ERIC Number: ED280332
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1986
Pages: 19
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Differences in College Students' Belief in Common Myths about Rape by Gender and Year in College.
Yonker, Robert J.; And Others
The degree to which college students agree with common myths about rape was investigated, using the Attitude Toward Rape Questionnaire. The effect of gender and years in college on student attitudes was also assessed. The sample consisted of 500 randomly-selected students from a state-assisted, four-year residential university in Ohio. The majority of on-campus students agreed with four of eight common myth statements about rape, males more so than females and underclassmen more so than upperclassmen. The majority of students agreed that rape is a sex crime and is a male exercise in power over women, when in fact, rape is basically an act of violence. The majority of students also believed that during a rape a woman should do everything she can to resist. It is suggested that this belief may indicate a general lack of factual information about rape. Females disagreed to a greater degree than did males to the following myths: (1) in some situations a charge of rape is unjustified; (2) women provoke rape by their appearance and behavior; and (3) if a woman is going to be raped, she might as well relax and enjoy it. Some suggestions for educating students about rape are included. (SW)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A