Big news stories and longitudinal data collection: A prominent child sexual abuse case negatively affects parents’ attitudes toward male caregivers
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Behavioral Development
Abstract
Consumption of news media can influence attitudes toward specific groups, but the influence of news media on longitudinal data collection
has not yet been researched. We present a method to index media attention on a specific topic, as well as a case study on a big child sexual
abuse (CSA) story and its effect on parents’ attitudes toward male childcare professionals in a longitudinal study with fathers and mothers
of 207 Dutch families. Questionnaire data on attitudes toward gender-differentiated parenting were collected in four annual waves
between 2010 and 2014. NexisUni® Academic database was used to index articles on CSA to chart patterns of media attention before
and during that time span. There was an immediate increase in media attention, the amount of articles on CSA doubled, as well as a
prolonged increase in attention which culminated during the second wave of the study. In the first wave, 97 of the families participated
before the CSA case became known, and 110 participated afterward. Parents who participated after the first news about the case came out
reported a more negative attitude toward hiring a male babysitter than those who participated before it. This effect was stronger for
mothers. The negative effect on attitude endured during the subsequent waves for all fathers and for those mothers who participated
before the news broke. Findings indicate that big news stories influence attitudes that lasts over time and can therefore influence
longitudinal data. Further analysis suggests that the influence of news stories is gendered, as mothers showed a recovery in their
attitudes over time while fathers did not. We recommend further research on the effect of news on attitude and behavioral measures
in longitudinal research.
Description
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
child abuse, news media, research, International Resources, Netherlands, public perception
Citation
Kroes, A. D., der Pol, L. D. V., Groeneveld, M. G., & Mesman, J. (2021). Big news stories and longitudinal data collection: A prominent child sexual abuse case negatively affects parents’ attitudes toward male caregivers. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 01650254211042418.