Rape Myth Acceptance: Implications for Counselor Education Programs

This article describes a study of five master’s level counseling students to determine their level of acceptance of rape myths, which are destructive beliefs that rape victims are lying about their abuse or bear some responsibility for their victimization. Data were obtained through interviews, responses to two vignettes describing rape scenarios, and use of the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. The study revealed some acceptance of rape myths as well as discomfort with the idea of counseling rape victims. The article suggests that more training to combat these harmful beliefs is necessary in counselor education programs and that learning to counsel sexual violence victims should be viewed as a core part of a counseling curriculum rather than only an area of specialization.