Rape Myths in Review

Theories of sexual aggression and victimization have increasingly em-phasized the role of rape myths in the perpetuation of sexual assault. Rape myths are attitudes and generally false beliefs about rape that are widely and persistently held, and that serve to deny and justify male sexual aggression against women. Acceptance of such myths has been assessed with a number of measures, and investigators have examined its relationship with numerous variables and interventions. Although there has been extensive research in this area, definitions, terminology, and measures of rape myth acceptance (RMA) continue to lack adequate theoretical and psychometric precision. Despite such criticisms, we em-phasize that the significance of this type of research cannot be overstated because it has immense potential for the understanding of sexual assault. The present article offers a theory-based definition of rape myths, re-views and critiques the literature on rape myth acceptance, and suggests directions for future research. In particular we argue that such work must include the development and application of improved measures, with more concern for the theoretical and methodological issues unique to this field. In 1989 the Worldwatch Institute declared that the most common crime worldwide was violence against women (Wolf, 1991). In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) estimates that a woman is raped every 6 min, and as many as one out of four women may become a victim of rape during her lifetime. ' Given the extensive prevalence of sexual assault in this country, it is not surprising that considerable research The authors thank Michael G. Cola, Robert S. Wyer, and Grant Muir for their assistance and encouragement in the development of this manuscript