NCJ Number
217014
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2007 Pages: 70-86
Date Published
January 2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Fraternity members and male student athletes responded to openended questions that assessed the impact of an empathy-based rape prevention program.
Abstract
The most significant finding was the consistent, strong, and detailed comments participants made about the changes in their attitudes and behavior toward rape and rape victims. They attributed this change directly to seeing a videotape that described a male-on-male rape. Program participants said this video changed their understanding of how it feels to be raped. They connected this new understanding to empathy toward female rape survivors and confronting rape jokes by their peers. Participants also commended the nonjudgmental tone of program messages, which made them less defensive about attitudinal and behavioral change. The program, called The Men's Program, focuses on what men can do to help a sexual assault survivor. The program features a videotape in which a male police officer describes the rape of another male officer by two male perpetrators. The intent of this videotape is to help program participants consider how they would feel about being raped. Participants in the program's evaluation were 12 fraternity members and 12 student athletes who participated in focus groups 5 months after program participation. They responded to four open-ended questions about any changes in their attitudes and behaviors since being exposed to the program. 36 references