Examining the Relationship between Masculinity, Rape Myth Acceptance and Affirmative Consent

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

The high rate of sexual assaults on college campuses has garnered significant national attention over the past several years. Recently, the Obama Administration referred to sexual assaults on college campuses as an ‘epidemic’ and identified it as a public health issue deserving of national attention, research and action. In alignment with national directives, University’s are busy crafting policies, like affirmative consent, and implementing a variety of programmatic interventions, like bystander intervention trainings, meant to empower males and females equally to be partners in change. Yet these initiatives largely ignore the broader social context and the normed expectations that these students have as they enter the high-risk university environment; a culture arguably characterized by hyper-masculinity and rape myth acceptance.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of masculinity and rape myth acceptance on affirmative consent for incoming freshmen at one southwestern institution. A sample of approximately 1200 incoming college freshmen will be administered self-report surveys that measure masculinity, adherence to rape myth acceptance and attitudes towards affirmative consent. The data will be collected in September, 2016 so preliminary results are not yet available.

Authors

• Jenna Fejervary, Northern Arizona University

• Christine Arazan, Northern Arizona University