Socialization that occurs within some conservative Christian contexts might facilitate development of attitudes and beliefs that increase women’s risk for sexual assault. Patriarchal community structure and rigid gender role adherence place women in subordinate roles and maintain gender inequality. Within conservative, dogmatic contexts, comprehensive sex education and education about assault might be minimal, and rape myths are hypothesized to be more prevalent. This study assessed sexual assault experiences (victimization and perpetration) in a sample of 208 male and female college students affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Women reported victimization of all forms of sexual coercion at higher rates than men reported perpetration. In addition, traditional gender role adherence mediated the link between dogmatic, religiously fundamentalist beliefs and acceptance of rape mythology for both men and women. Traditional gender role adherence also mediated the link between religious fundamentalism and sexual assault behaviors for men.
Article
A Mediation Model of Sexual Assault Among Latter-Day Saints
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Routledge
Publication Date
2-8-2017
Disciplines
Abstract
Citation Information
Barker, A., & Galliher, R. V. (2017). A Mediation Model of Sexual Assault among Latter-Day Saints. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 26, 316-333. DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2016.1272657