Masculine Honor Beliefs and Perceptions of Male Rape

Across two studies, we examined how individual differences in masculine honor beliefs (i.e., MHBs; beliefs that men should preserve tough reputations; Saucier et al., 2016) related to male rape myth acceptance (Study 1) and perceptions of men who have been raped (Study 2). Supporting our hypotheses, in Study 1, higher levels of MHBs were uniquely associated with male rape myth acceptance above and beyond relevant correlates (e.g., female rape myth acceptance, adherence to traditional gender roles). Study 2 extended this by examining how MHBs related to perceptions of a hypothetical male rape, dependent upon the victim's sexual orientation (i.e., gay or heterosexual) and the perpetrator's gender (i.e., man or woman). Supporting our hypotheses, higher levels of MHBs were uniquely associated with more disparaging attitudes toward a male victim (e.g., higher levels of victim blaming, higher ratings that the victim should have been able to resist the assault). While some of these relationships were stronger when rape was perpetrated by a woman (compared to a man), our results largely suggest MHBs are related to negative attitudes toward male rape victims across situational factors. Overall, this research suggests adherence to MHBs relates to attitudes that trivialize the experience of male rape. Public Significance Statement Masculine honor beliefs refer to expectations about men's behaviors, especially as they relate to preserving tough reputations. Higher levels of masculine honor beliefs are related to higher levels of male rape myth acceptance. Higher levels of masculine honor beliefs are also related to more disparaging attitudes toward hypothetical male rape victims across situational factors.