A survey involving thousands of Scottish secondary students has found a third of boys agree that a girl wearing revealing clothing is “asking for trouble” - prompting researchers to call for the data to be discussed in schools.
Other findings include that over a quarter of boys (26 per cent) who participated agreed “it’s not sexual harassment if you’re just joking around”, and 43 per cent of boys agreed that “boys who behave like girls are weak”.
Half of all boys believed there are more things that boys are better at than girls, and 32 per cent said they would judge a girl more than a boy for having sex with a lot of people.
The Adolescence effect
When it came to gender stereotypes, the University of Glasgow researchers, who carried out the study, found “most boys and girls endorse positive norms” - but they add “girls more so than boys”.
For instance, a total of 83 per cent of boys agreed that “boys should realise that girls are their equals” compared with 95 per cent of girls.
The survey involved over 13,000 Scottish secondary students aged 11-18 in 37 secondary schools.
Now the five researchers behind the study are calling for the data to be discussed in secondary schools “like Adolescence” - the Netflix series about a teenager who murders a girl in his school after being exposed to misogynistic influencers online.
, they write: “Most boys do not hold these negative views but there is an urgent need to address the fact that a sizeable minority do.”
Earlier in the letter, the researchers set out the background to the survey, including the airing of Adolescence, which sparked “international debate about a potential ‘crisis of masculinity’”.
“Young men who lack positive role models and feel marginalised are said to be turning their frustration and anger on young women,” they write.
They say the survey of Scottish students - which looked at the extent to which they agreed with statements on gender equality, gender stereotypes and sexual harassment - was conducted in order to provide an “accurate understanding of the problem”.
The letter added: “For instance, there is uncertainty about whether the ‘crisis’ concerns a minority of vulnerable young men or a broader divergence in attitudes between young men and young women.”
The data was gathered from schools involved in Rape Crisis Scotland’s whole-school approach to tackling gender-based violence in schools, . It will be used to support “school-led actions” and to help improve understanding about the best ways to tackle gender-based violence.
Growing trend
The Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), a longitudinal survey whose latest edition was , found an emerging issue “was that of sexist, misogynistic and explicitly sexualised language among male pupils, particularly related to the popularity of influencers”.
It said: “While only mentioned in a small number of secondary schools, school staff expressed great concern about this growing trend and its impact on girls, young women and female school staff members.”
Responding to the 2023 research, Jenny Gilruth, the education secretary, announced a five-point plan to tackle worsening behaviour, including taking a proactive and preventative approach to gender-based violence in schools.
However, the government’s efforts to address behaviour in schools to date have been criticised by teaching unions. They say policies are not enough and the plans need to be supported by additional funding and investment.
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