The role of victim and perpetrator gender in shaping rape myths and their impact on support services for adult survivors: insights from a socioecological approach

Abstract

The concept of the rape myth has been influential in research exploring attitudes towards survivors, and their experiences with legal, medical and support systems. However, much of this work has been conducted from the female�victim-male-perpetrator paradigm. Historically, this has led to the marginalisation of male victims, female perpetrators and same-sex sexual violence in academic, public and political arenas. Despite growing recognition of these issues (particularly within the last 20 years), there are still gaps in our understanding of the way victim and perpetrator gender shape rape myths. While these gaps may currently represent barriers to supporting survivors of sexual violence, they may also hold the opportunity for transformative praxis. This research explores the role of victim and perpetrator gender in shaping rape myths for adult survivors, and how these myths impact on support services for adult survivors. A multiphase mixed methods design using a feminist-informed socioecological approach is used. ‘Mixing’ occurs at both the levels of research design and interpretation of the findings. The research comprises four phases: Phase 1. A systematic review that explored the findings of existing research in relation to victim gender and perpetrator gender and rape myths, and blame. Phase 2. Based on findings of phase 1, a quasi-experimental study was conducted that varied victim and perpetrator gender to examine their impact on acceptance of different rape types of myth. Phase 3. Informed by findings from phase 2, a qualitative study was conducted with sexual violence support specialists using an approach informed by the Think Aloud method. The study explored, from their experience, the salience of different myths for male and female survivors, and how this was affected by perpetrator gender. Phase 4. Conducted concurrently with phase 3, a qualitative in-depth interview study was conducted with the phase 3 sample of sexual violence support specialists. The study explored their experiences and beliefs of how gender and rape myths impact on support services for adult survivors of sexual violence. This research suggests that considering victim gender without the explicit consideration of perpetrator gender can be misleading because it overlooks important contextual information that perceivers use when making judgments about survivors. Recent events in UK (e.g. revelations relating to Jimmy Saville) have led to greater awareness of rape myths and victim blaming. However, although this may have brought about surface level change, rape myths still shape survivors’ experiences of seeking support and engaging with the Criminal Justice System. In combination, these factors play important roles in shaping services for male and female survivors of sexual violence (and survivors or other gender identities). The present thesis demonstrates the value of adopting a socioecological approach to explore the role gender plays in shaping challenges faced by specialist victim-survivor support provision