Perceptions of Common Rape: How Rape Myth Acceptance, Victim Gender, and Victim Resistance Affect Victim and Perpetrator Blame Attributions in Party Rape and Date Rape

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110680
Author(s):  
Suzanne St. George
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Date Rape ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Victim Blame ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Blame Attributions ◽  
Victim Resistance ◽  
Perpetrator Blame ◽  
Victim Gender

Among rape perception studies, common types of male rape remain understudied. Using a randomized vignette design, I sampled 622 college students from a large Southwestern university to examine how victim gender and victim resistance influence blame attributions in party rape and date rape. Results revealed important interactions between victim gender, victim resistance, and rape type. Among other effects, resistance only affected victim blame in date rapes involving male victims. Results indicated that how respondents perceive victim and perpetrator responsibility, and which factors influence these perceptions, vary across rape type and victim gender. Implications for the rape perception literature are discussed.

Blame Attributions of Victims and Perpetrators: Effects of Victim Gender, Perpetrator Gender, and Relationship

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E. Ayala ◽  
Brandy Kotary ◽  
Maria Hetz
Keyword(s):  
Victim Blame ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Women's College ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Blame Attributions ◽  
Male Perpetrators ◽  
Female Perpetrators ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Perpetrator Blame ◽  
Victim Gender

Although research has been conducted on rape myth acceptance (RMA) and other factors associated with attribution formation, researchers have not yet determined how the combination of such factors simultaneously affects levels of victim blame and perpetrator blame. The current investigation recruited 221 students from an all-women’s college to examine differences in blame attributions across RMA, victim gender, and perpetrator gender, and the relationship between the two parties (i.e., stranger vs. acquaintance). Results suggested that RMA, victim gender, and perpetrator gender account for a significant amount of variance in blame attributions for both victims and perpetrators. In sum, victim blame with female perpetrators was relatively consistent across levels of RMA, but increased substantially for male perpetrators as individuals endorsed higher levels of RMA. Perpetrator blame, however, was highest with male perpetrators when individuals endorsed low levels of RMA and lowest for male perpetrators when individuals endorsed relatively higher levels of RMA. Findings demonstrate the continued influence of RMA on blame attributions for both victims and perpetrators, and the stigma faced by male victims. More research is needed on the differing attributions of male and female victims and perpetrators, as well as differing attributions based on type of relationship. Such research will lead to a better and more thorough understanding of sexual assault and rape.

Rape Myth Acceptance Among College Students in India: Prevalence and Predictors in a Changing Context

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Hanif Qureshi ◽  
Teresa C. Kulig ◽  
Francis T. Cullen ◽  
Bonnie S. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Myth Acceptance

Cognitive Style and Attitudinal Correlates of the Perceived Causes of Rape Scale

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Cowan ◽  
Wendy J. Quinton
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Cognitive Style ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Male Sexuality ◽  
Acceptance Scale

This study examines the relations between beliefs about the causes of rape and attitudinal and cognitive style (the tendency to think about social problems systemically, the view of people as complex and changeable, and an intellectual personality) measures in a sample of 270 community-college students. The Perceived Causes of Rape (PCR) Scale included the following subscales: Male Dominance, Society and Socialization, Female Precipitation, Male Sexuality, and Male Hostility. Beliefs about the causes of rape varied on three dimensions: individual versus sociocultural causes of rape, those causes that focus on the perpetrator versus those that focus on the victim, and rape myths versus feminist beliefs. The causes of rape identified as rape myths were associated with male sexuality stereotypes, a version of Burt's (1980) Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, attitudes toward feminism, and self-identification as a feminist. Agreement with the sociocultural causes of rape was associated with cognitive style measures and age. We suggest that belief in sociocultural causes of rape may require a predisposition to think systemically as much as an ideological stance.

scholarly journals Influence of Victim and Perpetrators’ Alcohol Use on Social Work Student’s Levels of Rape Myth Acceptance

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne Baldwin-White ◽  
Nada Elias-Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Date Rape ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Myth Acceptance

Rape myths are stereotyped, false cultural values that serve to justify sexual assault against women. This study examined the perceptions of alcohol use on levels of rape myth acceptance among social work students. One hundred and ninety-five bachelor's and master's students were randomly assigned to read a vignette developed by researchers depicting a date rape with the victim, perpetrator, both, or neither consuming alcohol. Results of a descriptive analysis showed that students are willing to accept certain rape-supportive beliefs, but not others. Participant responses to rape myths differed based on the particular vignette the respondent was assigned to read. Further research is needed to examine the particular myths social work students endorse and the situational factors that influence those endorsements. Social work students must be educated about how endorsements of rape myths can affect their interaction with survivors and perpetrators.

scholarly journals GENDER ROLE NORM CONFORMITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joke Depraetere ◽  
Ines Keygnaert ◽  
Christophe Vandeviver
Keyword(s):  
Gender Role ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Male Victims ◽  
Role Norm ◽  
Role Norms ◽  
Myth Acceptance

Background. The possibility of men being perceived as sexual violence victims is constrained by stereotypical masculine gender norms, describing men as dominant and sexual opportunists, and by rape myths. These stereotypical views suggest that men cannot suffer adverse psychological consequences from sexual victimization and are less affected by it compared to women. Nevertheless, research demonstrates that men suffer psychologically from sexual victimization similar to women, and that their victimization might be associated with poorer psychological health outcomes compared to women. Additionally, scholars have argued that stereotypical gender roles and rape myths may worsen the adverse outcomes of sexual victimization. Yet, thus far, empirical research to test these hypotheses was lacking.Method. We examined the psychological consequences of sexual victimization among 696 male (n = 135) and female (n = 561) college students who self-identified as victims of sexual violence. We examined the effect of gender role norm endorsement and rape myth acceptance on the severity of self-reported psychological consequences of sexual victimization. Results. Results showed that, overall, female victims disclose psychological consequences to a greater extent than male victims. Our findings confirmed that higher endorsement of both masculine and feminine gender role norms increase the severity of psychological consequences among both men and women. Rape myth acceptance only influenced the severity of the consequences for female victims but in the opposite direction than hypothesized. Nonetheless, the odds ratio suggest that the influence of rape myth acceptance is negligible. Conclusion. With this study we point out the problematic influence gender role norms have on victims of sexual violence, particularly male victims, and the consequences they may suffer. We argue for a deconstruction of stereotypical masculine role norms in order for men to accept their victimization and talk about their experiences with others.

Why Her Behaviour Is Still on Trial: The Absence of Context in the Modernisation of the Substantive Law on Consent

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Cossins
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Victim Blame ◽  
Sexual Autonomy ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Substantive Law

Two cases studies illustrate the paradox at the heart of the substantive law of sexual assault – that it is possible (i) for a woman who does not communicate her consent to be deemed to consent; and (ii) for a defendant to have a reasonable belief about a woman’s consent even though it is accepted that she did not consent, both of which undermine the concept of her sexual autonomy. In light of the research on rape myth acceptance (‘RMA’) which shows that RMA is one of the most consistent predictors of victim blame in sexual assault scenarios, this article discusses how sexual assault law reform in New South Wales in 2007, which introduced a ‘communicative’ model of consent, has been subsequently undermined by the decisions in two recent judge-alone trials. Options for reform are discussed in light of the community standards expected under a ‘communicative’ model of consent.

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