Effects of a sexual assault peer education program on men's belief in rape myths

Tested an all-male sexual assault peer education program focusing on how to help a survivor. It was hypothesized that because of the program (1) rape myth acceptance would decrease, that this decrement would remain stable 2 mo after the program, and it would be significantly lower than a control group; and (2) that a majority of men would report that they were less likely to use force against a woman in a sexual encounter. 32 Ss who were mostly Caucasians (mean age 18.8 yrs) completed the Burt Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (1980) prior to, immediately following, and about 2 mo after (follow-up posttest) the program. They were also asked whether seeing the program changed their likelihood of being sexually coercive. The control Ss (mean age 18.8 yrs) completed the questionnaire twice, 1 mo apart. Results confirmed the hypotheses. Thus, a new method of decreasing men's rape myth acceptance by learning how to help a survivor is supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2002 APA, all rights reserved)
Author: 
Foubert,John D.
Marriott,Kenneth A.
Notes: 
LA- English AN- 1997-04515-006
Reprint Status: 
IN FILE
Start Page: 
259
End Page: 
268
Journal/Periodical Name: 
Sex Roles
Volume: 
36
Issue: 
3-4
Abstract: 
This study looks at an all-male sexual assault peer education program that focuses on helping the survivor of sexual assault. The program of focus in this article resulted in a significant decrease in rape myth acceptance among fraternity pledges that persisted over time. The prevention program had the unexpected result of decreasing the likelihood of sexually coercive behaviors in both the experimental and control groups at posttest. The results in this study suggest that attitude changes among program participants may be long-lasting.
Topic Areas: 
Athletes/Fraternities, Myths/Stereotypes, Prevention
Reference Type: 
JOUR
Reference ID: 
119
Publication Date: 
1997