College Students’ Perceptions of Rape: An Exploratory Study Through the Use of Visual Vignettes

Abstract

While research has examined the level of blame placed on victims and perpetrators for rape and sexual assault in simulations, there is very little research examining whether college students can accurately identify rape. In addition, the simulations presented to students in this area of research have overwhelmingly focused on female victims and male perpetrators and tend to use audio or read vignettes. This exploratory study examines if college students can accurately identify rape, using four visual vignettes demonstrating four simulations: (1) a clear violation of law, (2) an ambiguous violation of law, (3) a clear non-violation of law, and (4) an ambiguous non-violation of law, with a male victim and two female perpetrators. Findings from this study suggest that gender may significantly influence an individual’s likelihood of accurately identifying rape. Additionally, students overall are able to accurately identify rape, except for the ambiguous non-violation of law simulation, which is critically examined.