Abstract
Research demonstrates a positive relationship between public attitudes toward women and rape myth acceptance. Little is known about whether this relationship also exists within police culture. The current study assesses the relationship between police officers' attitudes toward women and their attitudes toward rape. The effect of educational attainment on these attitudes is also assessed. A survey was administered to 891 police officers from two states in the southeastern United States. There was a significant difference on measures of modern sexism and the acceptance of rape myths with varying levels of educational attainment.
Notes
1Reports of rape were deemed false when the victim admitted s/he fabricated the allegation or when proof of fabrication was obtained.
Note. a Education: 1 = High School or GED, 2 = Some College, No Degree, 3 = Associate's Degree, 4 = Bachelor's Degree, 5 = Master's Degree.
Note. SD = Strongly Disagree, D = Disagree, NDA = Neither Disagree or Agree, A = Agree, SA = Strongly Agree.
Note. SD = Strongly Disagree, D = Disagree, NDA = Neither Disagree or Agree, A = Agree, SA = Strongly Agree.
Note. SD = Strongly Disagree, D = Disagree, NDA = Neither Disagree or Agree, A = Agree, SA = Strongly Agree.
2These results were published in an earlier article by Page (Citation2007).
Note. VU = Very Unlikely, U = Unlikely, NUL = Neither Unlikely nor Likely, L = Likely, VL = Very Likely.