From party to nightmare: Roles of victim and participant age and victim behavior on blame attributions in rape scenarios

• Are there any differences between adults’ and adolescents’ levels of attributed victim blame? In two experiments, a total of 563 Swedish adolescents and adults read a scenario describing a rape at a house party and thereafter rated victim and perpetrator blame. The victim’s age (18 or 31 years), and behavior (voluntarily kissing the perpetrator or not before being raped), were manipulated. Across both experiments higher levels of perpetrator blame than victim blame was found and participants’ levels of belief in a just world correlated positively with levels of attributed victim blame. The first experiment showed higher levels of victim blame from adolescents, regardless of victim age. The second experiment did not replicate those findings. Instead, more blame was attributed to a young victim, regardless of participant age, and men attributed more victim blame than women. Accordingly, no clear cut results were obtained. Did the victim’s act of kissing the perpetrator change participants’ perception of the rape situation and consequently their attribution of blame? Forthcoming experiments will continue to investigate if, and in that case why, adults and adolescents perceive rape victims and perpetrators differently.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Tillämpad psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Applied Psychology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

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