Rape Myth Acceptance,Efficacy,and Heterosexual Scripts in Men’s Magazines: Factors Associated With Intentions to Sexually Coerce or Intervene

Abstract

Sexual coercion has gained researchers’ attention as an underreported form of sexual abuse or harm. The percentage of male and female college students who reported engaging in sexual coercion was as high as 82% for verbally coercive behaviors over the course of a year. Guided by heterosexual scripting theory and the integrated model of behavioral prediction, we examine potential factors associated with college students’ intentions to sexually coerce or to intervene when friends plan to sexually coerce (bystander intention). Factors included young college students’ beliefs about rape myth acceptance, perceived norms, efficacy to reduce sexual-assault risk, and exposure to men’s and women’s magazines. As predicted, results indicate rape myth acceptance was positively associated with intentions to sexually coerce, and negatively associated with bystander intentions to intervene. Students’ efficacy to reduce sexual-assault risk was negatively associated with intentions to sexually coerce, and positively associated with bystander intentions. Exposure to the heterosexual scripts in men’s magazines, which connect sexual prowess to masculinity, was associated with intentions to sexually coerce. Exposure to magazines was not associated with bystander intentions to intervene. Overall, an understanding of the independent contribution of these factors toward sexual coercion and intervention has implications for dating violence prevention programming.