Prelims

Sofia Persson (Leeds Beckett University, UK)
Katie Dhingra (Leeds Beckett University, UK)

Rape Myths: Understanding, Assessing, and Preventing

ISBN: 978-1-80071-153-2, eISBN: 978-1-80071-152-5

Publication date: 21 July 2022

Citation

Persson, S. and Dhingra, K. (2022), "Prelims", Rape Myths: Understanding, Assessing, and Preventing (Feminist Developments in Violence and Abuse), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. i-xiii. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-152-520220009

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022 Sofia Persson and Katie Dhingra


Half Title Page

Rape Myths

Series Page

FEMINIST DEVELOPMENTS IN VIOLENCE AND ABUSE

Series Editors: Dr Hannah Bows, Durham University (UK) and Professor Nicole Westmarland, Durham University (UK)

Feminist Developments in Violence and Abuse provides a feminist forum for academic work that pushes forward existing knowledge around violence and abuse, informing policy and practice, with the overarching objective of contributing towards ending violence and abuse within our society. The series enables academics, practitioners, policymakers and professionals to continually build and explore their understanding of the dynamics, from the micro to the macro level, that are driving violence and abuse. The study of abuse and violence has a large scope for co-producing research, and this series is a home for research involving a broad range of stakeholders; particularly those working in grassroots domestic and sexual violence organisations, police, prosecutors, lawyers, campaign groups, housing and victim services. As violence and abuse research reaches across disciplinary boundaries, the series has an interdisciplinary scope with research impact at the heart.

Available Volumes:

  • Victims’ Experiences of the Criminal Justice Response to Domestic Abuse: Beyond GlassWalls

    Emma Forbes

  • Understanding and Responding to Economic Abuse

    Nicola Sharp-Jeffs

Forthcoming Volumes:

  • ‘Rough Sex’ and the Criminal Law: Global Perspectives

    Hannah Bows and Jonathan Herring

  • Not Your Usual Suspect: Older Offenders of Violence and Abuse

    Hannah Bows

  • Gendered Justice? How Women’s Attempts to Cope With, Survive, or Escape Domestic Abuse Can Drive Them into Crime

    Jo Roberts

Title Page

Rape Myths: Understanding, Assessing, and Preventing

BY

SOFIA PERSSON

Leeds Beckett University, UK

and

KATIE DHINGRA

Leeds Beckett University, UK

United Kingdom – North America – Japan India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2022

Copyright © 2022 Sofia Persson and Katie Dhingra. Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-80071-153-2 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-80071-152-5 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80071-154-9 (Epub)

Dedication Page

This book is dedicated to all the women and girls who have been subjected to rape. We hear you; we see you; we believe you. Together we will build a society that does not justify, tolerate, or minimise men’s sexual violence against women.

