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Rape Myth Acceptance and Sociodemographic Characteristics: A Multidimensional Analysis1
Barbara E. Johnson,2 Douglas L. Kuck, and Patricia R. Schander University of South Carolina-Aiken
Many myths have been identified surrounding rape, rapists, and rape victims This study reexamines the acceptance of rape myths across gender role ideologies and selected demographic characteristics to identify core myths. Three myth categories were established and investigated: blaming the woman, excusing the man, and justifications for acquaintance rape. Findings indicate that rape myths remain prevalent and adherence to myths is related to demographic factors and gender role attitudes. Overall respondents tend to excuse the man more than blame the woman. Males accept rape myths more than females. Racial differences emerged most strongly on the justifications for acquaintance rape dimension. Individuals with a conservative gender role ideology believe rape myths more than those with more liberal ideologies. While core myths did not emerge from the data, the most revealing finding is that summative scaling techniques used in previous studies may mask important differences, between and within the three dimensions, in rape myth acceptance among the groups studied.
Today's college students have been raised in an environment in which rape is recognized as a social problem. For decades, the feminist movement in the United States has focused considerable public attention on the issue of rape. Rape legislation reform and rape awareness have been significant social concerns since at least the 1970s. However, rape remains a serious social problem and many myths persist regarding rape in American society. Lonsway and Fitzgerald (1994, p. 134) define rape myths as "[a}ttitudes and beliefs that are generally false but are widely and persistently held,
and that serve to deny and justify male sexual aggression against women." Typical myths revolve around ideas that victims somehow contribute to their own victimization or that the perpetrators are not really responsible for their actions. Sex stratification and gender role stereotyping have contributed to the perpetuation of these myths and the development of a culture of rape in the United States (Herman 1984; Burt 1980). These myths prevail because it is often difficult to separate rape from "normal" heterosexual behavior in American society due to the aggressive-passive, dominant-submissive nature of gender relationships (Herman 1984).
The lack of consistent cultural and...