| 1. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988
(author)
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Blame attribution in rape scenarios: Understanding the role of personal beliefs and situational factors
- 2017
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Previous studies have found victim-blaming attitudes to hinder victims of rape from reporting to the police. Many victims fear being blamed by people in their near surroundings or by professionals in the legal as well as in the healthcare system. Psychological research has investigated various variables that might affect levels of attributed victim and perpetrator blame in rape cases. These variables are connected to the rape situation as well as personal beliefs and attitudes on behalf of the participants. However, studies have predominantly investigated only a few variables at a time. The aim of this thesis was to investigate if blame attributions are affected more by situational-specific variables or by observers’ personal beliefs. Also, the thesis aimed to shed light on age effects and multiple perpetrator rapes as these aspects are previously understudied in the field. The studies were conducted with a multi-analytical approach using both analyses of variance as well as more elaborated and exploratory analyses. In Study I, the effects of victim and participant age, participant gender, sympathy for the victim, trust in the justice system, belief in a just world, and acceptance of rape myths were investigated in three experiments. The three experiments employed a vignette methodology. In total, 877 Swedish adolescents and adults read scenarios that described common acquaintance rape situations in party settings. Victim age (18 or 31) was manipulated, but did not affect attributed blame. Effects of participant age and gender varied markedly across scenarios. Sympathy for the victim and acceptance of rape myths were better predictors of attributed blame than the gender and age. This shows that blame attributions were found to be more affected by personal beliefs than situational-specific variables. Study II investigated the effects of multiple perpetrators and perpetrators’ use of force on blame attributions. This was done in two experiments with a total of 2928 Swedish community members. Using vignette methodology, participants read scenarios depicting either a multiple-perpetrator rape or a lone-perpetrator rape and subsequently made ratings of blame, rape myth acceptance, just-world beliefs, and sympathy for the victim, perception of consent and trust in the legal system. Experiment 1 showed that a victim of multiple perpetrator rape was attributed more blame than a victim of a single perpetrator rape. Experiment 2 showed that the perpetrator’s used force did not affect levels of attributed blame. The best predictors of attributed blame were participants’ perception of consent, sympathy for the victim and rape myth acceptance. In line with Study I, the results show the importance of participants’ beliefs about rape above situational factors. To summarize, personal beliefs were more predictive of levels of attributed blame, and a victim of multiple perpetrator rape was attributed higher levels of blame than a victim of lone perpetrator rape. Rape myth acceptance, sympathy for the victim and perception of consent were the most predictive factors of victim and perpetrator blame. This result has implications for future projects preventing victim blame. It shows what to focus on: Changing attitudes, decreasing rape myth acceptance, and increasing sympathy for rape victims. Additionally, across both studies, principal component analyses resulted in factors which, included in hierarchical multiple regression analyses, proved to explain a substantial part of the variance in levels of victim and perpetrator blame. These factors were not present in the analyses of variance. This result has implications for future research to productively use more elaborated analyses including several more variables at a time.
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| 2. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Blame Attributions in Multiple Perpetrator Rape Cases: The Impact of Sympathy, Consent, Force, and Beliefs
- 2020
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In: Journal of Interpersonal Violence. - : SAGE Publications. - 0886-2605 .- 1552-6518. ; 35:23-24, s. 5336-5364
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Victims of multiple perpetrator rape (MPR) have been found to be an especially vulnerable group. This study examined effects of MPR and perpetrators’ use of force on attributions of victim and perpetrator blame. In two large experiments (total N = 2,928), Swedish community members read scenarios depicting an MPR and subsequently made several ratings of blame, rape myth acceptance (RMA), just world beliefs, sympathy for the victim, perception of consent, and trust in the legal system. Data were analyzed with a multianalytical approach using both analyses of variance as well as exploratory analyses. In Experiment 1, more blame was attributed to a victim of MPR than a victim of a lone perpetrator rape (LPR). In Experiment 2, no effect of used force was found on levels of attributed blame. In both experiments, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that four components, identified through principal components analyses, explained substantial shares of the variance in both victim and perpetrator blame. The best individual predictors were participants’ perception of consent, sympathy for the victim, and RMA. The study shows the importance of studying participants’ beliefs and attitudes about rape and that victim-blaming research needs both theory development and greater methodological awareness. Implications for victim support services are also discussed.
