Studies the effect of three different types of acquaintance rape prevention programs on men's attitudes concerning women and sexual assault. Examined single-sex versus coed workshops, small groups versus large groups, and other types of formats. Findings show that some program features are more effective than others. (RJM)

College students (N=18) wrote scripts about "typical" rape and "typical" seduction. Scripts were coded on 20 dimensions. Results showed that rape and seduction scripts were very different. Most subjects described blitz rape in which woman outdoors was attacked by male stranger. Seductions described were usually indoors and…

Assessed university students' attitudes toward rape and rape mythology and measured impact on these attitudes following exposure to acquaintance rape education program. Findings from 821 students revealed that women readily changed rape supportive attitudes, whereas men were resistant to date rape education program. Findings suggest need for new…

Compared effects of strategies for informing college students about date rape. Assigned students to either experimental group that viewed videotape on acquaintance rape (n=33), experimental group that read brochure on acquaintance rape (n=31), or control group (n=25). Findings revealed no significant difference between effects of videotape and…

Assessed Spanish college students' attitudes about forced sex and actual experiences with male-against-female sexual aggression. Students analyzed a date rape story discussed their coercive sexual activities and help-seeking behaviors. Acceptance of forced sex significantly related to sex, age, and experience with sexual aggression. Only 39…

Discusses Margaret Atwood's "provocative and funny" short story "Rape Fantasies," and describes how, when teaching this story the author encourages students to sympathize with Estelle (the narrator) before they judge her (instead of rushing to achieve closure and begin interpretation). (SR)

Examines reactions of 531 undergraduate men and women to scenarios depicting nonconsensual heterosexual intercourse involving varying levels of prior intimacy. Responses show women were most likely to find the scenarios unacceptable; gender differences increased with higher levels of prior intimacy between victim and offender. Knowing a rape…

Evaluated the impact of a mandatory acquaintance rape education program for college freshmen. Surveys of participating and nonparticipating students immediately and several months following the program indicated a positive impact of participation on attitudes and judgements immediately following participation. Increases in knowledge were…

This study aimed to know the prevalence of sexual coercion toward women perpetrated by acquaintance Spanish college men, and some personal factors associated with the involvement in these behaviors to replicate the confluence model. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 196 university students that included an adaptation of the Sexual…

Meta-analyses of the effectiveness of college sexual assault education programs on seven outcome measure categories were conducted using 69 studies that involved 102 treatment interventions and 18,172 participants. Five of the outcome categories had significant average effect sizes (i.e., rape attitudes, rape-related attitudes, rape knowledge,…

Jacob Zuma is the former Deputy President of South Africa who was suspended from office pending a court case on corruption charges but whose name has dominated the South Africa media over the last few months in relation to his prosecution for rape of a much younger woman who was HIV positive. The Jacob Zuma trial has produced powerful feelings for…

Reviewed the literature on college students' sexual attitudes and behaviors from 1974 through 1985. Found a rise in sexual activity and in openness to discuss sexual issues, a relationship between soft drugs and sexual activity, greater concern for rape, and greater male student awareness of male responsibility for contraceptive behavior.…

Surveyed 53 female and 36 male college students to examine attitudes on the perceived effectiveness of four rape reduction strategies. Generally aggressive strategies and those placing the locus of responsibility for change upon women were considered most effective. Sex role attitudes were more predictive than subject sex differences. (JAC)

This paper discusses a program that uses the leadership and status of Greek system officers to prevent sexual assault at a large university. This program aims to prevent future assaults by altering the conditions of a rape-prone culture. The presentation comprises a definition and two examples of acquaintance rape situations, a discussion of…

The Media Ethics section of the proceedings contains the following 7 selected papers: "The Ethics Agenda of the Mass Communication Professorate" (Jay Black, Bruce Garrison, Fred Fedler, and Doug White); "What Would the Editor Do? A Three-Year Study of Student-Journalists and the Naming of Rape Victims in the Press" (Kim E.…