MYTHS ABOUT SEXUAL AGGRESSION IN A SAMPLE OF PRISON INMATES

The high incidence of sexual crimes, in addition to the severity of its consequences, continues to require greater social and scientific effort that sheds light on this phenomenon and allows prevention and intervention to be guided. According to the literature, previous studies reveal the impact of myths about sexual violence, which refer to how sexual assaults occur, the guilt of the victim and the justification of the aggressor. Although there are studies in the community population, there is little research on the prevalence of sexual assault myths in the prison population. That is why we considered this study, in which a single group ex post facto design was carried out, with a sample of 48 internal sentences in a prison with an average age of 40.31 (SD = 9.61), to which the AMMSA scale was applied, the scale of social desirability and a questionnaire with sociodemographic variables. The results highlight the prevalence of myths about sexual assault in the male prison population, showing that the acceptance of myths is significantly higher in the prison population than in the community population. Taking into account the limitations of our study, the implications of the results are discussed and future lines of research are proposed within the prison field, which promote the development and implementation of treatment programmes for reduction of cognitive myths and distortions, adjusted to the needs of the sentenced, and which can promote their proper reintegration, re-education and resocialization.