A Study of Gender Differences of Attitudes toward Date Rape among Chinese University Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in attitudes towards date rape between genders in Mainland Chinese university students, given the fact that there is little research about attitudes toward date rape, which is defined as the occurring of forcible intercourse between two parties in romantic or potentially sexual relationship, among Chinese people. 104 male and 117 female university students, aged from 17 to 27 were asked to complete the Attitudes towards Forcible Date Rape (FDR) Scale online. The findings showed that female students rejected date rape-tolerant attitudes more than their male counterparts. Also, female students expressed more disagreement with the belief that forcible intercourse on a date is acceptable under certain conditions, compared to the male students. The current findings suggest that there is indeed a need for education concerning consent versus rape in mainland China.