Determinants of Society's Rape Myths Acceptance

Abstract

This study was planned to determine the acceptance status of rape myths in society and also the factors affecting this situation. The target population of this descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of individuals living in Turkey. Random sampling method was used in sample selection. It was determined that there were 268 individuals who met the research criteria. The research data were collected online via Google form between April 30, 2021 and January 30, 2022. "Personal Information Form" and "Illinois Rape Myths Acceptance Scale - Short form" were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistical analyses, One-way ANOVA test, student t test and linear regression test were used to analyze the data. The mean age of the participants was 31.023+9.73 years. 42% of the participants were in the 28-37 age range and 59.9% of the participants were female. Gender, employment status, education level, place of residence and income status explained 28.7% of the acceptance of rape myths (p<0.001). It was determined that women accepted rape myths more than men, while the acceptance of rape myths was lower among low-educated participants. Within the scope of this study, it was determined that there are gender differences in the acceptance of rape myths and that the tendency to blame the victim is high. The results of this preliminary study are a reference for other researchers or institutions, and studies with a larger sample group are needed.