Search Results (156)

Background: Stalking is a well-established and studied crime in the forensic field. Nevertheless, research on the psychological aspects of stalking behaviors remains limited due to the lack of specific assessment tools. This two-phase research project aims to propose and validate a new instrument—the Stalking Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)—to identify the possible latent psychological dimensions characterizing early stalking tendencies. Methods: During the first phase of questionnaire development, a thematic focus group comprising five psychologists generated 55 items. These items underwent preliminary screening with a sample of 85 students to assess clarity and redundancy; this process addressed semantic issues and resulted in a revised 48-item version. In the second validation phase (Study 1), the 48-item SAQ was administered to a sample of 349 male students whose demographic profiles matched those typically associated with potential stalkers; following this, 15 items were retained. In Study 2, the 15-item SAQ was cross-validated on an independent sample of 380 male students. To assess its validity, correlations were analyzed with a battery of personality inventories, including the LSRP, ECR-R, AQ, PESES, SRSS, RelRQ, ASI-S, and BIDR-6. Results: Following item and factor analyses, a model comprising two latent factors—Insistence (SAQ-INS) and Exaggerated Jealousy (SAQ-EXJ)—and 15 indicators emerged. Internal consistency was robust, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87. In Study 2, as hypothesized, SAQ-EXJ correlated positively with anger and hostility (AQ) and with antisocial and impulsive traits (LSRP-F2), although these associations were modest (r = 0.30). Among the significant Pearson’s correlations, three were found to be substantial (r > 0.50): specifically, those between the SAQ and anxious attachment style (ECR-Ranx), relational rumination (RelRQ), and sexism (ASI-S). Conclusions: In conclusion, the final SAQ structure revealed two primary factors—Insistence and Exaggerated Jealousy—that account for stalking as a continuous construct. These factors demonstrated significant associations with several critical personality traits. The final questionnaire comprises 24 items, including nine fillers; consequently, it is efficient to administer and suitable for both research and psycho-educational interventions among adolescents and other potentially vulnerable populations. Full article

This article examines the depiction of multiple forms of marginalization and exclusion in a recent Chinese film, Like a Rolling Stone (2024), through the prism of noise at the interface of politics and aesthetics. It starts with interrogating the ways in which the film transmits and amplifies the patriarch’s “Sacred Noise” as a dominant sonic presence in the domestic space, translating hierarchical social and familial structures into an oppressive acoustic order. As Jacques Rancière has reminded us, aesthetic hierarchies materialize political economic hierarchies, giving them sensible forms that structure our everyday embodied experiences. Therefore, the following section explores how political economic conditions devalue women’s domestic care work and recast their enunciations as undesirable, even non-human, noises. In this part, a series of Asian women’s films and writings are referenced to demonstrate a broader cultural trend in exposing the intertwined aesthetic and political economic inequities under capitalist patriarchy. Moreover, what has often been overlooked even in feminist scholarship and movements is that ageism, in conjunction with sexism and classism, reinforces aesthetic–political hierarchies that produce chasms and divisions even among women themselves (including between mothers and daughters) and push the aging (grand)mother further into the peripheries of the auditory regime. Unsettling such a patriarchal “distribution of the sensible,” Like a Rolling Stone deploys creative acoustic strategies to make audible the hidden exploitation of women’s affective labor and revitalizes the subversive potentials, affective energies and aesthetic values of women’s embodied experiences and everyday gendered noises. Full article

