Benevolent and hostile sexism among adolescents: Role of parental and peer attachment

Abstract

Attachment is a persistent and strong emotional bond between two people in which one wishes for intimacy and feels more secure when the attachment image is present. This study explored the relationship of parental and peer attachment with sexism among adolescent boys. 180 adolescent boys residing in the Delhi, NCR areas aged 15 to 20 years participated in the study. The Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment Revised (IPPA-R) and Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) measures were administered to the participants. The majority of the sample was found to have higher peer attachment than parental attachment. The results of the study found a negative relationship between parental attachment and endorsement of sexism, and a positive relationship was found between peer attachment and sexism among adolescent boys. It was also found that boys showed higher benevolent sexism as compared to hostile sexism. The study’s findings may be relevant in the current scenario because women are victimized by many violent acts continuously world wide. The findings of this study may be useful for the health care professionals to develop intervention programs for adolescents at the school level and family level so that awareness and healthy habits may be developed for gender equality and respect for women among adolescents