Abstract
Feminist theory and the sociological thinking of Gagnon and Simon (1973) complement each other in predicting the causes of a sense of sexual vulnerability in adult women. Using these theoretical perspectives, the authors predicted that females rather than males would be the targets of active efforts to instill a sense of sexual vulnerability, and that the effects of these efforts would be revealed most strongly in adult females rather than in children. An interview was used to collect data on the frequency and content of warnings received by men and women as children and as adults, the source of the warnings, and how concerned respondents felt as a result of the warnings. Results indicate that as children, neither female nor male respondents recall receiving many warnings of sexual danger, nor do they recall feeling much concern during childhood about potential sexual assault or harassment. Males continue to report low levels of warnings and fear as adults. However, adult women report much higher levels of both warnings and fear of sexual assault than either their adult male counterparts reported, or than they themselves felt as children. These results support other findings which suggest that gender differences in sexual socialization occur largely in adolescence, rather than in early childhood.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brownmiller, S. Against our will: Men, women and rape. New York: Bantam Books, 1975.
Byrne, D. Social psychology and the study of sexual behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 1977, 3(1), 3–30.
Estep, R. E., Burt, M. R., & Milligan, H. J. The socialization of sexual identity. Journal of Marriage and the Family 1977, 39(1), 99–112.
Gagnon, J., & Simon, W. Sexual conduct. Chicago: Aldine, 1973.
Griffin, S. Rape: The all-American crime. Ramparts September 1971, pp. 26–35.
Medea, A., & Thompson, K. Against rape. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974.
Peplau, L. A., Rubin, Z., & Hill, C. T. Sexual intimacy in dating relationships. Journal of Social Issues 1977, 33(2), 86–109.
Rosenberg, M. The dissonant context and the adolescent self-concept. In S. E. Dragastin & G. H. Elder (Eds.), Adolescence in the life cycle: Psychological change and social context Washington, D.C.: Hemisphere, 1975.
Safilios-Rothschild, C. Love, sex, and sex roles. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1977.
Simmons, R. G., Rosenberg, F., & Rosenberg, M. Disturbance in the self-image at adolescence. American Sociological Review 1973, 38(5), 553–568.
Sparks, C. Community action strategies to stop rape. Grant application #1 R18 MH 29049 to the National Center for Prevention and Control of Rape, NIMH, 1976.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported in part by a grant from the Graduate School, University of Minnesota, to the first author, and by faculty research funds from an NIMH Deviance Traineeship Program to the Department of Sociology, University of Minnesota. It was conducted while the first author was associated with the Department of Sociology, University of Minnesota. The authors would like to thank Rochelle S. Albin and Sharon Studer for thoughtul comments on an earlier draft of this paper. For further information, contact Martha R. Burt, Ph.D., Urban Institute, 2100 M Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Burt, M.R., Estep, R.E. Apprehension and fear: Learning a sense of sexual vulnerability. Sex Roles 7, 511–522 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288628
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288628