Hintermeyer

STORY OR STATISTICS: HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF RAPE EDUCATION AFFECT RAPE MYTH ACCEPTANCE

Courtney Hintermeyer

This study compared how rape education, level of empathy, and association to a rape survivor impact levels of rape myth acceptance. Participants’ rape education consisted of either watching a rape survivor tell her story, or reading statistics about rape. There was no significant difference found between treatment conditions. Additionally no support was found for a relationship between levels of empathy and ratings of rape myth acceptance, nor was there support for association to a rape survivor and ratings of rape myth acceptance. Participants’ level of rape myth acceptance declined from pre to post-test, suggesting that rape education makes a difference in lowering levels of rape myth acceptance.

Keywords: rape myth acceptance, rape survivor, empathy, statistics, story