TPC Journal-Vol 9- Issue 4-FULL ISSUE

The Professional Counselor | Volume 9, Issue 4 409 Table 4 Multiple Regression Analysis for APPS (N = 193) and ATTS (N = 203) With IRMA-SF APPS ATTS Variable B SE B β t Sig. (p) B SE B β t Sig.(p) IRMA-SF Constant Gender Race Education Age Experience Attitudes 1.807 .347 -.026 .013 .008 -.003 -.190 .290 .087 .104 .115 .003 .004 .074 .272 -.017 .008 .236 -.063 -.175 6.236 3.975 -.250 .116 2.358 -.630 -2.561 .000 .000** .803 .908 .019* .530 .011* 1.146 .212 -.184 .055 -.001 -.001 .119 .402 .087 .106 .085 .003 .004 .106 .178 -.128 .049 -.050 -.033 .080 2.850 2.444 -1.745 .645 -.435 -.291 1.119 .005 .015* .083 .520 .664 .771 .265 Note. *p < .05. ** p < .01. Discussion Based on the results from this study, exposure to “prostitute” and “sex trafficking” labels influenced a significant difference between attitudes in counselors. The combination of attitudes and counselor demographics additionally predicted scores of empathy and rape myth acceptance. Lack of training on sex trafficking was also linked to higher acceptance of rape myth acceptance. The results from this study are consistent with research that identified the stigmatizing effects of the prostitute label (Bradley, 2007; Tomura, 2009), but represent new findings as this study was the first to identify how sex trafficking labels influence empathy and rape myth acceptance in counselors. This study also is the first to illuminate how a lack of training on sex trafficking influences greater rates of rape myth acceptance. Female counselors who completed surveys with sex trafficking labels scored higher on empathy compared to male counselors. This finding is consistent with a study conducted by Mestre, Samper, Frias, and Tur (2009), who confirmed women have a greater proclivity for empathic responses compared to men. According to the present study, male counselors in both groups were more likely to accept rape myths compared to female counselors. This finding is consistent with existing studies that identified greater rates of rape myth acceptance in males compared to females (Aosved & Long, 2006; Cunningham & Cromer, 2016; Suarez & Gadalla, 2010). Counselors exposed to prostitute labels scored significantly higher on Emotion Regulation compared to counselors who received sex trafficking labels. This may be explained by counselors’ need to mitigate the emotional responses required to understand the experiences of sexual violence and physical abuse that characterize prostitution. When counselors completed surveys with prostitute labels, race and gender predicted perspective taking. According to Seward (2014), people of color may demonstrate higher rates of empathy and racial acuity compared to their White counterparts. The effect of membership in a non-majority racial/ethnic group may have increased participant empathy for other marginalized groups. Compared to their male counterparts, women are also members of a disempowered group. Thus, a female gender identity may have influenced participants’ abilities to take perspective when imagining the experiences of others.