Challenge Myths about Rape

A recent article in the Journal of Community Health Nursing reports on a study conducted at Northeastern University, where students were surveyed on knowledge, social norms regarding sexual behavior, and rape myth acceptance. The role of rape myth acceptance in the social norms regarding sexual behavior among college students postulates that students with lower [sexual health] knowledge and higher acceptance of social norms that accept risky behavior are more likely to hold rape-myth attitudes. Males were shown to have a higher rape myth acceptance, and researchers believe that this acceptance can be credited to sexual double standards and a rape-supporting culture.

This study encourages preventionists to think about the kind of education we offer on college campuses. While combating rape myths is clearly necessary, we have to start our work a little further upstream to tackle issues around healthy sexuality, sexual health, and social norms. These pieces of education will support our overall goal of reducing rape myth acceptance, moving towards a primary prevention model, and eliminating sexual violence on college campuses.

Alexis Marbach on August 17, 2012*

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* Originally posted by California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (calcasa.org)

Campus Prevention