Attitudes Toward Prostitution and Acceptance of Rape Myths¹

Abstract

Synopsis written by Rus Ervin Funk, MSW Center for Women and Families, Louisville, KYThe authors examine the relationship between attitudes towards prostitution and acceptance of rape myths. They suggest that both rape and prostitution myths are part of a cultural milieu that normalizes violence against women. Prostitution myths are those which justify the existence of prostitution, promote misinformation about prostitution and prostituted women, and contribute to a social climate that exploits and harms not only prostituted women but all women. This study explores the relationship between the acceptance of prostitution myths and rape myths amongst college undergraduate students in several states (California, Iowa, Oregon and Texas).These authors begin by asserting that violence against women is "associated with culturally supported attitudes that encourage men to feel entitled to sexual access to women, to feel superior to women, or to feel that they have license as sexual aggressors" (p. 1790). Both rape and prostitution myths are seen as specific components of the culturally supported attitudes that normalize rape. The authors briefly describe the rich literature that has suggested a link between acceptance of rape myth with lowered support for rape victims and an increased likelihood of men to self-define as potentially raping.The authors also describe the ways that rape myths might also expose prostitution mythsspecifically that all women are prostitutes. They refer to a Miller and Schwartz article (1995) the views of johns, polices and others regarding prostituted women. Miller and Schwartz found the following prejudicial beliefs were common: a) prostituted women are unrapable, b) no harm is done to prostituted women when they are assaulted or harassed, c) prostituted women deserve to be raped, and d) all prostituted women are the same. Farley and Kelly (2000) found these and other rape myths have been endorsed by judicial decisions when prostituted women were raped. MethodThe authors used a 6-item "Prostitution Behavior Questionnaire" that explores a person's attitudes about prostitution and prostituted women through the questions which are answered on a 4-point scale. Rape myth acceptance was measured by the short form of the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale -which consists of 7 subscales.The questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate students. The 783 participants were predominately female (65%), with a mean age of 19.5, and most were also European American (67%).

Badges and Brothels: Police Officers' Attitudes Toward Prostitution

“…Male officers generally had less serious and punitive views toward prostitution compared to female officers. These findings are understandable because men are more likely to believe in prostitution myths and buy prostitutes (Cotton et al, 2002). Additionally, the police subculture is typified by machismo (Crank, 2004).…”

“…Some items on the current survey altered the language from the prior survey by replacing the word "vice" with "prostitution." Several survey items included in the current survey where derived from prostitution acceptance and rape myth scales as well (see Sawyer et al, 1998;Cotton et al, 2002). Additionally, the current survey also added several novel items to obtain more nuanced information for factor analysis.…”

“…Differences among gender also exist. Cotton et al(2002Cotton et al( p. 1793 found that 26% of men thought "there is nothing wrong with prostitution" as compared to just 10% of women. Men were also less likely to believe that prostitutes were victims of pimps.…”

The Influence of Rape Myth Acceptance on Self-Reported Perceptions of Prostitution and Human Trafficking Among College Students

“…The perception of prostitutes as commodified bodies is likely to result from prostitution myths which serve as culturally supported attitudes that rationalize violence toward and sexual exploitation of sex workers (Cotton, Farley & Baron, 2002). Collegeage males are significantly more likely to accept prostitution myths compared to their college-age female counterparts; however, men who report being johns, or patrons of prostitutes, endorse rape myths at a lower rate than their non-patron counterparts (Cotton et al, 2002).…”

“…Collegeage males are significantly more likely to accept prostitution myths compared to their college-age female counterparts; however, men who report being johns, or patrons of prostitutes, endorse rape myths at a lower rate than their non-patron counterparts (Cotton et al, 2002). Johns may endorse prostitution at a lower rate due to having direct experiences with prostitutes, providing a perspective formed by personal experience to evaluate such myths (Cotton et al, 2002).…”