Child sexual abuses myths: the role of individual and sociocognitive variables

• Autor(a) principal: Chim, Inês da Costa Nunes Mesquita
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/18941
• topic: Child sexual abuse; Myths about sexual abuse; Sexism; Abuso sexual; Mitos sobre o abuso sexual; Sexismo; Psicologia social; Violência sexual; Género; Portugal

Sexual violence myths dissemination legitimizes violent behaviors with potential negative individual and social consequences (e.g., higher levels of victim blame and reduced levels of offender blame, negative influence on judicial decisions). In this study, we aim to translate and adapt the Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale (CSAMS) to the Portuguese context and to explore the moderating role of sex in the relationship between sexism and child sexual abuse myths. A total of 423 adults (66.2% female) filled out a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory and the CSAMS. The CSAMS validity and reliability results showed the appropriateness of the original three-factor model: Blame Diffusion (α=.81), Restrictive Stereotypes (α=.73) and Denial of Abusiveness (α=.64). The moderation model was not statistically significant; however, specific patterns were identified by sex: for women, higher levels of Benevolent Sexism predicted higher levels of Blame Diffusion and Restrictive Stereotypes and higher levels of Hostile Sexism predicted higher levels of Restrictive Stereotypes. For men, only Hostile Sexism was a predictor of myths. Statistically significant sex differences were found in the relationship between Hostile Sexism and Denial of Abusiveness (zscore = 2.016, p = .044). The results showed appropriate validity and reliability evidence. Sexist attitudes significantly predict myth dissemination, and additional evidence is needed about the role of sex in these relationships. Implications for practice and for evidence-based research will be identified.