Psychology Commons^™

The Effect Of Sex Education Programs On Rape Culture, Logan J. Griffin

MSU Graduate Theses

Although schools in the United States primarily present abstinence only or comprehensive sex education programs, neither of these programs discuss the topic of sexual consent. In addition, these programs reinforce negative ideologies regarding rape-myths and victim blaming. The purpose of the current study is to determine if the prior type of sex education effects participants’ beliefs in rape-myth acceptance, sexism, willingness to help, and importance of consent, and if the sex education priming effects the participants’ likelihood to victim blame, express victim empathy, and their bystander behavior. The data reflected that those participants who received abstinence only sexual education did …