A very significant problem in society is adolescent rape victimization and the growing number of adolescent perpetrators. Surveys of young people to learn what they believe about rape revealed some illuminating findings: (1) perpetrators and victims were often not cognizant of what constitutes assault; (2) forced intercourse was considered acceptable by a significant number of both adolescent males and females in certain situations; (3) the relationship between victim blaming and adherence to rape myths is of note in the adolescent population; and (4) an element of male dominance, the perception of females as sex objects, and the negation of acquaintance rape as sexual assault were also noted in the young people studied. This paper concludes that, by addressing the sociocultural aspects of rape, students may learn to identify what constitutes exploitative nonconsensual sex, reject commonly held myths about rape and victims, and begin to adopt egalitarian belief systems that may decrease the incidence of rape. Table, references