Rape-Victim Empathy Scale (REMV): An Exploratory Study in a Portuguese Sample

Abstract

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Rape-Victim Empathy Scale (REMV) in a sample of 250 Portuguese participants. This instrument was originally developed by Smith and Frieze (2003) to assess how individuals feel about the victim during and after rape. An exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted on a 13-item scale, confirming the two-factor solution obtained in the original scale. Both subscales (during and post rape) were positively related and no correlations were found between rape victim and perpetrator empathy. No significant gender differences were shown regarding empathy towards the victim, but men were more empathetic towards the perpetrator than women. The implications of the results are discussed

Rape Crimes Reviewed: The Role of Observer Variables in Female Victim Blaming

“…Using the same scale (combining victim and rapist gender), Osman (2011) and Ferrão, Gonçalves, Parreira, and Giger (2013) further supported the assertion that individuals may feel empathy towards both the victim and the perpetrator, in that the scales were reported to have no correlations in any condition.…”

“…One of the most pivotal findings to emerge was the existence of gender differences in expressing empathy, since women seem to express more empathy towards rape victims (Anastasio & Costa, 2004;Diehl et al, 2014;George & Martínez, 2002;Mellor, Fung, & Mammat, 2012;Miller, Amacker, & King, 2011;Osman, 2011Osman, , 2014Paul et al, 2014;Sakallı-Uğurlu et al, 2007;Smith & Frieze, 2003) and men towards perpetrators (Ferrão et al, 2013;Mellor et al, 2012;Osman, 2011;Sakallı-Uğurlu et al, 2007;Smith & Frieze, 2003). Rape victim empathy has also been shown to be negatively related to rape myth acceptance (Forbes, Adams-Curtis, Pakalka, & White, 2006;Gerger et al, 2007;Jimenez & Abreu, 2003;Mason et al, 2004;Miller et al, 2011).…”

Who Gets Blamed for Rapes: Effects of Immigration Status on the Attribution of Blame Toward Victims and Perpetrators

“…These findings were also replicated for male rape victims where male victims were seen as more culpable for their own rape (Davies et al, 2009). One reason behind this gender difference could be that women generally empathize more with the victim and less with the perpetrator than the men do (Ferrao, Goncalves, Parreira, & Giger, 2013). Similarly, the defensive attribution theory (Shaver, 1970) states that people increase or decrease blame attribution depending on their perceived similarity toward the victim and the likelihood of a similar crime and victimization befalling them (Grubb & Harrower, 2008).…”

Turkish Adaptation of the Rape Empathy Scale: Validity and Reliability Study

“…Araştırmaları sonucunda öngördükleri gibi, TEM-K ve TEM-S arasında korelasyon elde etmemişlerdir. Sonraki çalışmalarda da TEM-K ve TEM-S arasında herhangi bir korelasyon bulunmamıştır (Örn., Ferrão, Gonçalves, Parreira ve Giger, 2013;Osman, 2011). Bu çalışmada da ölçekler arasındaki korelasyon bulunmamış olması, alanyazınla tutarlı görünmekte ve Smith ve Frieze'in (2003) bireylerin hem kurbanla hem de saldırganla empati kurabileceği ile ilgili varsayımlarını desteklemektedir.…”

“…Buna göre, kurbanın bakire olması durumunda, kurbanın rastgele cinsel ilişki yaşayan biri olması durumuna kıyasla, tecavüz saldırganına yönelik empati daha yüksektir. TEM-K Portekiz örneklemine de uyarlanmıştır (Ferrão, Gonçalves, Parreira ve Giger, 2013). Çalışma sonucunda, 13 maddelik ve özgün ölçekte olduğu gibi iki alt boyuttan oluşan (tecavüz sırasındaki empati ve tecavüz sonrasındaki empati), geçerli ve güvenilir bir TEM-K elde etmişlerdir.…”