Background: Gender discrimination in sport remains a persistent global issue, reflected in women’s limited participation, leadership representation, media visibility, salary equity, and personal safety. These forms of discrimination also negatively affect athletes’ psychological well-being, mental health, and overall sports experience. Despite growing scholarly attention over the past three decades, a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of this research area has been lacking. Methodology: A bibliometric analysis of 397 peer-reviewed documents published between 1995 and 2026 was conducted using the Scopus database. Data were analysed through the Bibliometric R package 4.2.1 and Biblioshiny interface. Science-mapping techniques including keyword co-occurrence, thematic clustering, thematic evolution, and collaboration network analysis were combined with performance indicators such as annual publication output, leading sources, author productivity, and citation impact. Results: Scientific production increased markedly after the mid-2010s, involving 187 sources and 1106 authors, with rising collaboration and citation influence. Core research themes included gender inequality, leadership exclusion, media representation, harassment and abuse, and structural discrimination in sports systems. Importantly, many of these themes are directly linked to reduced athlete well-being, including increased stress, anxiety, and decreased participation. Recent thematic developments highlighted intersectionality, safeguarding, inclusion, governance, and athlete welfare. Conclusion: Research on discrimination against women in sport has evolved into a multidisciplinary, policy-relevant field. Addressing gender discrimination is essential not only to achieving equity but also to improving athletes’ subjective well-being and long-term participation in sport. However, significant gaps remain, particularly in Global South contexts and intervention-based studies, indicating the need for stronger evidence-driven strategies to advance gender equity, inclusion, and ethical governance in sport. Full article

Gender-based violence (GBV) in higher education is increasingly recognized as a systemic problem across offline and online contexts, yet the pathways linking gender-related attitudes, victimization, and formal help-seeking remain insufficiently understood in Southern Europe. This study examined whether Sexual Harassment/Assault and Coercive Control mediate associations between ambivalent sexism, Acceptance of Dating Violence, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Formal Help-Seeking Intentions among women students in Greek higher education. An anonymous online survey was completed by 550 women students, and structural equation modeling tested direct, mediated, and multi-group associations by age, education level, and perceived financial situation. Coercive Control was the strongest predictor of Formal Help-Seeking Intentions, followed by Acceptance of Dating Violence and Perceived Behavioral Control, whereas Hostile and Benevolent Sexism had no significant direct effects. Mediation analyses showed that Coercive Control, rather than Sexual Harassment/Assault, provided the more consistent pathway to help-seeking intentions. Multi-group analyses indicated broadly stable patterns, with selected differences by age, education, and financial situation. The findings suggest that university GBV policies should move beyond incident-based responses, address patterned Coercive Control, and improve students’ perceived ability to access formal support services. Full article

Risk and loss aversion are key forms of behavioral decision-making describing how people weigh potential gains and losses. Although most of the literature on risk and loss aversion comes from the field of behavioral economics, these concepts are applicable to complex medical decision making, especially when those decisions are shaped by sociopolitical factors as in gender transitions. For clinicians providing gender-affirming care, discussions of risk and loss aversion can support the informed consent process by reducing “noise” that may obscure gender identity and embodiment goals and delay critical decisions. Using this framework and understanding the impact of oppositional sexism and the gender binary can help clinicians understand why their clients might be hesitant to transition and how they can help affirm their client’s gender identity while supporting their transition goals. This approach is especially helpful when working with individuals who undergo transition in later life who may be struggling to overcome tacit assumptions about sex and gender identity that stand in the way of pursuing gender-affirming care. Full article

Social media is an integral part of everyday life for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds and is sometimes recognised as a ‘critical lifeline’ enabling access to essential support during settlement. Despite this, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women in Australia often have limited and uneven access to critical social media literacy education opportunities, and there remains a lack of in-depth research exploring what CALD women want to learn and how they wish to participate in such educational interventions. Adopting an education justice approach, this article advances a framework for social media literacy education developed with women from refugee backgrounds. The study employed semi-structured interviews and co-design workshops with women from refugee backgrounds, alongside staff from local public libraries and refugee support organisations. The study demonstrates that women from refugee backgrounds primarily use social media for communication and connection, but are also interested in learning how to use these platforms to navigate sexism, racism, and other systemic barriers to settlement. The proposed framework—which can be adopted by public libraries and other grassroots organisations—responds directly to women’s calls for peer-led, value-driven, context-specific, and culturally responsive social media literacy interventions. Full article

