Assessing Rape Myth Acceptance: A Contribution to Italian Validation of the Measure for Assessing Subtle Rape Myth (SRMA-IT)

Factors Behind Contemporary Rape Myths in Europe: A Systematic Review

Rape myths are social constructs, deeply rooted in European society. They play a role in maintaining false beliefs about sexual violence and are one of the main factors in sexual abuse behavior. In this review article, the authors focused on the factors influencing the perpetuation and spread of false beliefs regarding sexual violence, its victims, and perpetrators. The goal of the study is to achieve a more profound comprehension of the cultural and social dimensions linked to this occurrence. In conducting the systematic literature review, three databases have been used to search for pertinent articles: ProQuest, Scopus, and ERIH Plus. Only peer-reviewed scientific articles in English published between 2013 and 2023 were deemed eligible. Furthermore, inclusion criteria stipulated that articles must present empirical research of European origin, focusing on the keywords: "myths about rape," "myths about sexual violence," and "myths about rape." In total 2,507 articles were initially identified, with 79 ultimately meeting the inclusion criteria. The analysis revealed the presence of several factors influencing the function of rape myths. These were categorized into sociodemographic, individual, and systemic. The general populace of European society commonly holds beliefs in rape myths. Moreover, numerous studies point to large legal and systemic inequalities that lead to social inequalities and, consequently, to the perpetuation of rape culture through victimization and victim blaming. This review demonstrates the need for future research on sex education as a factor in preventing rape myths.

Exploring the Interplay of problematic pornography use, sexism, and rape myth acceptance: An Italian cross-sectional study

The relationships among pornography use, sexist ideology and false or stereotypical ideas about rape are controversial. This study specifically examines the associations of problematic pornography use (PPU) with sexism and rape myth acceptance among both male and female participants within the Italian context utilizing a cross-sectional methodology. Based on data from 815 participants collected through an online questionnaire, the study identifies significant gender-based differences, with men typically exhibiting higher scores on sexism, rape myth acceptance, and token resistance beliefs. Correlation analysis revealed that in men, there was a positive relationship between pornography cravings and sexist beliefs but not between pornography cravings and minimizing rape or accusations of lying (rape myth). Women showed significant positive correlations across all problematic pornography use dimensions with sexist ideology, although the relationship with rape myth acceptance varied. These findings underscore the critical need for acknowledging these relationships to enhance strategies for preventing gender-based violence.

Frequency, Types, and Manifestations of Partner Sexual Violence, Non-Partner Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment: A Population Study in Spain

Background: This study analyzes the frequency and sociodemographic characteristics associated with sexual violence by a partner/ex-partner (PSV), someone other than a partner or ex-partner (NPSV), or sexual harassment (SH). Methods: The study is based on the 2019 Macro-survey of Violence against Women conducted by the Spanish Ministry of Equality among a sample of 9568 women age 16 or more years. Odds Ratios were calculated and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Forty-four women had suffered some kind of sexual violence over their lifetime, 9.2% had experienced PSV, 6.5% NPSV and 40.4% SH. More than 7% of women had been raped by a partner and 2.2% by another man. In the three groups, violence was associated with lower age and having a certified disability. NPSV and SH were significantly associated with a higher education and internet use. In NPSV, 9.2% of cases were reported to the police and 3.9% were reported to the courts. In SH, 91.7% of women told a family member or a close friend and 4.2% reported it to the police or the courts. Conclusions: A greater emphasis needs to be placed on reporting sexual violence in its various forms. Rape within intimate partnerships ought to be investigated and studied in greater depth.

Sexual Assault Myths Acceptance in University Campus: Construction and Validation of a Scale

The study related to the myths of rape has been carried out since the 1980s at different scales. However, the interaction between the acceptance of these rape myths (myths related to sexual abuse) and the nightlife scene—where alcohol consumption becomes the epicenter of this particular context—has not been specifically evaluated. In this work, a questionnaire has been developed considering different scales. It has been tested online in a population of 367 first-year undergraduate students at the University of Alcalá (Spain). The results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as the reliability ones, indicate the adequacy of the scale construction and validation process for the university student population. In addition, the results obtained, in line with the specialized literature, indicate that the consumption of alcohol and other drugs appear as justifying elements of sexual violence, exonerating the aggressors and perpetrating the victim.