Mental health articles

the socialization in child sexual abuse A macrosystem factor that is probably implicated in the high prevalence of child sexual abuse is the socialization of both males and females, the standards of which are bound within the sociocultural norms of society. As such, beginning at even a very young age, males are socialized to be more aggressive than their female counterparts. By adolescence not only are males socialized to be more sexually aggressive than females (Orenstein, 1994), but they are also inculcated into a system of male entitlement that extends to the distribution of family labor (Major, 1993), pay within the work force (Moore, 1994), marriage (Steil, 1994), and romantic relationships (Attridge & Berscheid, 1994). The model used for presenting this inculcated sense of male entitlement as it reflects on the level of the community and family is shown. This model suggests that socialization of cultural norms primarily occurs through the community and familial environment, through which individuals internalize sex role stereotypes to a greater or lesser extent. Male entitlement both informs and is informed by the socialization process. Thus, the large majority of males in American culture develop a sense of male entitlement to the world around them, including entitlement to sex. This same environment is responsible for the formation of sex role stereotypes and attitudes towards sexuality of females and children which vary in strength depending upon the person’s environment. The combined influences of a social environment of male entitlement, gendered stereotypes, and hostile attitudes towards females decrease disinhibitors for sexual abuse that then make the act of sexual aggression more likely. Indeed, much research, especially that on rape, has found that males subscribing to traditional values, including more hostile views of females, have less egalitarian models of relationships between males and females (Greendlinger & Byrne, 1987), have more sexual partners (Pleck, Sonenstein, & Ku, 1993), are more sexually aggressive, are more likely to rape females (Mosher & Anderson, 1986; Muehlenhard & Linton, 1987), and express a greater likelihood of sexually abusing children (Briere & Runtz, 1989). While males develop a sense of entitlement, females conversely develop a sense of their lack of entitlement and vulnerability to the more powerful members of society. Females internalize this message especially within their preteen years (Orenstein, 1994) so that, by the time they move into high school, they have more filly internalized socially proscribed roles for females. While female children are surely not willing victims of child sexual abuse, they are socialized to be less powerful than, and to defer to, the more powerful and more entitled males. These dynamics can only exacerbate the physical power differential between males and females and help to explain the gross disproportion of male to female offenders.

Tags: child, sexual abuse