Objective: This metasynthesis analyzes the current evidence on the perceptions of sexism among video game players (men and women) and the video game industry. Methods: The databases Scopus and ProQuest were used to select 15 qualitative studies in a final analysis. The analysis used the reciprocal translation technique to analyze and interpret the data. Results: Three primary themes emerged: normalized violence in gamer environments (n = 13), strategies to confront sexism/gender harassment (n = 10), and internal ambivalence and tension (n = 10). The results show that female videogame players experience daily hostility due to the fact of being women in an environment of male dominance. This leads to recurring confrontations, which can result in female video game players being questioned in terms of identity and behavior by both themselves and the community. Conclusions: This metasynthesis suggests that sexism in online video game environments is not an isolated phenomenon and directly affects the experience of female video game players. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of further exploring the perceptions and experiences of different groups within gamer communities, in order to make progress towards a more egalitarian and diverse culture. Full article

Despite the progress made in recent decades, sexism is a prevalent problem today and has permeated society at a systemic level, including education. This study seeks to analyse the perception of sexism by senior secondary school teachers and trainee teachers. The research was carried out using qualitative methodology, using a semi-structured interview as a data collection instrument. The analysis consisted of the collection of teachers’ experiences for subsequent evaluation and comparison. The results obtained describe similarities between the groups in the perception of sexism in the classroom, but distinguish the justification behind sexist behaviour, and make explicit the lack of specific training for teachers in both groups in the area of sexism in science. These results point to the perceived need for more comprehensive training on sexism among secondary school teachers, according to the experiences and interpretations reported by the participants. Full article

The ambivalent sexism theory supports differences in the manifestations of sexism among individuals with diverse genders and sexual orientations. However, it still remained unclear whether individuals who share common strong cultural values endorse different levels of sexism according to their gender and sexual orientation. The current study aimed to examine differences in sexist attitudes based on gender and sexual orientation among Korean adults. We first tested measurement invariance in a Korean Multi-dimensional Sexism Inventory (K-MSI) between heterosexuals (n = 374) and sexual minorities (n = 445), and second, we compared the latent means across groups using the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model. The results confirmed the first-order six-factor structure of the K-MSI with adequate internal consistency, and supported partial scalar invariance across heterosexual and sexual minority men and women. The MIMIC model approach revealed significant age, gender, and sexual orientation differences in most of hostile sexism (HS) and benevolent sexism (BS) components. Overall, heterosexuals reported higher levels of sexism than non-heterosexuals within each gender. Gender differences in BS have become nuanced when sexual orientation was considered. The current study also provides an overview of Korean culture that may uniquely influences individuals’ sexist attitudes, which would interest international researchers. Full article

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) represents a major public health and social concern, with evidence linking persistent sexist beliefs to a higher likelihood of experiencing or perpetrating GBV, particularly among young adults. This study aimed to examine attitudes towards GBV among university students in Castilla-La Mancha, providing insight into ongoing gender inequalities within higher education. A total of 399 undergraduate and double-degree students at the University of University of Castilla-La Mancha completed the 47-item Gender and Violence Attitudes Questionnaire (GVAQ), and data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational methods. The results indicate the persistence of sexist beliefs and justifications for violence, with significant differences according to sex, age, and academic discipline: men scored higher overall on the GVAQ (M = 101.69) than women (M = 83.82), students in Engineering and Architecture scored higher (M = 100.89) than those in Arts and Humanities (M = 83.22), and younger students (≤25 years) scored slightly higher (M = 89.63) than older students (≥26 years) (M = 85.91). These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted educational programmes integrating a gender perspective to challenge entrenched sexist attitudes and reduce GBV in university contexts, fostering safer and more equitable learning environments. Full article

