title: A preliminary study of eighth grade students' attitudes toward rape myths and women's roles.
abstract: This preliminary study examined the relationship between sex-role stereotypes of women and beliefs in rape myths among adolescents. A 35-item survey was completed by 211 female and males in eighth grade health classes. Findings indicate both females and males accept some rape myths and sex-role stereotyping of women. The data also indicated an association between belief in rape myths and sex-role stereotyping of women. Few racial and age differences emerged. The most profound differences involved gender. Most adolescents rejected rape myths, but 10% of girls and 30% of boys tended to accept rape myths. Most females (98.2%) and males (83.3%) rejected sex-role stereotypes of women. According to feminist perspective, sex-role stereotyping of women's role in society is associated with tolerance of sexual violence toward women.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Family and Community Health, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boxley
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lawrance
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gruchow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012736:Sex Education; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires