NCJ Number
221921
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 18 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2003 Pages: 513-531
Date Published
May 2003
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study measured the immediate impact of a video-based presentation intended to decrease undergraduate college men's potential to commit rape.
Abstract
Compared to the impact of an alternative video-based program that was less carefully designed than the video-based program being evaluated, the men who participated in the experimental program changed in accordance with the targeted risk factors for committing rape; i.e., their acceptance of rape myths declined, empathy for rape victims increased, and outcome expectancies tended to comply with reality rather than fantasy. These findings are consistent with previous research that supports change in the acceptance of rape myths and empathy for victims as a means of reducing male risk for committing rape. Three video segments pertaining to rape myth acceptance, empathy for victims, and outcome expectancies were developed through expert consultation and focus groups. Evidence for the construct validity of each video component was assessed by examining change scores in a pilot study of 101 male college undergraduates on measures of rape myth acceptance, empathy for victims, and outcome expectancies. In the main study subsequently conducted, 102 male college undergraduates were randomly assigned to either the experimental program that consisted of the video-based intervention or an equivalently long, alternate video-based program that did not contain the elements of the experimental program. Participants in both presentations were administered a pretest that involved questions related to attitudes and beliefs related to the risk for coercive sexual behaviors. After the video presentations, participants were asked to complete another set of questionnaires designed to measure the strength of attitudes and beliefs related to their risk for engaging in sexually coercive behavior. 2 figures and 41 references