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| 3. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988
(author)
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Blaming victims of rape : Studies on rape myths and beliefs about rape
- 2018
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rape is a crime characterized by low reporting and conviction rates. Many victims who do report, drop out during the justice process. This is a problem both for the victims themselves and for the legal certainty of societies. One explanation for low reporting rates is victims’ justified fear of being badly treated, mistrusted, and blamed. Victim-blaming attitudes have been extensively studied and reported both among the general public and among professionals in the justice and healthcare systems. Several variables have been investigated to understand victim blaming, both aspects of the rape situation and variables connected to personal beliefs. However, previous studies have predominantly investigated only a few variables at a time. The aim of this thesis was partly to experimentally investigate whether situation-specific variables or participants’ personal beliefs are more important in seeking to understand blame attribution. Possible effects of age, gender, force, and number of perpetrators were also investigated. In addition, the aim was to include the perspective of professionals who meet, treat, and interact with rape victims. All three studies were conducted using a multi-analytical approach incorporating both analyses of variance (ANOVAs) as well as more elaborated and exploratory analyses. In Study I, the effects of victim and participant age, participant gender, sympathy for the victim, trust in the justice system, belief in a just world, and rape myth acceptance (RMA) were investigated in three experiments, employing a vignette methodology. In total, 877 Swedish adolescents and adults read scenarios describing common acquaintance rape situations. Victim age (18 or 31 years) was manipulated, but did not affect attributed blame. Effects of participant age and gender varied markedly across scenarios. Sympathy for the victim and RMA were the best individual predictors of attributed blame, indicating that blame attributions are more affected by personal beliefs than by situation-specific variables. Study II investigated effects of multiple perpetrators and their use of force on blame attributions, in two experiments. A total of 2928 participants read a vignette where number of perpetrators or perpetrators’ use of force was manipulated. Subsequently, they completed items rating blame, RMA, just-world beliefs, sympathy for the victim, perception of consent, and trust in the legal system. No effect of force was found, but the depicted victim of a multiple-perpetrator rape was attributed more blame than the victim of lone-perpetrator rape. The best individual predictors of attributed blame were participants’ perception of consent, sympathy for the victim, and RMA. In line with Study I, the results indicated that participants’ beliefs about rape were more predictive than situational factors. In Study III, the thesis was broadened by including the perspective of professionals encountering victims of rape. A total of 237 police employees, prosecutors, and healthcare personnel responded to a survey concerning barriers and problematic practices as well as questions regarding rape myths, belief in a just world, and trust in the justice system. Profession, age, and RMA affected their estimates of false rape reports, while age and profession affected trust in the justice system. Lack of resources was the most prominent barrier, and detailed and repeated questioning of the victims was the most highlighted problematic practice. The results further identified professionals’ need for more education in order to improve treatment of rape victims. In conclusion, this thesis indicates that personal beliefs are more predictive of blame attributions than are situational factors related to the rape itself. RMA, sympathy for the victim, and perception of consent were the most predictive variables of both victim and perpetrator blame. It also highlights the requirement for more resources and knowledge among professionals in both the justice and healthcare systems. This thesis has implications for future projects to prevent victim blame with the long-term goal of reducing attrition rates. It identifies what to focus on: reducing RMA, increasing sympathy for rape victims, and increasing awareness of the concept of sexual consent.
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| 4. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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From party to nightmare: Roles of victim and participant age and victim behavior on blame attributions in rape scenarios
- 2014
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In: The 10th meeting of the Nordic Network for research on Psychology and Law (NNPL), Oslo, Norway, November 7-8.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- 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.
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| 5. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Hur ser yrkesverksamma på sitt arbete med våldtäktsutredningar och bemötande av utsatta?
