Hostile sexism as predictor of rape supportive attitude among men

Abstract

Research has reported that rape supportive attitude is a significant precursor of rape among men. Given the high prevalence of rape, it is crucial to understand the factors that significantly predict rape supportive attitude. The objective of this study was to determine if hostile sexism significantly predicts rape supportive attitude. A cross-sectional online survey was used to collect data from 107 men between the age of 18 and 65years. Data were collected using Rape Myth Scale, Ambivalent Sexism Inventory and Demographic questionnaire. The results of the bivariate correlation showed a statistically significant positive relationship between rape supportive attitude and hostile sexism among men (r=.33, p<.01, r²=.11). The linear regression result showed that hostile sexism significantly predicted rape supportive attitude (β=.33, t=3.29, p<.01). The discussion of the results and the implications for practice were provided.

Keywords: Rape supportive attitude, Hostile sexism, Rape myth acceptance