Rape Stereotype Acceptance in the General Population of England and Wales

The #MeToo movement has facilitated a growing awareness in the UK of rape stereotypes but there has been little research on how accurately rape is perceived in this region, especially regarding demographics such as ethnicity and age. This study recruited 1,000 participants, representative of the UK population, to complete an online survey prompting beliefs about rape perpetrators, rape victims, rape allegations, male rape, and motives for and consequences of rape. After carrying out frequency analyses on agree-incorrect and disagree-incorrect statements, we found that, generally, accuracy was high, although there were higher levels of stereotype acceptance for perpetrator related stereotypes. Further analysis found that in terms of demographic differences, Black and Asian participants and men were significantly more likely to accept stereotypes than other demographic groups. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, including potential for jury education, and educational media campaigns aimed at the demographics most likely to accept stereotypes.

No Less of a Man: Inducing Empathy to Reduce Male Rape Myth Acceptance

Male sexual assault is an understudied area. Interventions aimed at reducing negative attitudes toward male survivors have received relatively little attention in the field of sexual assault and violence. This may be related to underreported or insufficient data on male survivors or possibly the acceptance of male rape myths. The current research examines the effect of a hypothetical male sexual assault survivor story and empathy writing task on changes in male rape myth acceptance (MRMA) among U.S. men and women ( N = 95). Further, the researchers sought to understand the differences between men and women in MRMA change scores and state emotional empathy for the hypothetical survivor after the empathy induction. Finally, the researchers examined whether state emotional empathy would predict reductions in MRMA and whether participant sex would predict state emotional empathy for the hypothetical survivor after accounting for knowing a male survivor and preinduction MRMA. The results indicated that both men and women experienced significant decreases in MRMA postinduction, and men and women experienced similar levels of change. Additionally, state emotional empathy and preinduction MRMA were the only significant predictors of change scores. Although women reported higher state emotional empathy for the hypothetical survivor, sex was not a significant predictor of state emotional empathy after accounting for personally knowing a male survivor and preinduction MRMA. This research fills a gap in the literature by identifying men’s stories of sexual assault and empathy writing as potential methods to reduce MRMA.

To Endure: An Exploration of Male Rape in the Declamatory Cases of Pseudo-Quintilian and Seneca the Elder

<b>This thesis explores the declamatory works of Pseudo-Quintilian and Seneca the Elder (specially Major Declamations 3 and Controversiae 5.6) with particular attention being placed upon the representation of the male victims of sexual assault. </b><p>These explorations are then paralleled with modern sensibilities towards the same subject. </p> <p>The goal of this writing is to illustrate the purpose of declamation as a literary source, the way in which said declamation reveals key characteristics of Roman society and how these characteristics compare to modern approaches towards this topic. </p>

To Endure: An Exploration of Male Rape in the Declamatory Cases of Pseudo-Quintilian and Seneca the Elder

<b>This thesis explores the declamatory works of Pseudo-Quintilian and Seneca the Elder (specially Major Declamations 3 and Controversiae 5.6) with particular attention being placed upon the representation of the male victims of sexual assault. </b><p>These explorations are then paralleled with modern sensibilities towards the same subject. </p> <p>The goal of this writing is to illustrate the purpose of declamation as a literary source, the way in which said declamation reveals key characteristics of Roman society and how these characteristics compare to modern approaches towards this topic. </p>