[National University Corporation Chiba University] Developed a Japanese version scale to measure the degree of acceptance of the “rape myth” prejudice against sexual crimes – Comparative
examination of differences in acceptance level between Japan and the United States and generations –
*National University Corporation Chiba University*
Press release: August 5, 2024
**
Developing a Japanese scale to measure acceptance of the “rape myth” prejudice against sexual crimes – Comparative examination of differences in acceptance between Japan and the US and generations –
Researcher Rina Sasaki and Professor Eiji Shimizu, director of the Center for Children’s Mental Development and Education, Chiba University, researched false beliefs and stereotypes about rape victims, perpetrators, and the rape act itself (rape myths (Note 1)). We developed the Japanese version of the REAL Scale in collaboration with Rebecca Harnel-Peters of the University of Texas, who is the developer of the REAL Scale (Note 2), which can measure the degree to which people accept the following.
In this study, we used the developed Japanese version of the REAL scale to conduct an anonymous online survey of consenting people between the ages of 18 and 65 to determine the degree to which Japanese people accept rape myths.
(Rape Myth Acceptance)
was measured. As a result, three tendencies were found: 1. Men more strongly than women, 2. Younger generations (18-29 years old) more than other generations, and 3. perpetrators in Japan than perpetrators in the United States. was shown. It has also become clear that Japanese rape myths can be divided into two groups: 1. a psychology that underestimates the act of sexual crime, and 2. a psychology that evaluates it as not a sexual crime because there was tacit consent. Ta.
The results of this research are expected to reduce prejudice against sexual crimes and contribute to the creation of a society in which victims of sexual crimes can easily report their damage.
The results of this research were published in the international academic journal Journal of Interpersonal Violence on July 30, 2024.
* ■Research background*
The number of people who have spoken out about being victims of sexual crimes is increasing, and social interest in sexual crimes is increasing as they are often covered by the media. On the other hand, according to a survey by the Ministry of Justice, *
As many as 85% of sexual crime victims are unable to report their sexual assault*
. It has been pointed out that one of the reasons why victims of sexual crimes are unable to speak out is related to the misconceptions and prejudices unique to sexual crimes known as “rape myths.” Typical rape myths include, “If the woman doesn’t clearly say no, it cannot be claimed as a sexual crime,” and “If a woman enters a room alone with a man, he is consenting to sex.” etc. It has been found that people who strongly believe in rape myths tend not to report their own sexual crimes because they blame themselves for being victims or do not recognize that what happened to them was a sexual crime. It is being
Research has shown that when victims of sexual crimes seek advice, they seek advice from close family members and friends, rather than from public institutions such as the police. If the people close to the victim who received the report blame the victim or react negatively due to prejudice against sexual crimes, the victim may not only not consult public places such as the police but also , has been shown to increase the likelihood of poor mental health. For this reason, it is important to reduce prejudice against sexual crimes not only among perpetrators and victims of sexual crimes, but among all people. To do this, we first needed to develop a scale that anyone could use to measure prejudice against sexual crimes.
* ■Research results * We based on the REAL scale created by
Hahnel-Peeters & Goetz (2022) (references) *
In collaboration with Mr. Harnel-Peters, we developed the Japanese version of the REAL scale, making it possible to measure rape myth acceptance in Japan. *
The REAL scale consists of 20 items, each of which is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from “0: Not applicable at all” to “4: Very applicable,” with a total of 80 points. The REAL scale was created based on the reality that in over 90% of all sexual crimes, men are the perpetrators and women are the victims. We carefully examined the translation to ensure it was the same as the original version, and conducted an anonymous web survey among 1,000 consenting men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 to verify reliability and validity. Based on the survey results using the Japanese version of the REAL scale, we will examine the characteristics of people who are highly receptive to rape myths, compare the results with previous research conducted in the United States using the original REAL scale, and examine the psychology of Japanese prejudice against sexual crimes. We considered the characteristics of
The results revealed that men’s REAL scale scores in Japan were more than 6 points higher than women’s, and the results in Japan were more than 7 times higher than the results in the United States. Figure 1). In addition, the results conducted in the United States showed no differences in scores by generation, but the results conducted in Japan showed that the younger generation (18 to 29 years old) had higher scores than other generations. was found (Figure 2).
In addition, the psychological characteristics of the prejudice against sexual crimes committed by perpetrators in Japan are divided into two groups: 1. People who underestimate their own acts and think that it is not a sexual crime, and 2. People who believe that tacit consent has been obtained. It has become clear that the psychology of believing that one’s own actions do not fall under the category of sexual crimes).
* ■Future outlook*
One of the reasons for the large score difference between Japan and the United States is that the United States requires schools and educational institutions receiving federal aid to implement
educational programs to protect people from sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination. Masu. However, since Japan does not have such a system, we believe that differences in the educational environment may be a factor. In order to reduce as much as possible the prejudice against Japanese sexual crimes revealed in this study, a wide range of people can use this scale to recognize and correct their own false beliefs and stereotypes regarding sexual crimes. I hope this will be an opportunity for you to change.
In the future, we plan to not only use the REAL scale to check the extent to which we ourselves have prejudice against sexual crimes, but also create a web program that can reduce prejudice and verify its effectiveness. . We would like to continue our research and
development so that we can implement this technology as soon as possible, in order to build a society where victims can easily seek advice about their injuries.
* ■Researcher’s comment (Rina Sasaki)*
I was very surprised to see such a huge difference in the REAL scores of Americans and Japanese people, and thought that this extremely serious situation must be rectified as soon as possible. In fact, even though victims of sexual crimes are suffering enough just from the fact that they were sexually assaulted, they end up being blamed because of the prejudices of those around them. The reality is that there are many cases where we have even more painful feelings. It is the perpetrator who is to blame, not the victim. I would like to continue my research with the goal of improving the current situation in which victims of sexual crimes are unable to tell anyone because they are afraid of the reactions of those around them, and even if they report the damage, they are hurt by the people around them. Masu.
* ■Term explanation*
* Note 1) Rape Myth: *
False beliefs and prejudices that blame victims of sexual violence or defend perpetrators. A term that has been used since the feminist movement of the 1970s.
*Note 2) REAL (R ape E xcusing A ttitudes and L anguage) scale*: Hahnel-Peeters and
Goetz (2022) created a scale to measure rape myth acceptance: attitudes and language that excuse sexual violence.
* ■Reference papers*
*Title:* Development and validation of the Rape Excusing Attitudes and Language scale
* Author: * Rebecka K. Hahnel-Peeters, Aaron T. Goetz
* Magazine name: * Personality and Individual Differences
*DOI:* 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111359
* ■Paper information*
* Title:* Development of the Japanese Version of the Rape Excusing Attitudes and Language Scale and Comparison Between Rape Myth Acceptance in Japan and the U.S.
* Author: * Rina Sasaki, Rebecka K. Hahnel-Peeters, Eiji Shimizu * Magazine name: * Journal of Interpersonal Violence
*DOI:* 10.1177/08862605241262235