Myths about Myths - Commentary - Not Anonymised.pdf (260.8 kB)
Download fileMyths about myths? A commentary on Thomas (2020) and the question of jury rape myth acceptance
journal contribution
posted on 2021-09-08, 10:20 authored by Ellen Daly, Olivia SmithOlivia Smith, Hannah Bows, Jennifer Brown, James Chalmers, Sharon Cowan, Miranda Horvath, Fiona Leverick, Jo Lovett, Vanessa Munro, Dominic WillmottThis commentary responds to claims that research by Cheryl Thomas ‘shows’ no problem with rape myths in English and Welsh juries. We critique the claim on the basis of ambiguous survey design, a false distinction between ‘real’ jurors and other research participants, the conflation of attitudes in relation to abstract versus applied rape myths, and misleading interpretation of the data. Ultimately, we call for a balanced appraisal of individual studies by contextualising them against the wider literature.
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- Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy