Public Perceptions of Marital Rape: Does Level of Force Used Have an Impact?

Abstract

Research indicates that marital rape is viewed by the public as less harmful to a victim than stranger/acquaintance rape. The aim of the study is to extend the research conducted by Robinson in 2017, investigating how levels of force influence perceptions of marital rape. The study also examines how rape perception is influenced by rape myth acceptance and attitudes towards women. The current study improves on previous work by controlling for individual differences across groups using a repeated-measures design. The results indicate that as the level of force increases the perception of marital rape increases. Positive attitudes towards women and low rape myth acceptance are also found to have a positive impact on perceptions of marital rape. Based on these findings, it is possible to recommend that further awareness of legislation regarding coercion and marital rape is required within the public domain.