A Meta-Analysis of Rape Education Programs

Abstract

Meta-analysis of evaluation studies of rape education programs aimed at college students examined which program characteristics were related to participants’ rape-supportive attitude change. Linear regression analyses revealed that: (a) published studies yielded greater attitude change than dissertations, presentations, or unpublished studies; (b) attitude change declined over time; and (c) men in mixed-gender groups experienced less attitude change after interventions than men in single-gender groups. Implications for the development of effective rape education programs are discussed.

Stopping rape

“…The results showed that a variety of interventions, including human sexuality courses, workshops and video interventions, all appear to be successful in reducing rape myth acceptance, but benefits are sometimes short term. Brecklin and Forde (2001) carried out a meta-analysis of the characteristics of college rape education programmes most likely to increase effectiveness. They found that men in mixed-gender groups had less behavioural change than men in single-sex groups.…”

Identifying links between sexual violence and youth violence perpetration: New opportunities for sexual violence prevention.

“…These approaches often use brief, educational approaches in school-based settings to change attitudes and social norms that support or justify rape (Brecklin & Forde, 2001). Unfortunately, there is little evidence that these approaches produce lasting effects on SV behavior (Teten Tharp et al, 2011).…”

Investigating the Utility of the Film War Zone as a Component of a Street Harassment Prevention Program

“…psychoeducation), and changing intermediate outcomes that are theoretically and empirically related to perpetration such as, victim empathy, negative attitudes toward women, rape or sexual harassment myth acceptance, and self-reported acceptance of or likelihood of perpetrating the behavior. Prevention programs may be successful at changing some of these intermediate outcomes in the desired direction, although the ability of prevention programs to actually prevent the behavior itself is inconclusive (Brecklin & Forde, 2001). …”

“…rape or harassment myth acceptance), and decreasing men's reported likelihood of committing these behaviors (Brecklin & Forde, 2001;O'Donohue et al, 1998;O'Donohue, Yeater, & Fanetti, 2003). However, certain individual factors (e.g., potential for sexual coercion) and certain program conditions (e.g., gender of facilitator) are important to consider when developing interventions (Brecklin & Forde, 2001;Stephens & George, 2004;Winkel & de Kleuver, 1997 Beyond individual characteristics of participants in intervention programs, the content of programs needs to be taken into consideration. A study by Winkel & Kleuver (1997) indicates that anti-rape efforts may inadvertently increase rape-supportive attitudes.…”

“…Developing specific empathy for victims has been a target of sexual victimization prevention programs and may develop best when men are able to relate to victim's experiences (i.e., male victims; Brecklin & Forde, 2001). One drawback to this video may be that it does not depict men's reactions to street harassment coming from other people (men or women) which may have contributed to increasing men's empathy for women.…”