Perceptions of a Rape Prevention Program by Fraternity Men and Male Student Athletes: Powerful Effects and Implications for Changing Behavior

The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to determine fraternity men and student athletes' perceptions of a commonly used rape-prevention program. Participants saw “The Men’s Program” and then participated in 60–90 minute focus groups assessing whether their attitudes and behavior would change, what about the program led to that change, and what improvements they recommended. After seeing this peer education program that included a video describing a male-on-male rape experience, participants reported increased empathy with rape survivors, an increased ability to help survivors recover, and several areas where they planned to change their behavior. Areas of planned change included behavior in intimate encounters and responding to survivors by believing their stories. Participants suggested a stronger emphasis on alcohol and consent and a less intense plea to help change social norms. Several implications for student affairs generalists and rape prevention programmers are discussed.