Attitude toward rape survivors and myth acceptance: Associations with sexual victimization, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol use among college females

Objective: This study examined whether attitudes toward rape victims and rape myth acceptance clarify associations among sexual victimization, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol use severity pathway. Participants: Undergraduate persons assigned female at birth from U.S. universities participated in Study 1 (N = 1,244) and Study 2 (N = 958). Methods: Cross-sectional path models tested whether rape-supportive beliefs moderated the indirect pathway from sexual victimization to alcohol use severity via PTSD symptoms. Results: Across both studies, a significant indirect effect from sexual victimization to alcohol use severity via PTSD symptoms was observed. Attitudes toward rape victims (Study 1) and total rape myth acceptance (Study 2) did not moderate the aforementioned indirect effect. However, an intoxication-related rape myth subfactor showed a buffering effect on the sexual victimization, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol use severity pathway. Conclusions: Findings support indirect effects through PTSD symptoms and suggest that rape-supportive beliefs may operate selectively at the subfactor level.