The Influence of Ambivalent Sexism on the Acceptance of Rape Myths
Grace Millane, 22, went missing while backpacking in New Zealand. After being reported missing by her parents, Millane's body was discovered on the outlying districts of Auckland, New Zealand. Following police investigations, a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. During the trial, a type of defense (increasingly known as 'the 50 Shades Defence') was used indicating that Millane died due to consensual choking as she was a member of multiple BDSM sites. The case is a prime of example of old-fashioned sexism being used to foster the rape myth. The specific rape myth showcased here is 'she was asking for it' due to her interest in BDSM.
What are the aims of the study?
Sexual violence is not an uncommon occurrence in the world. Research has shown that one in ten women have been subject to a form of sexual violence across 28 member states of the EU. Despite this, the reported rates for these types of crimes are significantly lower than the experienced rates. Sexism within today's society is becoming less acceptable; however, it is still occurring in scenarios regarding rape and sexual violence. The reoccurrence of sexism in sexual violence cases may be due to the existence of rape myths (false beliefs about rape that endorse victim-blaming). These myths are often encouraged due to traditional sexism in that females hold a specific gender role. As a result, the main aim of the study is to identify what influences sexism has on the acceptance of rape myths. The study also looked at the Theory of Ambivalent Sexism. This theory consists of hostile sexism (attitudes that view gender differences negatively, e.g. women aim to control men) and benevolent sexism (positive attitudes towards genders but may be damaging, e.g. females must be protected). As a result, the main aim of this study is to identify what influence sexism has on the acceptance of rape myths. The predicted results of the study were as follows: sexism towards both genders would increase the likelihood of a persona accepting rape myths.
What methodological design did the authors use?
The study used a non-experimental correlational design where participants were required to fill in a questionnaire. Before completing the questionnaire, participants read a brief account of a woman that had become aquatinted with a man at a party, who was then raped at the end of the night. The variables used to identify a relationship included gender (male or female). The participants used in the study consisted of Caucasian students from an Arts and Science University in Turin, Italy. The participants were gathered via an email sent from a psychology undergraduate. The responding students were enrolled on different courses. The self-reported questionnaire involved elements of opinions regarding the story, twelve items measuring hostile sexism (towards men and women) and twelve items measuring benevolent sexism (towards men and women) as well as questions measuring the acceptance of rape myths on a scale of 1-5. Factors such as age and gender were also included. This method was the best way to investigate the relationship between sexism and rape myth acceptance as it can allow for the strengths of the relationship to be established as well as narrow down the possible influencing factors for future research.
What was/were the method of analysis used.
A range of analysis methods was used throughout this study. The researchers coordinated correlational analysis to establish the relationship between sexist attitudes and rape myth acceptance (this was completed for both genders). This analysis allowed them to understand how the relationship between gender and sexism can differ. To confirm the hypothesis, the researchers also used a model that allowed each aspect to be concluded so that they could be freely correlated with other elements or seen as multiple indicators. This model allowed the variables to be simplified, making the data easier to work with and reducing diversions from errors, therefore, increasing reliability.
What were the main findings, limitations, and conclusions from the study?
The researchers were able to support their initial hypothesis. Nevertheless, it was stated that specifics must be attended to. It was found that both males and females are more sexist towards the opposite gender with sexism towards women being more common. Males were found to have higher levels of hostile sexism towards women and benevolence to men. In contrast, females showed higher levels of hostile sexism towards men. Men were also shown to be more accepting of rape myths regardless of the type of sexism. With regards to sexist attitudes, only one measurement of ambivalent sexism increased the acceptance of rape myths (hostility shown towards women). Hostility was found to be higher in men. Direct hostile sexism was found to increase the acceptance of all rape myths, whereas benevolent sexism was more likely to decrease the responsibility of the offender such as 'he didn't mean to'. As the study only used university students, the generalisability to other age groups may be limited. Also, the research was conducted using a male offender. This limits the results as it cannot be generalized to other scenarios where the perpetrator is female. In addition to this, it cannot be generalized to older generations – the results from a study as such could differ due to different upbringings. The use of only Caucasian participants also limits the generalisability of results to other cultures and backgrounds.
How does this study answer your question?
The findings from this study are useful in reality as specific attitudes and beliefs can now be identified to reduce the acceptance of rape myths. However, the researchers stated that further investigation would be needed thus, not allowing for a stable relationship between the variables to be established. The implications of this research can be seen in victim-blaming. The study showed that hostile sexism towards women increased the chance of all rape myths being accepted thus an increased level in victim-blaming. This can then be applied to the use of the '50 Shades' defense that is currently being used in court regarding sexual violence cases - the defense follows the rape myth of 'she asked for it'. By using this research, it may be possible to prevent and raise awareness for defenses like this being used in court. As well as this, the research could be used in an educational context. By identifying the influence of hostile sexism, programs could be developed to help raise awareness of rape myths as well as how to eliminate these attitudes therefore hopefully reducing the chance of these experiences occurring and the mental health of those affected. These applications could also be used to better the justice systems regarding sexual violence cases and educational interventions surrounding rape myths. However, to develop this research to answer my question more clearly, other scenarios such as if the offender is female should be investigated as well as how these beliefs may motivate people who may be targets for such behavior.
References
- Glick, P., and S. Fiske. 1996. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory: Differentiating hostile and benevolent sexism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 70: 491-512. American Psychological Association (APA). doi:10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.491.
- Nevala, S. (2014). Violence against women: An EU-wide survey. European Union Agency For Fundamental Rights.
- Rollero, C. and Tartaglia, S., 2018. The Effect of Sexism and Rape Myths on Victim Blame. Sexuality & Culture, 23(1), pp.209-219.
