RAPE KNOWLEDGE AND PROPENSITY TO RAPE

Previous research has indicated that greater knowledge about rape is not associated with reduced rape propensity. The present study differed from previous research by defining rape knowledge as knowledge about the effect of rape on the victim. Two scales were created, one measuring knowledge of rape trauma syndrome and one measuring beliefs about the aversiveness of the rape victim's experience. These scales and measures of attitudes toward rape and self-report likelihood of raping were included in questionnaires completed by 276 male and female undergraduates. Greater knowledge about rape trauma and perception of rape as more aversive were associated with fewer pro-rape attitudes and lower self-report likelihood of raping. The practical implication is that educational interventions may be effective in decreasing the incidence of rape. Theoretical implications are also considered. Specifically, the distinction between hostile and instrumental aggression frequently made in the more general aggression literature is applied to the issue of rape motivation. The pattern of results suggests that rape is more likely to be an act of instrumental aggression than an act motivated by hostility toward women. © 1990.