONCLUSIONS: it is essential to implement sexual affective education programs in schools in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are incorporated so that boys and girls can experience their relationships, both offline and online, in an egalitarian and violence-free way.

Preventing Violence toward Sexual and Cultural Diversity: The Role of a Queering Sex Education.

BACKGROUND: The prevailing sex education (SE) model falls within a neoliberal prevention- and risk-oriented paradigm. This model ignores the identity dimension of sexuality, is based on the cis-heteronormative and ethnocentric matrix and stigmatizes sexual and cultural diversity; this has significant consequences for sexually and culturally diverse adolescents and youth. In this study, we explored the potential of the identity dimension of SE to prevent violence toward sexual and cultural diversity. Specifically, our objective was to identify the influence of heteronormative and ethnocentric variables on violence exerted against trans* and gender-diverse people and people from minority ethnic groups. METHODS: A total of 623 Spanish adolescents with a mean age of 14.73 years and an age range of 13 to 18 years participated in the study. Students completed a questionnaire that included measures regarding violence toward sexual and cultural diversity, gender stereotypes, sexist attitudes and rejection of sexual and cultural diversity. We performed two hierarchical linear regression models. RESULTS: Students who exerted the highest amount of violence toward trans* and gender-diverse people were those who showed the lowest endorsement of expressive traits and the highest endorsement of instrumental traits as well as the highest level of hostile sexist, heteronormative and hostile racist attitudes (the five predictor variables explained 29.1% of the variance of gender-bashing). These same variables-except expressiveness-and benevolent sexism explained 46.1% of the variance of rejection of minority ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for a comprehensive, intercultural, critical and queer SE aimed at transforming the classroom into a space that promotes social transformation through an educational practice that is transgressive and critical of cis-heteronormativity and normative ethnocentrism.

Déficits en la acción socioeducativa dirigida a adolescentes vulnerables latinoamericanos residentes en España / Deficits in educational action with vulnerable adolescents from Latin America living in Spain / Déficits na ação socio-educacional com adolescência vulnerável da América Latina e residente na Espanha

Resumen (analítico) El Sistema de Protección a la Infancia y a la Adolescencia español utiliza los mismos mecanismos con la población tutelada nacional que con la extranjera de origen latinoamericano. Con esta investigación se pretende conocer las dificultades específicas de la juventud procedente de América Latina, en edad de emancipación y que tiene expediente de protección, así como identificar estrategias eficaces para la actuación socioeducativa. Mediante metodología cualitativa, en el marco de la teoría fundamentada, se realizan con juventud tutelada seis seguimientos longitudinales y cuatro relatos de vida. Se concluye con dos grupos de discusión con figuras profesionales especializadas. Los resultados muestran déficits en el acompañamiento socioeducativo, especialmente producto del choque entre las metas del proyecto migratorio y la rigidez del sistema. Se constata la ausencia de redes sociales de apoyo para la emancipación.

Abstract (analytical) The Protection System for Children and Adolescents in Spain has the same mechanisms for the national population as it does for the foreign population of children and Young people who are originally from Latin American. This research aimed to determine the specific emancipation difficulties of youths from Latin America with a Child Protective Service record, as well as to identify effective strategies for socioeducational actions. Using a qualitative methodology within the grounded theory framework, six longitudinal monitoring studies and four life story narrations are conducted with protected young people. The study concluded with two discussion groups with specialized professional figures. The results reveal deficits in educational accompaniment, especially as a result of the collision between migratory project goals and the rigidity of the education system. The absence of social support networks to contribute to their emancipation is confirmed.

Resumo (analítico) O Sistema de Proteção da Infância e da Adolescência Espanhola, atua com os mesmos mecanismos com a população tutelada nacional estrangeira e com a de origem latinoamericana. A investigação pretende conhecer as dificuldades específicas da juventude, com expedientes de proteção com as nacionalidades da américa latina, durante a emancipação, assim como identificar estratégias eficazes para a atuação socioeducativa, mediante uma metodologia qualitativa. O marco da teoria fundamentada, realizase com juventude tutelada de seis seguimentos longitudinais e de quatro relatos de vida. Conclui com grupos de discussão com figuras profissionais especializadas. Os resultados mostram déficits em acompanhamento socioeducativo, especialmente produto de choque entre as metas de projeto migratório e da rigidez do sistema. Constata-se a ausência de redes sociais de apoio para a emancipação.

A qualitative approach to the study of the characteristics of individuals convicted of road traffic offences.

