Comparing Rape Myth Acceptance Among Police Trainees and Medical Students: A Preliminary Danish Validation of the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110389
Author(s):  
Marie Skov ◽  
Sarah van Mastrigt ◽  
Andreas V. Jensen

Identifying rape myths among criminal justice and medical professionals is central to preventing secondary victimization. We present the first preliminary Danish validation of McMahon and Farmer’s updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance scale using samples of police and medical trainees. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses result in a 14-item, four-factor measure that demonstrates acceptable model fit, satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity, and good internal consistency. Although reported rape myth acceptance is generally low in both samples, some subscale scores vary across professional groups, thereby identifying specific targets for intervention in different occupational contexts. Further tests of the scale are recommended.

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Euna Oh ◽  
Helen Neville

The purpose of this investigation was to develop a culturally relevant rape myth acceptance scale for Koreans. Three studies on the Korean Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (KRMAS) with approximately 1,000 observations provide initial validity and reliability. Specifically, results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses support four subscales: myths about rape survivors, rape perpetrators, the impact of rape, and rape as spontaneous. The KRMAS was validated with student and community samples and a factorial invariance analysis provided evidence for the factor structure across men and women. The KRMAS total score was positively related to the Attitudes Toward Sex Role Scale–Korean and the Acceptance of Violence Scale, indicating that greater endorsement of rape myth acceptance was related to greater levels of attitudes toward traditional sex roles and violence against women. Implications of the findings and future research directions are provided.


Author(s):  
Boglárka Nyúl ◽  
Anna Kende

AbstractThe Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (UIRMAS) has been widely used for measuring rape myth acceptance. The scale was created in the United States, however studies have shown that rape myth is a culturally and socially embedded phenomenon. Therefore, in order to measure rape myth acceptance in other parts of the world, the scale needs to be validated. Victim blaming and rape myths are both widespread in public reactions to rape in Hungary (i.e., in media reports and public opinion). Furthermore, Hungary can be characterized by a weak feminist movement and scoring low on gender equality measures. Nevertheless, we expected and found the reliability and validity of the Hungarian version of the Updated Illinois Rape myth acceptance Scale (UIRMAS). In Study 1 we conducted a confirmative factor analysis to assess the structural validity of the scale and identified the original factors of UIRMAS on a large convenience sample (N = 758, 25.4% men 74.6% women). In line with previous empirical evidence we also found that men, people with stronger just-world beliefs and higher sexism accepted rape myths more. In Study 2 we again found support for the original factor structure and construct validity of UIRMAS on a nationally representative sample (N = 1007, 49.2% men 50.8% women), and also tested its convergent and discriminant validity. The results suggest that UIRMAS is a valid and reliable scale in the Hungarian context that can, for example, be used for measuring impact assessment of interventions.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Xue ◽  
Gang Fang ◽  
Hui Huang ◽  
Naixue Cui ◽  
Karin V. Rhodes ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Agnieszka Ewa Łyś ◽  
Kamilla Bargiel-Matusiewicz ◽  
Tomasz Krasuski ◽  
Anna Studzińska

AbstractStereotyped beliefs concerning rape, called rape myths, are a global problem. The aim of the studies was to assess the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale which is used to assess rape myth acceptance. The tool has a high internal consistency (α = .92) and an overly good test-retest reliability (the It Wasn’t Really Rape subscale being one exception), The five-factor model fits the data better than the four-factor one. Both in the case of the four-factor and the five-factor models the brief version fits the data better than the full one. The study also demonstrated positive correlations of rape myth acceptance with right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, system justification, cultural conservatism, hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, beliefs in biological origins of the differences between men and women and unjust world beliefs. The correlation between rape myth acceptance and beliefs in cultural origins of the differences between men and women was negative. The analyses suggest that the Polish Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale is a reliable and valid tool and can be useful for further studies of rape myth acceptance.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052091683
Author(s):  
Ashley K. Fansher ◽  
Sara B. Zedaker

An extensive amount of research has been devoted to understanding rape myths, especially in the context of sexual attitudes. Few studies have examined sexual actions as a correlate of rape myth acceptance (RMA). As such, this study utilizes the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMA) and its four distinct subscales to examine adherence to rape myths and an individual’s view of sex and sexuality in a sample of 1,310 college students. The IRMA was included in its entirety and separated into its four subscales: “She asked for it,” “He didn’t mean to,” “It wasn’t really rape,” and “She lied.” Results indicated that the most impactful variables for all four subscales were adversarial heterosexual beliefs, stereotypical gender beliefs, and being male. The main implications of this study pertain to implementation of programming. Intervention programming should focus on younger males due to their increased adherence to certain rape myths. Furthermore, programs that address not only rape myths but also other traditional and negative belief systems should be employed. Results of this study lend support to the supposition that it is not necessarily individual characteristics that have a large effect on RMA but is instead a strong adherence to traditional belief systems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corina Schulze ◽  
Sarah Koon-Magnin

This study is among the first to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and rape myth adherence using a nationwide survey of primarily lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) respondents (n = 184). The more established Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale and a modified Male Rape Survey serve as the primary instruments to test both rape myth adherence and instrument-appropriateness. Results suggest that respondents were most likely to support myths that discredit sexual assault allegations or excuse rape as a biological imperative and least likely to support myths related to physical resistance. Consistent with previous work, men exhibited higher levels of rape myth adherence than women. Regarding sexual orientation, respondents who identified as queer consistently exhibited lower levels of rape myth adherence than respondents who identified as gay.


2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Beshers ◽  
Margaret DiVita

The objective of this study is to characterize changes in rape myth acceptance (RMA) among college students from 2010 to 2017. Two samples of undergraduates in a northeastern university in the United States participated in the study, consisting of 464 students in the fall semester of 2010 and 534 students in the spring semester of 2017. Participants took an anonymous web-based survey to measure levels of RMA. The instrument was a revised and updated version of the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance scale. Data analysis was both descriptive and inferential. For all subscales and the overall total RMA, differences in scores by year of survey (2017 compared with 2010) were significant; 2017 scores were significantly lower than 2010 scores. The greatest differences were for the She asked for it and She lied subscales, 1.76 versus 2.62 ( p < .001) and 2.26 versus 2.69 ( p < .001), respectively. In both years, male students and younger students were significantly more likely to endorse rape myths. RMA among undergraduates at one northeastern university has lessened since 2010.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 814-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelise Mennicke ◽  
Delaney Anderson ◽  
Karen Oehme ◽  
Stephanie Kennedy

In a study to assess law enforcement officers’ perceptions of rape and rape victims, researchers asked 149 law enforcement officers to respond to surveys which included a definition of rape measure, an unfounded rape claims measure, and the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Revised (RMA-R) measure. Although most officers scored low on the RMA-R—indicating that they did not adhere to myths about rape—most officers also responded with incomplete definitions of rape and inaccurate estimates of the number of false rape claims. Multivariate analyses indicated that officers’ open-ended responses did not predict their scores on the RMA-R scale. It is argued that the RMA-R alone does not accurately measure officers’ understanding of rape. Officers need ongoing training on the legal elements of the crime, the necessity of sensitivity with victims, and research-based statistics on the prevalence of rape.


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1218-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca B. Spohn

To examine the social desirability correlates for acceptance of rape myths, university students, 134 women and 56 men, completed the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The mean score on the former was 98.8 and for the latter 14.3. Over-all, scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale were not significantly correlated with scores on the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale ( r = .10). Values were .03 for women and .16 for men.


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