Male Rape Myths, Female Rape Myths, and Intent to Intervene as a Bystander

The bystander approach to sexual assault prevention has become popular on college campuses and within the military. Previous research has identified a negative association between the acceptance of rape myths and the likelihood of individuals intervening in a sexual assault situation. However, to date, all examinations of rape myth acceptance (RMA) and bystander intervention have focused on female rape myths (i.e., myths about rape involving a female victim). The current study explored whether male RMA (i.e., acceptance of myths about rape involving a male victim) influences bystander intervention in similar or differing ways compared with female RMA. In addition, the study explored whether male and female RMA function differently by subtypes of bystander intervention (i.e., known victim vs. stranger victim) and bystander gender. Participants included 970 students (731 men, 239 women) entering the United States Naval Academy. Participants completed the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance ScaleShort Form, a 30-item male RMA scale, and the Intent to Help Friends and Intent to Help Strangers scales. The findings indicated that higher acceptance of both female and male rape myths was associated with a lowered intent to help someone known to the bystander. In contrast, after controlling for both types of RMA, only male RMA had a negative relationship with intent to help a stranger. These findings highlight the need to incorporate a discussion of male victimization and associated myths into bystander intervention programs.