Canary Islands researchers analyze the relationship between sexism and gender segregation in adolescence

The Journal of Educational Research (RIE) She has published an article that links sexism and gender segregation in adolescence, that is, the tendency to associate with peers of the same sex in their friendship groups.

In this bilingual, open-access publication, ranked in the first quartile of its category, the authors confirm the prevalence of gender-based violence among adolescents, a social problem that, according to various studies, affects between 16% and 25% of Spanish girls. Underlying this phenomenon is sexism, which is the set of beliefs about the roles, characteristics, and behaviors considered appropriate for both men and women, as well as the way in which relationships between them are established.

Researchers from the University of La Laguna Angela Torbay y Eduardo Martín, The researchers responsible for the study, along with José Alexis from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Iriana Santos from the University of Cantabria, argue that sexism keeps alive the idea that women and men are essentially different, thus perpetuating inequalities. One aspect that must be considered in the analysis of this phenomenon is gender segregation, which is the tendency to associate with peers of the same sex in their friendship groups.

Some research suggests that this segregation can foster socialization into gender stereotypes and roles, especially during adolescence, which can ultimately lead to the establishment of affective-sexual relationships with a high risk of violence. This research aims to explore the relationship between gender segregation in peer relationships and sexism.

To this end, a total of 911 students from various secondary education centers on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, aged between 13 and 17 years (53.4% girls), completed an inventory of ambivalent sexism and a sociometric questionnaire.

It was found that, although most adolescents tend to form relationships with both girls and boys, approximately a quarter had segregated relationships with peers of the same sex. In all cases, boys scored higher on sexism tests. However, some relevant differences were found.

Thus, in the case of boys, the highest levels of sexism were observed among those who maintained segregated relationships, that is, primarily with other boys. This is possibly due to what was mentioned earlier regarding socialization into stereotypes and gender roles, and is a factor to consider when analyzing the behavior of the infamous "gangs.".

In contrast, it was observed that girls who maintained segregated relationships, mostly with other girls, had the lowest levels of sexism, probably due to socialization processes based on equality. However, it should also be noted that girls who primarily interacted with boys had the highest scores in sexism, as they appear to have internalized gender roles.

This study reveals several practical applications. For example, among all the actions implemented to promote coeducation, defined as educational action that fosters equality, it would be advisable to include the recommendation that groups, both for academic work in the classroom and for recreational activities in the playground, be composed of members of both genders, avoiding segregation as much as possible, and starting from the early childhood education stage. Furthermore, this recommendation should be extended to other areas beyond education.