Significant changes have been applied to the regulation of criminal law concerning road traffic in Spain, in a similar way to many of the countries surrounding us. This has led to a gradual increase in the number of individuals who are convicted with custodial sentences or sentenced to community service. Nevertheless, the available data on the psychosocial traits of road traffic offence convicts is highly limited. The objective of this qualitative study is to provide more insight into those convicted of road traffic offences through the use of focus groups, thus enabling the analysis of their attitudes towards sentences related to road safety offences, opinions regarding their driving styles, the profile of convicts of road traffic offences and how they feel about being labelled as delinquents. The results of this study are particularly relevant with regards to improving the rehabilitation process of convicts of road safety offences.

Violencia en parejas transexuales, transgénero e intersexuales: una revisión bibliográfica / Violence in transsexual, transgender and intersex couples: a systematic review

La violencia de pareja afecta a personas transexuales, transgénero e intersexuales y así se visibiliza en investigaciones a nivel nacional e internacional. En este estudio teórico se ha llevado a cabo una revisión sistemática de las investigaciones realizadas con estos colectivos. Se realiza una revisión exhaustiva de las principales bases de datos con el fin de identificar todos los estudios relativos a esta temática. Se obtiene un total de 28 investigaciones sobre violencia en parejas transexuales, transgénero e intersexuales. De las cuales se ha analizado el tipo de muestra, el método e instrumento utilizado, así como sus principales resultados. Los resultados ponen de relieve que la aproximación de estudio más frecuentemente utilizada es la de tipo cuantitativo, especialmente centrada en el colectivo transexual. En relación a la prevalencia se observa una gran variabilidad, con un rango del 18 al 80%, constituyendo un problema de salud pública. Las mujeres trans son las que sufren más significativamente esta violencia, siendo más frecuentemente el miembro normativo de la pareja quien la ejerce. El heterosexismo y la transfobia se han identificado como factores de riesgo. Finalmente se plantea la importancia de incorporar el abordaje de la violencia en relaciones de pareja donde al menos uno de los miembros es transexual, transgénero o intersexual en los programas de prevención de violencia de género.

Intimate partner violence affects transsexual, transgender and intersex individuals and has been approached by national and international research. This theoretical study has carried out a systematic review of research conducted with these groups. An exhaustive review of the main databases was performed to identify all the studies that focus on this subject. Overall, 28 studies were obtained on violence in transsexual, transgender and intersex couples. In each study, we analyzed the type of sample, method and instrument that were used, as well as the main results. The results highlight that the quantitative approach is the most common one, focusing especially on the transsexual community. Concerning prevalence, we observed a great variability, ranging from 18 to 80%, constituting a public health problem. Trans women are the ones who most suffer this type of violence, and the "gender-normative" member of the couple is most frequently the aggressor. Heterosexism and transphobia were identified as risk factors. Finally, the importance of including intimate partner violence in relationships in which at least one of the members is transsexual, transgender or intersex in gender violence prevention programs is highlighted.

Spanish adolescents' attitudes toward transpeople: proposal and validation of a short form of the Genderism and Transphobia Scale.

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a short form of the Genderism and Transphobia Scale and assess adolescents' attitudes toward transpeople. A total of 800 Spanish adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years (50.70% girls, 49.30% boys) completed the Spanish version of the scale and other related questionnaires. The short form of the scale is composed of 12 items clustered into two factors (Transphobia/Genderism and Gender Bashing) that explain 54.22% of the variance. All the items showed good discriminating power, and the present scale demonstrated adequate reliability and validity. In the study, boys exhibited significantly more negative attitudes toward transpeople than girls did, both in the affective/cognitive dimension (Transphobia/Genderism) and in the behavioral dimension (Gender Bashing). Moreover, adolescents showed significantly more negative attitudes toward gender-nonconforming men than toward gender-nonconforming women. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the maintenance of discriminatory attitudes toward sexual diversity.

Cognitive Performance in Men and Women Infected with HIV-1.

Introduction. Very few studies have examined the neuropsychological performance of HIV-positive women, and even fewer have attempted a comparison of cognitive functioning by gender. The aim of this study was to describe the nature of the neuropsychological performance of HIV seropositive patients by gender. Methods. A clinical sample made up of 151 subjects was recruited to participate in this study. All of the subjects underwent the same assessment process, consisting of a neuropsychological evaluation and an interview to gather sociodemographic, toxicological, and clinical data. Results and Discussion. Despite the fact that men obtained higher scores in visual memory, attention/psychomotor speed, and abstract reasoning/verbal intelligence, these differences were not statistically significant. In contrast, significant differences were found depending on subjects' serological status. Seropositive participants' neuropsychological performance was significantly lower than that of the seronegative participants in all of the areas assessed as follows: (1) visual memory; (2) attention/psychomotor speed; (3) abstract reasoning/verbal intelligence; (4) verbal memory for texts; (5) verbal memory for digits and words. Conclusions. The results from this study reveal no significant gender differences in the cognitive performance of patients infected with HIV-1.

