Yes, (Most) Men Know What Rape Is: A Mixed-Methods Investigation Into College Men's Definitions of Rape

• Published in: Psychology of men & masculinity 2021-04, Vol.22 (2), p.401-411
• Main Authors: Siegel, Jaclyn A., Anderson, RaeAnn A., Silver, Kristin E., Mitchell, Tara L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Campuses; Chi-square test; College Students; Curricula; Emotional responses; Gender; Human; Male; Male Attitudes; Men; Mixed Methods Research; Perpetrators; Precautions; Qualitative Methods; Qualitative research; Rape; Risk reduction; Sex Offenses; Sexual behavior; Sexual violence; Situational factors; Terminology; Violence; Young men
• ISSN: 1524-9220; 1939-151X
• DOI: 10.1037/men0000337

Sexual violence, including rape, is a pervasive problem on college campuses in the United States. Although men perpetrate the majority of sexual violence, men's attitudes, experiences, and perspectives are not typically included in research on rape and sexual violence. We addressed this empirical gap through our mixed-methods analysis of 365 college-aged men's definitions of the term "rape." Our analysis via consensual qualitative research revealed that men's definitions fit into nine primary domains: lack of consent, taken advantage of, sex, sexual activity, unwanted, gender/sex-specific, harm to victim, relationship, and emotional response, as well as a miscellaneous domain. Further, using chi-square tests of independence, we compared responses from men with and without histories of sexual violence perpetration. Findings showed that the definitions generated by men with a history of perpetration were less likely to include nonpenetrative sexual violence and were more likely to use gender/sex-specific language. We conclude that most young men have a generally accurate understanding of rape, though perpetrators' understandings may be somewhat narrower and more limited than those without a history of perpetration. We end with recommendations for refocusing sexual education curricula to better aid in the prevention of sexual violence perpetration. Specifically, given that (most) men know what rape is, educators should emphasize the cultural and situational factors that make rape more likely so all people can reduce the risk of sexual violence and take proactive precautions to prevent it. Public Significance Statement Sexual violence, including rape, is a pervasive problem on college campuses in the United States. Contrary to the myth that college-aged men do not know the definition of rape, our findings suggest that most college-aged men understand its definition and severity. However, men with histories of sexual assault perpetration provided more narrow definitions of rape compared to men without prior histories of perpetration.