A brief look at a cross-cultural perspective of the forcible sexual abuse of women by men reveals a wide range of allowed expression. The ethnologists point out the intimate connection between the aggressive and sexual drives in the animal. A significant change has been occurring, with increasing public acceptance that sexual gratification without violence is available to most people who seek it, which may work to mitigate assertion. Changes in the status of women have affected the meanings attached to rape. Increasing pressure on the criminal justice system has been made to improve the arrest and conviction rate of rapists. The hypothesis of the attached study states that young black males who are presently in college do not significantly differ from the male population as a whole in their perception of rape. Questionnaire items examined the attitudes about rape, rapists, punishment or treatment for offenders, and response choices of the victim after the attack. Among younger black males, many myths about rape persist; among those over 21 years of age, attitudes are similar to their white counterparts. Society has a long way to go in educating the public about rape. (Author/BMW)