Rape Myths Among Incoming College Men: A Latent Profile Analysis

Background: Campus sexual violence prevention efforts are often ineffective at reducing rates of sexual assault. One method of improving the effectiveness of campus prevention efforts might be to tailor programming toward students with differing attitudes and beliefs related to sexual violence. Research on prevention education for campus sexual violence often examines rape myth beliefs which have never been investigated using latent profile analysis (LPA). These techniques categorize or group participants into subgroups that differ based on their beliefs. The current study is the first of its kind to use LPA to examine differing types of levels of rape myths beliefs that incoming college men hold.

Methods: Five subscales of the rape myth beliefs scale were used to examine patterns of subscale endorsement. LPA tests a series of models with differing numbers of profiles or classes, starting with one class and increasing the number of latent classes in each model. A final model is selected based on fit criteria, when compared to previous models, and data fit to the model. LPA was performed with Mplus Version 8.0. Fit criteria were used to compare model fit. After the latent profiles were identified, covariates, intention to join an all-male peer group, were entered into the model to conduct multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Results: This study found a four class solution fit the data the best indicating four profiles/ subgroups of men based on their rape myth beliefs: Class 1 (Low Rape Myths; 50% of the sample) is made up of male students who have the lowest mean scores on all the five rape myth subscales across all four classes, meaning a low endorsement of rape myth beliefs. Class 2 (Medium Rape Myths; 34% of the sample) had mid-range mean scores on the rape myth subscales. Class 3 (High Specific Rape Myths; 2% of the sample) had mid-level scores for three of the five rape myth subscales and much higher scores, compared to all other classes, on the two other rape myth subscales. Class 4 (High Rape Myths; 15% of the sample) had the highest scores on all rape myths subscales except the two discussed for Class 3, High Specific Rape Myths. Intention to join an all-male peer group was not significantly related the rape myth profiles (p >.1).

Conclusions and Implications: This study demonstrates that college men hold varying levels of rape myths beliefs that can be used to classify men into four classes based on their beliefs, with some groups endorsing lower or medium levels of rape myths and others endorsing higher levels of some or all of the rape myths. The demonstrated heterogeneity of rape myths beliefs held by college men suggests that targeting rape myths continues to be important in campus sexual violence prevention efforts. These results can be used to inform prevention efforts, often lead by social workers, geared towards addressing problematic beliefs, such as rape myths beliefs, and used to guide tailoring of such programming toward subgroups of students with differing levels and types of rape myth beliefs.