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High school and college students' attitudes toward rape.
1Psychology Program, Stockton State College, Pomona, New Jersey 08240.
Adolescence
|January 1, 1991
Summary
High school males showed stronger belief in rape myths and blamed victims more. Belief in rape myths correlated with victim-blaming for all high school students.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Criminology
Background:
- Rape myths perpetuate harmful beliefs about sexual assault.
- Understanding victim-blaming is crucial for addressing sexual violence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between belief in rape myths and victim-blaming tendencies.
- To examine these relationships across high school and college student demographics.
Main Methods:
- Survey administered to high school and college students.
- Assessed agreement with common rape myths.
- Measured self-reported victim-blaming attitudes.
Main Results:
- High school males exhibited higher belief in rape myths compared to high school females and college males.
- High school males assigned greater blame to rape victims.
- A positive association was found between belief in rape myths and victim-blaming for both high school males and females.
Conclusions:
- Belief in rape myths is linked to increased victim-blaming among adolescents and young adults.
- Targeted interventions may be needed to challenge rape myth acceptance, particularly among young males.