Personological Orientation and Victim-Blaming Attributions in Sexual Assault Occurrences

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Coppolillo ◽  
Ed De St. Aubin ◽  
Eric Vandevoorde
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Victim Blaming

Qeirat Values and Victim Blaming in Iran: The Mediating Effect of Culture-Specific Gender Roles

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Falahatpishe Baboli ◽  
Farzan Karimi-Malekabadi
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Moral Foundations ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Dress Code ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Iranian Context

Sexual assaults are a social problem in Iran; however, psychological factors that predict perceptions of sexual assault remain largely unexamined. Here, we examine the relationship between moral concerns, culture-specific gender roles and victim blaming in sexual assault scenarios in Iranian culture. Relying on Moral Foundations Theory and recent theoretical developments in moral psychology in Iranian context, we examined the correlations between five moral foundations (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, Purity), a culture-specific set of values called Qeirat (which includes guarding and (over)protectiveness of female kin, romantic partners, broader family, and country), and victim blaming. In a community sample of Iranians (N = 411), we found Qeirat values to be highly correlated with victim blaming, and that this link was mediated by a number of culture-specific proscriptions about women’s roles and dress code (i.e., Haya). In a regression analysis with all moral foundations, Qeirat values, Haya, and religiosity as predictors of victim blaming, only Haya, religiosity, high Authority values, and low Care values were found to predict how strongly Iranian participants blamed victims of sexual assault scenarios.

The Association Between Sexually Aggressive Cognitions and Pathological Personality Traits in Men

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (12-13) ◽  
pp. 1636-1655
Author(s):  
Amanda E. Kasowski ◽  
Jaime L. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Aggression ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Sexually Aggressive ◽  
Negative Beliefs ◽  
Aggressive Cognitions ◽  
Societal Problems ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Pathological Personality Traits

Sexual aggression, harassment, and sexually aggressive cognitions (victim blaming, sexual entitlement) are serious societal problems. Although research has examined attributes of individuals who engage in overt sexual assault, few studies have focused on individual characteristics of those who perpetuate problematic negative beliefs surrounding sexual assault. This study sought to examine the relationship between pathological personality and sexually aggressive cognitions among 242 community men. Results showed that traits including antagonism, disinhibition, and negative affectivity were associated with sexually aggressive cognitions. These results have implications for understanding sexual aggression and the role personality plays in perpetuating sexually aggressive attitudes.

The Impact of Sexual Assault Prevention Information on Perceived Control and Victim Blaming

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Pierre Jago ◽  
Nicholas Christenfeld
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Sexual Assault Prevention ◽  
Practical Advice ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Assault Prevention

Universities are required to educate students on the prevention of sexual assault. Victim-focused strategies, which suggest practical measures to minimize the risk of victimization, have become controversial for their potential to exacerbate victim-blaming attitudes. Five studies investigate whether, and when, victim blaming increases as a result of exposure to prevention information. Results demonstrate that victim-focused prevention information can indeed increase victim blaming, and that such an effect, found to result from victim-focused sexual assault prevention information, does not generalize to all victim-focused approaches. It may, therefore, be possible to offer practical advice without promoting such blame shifting.

The Effects of Obesity Myths on Perceptions of Sexual Assault Victims and Perpetrators’ Credibility

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 662-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niwako Yamawaki ◽  
Christina Riley ◽  
Claudia Rasmussen ◽  
Mary Cook
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Blame Attribution ◽  
Perceived Credibility ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Assault Victims

This study investigated the effects of obesity myths on blame attribution and the perceived credibility of both an alleged sexual assault victim and her perpetrator. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three sexual assault scenarios (in which either the victim or the perpetrator was described as obese and one in which both were described as obese) and responded to questions measuring the blame attribution and perceived the credibility of both individuals. A main effect of scenario was found on the perpetrator’s credibility, indicating that participants rated the obese perpetrator as more credible when the victim was obese in comparison with when the victim was nonobese. However, no main effect of scenario was found on the victim’s credibility and blame attribution, denoting that the victim’s or perpetrator’s weight did not influence participants’ perceptions of the victim’s credibility or blame attribution. The belief in obesity myths was the most significant predictor of victim blaming. However, differing patterns of the effects of obesity myths were found on the victim’s credibility and the perpetrator’s credibility. The belief in obesity myths was a significant predictor only when the victim was obese, whereas it was not a significant predictor in the scenarios where both the victim and the perpetrator were obese or the perpetrator was obese and the victim was nonobese. As for the perpetrator’s credibility, the belief of obesity myths was not a significant predictor. Instead, the scenario was a significant predictor. Implications of obesity-myth endorsement in relation to sexual assault are discussed.

