Sexual Assault Supportive Attitudes: Rape Myth Acceptance and Token Resistance in Greek and Non-Greek College Students From Two University Samples in the United States

Abstract

Colleges are rape-prone cultures with high rates of sexual victimization. Fraternities' and sororities' relationships with sexual assault are consistent themes in literature focusing on sexual violence among college students. Previous research suggests that fraternity men are more likely to endorse rape-supportive attitudes compared with non-Greek men or sorority women. The present study examines rape-supportive attitudes as well as rape and sexual assault victimization in college students with a focus on gender and Greek-life (i.e., involvement in fraternities or sororities) status variables. College students ( N = 1,002) completed a survey including the Token Resistance to Sex Scale (TRSS), Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale-Short Form (IRMA-S), and items related to past experiences of nonconsensual sex. Two regression models tested predictors of token resistance and rape myth acceptance. Chi-square analyses tested between-group differences of experiencing rape and sexual assault. Gender ( p < .001), Greek status ( p < .001), and race/ethnicity ( p < .001) were predictors for TRSS scores. For IRMA scores, gender ( p < .001), Greek status ( p < .001), and race/ethnicity variables ( p < .001) were also significant. Interaction terms revealed that Greek men had higher token resistance and rape myth acceptance than any other group. Chi-square analyses indicate women more frequently report experiences of rape (χ = 25.57, df = 1, p < .001) and sexual assault (χ = 31.75, df = 1, p < .001). Men report high rates (40.8%) of experiencing sexual assault "because refusing was useless." No differences of victimization rates were found between Greeks and non-Greeks. Gender and sexual scripting theory can help explain gender differences in attitudes and experiences. Greater endorsement of rape myth acceptance and token resistance by Greeks, who influence college party culture, could be contributing to a culture conducive to rape. Findings demonstrate a continued need for interventions focused on shifting sociocultural dynamics (e.g., traditional roles and sexual scripting) on college campuses.

The Greek System: How Gender Inequality and Class Privilege Perpetuate Rape Culture

“…Nowhere is the brotherhood of men more powerful and intense, the bonding more intimate, or the culture of protection more evident than among fraternity members (Kimmel, 2008). Compared to men who are not in fraternities, men who are in fraternities endorse more traditional attitudes toward women (Murnen & Kohlman, 2007), have stronger beliefs of male dominance (Murnen, Wright, & Kaluzny, 2003), are more likely to be sexually coercive (Foubert, Newberry, & Tatum, 2007;Murnen & Kohlman, 2007), are more likely to use alcohol in an attempt to have sex with women (Boeringer et al, 1991), are more likely to be involved in gang rapes on college campuses (e.g., more than half of all gang rapes on college campuses are committed by fraternity men; O'Sullivan, 1991), are more likely to ascribe to rape myths (i.e., false beliefs about rape that tend to legitimize rape; Bannon, Brosi, & Foubert, 2013;Canan et al, 2016), and are more likely to endorse rape-supportive attitudes (Bleecker & Murnen, 2005;Boeringer, 1999). According to Bannon et al (2013), "acceptance of rape myths leads to the creation of a male-dominated ideology where female victims are often blamed for sexual assaults" (p. 75).…”

“…Additionally, faculty and staff should be compensated for the time they invest in these efforts. Armstrong et al (2006) argued that education should be accompanied by reinforced changes in the social organization of student life and sociocultural dynamics that influence students (Canan et al, 2016;Donat & White, 2000;Jozkowski, 2015a). In that vein, universities need to address how privilege operates in their campus culture.…”

“…Minow and Einolf (2009) found that more than one-third of rapes reported on college campuses took place in a fraternity house. As compared to men who are not in fraternities, men who are in fraternities are also more likely to engage in sexually aggressive behaviors (Loh, Gidycz, Lobo, & Luthra, 2005;Murnen & Kohlman, 2007) and to endorse rape-supportive beliefs and attitudes (Boeringer, 1999;Boeringer, Shehan, & Akers, 1991;Canan, Jozkowski, & Crawford, 2016;Humphreys & Kahn, 2000). These findings suggest that fraternity subculture may be conducive to sexual violence against women and that specific venues such as parties and events hosted by fraternities represent spaces of high risk for the perpetration of sexual assault.…”

Mundo hospital: enfermedad y formas de vida en las sociedades actuales / Hospital World: Disease and ways of life in today's societies

“…El abuso sexual infantil no es una excepción, ya que lo se encuentra relacionado con factores como el poder y la autoridad que otorga la propia jerarquía social (Roberts y Vanstone, 2014) o la cultura de la violación, entendida como un entorno que normaliza y permite la violación a través de productos culturales, publicitarios, etc. (Canan et al, 2016). Otros ejemplos podrían ser una determinada forma de entender la sexualidad, la priorización de los deseos individuales, el abuso de poder, la sexualización infantil, la pornografía y las redes sociales, entre otras.…”

The ‘casting couch’ scenario: Impact of perceived employment benefit, reporting delay, complainant gender, and participant gender on juror decision-making in rape cases

“…Basow and Minieri (2011; see also Rudman & Fetterolf, 2014) therefore argue that rape of females can be perceived as a form of theft. For example, in the context of date rape: when a male pays for an expensive night, males -who tend to believe rape myths more than females anyway -place significantly less blame on the rapist than dates where the cost is split or the date is cheap (e.g., Canan, Jozkowski, & Crawford, 2016;Davies, Gilston & Rogers, 2012;McGee, O'Higgins, Garavan, & Conroy, 2011). Females show no such distinction, and these gender effects are also independent of rape myth acceptance levels.…”