Adolescent attitudes about rape.

Date: 1996
Author: Ruth Kershner
Publication: Adolescence. Volume: 31. Issue: 121
INTRODUCTION
Study after study have demonstrated the vulnerability of young women to rape. Not only
are they at risk for stranger rape, but rape within the context of dating (Ageton, 1983;
Krasner, Meyer, & Carroll, 1976; Muehlenhard, & Linton, 1987; Warshaw, 1988).
Unfortunately, young women are least likely to contact law enforcement agencies; even
so, the numbers are troubling (Violence Against Women: The Increase of Rape, 1990).
Between 1973 and 1987, 11% of female victims were deemed to be between the ages of
12 and 15, while 25% were 16 to 19 (Crime of Rape, 1985). Youth Indicators (1991)
indicated that 1.9 rapes occurred per 1,000 girls of ages 16 to 19.
Research findings support governmental studies. Walmsley and White (1979) found that
24.3% of rape/attempted rape victims were between 13 and 15. Other studies with similar
findings include Medea and Thompson's (1974), where 8% of victims were under age 15,
20% were between 15 and 17, and 23% were 17 to 18. Hall and Flannery (1984)
conducted a telephone survey of 508 Milwaukee adolescents in which 12% of the females
and 2% of the males reported a sexual assault. In another study of 122 adolescent victims,
45 were between ages 12 to 14; the remaining 77 were ages 15 to 17 (Mann, 1981).
A large number of rape offenders are adolescents. Males between the ages of 12 to 20
were involved in 17% of single-offender rapes for the years 1973-1982 (Crime of Rape,
1985). There was no respite to this trend in the ensuing years. Statistics for years 1979 to
1987 reveal that youths 20 years of age and younger were responsible for 18% of
single-offender and 30% of multiple-offender rapes (Female Victims of Violent Crime,
1991). The FBI reports a 3% increase in adult sexual offenders, but the greatest rise in
arrested offenders is for adolescent males (Ingrassia, Annin, Biddie, & Miller, 1993).
What do young people believe about rape? Much of our information comes from
college-age students. Coercive sex is complicated by the fact that perpetrators and victims
are often not cognizant of what constitutes assault (Copenhauer & Graverholz, 1991;
Miller & Marshall, 1987; Peterson & Franzese, 1987). Evaluation of adolescent attitudes
about rape reveal some illuminating findings. Forced intercourse was considered
acceptable by a significant number of both adolescent males and females in certain
situations (Felty, Ainslie, & Geib, 1991; Giarusso, Johnson, Goodchilds, & Zellman,
1979; Ogletree, Kupecz, & La-Cursia, 1993). The relationship between victim blaming
and adherence to rape myths is also of note in the adolescent population (Blumberg &
Lester, 1991). Additionally, an element of male dominance, the perception of females as
sex objects, and the negation of acquaintance rape as sexual assault has also been
ascertained in our youth (Hall, Howard, & Boezio, 1986).
METHOD
The present study was initiated to serve as a basis for curriculum development germane to
rape prevention. Construction of the survey instrument began with a literature review
from which 65 items were extrapolated. Three parents evaluated the items for offensive
and/or questionable terminology specific to adolescents. Four adolescents assessed the
items for readability.
The original test pool was sent to a review panel. The judges included high school health
teachers, school counselors, a physician who works with rape victims, and rape
crisis-center coordinators. The judges were asked to evaluate the items for content,
clarity, readability, and appropriateness for the adolescent population. The revised scale
contained 25 items.
The survey instrument was administered to six health education classes at a high school
in northern West Virginia in which 154 students (ages 14-19) were enrolled. Parental
permission was obtained for 146 students to participate. On the day of administration, 13
students were absent, and 11 students were not included because of missing data,
resulting in 122 participants with completed instruments.
RESULTS
Of the 25 items, one was eliminated because it was found to have a negative item-to-total
correlation: "Our society usually does not tolerate violence against women." Split-half
correlation was found to be .77 with a coefficient alpha of .80, indicating good internal
consistency. Responses to the survey instrument items ranged from one to five with a
higher score indicating less conservative attitudes about rape. Mean score collectively
was 82.77 (S10.63). A certain amount of ambiguity can be assumed for items with scores
of less than 4.0. These students obviously were not uncomfortable with the notion of girls
asking boys out on dates, but other gender questions (#1, #4, #5, #18, and #20) elicited
some confusion concerning male and female roles and perceptions.
A number of common rape myths were examined. The students did not view the rapist as
necessarily a person with a criminal history, perhaps because of increased media attention
to the problem of date/acquaintance rape. Interestingly, most students disagreed with the
notion that women can fight off a rapist, yet did adhere to myths about stranger rape (#8),
pregnancy (#9), male rape (#24). and sexual needs of rapists (#3). Unfortunately, most
confusion is related to female responsibility for rape such as manner of dress (#12), rape
fantasy (#6), and provocation (#23).
Victims of rape are often subject to intense scrutiny by society. This holds true for the
adolescent population in this study. These students adhered to common misconceptions
about court processes and victims, specifically sexual history (#15), victim responsibility
(#11), and prosecution realities (#9 and #17). The status of the victim is also in question
(#7 and #10). Rape victims have been found to suffer from myriad physical and
emotional traumas (Burgess & Holmstrom, 1979). Students may not be aware of the rape
reaction process as indicated by responses to items 13 and 21.
DISCUSSION
A number of implications for development of a rape prevention curriculum can be
determined from this preliminary study. Obviously, it is not enough to educate only
young women in prevention strategies. Doing so would perpetuate the notion of female
responsibility for avoiding rape victimization (Felty et al., 1991; Freeing Our Lives,
1978). Additionally, since a growing number of rape perpetrators are male, the
curriculum must include adolescent boys.
[TABULAR DATA OMITTED]
By addressing the sociocultural aspects of rape, students may learn to identify what
constitutes exploitive nonconsensual sex, reject commonly held myths about rape and
victims, and begin to adopt egalitarian belief systems that may decrease the incidence of
rape.
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