The Relationship between Rape Myths and Sexual Scripts: The Social Construction of Rape

Rape myths can influence sexual scripts that determine sexual attitudes and behavior. Sexual scripts are culturally determined
patterns of behavior that inform desire and influence sexual behavior. Sexual scripts include hook up, seduction, rape, and
acquaintance rape scripts (e.g., the too-much-to drink script, the man-is-ready-for-sex script, and the friends-gone-too-far
script). However, research shows that many individuals still hold an erroneous real rape script, even when asked to describe
acquaintance rape. This may prevent acquaintance rape victims from acknowledging their rape and it may allow acquaintance
rapists to engage in sexual aggression while denying it is rape. Rape scripts research supports several of the rape myths
reviewed by Edwards and her colleagues (Edwards, Turchik, Dardis, Reynolds, & Gidycz, 2011), but suggests two additional rape myths (i.e., the myth that men cannot stop once they have started to become sexually aroused
and the myth that rapists are obviously different from other men). The study of the relationship between rape myths and sexual
scripts may help to understand the social construction of rape and consensual sex. Rape myths and sexual scripts may work
in conjunction to support rape.