Abstract
Despite growing recognition of male-on-male rape and its related myths, research in this area has been held back by the lack of a reliable and comprehensive measure or scale. The present work utilises a large and diverse participant sample over two studies (Study 1 N = 510, Study 2 N = 527) to validate a new Male Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (MRMAS), measuring myths falling under six principle themes: masculinity, sexuality, pleasure, perpetrators, context, and effect. Analysis suggested a two-factor scale, with ‘Blame’ and ‘Minimisation/Exoneration’ sub-scales. Both the overall scale and sub-scales demonstrate excellent reliability and construct validity, and are thus proposed as tools to enable the proliferation of future research on male rape myth acceptance, both in general and specialist populations, in an attempt to improve the experiences of male rape victims.
Highlights
Research on the nature, function, and influence of rape myths has typically focussed on incidences involving male perpetrators and female victims
A kurtosis value of 0.26 in the Male Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (MRMAS) full scale mean suggests a normal level for a sample of this size (Field, 2009)
This study introduces a new measure of male rape myth acceptance, appropriately named the Male Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (MRMAS)
Summary
Function, and influence of rape myths has typically focussed on incidences involving male perpetrators and female victims. Bohner et al (2009) describes so-called ‘traditional’ rape myths as ‘descriptive or prescriptive beliefs about rape (i.e., about its causes, context, consequences, perpetrators, victims, and their interaction) that serve to deny, downplay or justify sexual violence that men commit against women’. Following the legal recognition of male rape in the UK in 1994 (see Jamel et al, 2008, for review), research on the rape of men by other men, including the existence of ‘male rape myths’ has increased. At present, no reliable, comprehensive measure of male rape myths exists, despite calls from Struckman-Johnson and Struckman-Johnson over 25 years ago ‘to develop a “male rape myth scale”’ This study presents the first, comprehensive ‘Male Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (MRMAS)’ for the accurate measurement of male-specific rape myths
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