Exploring the Impact of Informal Rape Myth Education in a Nonstudent Sample

Abstract

Sexual assault has come to the forefront in terms of prevention and education for many social institutions such as college campuses. However, with a growing body of research highlighting the importance and effectiveness of interventions, research examining the impact of sexual assault education (SAE) on altering rape myth acceptance (RMA) among nonstudent populations is severely lacking. This is particularly problematic when considering that the issue of sexual assault extends well beyond academia in the United States. Accordingly, this study aims to fill this gap by employing an experimental design with repeated measures. Using a sample of 137 nonstudents surveyed via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (rape myth intervention) or control (unrelated video content) group. To detect changes in RMA after a short rape myth education intervention, pretest and posttest RMA scores were generated for all participants using an altered version of the Updated Illinois Rape Myth Adherence scale. The treatment video was roughly 10 min in length and constructed by the lead author for the current research. All participants were presented with common rape myths, and then, the treatment group was provided with information (e.g., available research and statistics) to “debunk” these myths, and ultimately decrease acceptance of myths. Analyses indicate support for a significant change in RMA scores from pretest to posttest in the treatment group, finding support for the use of informal rape myth education in altering immediate RMA scores of a nonstudent sample. The RMA difference scores were also examined through a demographic lens to determine if the inclusion could further explain score changes. Demographics were not deemed significant predictors. Limitations and implications are discussed.

What's in a Label? The Impact of Media and Sexual Assault Characteristics on Survivor Rape Acknowledgment

“…Although there is evidence that sexual assault education programs generally reduce rape myths among both college (Anderson & Whiston, 2005) and noncollege samples (Reddy et al., 2020), less is known about how more informal information, such as social media content, may alter beliefs about sexual violence, particularly among survivors themselves. The results of the present study highlight the potential impact social media movements can have on survivor outcomes and are consistent with the preliminary evidence base that has noted that media exposure can indeed impact individuals’ beliefs about sexual violence (e.g., Franiuk et al., 2008; Kahlor & Morrison, 2007).…”

Rape Myth Acceptance in a Community Sample of Adult Women in the Post #MeToo Era

“…Furthermore, evaluating endorsement levels of the uIRMA subscales across participant variables will help identify key differences in how RMA is manifesting based on identity and/or life experiences. Both of these objectives will help inform the development of community-level prevention programming, a crucial next step in anti-rape work (Reddy et al, 2022). Therefore, the present study has two primary aims: (1) to conduct CFA with the uIRMA measure in a community sample of young adult women (age 25-35) and ( 2) to analyze potential differences in RMA across participant characteristics.…”

“…Eradicating these myths is difficult, as they exist at the individual (e.g., personal beliefs), relational (e.g., sexual scripts), and institution-level (e.g., policy, law enforcement, media portrayals) (Edwards et al, 2011), with each level functioning to reinforce the other and perpetuate these narratives. Nevertheless, targeting rape myths is central to feminist anti-rape activism and prevention work, as these beliefs are associated with increased likelihood of perpetration, survivor self-blame and reporting decisions, skewed media portrayals of sexual violence, and injustices within the criminal legal field (e.g., failed prosecutions, light jail sentences) (Edwards et al, 2011; Egan & Wilson, 2012; McMahon & Farmer, 2011; Reddy et al, 2022).…”

“…While certain contexts confer unique risks for sexual assault and warrant specific research, RMA is not confined to specific institutions and should be examined within society more broadly given its wide-reaching impacts on perpetration, survivor well-being, and the criminal legal system. Limited work administering the uIRMA within community-based samples has included mixed gender samples without age limits (e.g., Belyea & Blais, 2021; Reddy et al, 2022; Thelan & Meadows, 2021), providing valuable information about societal trends, but making more targeted prevention strategies difficult to identify. To our knowledge, no work has validated the 22-item uIRMA using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a community-based sample, limiting our understanding of the fit and relevance of the measure outside of college students and other narrowly defined sample populations.…”

Changes in Certitude, Adherence, and Attitude: Immediate Effects of Rape Myth Intervention on Jurors in a Mock Trial

“…The education was delivered in video form; the control group watched a 10 min video on an irrelevant topic while the intervention group watched a 10 min video entailing rape myths education. After comparing their rape myth acceptance before and after the video exposure, the intervention group’s score after the video exposure significantly decreased compared to before video exposure and was significantly lower than that of the control group [ 42 ]. Another representative intervention programme, the SAIT (Sexual Assault Intervention Training) programme, consisting of one lecture on rape myths education, was found to significantly lower rape myth acceptance in its participants [ 43 ].…”