ERIC Number: ED659722
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 85
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3835-7962-6
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Dating Violence Myth Acceptance in College Populations: A Comparison with Sexual Assault Myth Acceptance
Lianna McDaniel
ProQuest LLC, Psy.D. Dissertation, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Dating violence and sexual assault are topics of concern on college campuses and although they are often viewed as separate issues, they are overlapping constructs within the construct of interpersonal violence. Research suggests that people perpetrate dating violence and sexual assault for the same reasons. However, campus programming frequently focuses on sexual assault over dating violence prevention instead of creating interventions that address the two simultaneously. Many of the interventions that are already in use to combat sexual assault on college campuses do so by reducing beliefs in myths about sexual violence. This study examined belief in dating violence myths and sexual assault myths in the college population, using archival data from a campus climate survey distributed to IUP students in the Spring 2022 semester. Participants completed self-report dating violence myth acceptance items (DVMA) and sexual assault myth acceptance items (SAMA) as well as questions on whether they had experienced dating violence and/or sexual assault and whether they knew of anyone who had. As predicted, males within the sample endorsed more belief in dating violence myths and sexual assault myths than female participants did. Although the differences in DVMA and SAMA were observed within factored themes, a significant difference was not observed between male and female participants' endorsement of the SAMA subscale Individual Consent. Lower DVMA and SAMA scores were observed for participants who reported that they had experienced that type of violence as well as participants who reported knowing someone who had. Participants were also observed to have higher DVMA scores than SAMA scores overall. Differences were not observed between undergraduate and graduate students, students affiliated with Greek Life and non-affiliated students, and varsity athletes and non-athletes. These results provide information on student beliefs that help campus programming further prevent dating violence and sexual assault at the institution. Limitations and future research are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: College Students, Student Attitudes, Misconceptions, Beliefs, Sexual Abuse, Violence, Dating (Social), Gender Differences
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A