NCJ Number
46266
Journal
Journal of College Student Personnel Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: (MARCH 1977) Pages: 93-96
Date Published
1977
Length
4 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES IN STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD RAPE, A 25-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DEVELOPED AND ADMINISTERED TO 200 MALE AND 200 FEMALE UNDERGRADUATES AT A LARGE SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY.
Abstract
THE MEAN AGE OF THE SUBJECTS WAS 21.3 YEARS OLD, AND 81 PERCENT OF THE MALES AND 88 PERCENT OF THE FEMALES WERE UNMARRIED. ANALYSIS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES INDICATED SIGNIFICANT ATTITUDINAL DIFFERENCES BY SEX FOR 18 OF THE 25 ITEMS. RESPONSES TO 4 ITEMS GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO SEX GROUP ATTITUDINAL DIFFERENCES: 40 PERCENT OF THE WOMEN AGREED THAT RAPE WAS A MALE EXERCISE OF POWER OVER WOMEN, WHILE ONLY 18 PERCENT OF THE MEN AGREED; MALES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO ATTRIBUTE A DESIRE FOR SEX AS THE MAIN MOTIVATION FOR RAPE THAN FEMALES; 40 PERCENT OF THE MALES, AS COMPARED TO 18 PERCENT OF THE FEMALES, FELT THAT THE DEGREE OF VICTIM RESISTANCE SHOULD BE A MAJOR FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE OCCURRENCE OF RAPE; AND 40 PERCENT OF THE MALES, AS COMPARED TO 15 PERCENT OF THE FEMALES, AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PROVE WHETHER A RAPE HAS TAKEN PLACE. THE INSENSITIVITY OF MALE STUDENTS TO THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA OF RAPE IS ILLUSTRATED IN RESPONSES TO THE FINAL TEST ITEM IN WHICH 32 PERCENT OF THE MALES, COMPARED TO 8 PERCENT OF THE FEMALES, INDICATED AGREEMENT WITH THE BELIEF THAT IT WOULD DO SOME WOMEN SOME GOOD TO GET RAPED. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS HAVE VERY DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS OF RAPE. THE MALES IN THE SAMPLE HOLD SEVERAL OF THE TRADITIONAL SEXIST ATTITUDES TOWARD RAPE DESCRIBED IN THE LITERATURE. FINDINGS ALSO SUGGEST THAT RAPE AWARENESS PROGRAMS MAY BE A NECESSARY PART OF CAMPUS CRIME PREVENTION AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. A TABLE CONTAINING THE QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS, PERCENT OF AGREEMENT FOR MALES AND FEMALES, MEANS, T-TESTS, AND DISCRIMINANT WEIGHTS IS PRESENTED. (JAP)