Relationship between Latino/a High School Video Game Players and Rape Myth Acceptance

• In Event: 035 - Section on Sex and Gender Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 03. Violence and Masculinity

Abstract

College women are at an increased risk for experiencing sexual assault: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) suggests that between 20 to 25 percent of college women have experienced an attempted or completed rape during their college career. Previous research suggests violent video games helps normalize the objectification of women (Fox & Tang, 2013) and promotes rape culture (Fox & Tang, 2013). Considering 67% of American households have video game systems (ESRB, 2010) our research explores the relationship between video game play and the acceptance of rape myths in a population of Latino high school students. We surveyed all Hispanic students from a minority school, in the Southside of Chicago, from grades 9-12. Using a multiple linear regression analysis our results suggest that gender, beliefs about traditional gender roles and expectations, playing violent video games and the interaction between "number of hours’ player/week and gender" and "gender and gender scale" are significant predictors in explaining Hispanic high school students’ scores. The results suggests that the relationship between the "number of hours of video games an individual plays per week" and an "individual's score on the rape myth acceptance scale" is dependent upon an individual's gender. Playing violent video games was also a significant predictor of individuals’ rape myth acceptance scores. Consistent with previous literature, violent video game play and rape myth acceptance were positively associated and the relationship was not determined to be gender dependent

Authors

• Ana Noa Toledo, University of Illinois-Chicago

• Ariana Medrano, University of Illinois-Chicago