(Cyber)Rape Culture: Development and Validation of the Acceptance of Myths About Cyber-Sexual Violence Against Women (AMCYS) Scale in Spanish and English

Cyber-sexual violence is a social and public health concern perpetuated by (cyber)rape culture. However, there are no measures to assess attitudes toward cyber-sexual violence. In this research, we developed and validated the Acceptance of Myths About Cyber-Sexual Violence (AMCYS) Scale in Spanish and English. After a literature review, we developed the items through qualitative analyses of social reactions to victims on Twitter, focus groups, and an expert-based content validity study. Next, a pool of items was administered to 548 Spanish social network users. Based on preliminary analyses, differential functioning item, and exploratory analyses, 10 items were retained. We validated the measure using independent samples from Spain (Sample 2 = 489; Sample 3 = 467) and the United States (Sample 4 = 470; Sample 5 = 512). Results showed high reliability and a one-dimensional structure for the AMCYS, with measurement invariance across genders and countries. Scores on the scale correlated positively with sexism, offline myths on gender violence, and social dominance, and correlated negatively with feminism. Additionally, the AMCYS predicted victim blaming and minimization of cyber-sexual violence and accounted for more variance in scenario responses than other measures. This study can be useful for the prevention and intervention of cyber-sexual violence.