One of the comments left by a reader in response to a recent post about how someone had posed the question of whether rape was "really that bad" compared to abortion summed up my reaction quite well. Breanna wrote, "I have lost a lot of hope in humanity knowing that some people actually think that way." It can be difficult to confront the sort of idiocy one encounters on a regular basis and have one's opinion of humanity come out unscathed. I find myself feeling discouraged every time I see one of the reports showing that more Americans believe in angels than global warming or that more believe in the devil than in evolution.

In a nation where an overwhelming majority believes in supernatural beings without evidence for their existence over established science, we should not be surprised when we encounter misunderstanding about a host of other subjects. Sadly, this applies to rape as well. Misinformation about the nature and consequences of rape remain widespread.

One of the most vivid personal encounters I have had with just how pervasive this misinformation can be came during one of the first university classes I taught. I was a graduate student at the time and was very excited for my first opportunity to teach. I was also hopelessly naive about how the students viewed education.

We were discussing the manner in which the human mind is subject to cognitive biases, faulty information-processing, and the like. To help spark interest in what can be a somewhat dry topic, I used the example of rape myths (i.e., false beliefs which many men with less negative attitudes toward rape hold that can help them to justify their attitudes and behaviors).

After reviewing some of the more common rape myths (e.g., that a man who pays for dinner on a date is entitled to sex), we began to talk about victim blaming. I'll never forget the anger in the voices in a couple of the male students as they explained to the entire class that there were plenty of valid reasons for raping women, that most women who were raped had done something to deserve it, and that they had a hard time feeling sorry for the victims who "had it coming."

I was floored. It took every ounce of self-control I had not to say something that would have created a world of trouble for me later. Fortunately, women made up at least 70% of the class and had no such concerns. Before I could even open my mouth to respond, they verbally eviscerated these two students.

When I think back on this experience, my naivete is embarrassing. I have since learned that research has consistently shown that an unfortunately large number of college men report that they would rape women if they were sure they could escape punishment for doing so. And while this certainly makes it difficult to maintain hope for humanity like Breanna said, I must also remember how the female students in my class responded so effectively. Perhaps there is reason for some hope after all.

Subscribe to Red State Progressive