Acceptance of Rape Myths in India: A Comparative Study

• In Event: Perceptions and Experiences of Violence Against Women

Abstract

In recent years, India has been marked by highly publicized cases of rape, which have led to public outcry and demands for rape-law reform and the protection of women. The purpose of this study is to assess the extent to which rape myths persist in Indian society. In total, 1,589 surveys were gathered from college students asking about their level of agreement related to rape myth acceptance. The study also probed potential sources of these beliefs, such as gender, antisocial attitudes, low self-control, and sexist attitudes. Further, the respondents were asked questions about a particularly brutal rape that occurred in India in 2012 and their thoughts on the incident. Finally, we compare, across a range of items, approval of rape myths in India versus the United States (based on published findings on U.S. college samples). We consider the theoretical and policy implications of the findings.

Authors

• Hanif Qureshi, Haryana State of India Police Agency

• Teresa C. Kulig, University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Francis T. Cullen, University of Cincinnati

• Bonnie Fisher, University of Cincinnati