One in four college women have experienced rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. Peer education programs are more effective. All-male environments are more successful than mixed environments for changing men. Increasing empathy with rape survivors decreases men's likelihood of raping. Increasing men's aversion to rape decreases the likelihood they will rape. Changing attitudes must occur in a way that people maintain their current values and perceptions of themselves to be lasting. (Belief System Theory) Attitude change is more lasting when people are motivated to hear a message, are able to understand the material, and believe the information being presented is relevant to them. (Elaboration Likelihood Model)
Results of The Men's Program
Lowers men�s rape myth acceptance for 7 months (Foubert, 2000) Lowers men�s intent to rape for 7 months (Foubert, 2000) Helps men understand what rape feels like, and increases their empathy and sensitivity to rape five months after seeing the program (Foubert & Perry, 2007) Leads to a decline in telling rape jokes (Foubert & Perry, 2007) Makes men less likely to believe "she asked for it," "she lied," and "it wasn�t rape" (Foubert & Newberry, 2006) Increases men�s empathy toward female rape survivors (Foubert & Newberry, 2006) Of those who see The Men�s Program who report any degree of likelihood of committing sexual assault before seeing the program, 73% decrease their likelihood after the program, 63% fall to no likelihood at all (Foubert & Newberry, 2006). Men of color react to The Men�s Program in profoundly similar ways as do Caucasian men (Foubert & Cremedy, 2007). Men who see The Men�s Program report a significantly greater sense of personal effectiveness about how to intervene if they see a potential sexual assault situation about to occur, and a significantly greater willingness to intervene as a bystander if they see a sexual assault about to occur (Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Foubert, Brasfield, Hill, Shelley-Tremblay, in press). The Men�s Program is the only program in the research literature to ever report a decline in sexual assault among men who see the program. A study found that 10% of fraternity men who did not see The Men�s Program committed sexual assault during their freshman year. Fraternity men who saw The Men�s Program had this chopped almost in half, down to 6%. The severity of the sexual assault they committed was even more affected. Guys who missed seeing The Men�s Program committed acts of sexual assault that were 8 times worse on a scale of sexual assault severity than guys who saw The Men�s Program (Foubert, Newberry & Tatum, 2007). Two years after seeing The Men�s Program, 79% of men reported that either their attitudes or their behavior has changed due to the program�s effects, or that the program reinforced their beliefs (Foubert, Godin, & Tatum, 2010).
Comments these men made include the following:
"There was one time when a friend was going to engage in sexual activity with a girl who was really drunk. Me and a couple of other guys intervened because the girl seemed out of it (also, she was another friend's sister). They ended up not having sex."
"Mostly as a result of the One in Four program I am very cautious about initiating any kind of sexual activity while under the influence of alcohol."
"My attitude is pretty much to avoid alcohol mixing with sex and One in Four definitely helped me commit to that idea."
"I have helped a girl friend get out of a potentially scary situation."
"Yes. Drunk girl asked me to take her home, then tried to hookup with me and I said no."
"Yes, I have refused sex with a girl who was asking for it, but was more drunk that I was."
"I have been more aware not only of my own sobriety, but of the sobriety of the girl and acted accordingly by suggesting that we're both too drunk."
"Yes - A woman had consumed alcohol, and although she wasn't passing out drunk and seemed coherent, we refrained from sexual activity. Regardless of my personal views of rape and alcohol, I'm aware that situations can easily be misconstrued and get out of control, and I don't want to risk having that happen to a woman, or me."
"Yes, I turned down sex because the girl was very intoxicated. She thanked me afterward and things progressed how I wanted them to."
Citations for articles about The Men's Program
Foubert, J. D. (2000). The longitudinal effects of a rape-prevention program on fraternity men�s attitudes, behavioral intent, and behavior. The Journal of American College Health, 48, 158-163. Foubert, J. D. & Cremedy, B. J. (2007). Reactions of men of color to a commonly used rape prevention program: Attitude and predicted behavior changes. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 57, 137-144. Foubert, J. D., Godin, E., & Tatum, J. (2010). In their own words: Sophomore college men describe attitude and behavior changes resulting from a rape prevention program two years after their participation. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 2237-2257. Foubert, J. D. & Newberry, J. T. (2006). Effects of two versions of an empathy-based rape prevention program on fraternity men�s rape survivor empathy, rape myth acceptance, likelihood of raping, and likelihood of committing sexual assault. Journal of College Student Development, 47, 133-148. Foubert, J. D., Newberry, J. T., & Tatum, J. L. (2007). Behavior differences seven months later: Effects of a rape prevention program on first-year men who join fraternities. The Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 44, 728-749. Foubert, J. D. & Perry, B. C. (2007). Creating lasting attitude and behavior change in fraternity members and male student athletes: The qualitative impact of an empathy-based rape prevention program. Violence Against Women, 13, 70-86. Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J., Foubert, J.D., Brasfield, H., Hill, B., & Shelley-Tremblay, S. (2011). The Men�s Program: Does it impact college men�s bystander efficacy and willingness to intervene? Violence Against Women, 17 (6), 743-759.
