Chapleau, K.M., Oswald, D.L., & Russell, B.L. (2008).  Male rape myths: The role of gender, violence, and sexism.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23, 600-615.

Key Points:  The study examines gender differences in rape myths and the ideologies that support male rape myths.

Summary:  The goals of this study were to examine male rape myths and to look at variables that may be associated with three male rape myths; denial, blame, and trauma.  The specific variables under investigation were; acceptance of interpersonal violence, sex beliefs and ambivalent sexism towards men.  The study sample consisted of 423 college students from a medium sized, private Catholic university and a small Eastern public college.  Using the Male Rape Myth Scale, the results found that men were more supportive of rape myths in general than women.  Both men’s and women’s acceptance of rape myths did not significantly differ based on the gender of the victim.  Ideologies that support rape of women were also associated with rape myths about men.
 
Limitations:  The sample size was small, primarily female (65%), and Caucasian (85%). 

Topics: male rape, myths/stereotypes

Foshee, V.A., Benefield, T.S., Ennett, S.T., Bauman, K.E., & Suchindran, C.   (2004). Longitudinal predictors of serious physical and sexual dating violence victimization during adolescence. Preventive Medicine 39, 1007-1016.

Key Points: This study identified risk factors that could be used as a guide to target primary and secondary prevention interventions for adolescents most at risk for physical and sexual dating violence.

Summary: A sample of 1,291 8th and 9th grade students was assessed annually over a 4 and 5 year period to identify predictors for onset of chronic victimization of physical and sexual dating violence.  The study examined male and female students separately for physical dating violence and only examined sexual violence among females. Using the social ecological model of human development, risk factors were categorized by social environmental predictors and individual level predictors.  Based on the results, the authors identified four groups to target with interventions to prevent serious physical and sexual dating violence.  The groups were; adolescents that had previously experienced mild forms of dating violence, victims of parental violence, adolescents who have friends that are victims of dating violence, and adolescents with multiple risk factors. 
 
Limitations: Adolescents who reported victimization or perpetration at the beginning of the study were not included in the study sample.  This high-risk group may have different risk factors than the sample included in the study. 

Topics: Adolescent/high school, prevention, secondary victimization

Katz, J., & Myhr, L. (2008). Perceived conflict patterns and relationship quality associated with verbal sexual coercion by male dating partners. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23, 798-814.
 
Key Points: Verbal sexual coercion by male partners was found to be positively associated with women’s perceptions of destructive verbal conflict patterns and poor relationship satisfaction and sexual functioning. 

Summary:  This study explored verbal sexual coercion against women by their male sexual partners. Once hundred ninety-three undergraduate women in consensually sexual dating relationships were asked about male partner verbal sexual coercion, conflict behaviors, and relationship quality.  The findings showed an association between women feeling pressured to have sex and their perceptions of psychological abuse and destructive conflict behavior patterns.  In general, women reported less relationship satisfaction and less sexual satisfaction and desire.

Limitations: The sample consisted of primarily Caucasian college-aged women.  Results were based on self-reports and may be subject to response bias.
   
Topics: male-female relations, college

Macy, R. J. (2006).  A coping theory framework toward preventing sexual revictimization.  Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 177-192.
 
Key Points:  Adaptive, proactive, and resistive-defensive coping strategies may be used to construct a framework for interventions to prevent revictimization.

Summary:  This paper examines three related coping theories; adaptive, proactive, and resistive-defensive and addresses how they may provide a framework to organize women’s coping efforts after sexual victimization in order to decrease the negative aspects of assault and reduce the likelihood of revictimization.  The paper consists of several sections: a summary of research on revictimization, a description of the three types of coping theories, the connections between theories, limitations of the research, and recommendations for future research.

Limitations: There is limited research on the scope of theory. 

Topics: theory, prevention

Miller, A. K., Markman, K. D., & Handley, I. M.  (2007). Self-blame among sexual assault victims prospectively predicts revictimization: A perceived sociolegal context model of risk.  Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 29, 129-136.

Key Points: Sexual assault victims who perceived the law as permissive of nonconsensual sex are more likely to blame themselves for their assault.   Feelings of self-blame place victims at greater risk of sexual revictimization during a 4.2 month period.

Summary: The study explores relationships between sexual assault, self-blame and sexual revictimization (SRV).  Participants of the study consisted of 144 undergraduate females at a Midwestern University who reported adolescent sexual assault experiences occurring after age 14.  Each participant was administered the SRV version of the SES and the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory.  Participants also completed interviews about their sexual assault experiences and a survey on legal perceptions of heterosexual interaction resulting in intercourse. All participants completed the SRV version of the SES 4.2 months later.  This investigation found that the degree of self-blame women experience following a sexual assault can influence subsequent victimization.  Women who have greater perceptions that the law permits men’s behavior of engaging in nonconsensual sex are more likely to blame themselves for their assault or that they failed to prevent their assaults. 

Limitations:  The study included a sample that was primarily Caucasian (96.4%).  Caucasian women may have different legal perceptions of sexual assault than women from different ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Topics: Secondary victimization, college, effects

Yamawaki, N.  (2007). Rape perception and the function of ambivalent sexism and gender-role traditionality. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22, 406-423.
 
Key Points: Assumptions about rape by outside observers are influenced by gender-role traditionality (GRT), benevolent sexism (BS), hostile sexism (HS), and on the relationship between the victim and perpetrator. 

Summary: At a private university in the Rocky Mountain region, 126 undergraduate males and females were assigned to a stranger or date-rape scenario and asked to complete several surveys to assess the impact that BS, HS, and GRT had on external observer’s rape perceptions and the relationship between ambivalent sexism (AS) and GRT.  Three forms of secondary victimization were assessed in the study: minimization of seriousness of rape, blaming the rape victim, and excusing the rapist. The results support previous findings that BS, HS, and GRT significantly influence external observers’ rape perceptions.  External observers use different reasons to judge the rape incident, victim, and rapist.  Observers minimize rape, blame the victim, and excuse the rapist more in cases of date rape than stranger rape.  Those who score higher on HS scale deny victim’s psychological damage, level of violence, and the fact that the incident was rape.
   
Limitations: May not be able to generalize results of the study.

Topics:  community attitudes/responses, secondary victimization

updated 07/02/08