Shaping Future Justice: Comparative Insights into Prison Rape Myths in South Korea and the United States

Abstract

Prison rape constitutes a severe human rights violation within correctional systems, with its true prevalence often obscured by underreporting. Rape-supportive attitudes among criminal justice (CJ) professionals exacerbate this issue, underscoring the need to address such beliefs early in the education of future CJ professionals—CJ majors—before they enter the field. This study examined prison rape myths among CJ majors in South Korea and the USA, two countries with distinct cultural and educational contexts. Analyzing survey data from CJ majors at four universities in each country, the study explored how demographics, education, and oppressive attitudes shape prison rape myths. Findings revealed both universal and culture-specific predictors of prison rape myths. In both countries, oppressive attitudes—particularly male and female rape myths and negative attitudes toward prisoners—were significant predictors. However, educational factors played a stronger role in South Korea, where mandatory, high-quality courses on oppressive attitudes were linked to lower levels of negative views toward prisoners. These results suggest that culturally tailored educational interventions may be more effective in challenging oppressive beliefs. This study emphasizes the value of a transnational approach to education to address rape-supportive attitudes and foster victim-centered practices among future CJ professionals.