The Effect of Victims' Social Support on Attributions of Blame in Female and Male Rape

Abstract

One hundred and twenty-one participants read a report of an incident of rape and evaluated the victim and the perpetrator. Two ANOVAs showed that social support and participant gender influenced blame attributed to the victim, while victim gender influenced blame attributed to the perpetrator. Socially supported victims were blamed less than unsupported victims. Men were more blaming of rape victims than women, but further analyses showed this was mediated by attitudes towards gender roles. Men held significantly more traditional attitudes toward gender roles than women, and this accounted for the effect of participant gender on victim perceptions.The perpetrator of male rape was blamed less than the perpetrator of female rape. Findings are discussed in terms of the differential attributional mechanisms that may underpin men's and women's reasoning about different types of rape.

A review of the literature relating to rape victim blaming: An analysis of the impact of observer and victim characteristics on attribution of blame in rape cases

“…Surprisingly, similar results are found for adolescent victims, who "are treated as quasi adults despite being under the legal age of consent" (Davies et al, 2009, p. 335). This could either be due to observers finding male rape difficult to understand and accept, or due to observers perceiving the male victim to be unmasculine and submissive (Anderson & Lyons, 2005). Although less convincing and widespread, contradictory results have also been reported, whereby women are blamed to a greater extent for their victimization than men (Idisis, Ben-David, & Ben-Nachum, 2007;Schneider, Soh-Chiew Ee, & Aronson, 1994), leading some researchers to propose that there are additional moderating variables at work when rape blame attributions are being formulated (Mitchell, Angelone, Kohlberger, & Hirschman, 2009).…”

“…These studies have found that male observers generally hold more stereotypical beliefs towards gender roles than female observers, which, in turn, leads to the formation of causal attributions about rape incidents and harsher attitudes towards victims and a greater degree of victim blame (Anderson & Lyons, 2005;Grubb & Turner, 2012). Studies also suggest gender role attitudes to have a mediating effect between observer ethnicity and degree of blame, and could, therefore, account for cross-cultural differences in rape victim blaming (Yamawaki & Tschanz, 2005).…”

“…With regard to the variables of gender role attitudes and rape myth acceptance, many studies have found that these are important predictors for rape victim blaming and rape minimization (e.g., Basow & Minieri, 2011;White & Kurpius, 2002). However, other studies have concluded that they merely act as mediating variables between observer gender and rape victim blaming, with men generally portraying higher gender role attitudes and rape myth acceptance, which in turn leads to a higher degree of victim blame (Anderson & Lyons, 2005;Hammond et al, 2011). This could possibly have vast implications for decision-making processes within the criminal justice system, as these may be influenced by unconscious preexisting stereotypes and (prejudicial) beliefs and attitudes (Grubb & Turner, 2012).…”

“…Other studies have found that benevolent sexism or gender role attitudes merely act as mediating variables between observer gender and degree of blame (Anderson & Lyons, 2005;Kelly, 2009). These studies have found that male observers generally hold more stereotypical beliefs towards gender roles than female observers, which, in turn, leads to the formation of causal attributions about rape incidents and harsher attitudes towards victims and a greater degree of victim blame (Anderson & Lyons, 2005;Grubb & Turner, 2012).…”

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

“…Nonetheless, a large number of studies suggests that men are more likely to engage in victim blaming (e.g., Anderson & Lyons, 2005;Bendixen, Henriksen, & Nøstdahl, 2014;Black & Gold, 2008;Durán, Moya, Megías, & Viki, 2010;Ferrão, Gonçalves, Giger, & Parreira, in press;Gölge et al, 2003;Grubb & Harrower, 2009;Harrison, Howerton, Secarea, & Nguyen, 2008;Mitchell, Angelone, Kohlberger, & Hirschman, 2009;Paul, Kehn, Gray, & Salapska-Gelleri, 2014;Schneider, Mori, Lambert, & Wong, 2009;Strömwall, Landström, & Alfredsson, 2014;Yamawaki & Tschanz, 2005). …”