NCJ Number
145821
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 502-511
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Gender differences in the notion of blaming the victim was investigated regarding cases of male rape.
Abstract
One hundred sixty undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at California State University answered a questionnaire on how they view the world around them, performed a diversionary cognitive task, and responded to a story in which a young man whose participation in a barroom brawl was questionable, was arrested and raped in jail before the charges against him were ultimately dropped. Some subjects were told that the victim had a prior arrest record (but no convictions); others were told that the victim had no prior arrest record. The group assigned greater blame to the "bad" victim than to the "good" victim. Male subjects were more likely to blame the victim than were female subjects. Results supported the Belief in a Just World theory that "bad" or "criminal" victims are regarded as having gotten what they deserved. 1 figure and 42 references