About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 7. Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Abstract

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This study examined the association between gender discrimination and academic outcomes among adolescent girls. Gender discrimination refers to the bias individuals experience because of their gender (Brown & Stone, 2016; Leaper & Brown, 2014). This form of discrimination disproportionately affects girls and women (Kågesten et al., 2016) and is linked to several adverse outcomes, including poor academic performance (Brown & Stone, 2016; Leaper & Brown, 2014). Most research on gender discrimination has focused on adults. Therefore, it is essential to generate new knowledge about how adolescents, particularly girls, experience this bias during a critical developmental period. Gender discrimination may manifest in both overt and subtle forms (Swim & Cohen, 1997) and can occur in interpersonal interactions as harassment or mistreatment (Goh & Tignor, 2020; Swim et al., 2001). Despite this, research specifically examining these multidimensional aspects of gender discrimination among adolescents remains limited. To address these gaps, we investigated how different forms (overt and subtle) and sources (peers, school personnel, and other important adults) of gender discrimination relate to academic achievement among adolescent girls.

Data were collected with paper-and-pencil surveys from two public high schools in the Western United States. Participants were 725 adolescents (Mage = 15.90; High School One: n = 387; High School Two: n = 338) in grades 9-12. They identified as either cisgender girls (98.62%) or transgender girls (1.38%). Gender discrimination was measured with five subscales that assessed both overt and subtle forms (α = 0.85 to 0.92). Example items included, “How often have you been insulted by teenagers because of your gender?” and “Someone tells you that sexism does not exist anymore.” Response options ranged from 1 (never) to 5 (all of the time). Academic achievement was measured with one item: “Generally, what grades do you get in your classes?” Response options ranged from 1 (A’s) to 5 (F’s), which were reverse coded. Social class was assessed via maternal education (range: no high school diploma to a doctorate), as it is a valid and reliably reported indicator of social class among adolescents (Diemer et al., 2013).

To examine the association between various forms of gender discrimination and academic achievement, we conducted hierarchical regression analyses for the two high schools. The variables were entered in two blocks: Block 1 included covariates (age, race/ethnicity, and social class), and Block 2 included gender discrimination (five subscales that were examined separately). Results showed that in High School One, overt discrimination from school personnel, overt discrimination from other important adults, and subtle negative treatment were associated with lower academic achievement. No significant associations were observed in High School Two.

Our findings underscore the need for interventions to address both overt and subtle gender discrimination in educational settings to improve academic outcomes for adolescent girls. The variations in findings between schools suggest that school-specific factors may influence these trends. Implementing anti-gender discrimination training for educators and developing comprehensive gender equity policies are crucial steps toward creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for students of all gender identities.

Author information

Author	Role
Vani Kakar, San Francisco State University	Presenting author
Jo Nisa Cabilogan, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Manuel Abundis-Morales, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Busra Dogru, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Adam Suri, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Sean Hennigan, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Jeremiah Sadile Sabale, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Abraham Tou Jang Moua, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Jay Michael Espinoza, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Christopher Garcia, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author
Zena R. Mello, Department of Psychology, College of Science & Engineering, San Francisco State University	Non-presenting author

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