Young People's Attitudes To Violence Against Women Report On Findings From The Young People In Scotland Survey 2014

Gender differences

Girls were significantly more likely than boys to class as very seriously wrong both physical and controlling forms of domestic abuse, and also certain types of stalking and harassment behaviours (putting a photo of an ex-girlfriend online without telling her and being wolf-whistled at by a group of strangers, but not being sent unwanted gifts and flowers by an ex). They were also more likely to say that putting naked photos of an ex-girlfriend online should be illegal. In regards to commercial sexual exploitation, only a very small minority of both girls and boys felt that a group of men going to a strip club, or an adult reading a magazine featuring topless women, was very seriously wrong, but girls were around three times more likely than boys to say this.

Opinions around the likelihood of a behaviour causing a great deal of harm were less consistently influenced by gender, with some not being influenced by gender at all (being wolf-whistled at by a group of strangers, and a man trying to stop his wife going out with friends).

Girls were more likely to say that they would be willing to buy, without saying anything, both a girl and a boy a toy that was not traditionally associated with their gender, thus demonstrating lower levels of stereotypical gender views.