Abstract
This study examined the sexist attitudes endorsed, and the knowledge pertaining to domestic violence and sexual assault that high school students possessed prior to, and post a four day educational program. This study sought to find out if students from a single sex school environment were more or less prone to endorsing sexism and victim blaming attitudes than students attending a coeducational school. Data from three different school locales was compared: an all male private school, an all female private school, and male students from a coed public school. Two different sources of data was collected and analyzed. A 25 question five-point Likert scale pre/post survey was used which posed a variety of statements concerning sexism, sexual assault and victim blaming. In addition a five question open ended questionnaire was used which allowed students an opportunity to evaluate both the curricular content and the educator who delivered the program. The quantitative data was analyzed utilizing a t-test, computation of pre and post mean, and a comparison of percentages. The qualitative data was analyzed employing a thematic approach. The quantitative data did not reveal one male group consistently possessing a greater propensity of victim blaming or sexist attitudes than the other male group. Compared to the all female group, however, both male groups demonstrated exceptionally high levels of both victim blaming and sexist attitudes, both prior to the presentation and post, demonstrating a resistance to changing their beliefs pertaining to the topics. The qualitative did reveal several themes which does suggest a greater rejection of the program and the female educator came from the all male group.