| Many victims of sexual assault are persons of faith who rely on their spirituality as a source of healing. However, researchers have indicated that clergy members can be ill equipped and misinformed to adequately address rape victim experiences. There is a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between the attitudes of clergy toward rape victims and sexual assault sensitivity training. The purpose of this study was to examine the Christian clergy's attitudes toward female sexual assault victims to determine whether their attitudes were affected by their self-reported attendance at a sexual assault sensitivity training. These assessments were based on the elaboration likelihood model of attitude change. This model includes 2 routes of attitude change processes where participants must be motivated, able to cognitively comprehend the message, and perceive relevancy to the topic. Participants were acquired through a convenience sample of 35 clergy from Christian faith institutions in 3 counties in Michigan. An independent samples t test design was used and results indicated no significant differences in attitudes toward female rape victims between clergy who reported attending training and those who did not. Nevertheless, all clergy reported supportive attitudes toward victims on the Attitudes Toward Rape Victims Scale. This is an important contribution to the existing literature in that it adds clergy to sexual assault attitudes research, an area in which they were largely underrepresented, and enhances positive social change initiatives by dispelling myths that the faith institution is unwelcoming to survivors. |
