Gender-Based Violence in Virtual Environments: A Look at Adolescent Reality

Y

24

Telecommunications; Handheld Devices; Gender Bias; Violence; Adolescents; Instructional Program Divisions; Gender Differences; Student Behavior; Age Differences; Internet; Social Media; LGBTQ People; Sexual Harassment; Sexual Abuse; Foreign Countries; Bullying; Victims; Social Bias; Secondary School Students

1696-2095

Introduction: Smart devices are here to stay, and in adolescence they have become the means of socialization par excellence, the fundamental instrument for communicating and relating to the world. While it is true that these types of devices offer innumerable advantages, improper use involves risks and dangers. One of these dangers is the furtherance of gender inequality, reinforcing existing social and cultural structures and provoking new types of patriarchal violence. The aim of this study was to identify behaviors of gender-based violence practiced by male and female adolescents in virtual environments, and to confirm whether there are significant differences based on the variables of gender or school grade. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive, ex post facto study was carried out in, involving 615 participating adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 years. The instrument used in this research was an ad hoc questionnaire developed for this study. Results: The results showed that behaviors of gender-based violence in virtual environments were carried out to a greater extent by the male adolescents, except in the case of behaviors related to myths of romantic love. This type of gender-based violence has been recognized by experts in the field and is carried out mainly by women. It was also observed that gender-based violence was practiced more by the 10th-graders. Discussion and conclusions: The results of this study reveal the need for educational interventions to prevent gender-based violence in virtual environments, as well as measures designed to treat the especially detrimental effects of this type of behavior in adolescence.

As Provided

2022

EJ1324671