Reactions to the rape victim as a function of victim age

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of the age of a victim on social reactions to a rape incident. The findings indicated limited but reliable effects of age on the way respondents reacted to the rape episode. There was a greater tendency for the characteristics and the behavior of the victim to be viewed as factors in causing the rape when the victim was in the middle age ranges than when she was in the extreme age range (six‐years‐old or 76‐years‐old). Respondents also favored more severe punishment for the assailant when the victim was at the extremes of the age distribution.

It Happens in #ChurchToo: Twitter Discourse Regarding Sexual Victimization Within Religious Communities

“…Sexual abuse in the church is most often perpetrated against children. There is some evidence that children are viewed as less culpable for abuse than adolescents or adults (Calhoun et al., 1980; Klettke et al., 2018), which could be a factor in the fewer negative reactions to disclosures. Although negative reactions to disclosure can lead to negative reactions such as self-blame, uncertainty, or silencing (Ahrens, 2006), it is possible that only specific types of negative reactions are harmful (Orchowski et al., 2013).…”

Social perceptions of homicides: the effect of the age of the victim, the relationship between the offender and the victim, the sex of the offender and the intent

“…There has been some research regarding the impact age has on social perceptions surrounding issues o f justice. The majority of the research has focused on the age of the child victim and their perceived credibility in sexual assault cases with the general finding being that crimes involving younger victims are perceived to be more serious (Back & Lips, 1998;Bottoms, 1993;Bottoms, Davis, & Epstein, 2004;Bottoms, & Goodman, 1994;Calhoun, Selby, Long & Laney, 1980;Maynard & Widerman, 1997;Nightingale, 1993). Various researchers have examined how expectations about age can affect how people react to someone's death.…”