Abstract
Rape myths, which shift responsibility for sexual assault from the assailant to the victim, have gained prominence in American politics. Like many negative stereotypes, rape myths have a strong association with public opinion on the social groups affected by the stereotype. In this study, I investigate rape myth acceptance in the US population, differences in the causes of rape myth acceptance among men and women, and the effect of rape myths on political beliefs. I show that rape myth acceptance is significantly related to a decrease in support for access to contraception and increases opposition to abortion among male respondents. This finding is particularly significant given the current debates over women’s healthcare and the future of reproductive health policy in particular.
Published Version
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