NCJ Number
55734
Date Published
1978
Length
28 pages
Annotation
ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS ABOUT RAPE ARE STUDIED IN RELATION TO BOTH ESTABLISHING RAPE PREVENTION METHODS THROUGH EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND IMPLEMENTING SELF-DEFENSE MECHANISMS.
Abstract
THE USUAL APPROACHES TO RAPE PREVENTION FOCUS ON LEGAL DETERRENTS AND TREATMENT OF CONVICTED OFFENDERS. THE PROPOSED APPROACH INVOLVES CHANGING THE ATTITUDES PRESENT IN AMERICAN CULTURE TODAY THAT TEND TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF RAPE. THESE BELIEFS BLAME THE VICTIM FOR BEING RAPED, DENY THE POSSIBILITY OF RAPE, AND CLAIM THAT THE VICTIM WANTED TO BE AND ENJOYED BEING RAPED. RAPE VICTIM-SUPPORTIVE ATTITUDES HAVE RECEIVED LITTLE RESEARCH ATTENTION UNTIL THE 1970'S. THIS STUDY WAS INTENDED TO MEASURE THE RAPE MYTH DIRECTLY, MEASURE RELATED ATTITUDES AND ASSESS HOW MUCH THEY WERE RELATED TO RAPE MYTH ACCEPTANCE, FIND OUT IF SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS HAVING CONTACTS WITH ASSAILANTS AND VICTIMS SHARED THESE ATTITUDES, AND DETERMINE WHAT EFFECTS RAPE MYTH ACCEPTANCE HAD ON THE LABELING OF PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS RAPE. INTERVIEW SCHEDULES WERE DEVELOPED TO ASSESS THESE FACTORS; RESULTS WERE STRUCTURED BY ATTITUDE AND PERSONALITY SCALES. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MOST RAPISTS THEMSELVES DO NOT SEE RAPE AS COMPULSIVE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND THAT RACIAL STEROTYPING STILL EXISTS; RAPE IS VIEWED AS AN INTERRACIAL CRIME OF BLACK MEN AGAINST WHITE WOMEN. RAPE MYTH ACCEPTANCE IS STRONGEST AMONG THOSE PERSONS WITH LESS EDUCATION. FINALLY, PERCEPTIONS OF THE VICTIM AND ASSAILANT HAVE THE STRONGEST EFFECT ON THE PROBABILTITY OF LABELING A SITUATION A RAPE. THE SUCCESS SHOWN IN MEASURING RAPE MYTH ACCEPTANCE AND IN PREDICTING VARIABLES WHICH AFFECT IT IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD DEVELOPING SYSTEMATIC BASIC DESCRIPTIVE DATA ABOUT RAPE BELIEFS, AND BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THEIR SOURCES. TABULAR STATISTICAL DATA AND DIAGRAMS INCLUDED. (LWM)