Emergency and SANE nurses' acceptance of drug-facilitated sexual assault myths

Abstract

<p>Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in our society.&nbsp; Acceptance of rape myths, such as a believe that rape victims who are intoxicated deserve to be assaulted, adversely affect victims and discourage reporting for treatment.&nbsp; In this mixed-method, descriptive study, 581 emergency nurses and sexual assault nurse examiners were surveyed to exmine acceptance of rape myths and to determine if differences exist between the acceptance of rape myths and sexual assault training, gender, and education.&nbsp; Emergency nurses and SANE nurses do not accept rape myths, compared to the general population, with a mean of t(581)=72.405, P&lt;.001.&nbsp; Nurses with SANE training were less likely to accept rape myths than nurses without SANE training, with a mean of t(581)=3.63, P&lt;.002.&nbsp; No significant differences existed in the acceptance of rape myths by gender or level of education.&nbsp; Themes discovered include that rape is about violence, not sex; feelings of blame and guilt; a loss of control; questions that are hard to answer; and a need for education.&nbsp; Awareness and education regarding rape myths can improve clinical care and may decrease incidence of sexual assault and violence against vulnerable groups</p>