This article discusses the implications of gender- and race-based discrimination on the social relationships and trauma recovery process of victim–survivors of sexual violence. Challenges faced by victim–survivors in reflecting on their trauma experience and seeking social and professional support are discussed. Marginalizing social and sexual norms, implications of gender- and race-based oppression, and context-based factors in trauma recovery work are also discussed. The analysis shared in this article is based on a literature review, supported by a case discussion. Using key words like sexual trauma/sexual violence/rape, sexism, racism, racial trauma, and social marginalization, the author conducted a search and review of the available scientific literature using two databases: PsycINFO and Google Scholar. The results from the literature review and analysis suggest that fostering healthy relational experiences is key to safely and effectively supporting sexual trauma recovery for racialized women victim–survivors. Based on the analysis of the existing literature and a clinical case, this article seeks to shed light on multilayered relational challenges facing racialized women victim–survivors of sexual violence. A relational–systemic approach to clinical work with the studied population is also discussed and recommended. Full article

This study addresses the persistence of gender inequalities among university students by analysing the acceptance of modern myths about sexual assault and ambivalent sexism in the academic context. These beliefs, although subtle or socially accepted, contribute to the normalisation of sexual violence and hinder progress towards real equality. The aim of this research was to analyse the presence of these attitudes among students at the University of Granada and to examine their relationship according to gender. A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional design was used with a sample of 210 students. Data were collected using the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) and the Acceptance of Modern Myths about Sexual Aggression Scale (AMMSA-21) and analysed using descriptive statistics, correlations and non-parametric tests. The results show greater acceptance of myths and sexist attitudes among men, as well as a positive correlation between ambivalent sexism (hostile and benevolent) and acceptance of myths. These findings confirm the persistence of symbolic justifications for sexual violence in the university setting. The study concludes by highlighting the need for preventive educational interventions and institutional strategies that promote equality and consent. Full article

Perspectives on race and gender from Black women professors in higher education today are shaped by their lived experiences navigating both systemic racism and sexism within academia. These perspectives often reflect a unique intersectional understanding of institutional challenges, resilience, and advocacy for equity. Full article

Professional women football players have increased in Spain, but the little more than 107,000 licences registered in 2023 are still far from the more than one million for men. Androcentrism, gender roles, and the invisibility of female athletes in the media have been some of the problems they have faced. By comparing the media coverage of the four most widely read newspapers in Spain (Marca, El País, El Mundo, and AS) during the first World Cup played by the Spanish Women’s National Football Team (2015) and the most recent one (2023), we have identified the media characterisation of the players through discourse analysis. From the reading of 145 documents from 2015 and 375 from 2023, 39 semantic codes emerged, which rose to 47 in the second sample. The conclusions point to a trend of androcentrism through additions such as “women’s” football or “female” footballers and a proliferation of quotations in which the male coach is the protagonist, although there has been progress in the number of pages and resources used by each outlet. Regarding language, the decline in the characterisation of the players as “girls” or “youngsters” and the increase in references to their Talent or Leadership represent advances. Full article

Digital sexual harassment (DSH) perpetration among youth is a concerning issue that requires further research attention. This study examined the prevalence of DSH perpetration according to gender, age, sexual orientation, and relationship status, and explored risk factors (hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, and moral disengagement) and protective factors (online ethical values). A total of 1098 Spanish adolescents and young adults aged 13–23 years (Mage = 16.07, SDage = 2.38) completed a self-report survey. Descriptive, correlational, and binomial regression analyses were conducted. Results showed that 13.4% of participants engaged in DSH in the past 12 months. Male participants reported more than twice the rates observed among female participants (21.1% vs. 7.9%), and adolescents reported higher prevalence than young adults, whereas no differences emerged for sexual orientation or relationship status. Regression analyses indicated that benevolent sexism was a consistent predictor, while gender moderated the effects of hostile sexism and moral disengagement. Hostile sexism predicted perpetration only among female participants and predicted moral disengagement only among male participants. Importantly, online ethical values emerged as a novel protective factor, substantially reducing the likelihood of perpetration and buffering, though not eliminating, the risks associated with high moral disengagement. These findings provide evidence for prevention strategies and underscore the role of ethical values in addressing gendered forms of online violence. Full article