Contents

About the Authors xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Chapter One: Introduction 1
Scope of the Problem 1
Prevalence 2
Overall Endorsement 2
Is the Prevalence Decreasing Over Time? 3
Focus and Definitions 4
Structure of this Book 5
Chapter Two: Theoretical Background to Rape Myth Acceptance 9
Chapter Overview 9
The Importance of Feminism 9
Rape and Feminist Theory 10
Rape and the Criminal Justice System 11
Rape Myths 13
What is the Substance of Rape Myths? 14
Different Types of Rape Myths 18
Rape Myths and Black and South Asian Feminist Thought 23
Ways Forward in Working With Rape Myths 27
Conclusion 28
Chapter Three: Assessing Rape Myths 29
Chapter Overview 29
An Overview of Research into Rape Attributions 29
Research into RMA 30
Why Measure Rape Myths? 31
How to Measure Rape Myths 32
Other Relevant Variables 35
Challenges in Sexual Assault Research 38
Samples 38
Vignettes 40
Court Observations and Mock Juries 41
Open Science and Reproducibility 42
Current Challenges in Measuring RMA 43
Choice of RMA Measure 43
Subtlety, Wording, and Colloquialism 44
Social Desirability 46
Ways Forward 47
Case Study 49
Conclusion 51
Chapter Four: Consequences of Rape Myth Acceptance on the Criminal Justice System and Women Subjected to Rape 53
Chapter Overview 53
Rape Myths and Policing 53
Prevalence 53
Impact on Decision-Making 54
Implications for Training 56
Rape Myths and Juror Decision-Making 58
Specific Myths and Juror Decision-Making 60
Implications: Addressing the Impact of RMA on Court Cases 63
Summary 70
Impact of RMA on Women Subjected to Rape 70
Policing: Disclosure, Engagement, and Secondary Victimisation 71
Court 75
Formal and Informal Sources of Support 76
Mental Health and Well-Being 77
Self-Blame 78
Unacknowledged Rapes 79
How Disability and Perceived Social Class Affect CJS Experiences 80
Conclusion 81
Chapter Five: The Perpetuation and Functions of Rape Myths 83
Chapter Overview 83
The Perpetuation of Rape Myths 84
Prevention Campaigns 84
Rape in the Media 87
Improving Prevention Campaigns and Media Portrayals of Sexual Assault 93
The Functions of Rape Myths: Why Do People Endorse Them? 95
Individual Functions 95
Societal Functions 100
Conclusion 103
Chapter Six: Rape Myth Acceptance and Other ‘-Isms’ 105
Chapter Overview 105
Sexism 105
Ambivalent Sexism 106
Scientific Sexism and Gender Essentialism 110
Sexism and the Maintenance of RMA 112
Racism, Classism, and Ableism 114
Social Dominance 116
Conclusion 116
Chapter Seven: Ways Forward in Addressing Sexual Violence 119
Chapter Overview 119
Interventions to Address Sexual Violence 119
Theoretical Foundations 120
Outcomes Assessed 122
Specific Strategies to Address Sexual Violence 123
Addressing Sexual Violence in Specific Groups 130
Limitations of Existing Intervention Approaches 132
Ways Forward 135
Conclusion 136
References 139
Index 165

About the Authors

Sofia Persson, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Beckett University, UK. She is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her main research interests are blame attributions in rape cases and various forms of gender inequality. She is an Open Science advocate.

Katie Dhingra, PhD, is Reader/Associate Professor in Psychology at Leeds Beckett University, UK. She is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research largely focuses on the psychosocial mechanisms underlying suicide and non-suicidal self-injury. Additionally, she researches violence against women and children and psychological responses to trauma.

Acknowledgements

Sofia

I would like to thank my dad, who continues to be the most important person in my life – thank you for always being there for me whenever I need you. I would also like to thank Tom. Tom – thank you for everything, including for giving comments on an earlier draft of this book. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my cat Sukie, who is very small but incredibly loved.

Katie

I would like to thank my husband, Bill. He has been my rock – looking after our beautiful puppy, Poppy, so we could avoid asking for yet another extension (she thinks sleep is for wimps); for talking me through the rough times, of which there were many; and for allowing me to treat our home like a hotel (thank you and sorry). I could not have done this without you. I am also indebted to my parents and friends. Finally, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Tracy Levy Mulleague. No amount of ‘acknowledgement’ will repay the help and support that she has given, but I would like to say, ‘thank you’, nonetheless.

Sofia and Katie

We would like to thank Emerald Publishing Limited for the support they have provided in writing this book. Further, we would like to thank the editors of this book series, Dr Hannah Bows and Professor Nicole Westmarland for giving us the opportunity to contribute this book to Feminist Developments in Violence and Abuse. Here, we would also like to acknowledge the anonymous reviewers who provided incredibly valuable feedback and suggestions on our initial book proposal.

We are very grateful to the Centre for Psychological Research at Leeds Beckett University for a grant that enabled us to carry out original research for this book. We would also like to express our gratitude to the people who participated in our empirical research, which provided the foundation for this book. We are particularly grateful to the women who had been subjected to rape and provided data on their experience of reporting (or not reporting) to the police. We are incredibly thankful for the insights shared by these women, and we hope that their voices will contribute to improved provisions and justice for victim-survivors of rape. We would also like to acknowledge the organisations dedicated to supporting victim-survivors of rape, such as Rape Crisis England and Wales, and extend our sincere appreciation and thanks for all the important work that they do.