Supporting Survivors: The Roles of Rape Myths and Feminism in University Resident Assistants' Response to Sexual Assault Disclosure Scenarios

摘要

Sexual assault is a widespread and deleterious issue on U.S. college campuses. Resident assistants (RAs) in university housing are in a unique position to support students who experience sexual assault. RAs' typical job roles, U.S. federal laws (e.g., Title IX), and institutional policies require them to respond to disclosures in particular ways, for instance, by providing emotional support and referring survivors to resources. These responses to disclosures can affect survivors' well-being-positively and negatively-but help providers do not always respond consistently. The current study examined how feminist beliefs and rape myth acceptance (RMA) predicted RAs' provision of material support (i.e., referring survivors to the campus sexual assault center) and emotional support (e.g., empathizing, consoling) in response to sexual assault disclosure scenarios. Data were collected from 300 undergraduate RAs at a large U.S. university. Results indicated that RAs with stronger feminist beliefs were significantly more likely to provide material support. Conversely, RAs with higher RMA were less likely to provide material and emotional support. An interaction between gender and RMA illustrated that men with higher RMA were least likely to provide material support. These findings demonstrate the need for improved training for RAs, as well as other first responders, around rape myths and responses to sexual assault.