Reconsidering Forced Labels: Outcomes of Sexual Assault Survivors Versus Victims (and Those Who Choose Neither)

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 668-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Williamson ◽  
Kelly Serna
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Rape Myth Acceptance ◽  
Rape Myth ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Assault Survivors ◽  
Myth Acceptance

The goal of the current study was to assess the effects of self-labeling on attitudes related to victim- and self-blaming and self-compassion outcomes in 85 participants (75 women, 10 men) who have experienced sexual assault. Participants classified themselves as either a survivor, victim, or neither survivor nor victim of sexual assault. Regardless of self-classification, groups did not differ in victim-blaming (rape myth acceptance), self-blaming, or levels of self-compassion. Implications for language and forced labels of those who have experienced sexual assault are discussed.

scholarly journals Freedom of Expression in The Movie Spotlight as a Medium to Convey the Voices of Sexual Abuse Victims to the Public

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-29
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Carolina Gunawan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sexual Abuse Victims ◽  
Speak Up

Spotlight (2015, directed by Tom McCarthy) is a docudrama which told the story of the investigation of sexual assault of young boys in Catholic Church in Boston, United States of America. A group of four journalists from The Boston Globe, called Spotlight, specialized in investigation overlooked, forgotten cases, and one of the cases is the sexual assault cases that happened inside the Catholic Church. Although their journey to seek the truth has many challenges and problems, they helped a lot of abuse victims to have courage and speak up over the tragedy that happened to them. Spotlight's realistic expression on the narration was shown through the character's dialog, which contributed to the plot of the movie itself. The meaning of "Freedom of Expression" depicted in the movie Spotlight was to symbolize the struggle of the characters, which includes the journalists and the victims, to fight for their rights. Through this movie, McCarthy wanted to help more people who were victims to speak up about their traumatic abuse. Spotlight not only could be  a technique of mental healing for victims, but also a media of advocacy for people to know, to inform and to communicate the negative aspects of victim blaming.   Keywords: Freedom of expression, docudrama, sexual abuse, victim blaming, advocacy  

Are Survivors of Sexual Assault Blamed More Than Victims of Other Crimes?

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110374
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Reich ◽  
Grace A. Pegel ◽  
Alixandra B. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Causal Attribution ◽  
Trauma Survivors ◽  
Physical Assault ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Social Reactions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Trauma Informed

Although victim blaming in the context of sexual assault is often emphasized, little research has compared rates of victim blaming following sexual assault relative to other forms of victimization. This research investigated whether there is a crime-specific bias toward blaming victims of sexual assault. Victim blaming was assessed via different methods from the observer perspective in vignette-based studies, as well as survivors’ accounts of social reactions they received. In Study 1, participants were asked to rate how much the survivor was to blame in three vignettes, each with a different randomized crime outcome: rape, physical assault, or theft. Study 2 assessed blame for a vignette that either ended in rape or theft, via a causal attribution statement. Study 3 asked interpersonal trauma survivors who had experienced at least two forms of victimization (i.e., sexual assault, physical assault, or theft) to report the social reactions they received following disclosure of each of these crimes. Across all three studies, victim blaming occurred following multiple forms of victimization and there was no evidence of a particular bias toward blaming survivors of sexual assault more so than other crimes. However, results of Study 3 highlight that, following sexual assault, survivors receive more silencing and stigmatizing reactions than they experienced after other crimes. Interpersonal traumas (i.e., sexual or physical assault) also resulted in more egocentric responses compared to theft. Altogether, there does not appear to be a crime-specific bias for victim blaming; however, crime-specific bias is apparent for some other, potentially understudied, social reactions. Implications of these findings highlight the value of victim blaming education and prevention efforts through trauma-informed services and outreach following victimization. Furthermore, service providers and advocates might especially seek to recognize and prevent silencing and stigmatizing reactions following sexual assault disclosures.

The Role of Sex Work Stigma in Victim Blaming and Empathy of Sexual Assault Survivors

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Sprankle ◽  
Katie Bloomquist ◽  
Cody Butcher ◽  
Neil Gleason ◽  
Zoe Schaefer
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Sexual Assault Survivors ◽  
Assault Survivors

scholarly journals JUDGING THE ONLINE JUDGES: THE TWO #METOO CASES IN HONG KONG

2021 ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Chris Y. H. Tsui
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Over Time

On November 30, 2017, Hong Kong track athlete Vera Lui posted a photo on Facebook marked with the #MeToo hashtag and described an experience of being sexually assaulted. Three days later, Hong Kong actress Louisa Mak published a similar #MeToo post on her Facebook page. While both posts, especially Lui’s, initially received many supportive comments, over time, the comments became negative and victim-blaming. Since these incidents, no other Hong Kong celebrities have risked revealing their experiences to respond to the #MeToo Movement. In this paper, I analysed the first 500 comments posted on each of the posts using qualitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis. The results reveal the practice of online judging that inhibits the disclosure of cases of sexual assault. The paper further describes the interplay between online judging and selective law enforcement by the Hong Kong Police, which has been a persistent issue in Hong Kong.

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