Prevalence of Rape Myths in Headlines and Their Effects on Attitudes Toward Rape

• Published in: Sex roles Vol. 58; no. 11-12; pp. 790 - 801
• Main Authors: Franiuk, Renae, Seefelt, Jennifer L., Vandello, Joseph A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.06.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Attitude towards mental illness; Attitudes; Behavior. Attitude; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Beliefs; Biological and medical sciences; Content analysis; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender differences; Gender Discrimination; Gender Studies; Males; Media coverage; Medical sciences; Medicine/Public Health; Mythology; Myths; Original Article; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Rape; Resistance (Psychology); Sex; Sexual Abuse; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Social psychology; Sociology; Victims of Crime; Media; News headlines; Attitudes towards rape; Rape myths; Sexual assault; Belief; Human; Social norm; Rape; Myth; Sex role; Attitude; Media . News headlines, Attitudes towards rape; Victimology; Sexual abuse; Mass media; 1 Sexual assaul,t Rape myths; Press
• ISSN: 0360-0025; 1573-2762
• DOI: 10.1007/s11199-007-9372-4

The present research investigated the prevalence and effects of rape myths in newspaper headlines. In study 1, a content analysis of online news headlines from US media ( N  = 555) surrounding the 2003–2004 Kobe Bryant sexual assault case showed that 10% endorsed a rape myth. In study 2, students at a mid-sized university in the mid-western USA ( N  = 154) read headlines endorsing or not endorsing rape myths. Male participants exposed to myth-endorsing headlines were (a) less likely to think Bryant was guilty than those exposed to non-myth headlines, (b) more likely to hold rape-supportive attitudes than those exposed to non-myth headlines, and (c) more likely to hold rape-supportive attitudes than were female participants exposed to myth-endorsing headlines.