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Acquaintance Rape Scripts of Women and Men: Similarities and Differences

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Abstract

Building on Carroll and Clark (Sex Roles 55:469–480, 2006), the current study examined whether women’s scripts overlap or diverge from acquaintance rape scripts reported by men. Using a preset rape scenario, scripts were elicited from a sample of 292 women and 125 men from the United States. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, including a content analysis of script themes as well as modeling analyses to examine gender differences in underlying latent structures. The findings confirm that, for both women and men, there is not a single rape script. However, when looking at latent structures, there is clear evidence of the diverging conceptualization of rape for women and men. Findings highlight how the Traditional Sexual Script continues to influence one’s understanding of cultural scenarios.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Foundations and Research, Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, DC, 20002, USA

    M. Diane Clark

  2. Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, United States Military Academy, Official Mail and Distribution Center, 646 Swift Road, West Point, NY, 10996, USA

    Marjorie H. Carroll

Authors
  1. M. Diane Clark
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  2. Marjorie H. Carroll
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Correspondence to Marjorie H. Carroll.

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Clark, M.D., Carroll, M.H. Acquaintance Rape Scripts of Women and Men: Similarities and Differences. Sex Roles 58, 616–625 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9373-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9373-3

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