Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Sexual assault has been referred to as a "silent epidemic" due to its high prevalence and low rate of reporting (Flintort, 2010).Although this is true for the United States as a whole, college campuses have been identified as one site of increased risk.One proposed rational for this silent epidemic is the cultural theory of rape.The cultural theory of rape, or "rape culture," was coined in the 1970s and has been broadly defined as, "a pervasive ideology that effectively supports or excuses sexual assault" (Burt, 1980, p. 218).Theorists have proposed various components, traditional gender roles, sexism, adversarial sexual beliefs, hostility towards women, and acceptance of general violence, which make up such a culture (Burt, 1980;Lonsway & Fitzgerald, 1994; 1995).Given the proposed cultural theory of rape, recent rape prevention efforts have aimed to alter rape culture.The bystander approach to rape prevention is one such program, which has been endorsed by the Center for Disease Control (2004) and American College Health Association (Carr & Ward, 2006).This program targets bystander intervention in an effort to decrease rape culture.The current study identified a well fitting model of rape culture, as well as relationships between this construct, rape myth acceptance, and bystander willingness to intervene.However, contrary to expectations, no relationship was identified between rape culture and bystander behavior.Implications of these findings on future rape prevention programming are discussed.CHAPTER I 15.If I saw a friend grabbing, pushing, or insulting their partner I would confront them.Yes No 16.If I saw a friend grabbing, pushing, or insulting their partner I would get help from other friends or university staff.Yes No 17.If I saw a friend taking a very intoxicated person up the stairs to my friend's room, I would say something and ask what my friend was doing.Yes No 18.If I saw several strangers dragging a passed out woman up to their room, I would get help and try to intervene.Yes No 19.If I hear an acquaintance talking about forcing someone to have sex with them, I speak up against it and express concern for the person who was forced.Yes No 20.Say something to a person whose drink I saw spiked with a drug even if I didn't know them.Yes No 21.Grab someone else's cup and pour their drink out if I saw that someone slipped something into it.Yes No 22.Ask a friend who seems upset if they are okay or need help.Yes No 23.Ask an acquaintance who seems upset if they are okay or need help.Yes No 24.Ask a stranger who seems upset if they are okay or need help.Yes No 25.Call a rape crisis center or talk to a resident counselor for help if a friend told me they were sexually assaulted.Yes No 26.Call a rape crisis center or talk to a resident counselor for help if an acquaintance told me they were sexually assaulted.Yes No 27.Call a rape crisis center or talk to a resident counselor for help if a stranger told me they were sexually assaulted.Yes No 28.Approach a friend if I thought they were in an abusive relationship and let them know that I'm here to help.Yes No 29.Let a friend I suspect has been sexually assaulted know that I am available for help and support.Yes No 30.Share information about sexual assault and violence with my friend.Yes No 31.Confront friends who make excuses for abusive behavior by others.Yes No 32.Speak up against racist jokes.Yes No 33.Speak up against sexist jokes Yes No
Author: Nicole L. Johnson-Quay
Institution: University of Akron
Language: English
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2522848865