Appraising gender role portrayals in TV commercials

The Impact of Masculinity on Anger Arousal in Ambiguous Situations

This study aimed to investigate the influence of sex and gender role identity on anger experience at varying levels of provocation in a sample of 585 Australian students. Participants viewed videotaped vignettes of a potentially anger-triggering event where the intent of another person was either ambiguous or unambiguous. Measures of self-predicted anger, trait anger, and gender role identity were then completed. Results supported the hypothesis that it is gender role identity rather than sex that is more closely related to angry emotion. There was, however, no support for the hypothesis that anger arousal would be greater in circumstances in which the intention behind a provoking event is ambiguous when the respondent identifies with a masculine gender role. The implications of these findings for the development of anger management programs are discussed.

GENDER AND RACIAL REPRESENTATION IN CHILDREN’S TELEVISION PROGRAMMING IN KUWAIT: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION

An examination was carried out of television programs made for children and also television programs that involved children, regardless of their intended audience. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of these programs in terms of gender and race representations and stereotypes. A content analysis was run on segments from two television channels, the Kuwait national channel and the Egyptian satellite channel. Findings are given and discussed against a rich background of research in this area, and conclusions and implications for education are presented.

Overview of female middle childhood in societal context: implications for research and practice

Preadolescence represents a time of becoming and of change less emphasized in popular and empirical literature than adolescence. Yet it is an important period and a critical time to teach children, while they are still sufficiently adult-dependent and adult-centered, to help that learning to persist. These are formative years during which children experience marked increases in development (physical, cognitive, and psychosocial) and knowledge and an incremental shaping of values, attitudes, and behaviors that they will carry into adulthood. This period of life can also be called the "tween" years, as children during this period are transitioning to adolescence. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the societal context in which preteen girls are developing and provide some suggestions for testing and implementing health promotion strategies that may contribute toward a safe and successful transition for these children through adolescence to adulthood in this fast-paced society.

Decisions and attitudes concerning child sexual abuse: does the gender of the perpetrator make a difference to child protection professionals?

OBJECTIVE

An investigation was conducted into whether child protection investigators, specifically social workers and the police, are as likely to take seriously a case of child sexual abuse if it had been perpetrated by a female rather than a male. Also, to examine whether the decisions relating to female-perpetrated abuse were predicted by participants' sex role perceptions of women and their attitudes concerning women's sexualized behavior towards children.

METHOD

Participants advocated decisions in response to four hypothetical case of child sexual abuse in which the perpetrator was either male or female. The female perpetrators were then rated on femininity and masculinity characteristics and attitudes concerning women's sexualized behavior toward children were assessed.

RESULTS

Following male--rather than female--perpetrated sexual abuse, case registration and imprisonment of the perpetrator was considered more appropriate by all participant groups; male social workers also considered social services involvement and investigation as more appropriate. A substantial number of decisions concerning female perpetrated abuse were predicted by participants' attitudes.

CONCLUSION

While child protection professionals considered child sexual abuse perpetrated by females to be a serious issue warranting intervention, a number of advocated decisions suggested that they did not consider female-perpetrated abuse to be as serious as male-perpetrated abuse. The implication is that victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by a woman may be less likely to receive the protection afforded victims of male-perpetrated abuse. Furthermore, professionals' practices may be inadvertently perpetuating the view that female child sexual abuse is rare or less harmful than abuse carried out by males.