Traditional Gender Role and Rape Myth Acceptance: From the Countryside to the Big City

Laura L. King, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Jennifer J. Roberts, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Abstract

Previous research on rape myths has identified a positive correlation between the acceptance of traditional gender roles and rape myths. Based on earlier research citing the prevalence of these gender roles among rural cultures, it was hypothesized that individuals from rural-farm areas would be more accepting of traditional gender roles and rape myths than their more urban counterparts. Contrary to previous literature on the rural culture milieu, the degree of rurality of one's hometown was not found to be statistically significant in relation to the acceptance of traditional gender roles and rape myths. However, consistent with past research, traditional gender role acceptance was found to be the strongest predictor of rape myth acceptance in this sample of university students.