NCJ Number
56094
Journal
Community Mental Health Journal Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (SUMMER 1978) Pages: 116-122
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE BELIEF SYSTEM OF WOMEN WITH DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS ABOUT THE TECHNIQUES THAT THEY WOULD USE IN DEALING WITH A RAPIST AND SOCIETY'S HANDLING OF A CONVICTED RAPIST.
Abstract
THE FOLLOWING SUBGROUPS OF WOMEN WERE USED IN THE STUDY: (1) 35 UNDERGRADUATES, MEAN AGE 20.54; (2) 29 NUNS BELONGING TO A RELIGIOUS ORDER, MEAN AGE 39.15; AND (3) 13 MEMBERS OF A WOMEN'S CENTER, MEAN AGE 36.78. A MALE GROUP IN THE STUDY CONSISTED OF 25 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, MEAN AGE 20.56. ALL SUBJECTS WERE ADMINISTERED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES IN THE GIVEN SEQUENCE: (1) RATHUS ASSERTIVENESS SCHEDULE (RATHUS, 1973), (2) ROTTER'S (1966) MEASURE OF GENERALIZED EXPECTANCIES FOR INTERNAL VERSUS EXTERNAL CONTROL OF REINFORCEMENT (I-E SCALE), AND (3) THE RAPE INVENTORY. PROBABLY THE MOST STRIKING FINDING OF THE STUDY IS THE RELATIVELY NARROW RANGE OF LIKELY OPTIONS THAT MOST WOMEN WOULD INVOKE. TWO OUT OF THREE WOMEN FAVORED AS THEIR MOST PROBABLE MANEUVER RUNNING, SCREAMING, OR KICKING THE ASSAILANT IN A VULNERABLE SPOT. ONLY ONE OF THESE TECHNIQUES REPRESENTS AN ACTIVE TYPE OF PHYSICAL INTERVENTION, UNDERSCORING THE CONTINUED GENERALIZED BELIEF APPARENTLY HELD BY MOST WOMEN THAT OFFERING ACTIVE RESISTANCE TO A RAPIST IS NOT A PARTICULARLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE, DESPITE MUCH RECENT DISCUSSION TO THE CONTRARY. OF THE FEMALE SUBGROUPS, THE WOMEN'S CENTER MEMBERS AND THE NUNS WERE LEAST LIKELY TO OPT FOR THE KICK IN THE GROIN, WHEREAS THE STUDENTS WERE MOST LIKELY TO CHOOSE THIS MANEUVER. AS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED, MEN APPEAR TO BE MORE PHYSICAL THAN WOMEN IN PREFERRED DEFENSIVE TACTICS IN RESPONSE TO A RAPE ATTEMPT, ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL RANK-ORDER CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PROFILE OF RESPONSES BY MEN AND WOMEN IS SUBSTANTIAL. A HIGH PERCENT OF THE WOMEN (66 PERCENT) ADVOCATED EITHER TREATMENT OR AN EDUCATIONAL APPROACH FOR THE CONVICTED RAPIST, RATHER THAN A MORE PUNITIVE ACTION. ALTHOUGH WOMEN WHO ADVOCATED MORE SEVERE TREATMENT DID NOT DIFFER IN ASSERTIVENESS FROM THOSE WHO ADVOCATED MORE LENIENT TREATMENT, THE PERSONALITY DIMENSION OF EXTERNALITY DID DIFFERENTIATE THESE OPPOSING ATTITUDINAL POSITIONS, WITH EXTERNALITY BEING SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH A MORE SEVERELY PUNITIVE ATTITUDE. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)