Bullying in Spanish secondary schools: gender-based differences.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of bullying in its various forms from the perspective of all of the individuals involved (victims, bullies, and witnesses) and to explore its distribution as a function of gender. The study had a correlational design and used a representative sample of 1500 Spanish students attending compulsory secondary education in the academic year 2007-2008. It applied an instrument measuring different types of bullying, taken from the studies conducted by Díaz-Aguado, Martínez, and Martín (2004) and the Defensor del Pueblo (Spanish Ombudsman's Office)-UNICEF (2007). The findings reveal that all the types of bullying considered take place at school and that there is an inverse relationship between the severity and the prevalence of bullying behaviors, with verbal abuse proving to be the most common type of abusive behavior. Boys are involved in all kinds of bullying incidents as bullies significantly more often than girls are, except in cases involving 'talking about someone behind their back'; in these situations, girls are involved significantly more often as bullies than boys are. As for victimization, boys are victims of direct physical abuse significantly more often than girls are, while girls are more often the subject of malicious gossip.

Bullying among Spanish secondary education students: the role of gender traits, sexism, and homophobia.

The aim of the present study was to assess the combined influence of gender stereotypes, sexism, and homophobia on attitudes toward bullying and bullying behavior. A total of 1,500 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age (49.3% girls and 50.7% boys) completed a questionnaire that included measures of bullying, attitudes toward bullying, gender-stereotyped personality traits (instrumentality and expressiveness), hostile and benevolent sexism, and attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. First, the findings demonstrated that boys scored significantly higher on all the variables assessed except on benevolent sexism. Two similar models were obtained for both sexes. Benevolent sexism and, in boys, more positive attitudes toward gay men predicted more negative attitudes toward bullying when mediated by more expressive gender traits. An inverse pattern was also observed: Hostile sexism predicted more favorable attitudes toward bullying when mediated by instrumental gender traits. Attitudes toward bullying were highly correlated with bullying behavior. The five-predictor variables (including attitudes toward bullying) explained 58% of the variance of bullying behavior in girls and 37% of such variance in boys.

Assessing female condom acceptability among heterosexual Spanish couples.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the acceptability of the female condom in a sample of young heterosexual Spanish couples. METHODS: The sample was made up of 45 couples (90 participants) from Spain. The age range was from 19 to 42 years. The study was carried out in three stages: pre-trial, post-trial, and follow-up (one year later). RESULTS: Before the intervention, 88 participants (97.8%) had heard about the female condom, although 73 participants (81.2%) claimed to know very little about the method, and barely one-third had seen one. The appraisals after the trial period reveal differing levels of satisfaction with the method, with no significant differences found by gender. Those participants who used a greater number of condoms during the trial period pointed out more positive points about the method, but also more negative points. Of the 17 couples who continued to participate in the follow-up stage (one year after the trial stage), only one (5.9%) still used the female condom. However, 10 men (58.8%) and 8 women (47.1%) expressed a willingness to use it in the future, and 12 women (70.6%) and 11 men (64.7%) had told friends and acquaintances about it. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that although the female condom is considered to be a useful method, it is still largely unknown and requires further promotion if it is to be used by young couples.

Intervención y evaluación de un programa de educación afectivo-sexual en la escuela para padres y madres de adolescentes / Intervention and evaluation of a comprehensive sex education programme carried out with parents of teenager students

Se presenta un programa de educación sexual llevado a cabo con padres y madres en un centro de educación secundaria. Éste fue desarrollado de forma paralela al programa realizado con sus hijos y/o hijas adolescentes. Los principales resultados derivados de su evaluación, de carácter procesual y formativo, evidencian un incremento del nivel de satisfacción corporal, autoconcepto y autoestima, así como de sus conocimientos sobre nutrición y órganos sexuales. Se constata también un incremento de actitudes igualitarias hacia ambos sexos y de actitudes erotofílicas hacia la sexualidad. El programa fue valorado positivamente por quienes participaron. Se destacó la importancia de implementar experiencias que, como ésta, supongan una alternativa a la sobredimensionada educación de la inteligencia racional, en pro de un desarrollo integral de la personalidad de los y las adolescentes.

This paper outlines a sex education programme carried out with the parents of secondary school students taking part in a similar programme simultaneously. Results reveal an increase in participants' overall level of satisfaction with their bodies, self-concept, and self-esteem, as well as an increased knowledge about sexual organs and nutrition. There was also a rise in the number of egalitarian attitudes toward the two sexes and positive attitudes toward sexuality. Overall, participants' evaluations of the programme were positive. They pointed out the importance of implementing programmes such as these, which offer an alternative to the traditional model of education centered mainly on rational intelligence, and which encourage more holistic development of personality among teenagers.