Law Enforcement Officers’ Perception of Rape and Rape Victims: A Multimethod Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 814-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelise Mennicke ◽  
Delaney Anderson ◽  
Karen Oehme ◽  
Stephanie Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Law Enforcement Officers ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Ongoing Training ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Myth Acceptance

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.

A Brief Report on Rape Myth Acceptance: Differences Between Police Officers, Law Students, and Psychology Students in the United Kingdom

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Sleath ◽  
Ray Bull
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Law Students ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Myth Acceptance

A common perception is that police officers hold very negative attitudes about rape victims. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to establish whether police officers do accept stereotypical rape myths at a higher level compared to members of other populations. There were 3 comparison samples, composed of police officers, law students, and psychology students, that completed the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance scale. Male and female police officers accepted “she lied” myths at a higher level than the student samples. Student samples were found to accept 2 types of rape myths (“she asked for it” and “he didn’t meant to”) at a higher level compared to police officers. No significant differences were found in the other 4 subfactors. Therefore, the pattern of results suggests that police officers do not adhere to stereotypical myths about rape victims more than do other populations.

Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale--Chinese Version

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Xue ◽  
Gang Fang ◽  
Hui Huang ◽  
Naixue Cui ◽  
Karin V. Rhodes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Chinese Version ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Myth Acceptance

scholarly journals Psychometric properties of the polish updated Illinois rape myth acceptance scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Ewa Łyś ◽  
Kamilla Bargiel-Matusiewicz ◽  
Tomasz Krasuski ◽  
Anna Studzińska
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Social Dominance Orientation ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Hostile Sexism ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Myth Acceptance

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.

Development and Validation of the Korean Rape Myth Acceptance Scale

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Euna Oh ◽  
Helen Neville
Keyword(s):  
Sex Role ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Attitudes Toward Sex ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Myth Acceptance

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.

The Relationship Between Rape Myth Acceptance and Sexual Behaviors

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052091683
Author(s):  
Ashley K. Fansher ◽  
Sara B. Zedaker
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Sex And Sexuality ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Intervention Programming ◽  
Myth Acceptance

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.

Effects of gender, rape myth acceptance, and perpetrator occupation on perceptions of rape

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Duff ◽  
Amy Tostevin
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Rape Myths ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Rape Victims ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Occupation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Myth Acceptance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of gender-stereotypical beliefs and associated factors (gender, level of rape myth acceptance (RMA), and occupation) on public attitudes towards rape victims with the aim of establishing whether participant and perpetrator characteristics have effects on individuals’ attitudes towards rape victims. With regards to participants, gender, age, occupation, and the extent to which an individual endorses rape myths were investigated. The authors also considered whether participants’ attitudes were influenced by the occupation of a rapist as described in a vignette looking at occupations deemed to be stereotypically male or female. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 185 individuals participated in the study and were randomly assigned to one of three conditions based on the rapist’s occupation (stereotypically male occupation, gender-neutral occupation or stereotypically female occupation). Participants completed an online survey consisting of a RMA questionnaire, read a short vignette depicting a rape scenario (where they were also informed of the perpetrator’s occupation) and completed a further questionnaire on their attitudes towards rape victims. Results were examined by regression. Findings – The results indicate that both participant occupation and level of RMA significantly contributed to attitudes towards rape victims, however, a statistically significant effect for rapist occupation was not found. Originality/value – Findings are discussed in terms of implications for individuals working within services supporting victims of rape and the potential consequences of holding stereotypical beliefs for rape victims and perpetrators. It is important that research identifies those factors that might bias decision making in the legal system and thus impact upon outcomes for victims and offenders.

Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Rape Myth Acceptance: Preliminary Findings From a Sample of Primarily LGBQ-Identified Survey Respondents

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corina Schulze ◽  
Sarah Koon-Magnin
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Male Rape ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Physical Resistance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Myth Acceptance

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.

Changes in Rape Myth Acceptance Among Undergraduates: 2010 to 2017

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Beshers ◽  
Margaret DiVita
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Spring Semester ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Scale Data ◽  
Myth Acceptance

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.

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
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Acceptable Model ◽  
Acceptance Scale ◽  
Good Internal Consistency ◽  
Myth Acceptance

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.

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