Evidence of Gender Violence Negative Impact on Health as a Lever to Change Adolescents’ Attitudes and Preferences towards Dominant Traditional Masculinities

Maria Padrós Cuxart, Silvia Molina Roldán, Elena Gismero and Itxaso Tellado
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Maria Padrós Cuxart: Department of Teaching and Learning and Educational Organization, University of Barcelona, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron, 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
Silvia Molina Roldán: Department of Pedagogy, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carretera de Valls, s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
Elena Gismero: Department of Psychology and UNINPSI, Comillas Pontifical University, C. Universidad Pontificia Comillas, 3-5, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Itxaso Tellado: Department of Pedagogy, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, c/Sagrada Família, 7, 08500 Vic, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-15

Abstract: Women and girls experience gender violence from a young age. Scientific research has presented evidence of the negative impact of toxic relationships and toxic stress on physical and psychological health. However, less is known on how this evidence can have a preventive effect. Knowing these impacts can be important for women and girls to decide the type of affective-sexual relationships they want to have, and even transform their attraction towards different types of masculinity. This study presents results from the MEMO4LOVE project. Researchers use mixed-methods approaches, including a questionnaire ( n = 141) to study adolescents’ peer groups’ interactions that promoted healthy or toxic affective-sexual relationships, and five communicative focus groups with boys and girls to analyze how these interactions can be transformed by sharing scientific knowledge on the effects of violent relationships with adolescents. The results showed the impact of sharing with adolescents the evidence of the adverse effects of toxic relationships with violent masculinities on health. The peer group’s transformation occurred: non-violent boys gained self-confidence, and girls redirected or reinforced their attraction to non-violent boys. These results suggest the potential positive effects of knowing the impacts of toxic relationships on girls’ health.

Keywords: toxic relationships; gender violence; adolescents; peer group; masculinities; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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