Race and sex effects on attitudinal perceptions of acquaintance rape

In an examination of sex and race effects on attitudes about sexual assault, 336 Latino and Caucasian undergraduates reacted to a written acquaintance rape vignette that manipulated victim and perpetrator race. Reactions were assessed by the Rape Empathy Scale, the Attitudes Toward Rape Victim Scale (ARVS), and the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (RMAS). Results indicated that women reported higher perceptions of empathy, ascribed more credibility toward the rape victim, and were less accepting of rape myths compared with their male counterparts. Interactions involving sex and race were obtained for the ARVS and RMAS ratings, indicating that, compared with Latinas, Caucasian women reported stronger positive attitudes toward rape victims generally and more accurate perceptions of rape when the victim was portrayed as Caucasian.