- 2017
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In: Brottsoffermyndighetens viktimologiska forskarkonferens, Stockholm, 21 november, 2017.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Tidigare psykologisk forskning har fokuserat på varför utsatta inte vill anmäla sexualbrott eller väljer att hoppa av under utredningen. I denna studie svarade 237 polisanställda, åklagare och sjukvårdspersonal på en webbenkät med syfte att fånga upp deras perspektiv på att arbeta med våldtäktsfall och bemöta personer som blivit utsatta för våldtäkt. Frågorna gällde hinder i deras yrkesutförande, om de kunde se rutiner i deras arbete som kan uppfattas som stötande ur de utsattas perspektiv, förtroende för rättsväsendet, falska anmälningar samt kunskap om reaktioner och beteenden hos våldtäktsutsatta. De fick även ta ställning till våldtäktsmyter. Resultatet visade att äldre respondenter hade högre förtroende för rättssystemet än yngre, och att åklagare kände högre förtroende än polisanställda. Polisanställda ansåg att falska anmälningar var vanligare, jämfört med åklagare och sjukvårdspersonal. Detsamma gällde yngre respondenter och respondenter med högre acceptans av våldtäktsmyter.
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| 6. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Not a night walk in the park: Victim blame in common rape situations and the effects of age
- 2015
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In: The 25th meeting of the European Association of psychology and Law (EAPL), Nuremberg, Germany, August 4-7.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Substantial research has been conducted in the field of victim blaming, but still we do not fully understand the complexity of how and why people tend to blame rape victims. Two aspects that have been neglected in previous research are age differences and acquaintance rape. Since the risk of victimization is higher among young adults, we conducted three experiments, using settings where rapes may occur but not typically included in previous research. In this multi-experiment study a total of 884 Swedish adolescents and adults from a community sample read a scenario describing a rape and thereafter provided ratings of victim blame. The victim’s age (18 or 31 years), was manipulated but the relation between victim and perpetrator (as acquaintances) was held constant. We used victim age, participant age and participant gender as independent variables and victim blame as the dependent variable. We analyzed all results through ANCOVAs using participants’ level of General Belief in a Just World (GBJW) as a covariate. Across all experiments, we found that levels of GBJW correlated positively with levels of victim blame and that age and gender are important factors to include in studies of attributed victim blame. Interestingly, the results varied markedly across type of rape situation. In experiment one (the rape took place at a house party setting) results showed that adolescent participants were more victim blaming overall, as we predicted, and in interaction with victim age, they blamed the adult victim more than did the adult participants. In experiment two (the rape took place at a house party setting and the victim voluntarily kissed the perpetrator prior to the rape) we found both age and gender differences. Female adults attributed more victim blame than did female adolescents and male adolescents attributed more victim blame than female adolescents did. In the last experiment (the rape took place in the victim’s apartment where she and the perpetrator did school work together) we found a significant main effect for gender, where male participants attributed more blame to the victim than female participants. This study gives valuable insights in the complexity of attitudes and attributions of blame in rape cases.
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| 7. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Professionals’ perception of meeting rape victims and handling cases of rape
- 2017
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In: 59th Research Seminar, Nordiska samrådet för kriminologi (NSfK). Örenäs: 9-11 maj.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- As the final part of a three-year project regarding attitudes toward victims of rape, a survey study was conducted with the aim to gain knowledge concerning difficulties and possibilities in handlings of rape victims and rape cases. An online survey was sent out to professionals working within the police, the healthcare system and prosecutors across Sweden, who meet victims of rape through their daily work. We wanted to get the professionals’ perspective and wondered if they could contribute with knowledge concerning why rapes are not being reported and why so few of the reports proceed to court. Over 230 professionals took the survey. They answered questions concerning perceived obstacles for their work performance, their trust in the justice system, knowledge and further education in victim behaviour and reactions, suggestions for improved treatment of rape victims, how their work would be affected by a possibly broader legislation, and police officers’ view on giving information about counsel for an injured party at an early stage of the investigation. Participants also had to consider statements regarding myths about rape. Data was analysed both separate as well as across professions and the results from this study will be presented at the conference. The title of the full project is Victim blaming in rape cases: Empirical studies of understudied situations. It is partly financed by the Swedish Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority and conducted by researchers at the psychology department at the University of Gothenburg. The aim of the project was to enhance knowledge about blame attributions in rape cases and to use variables, situations and group of participants not previously included in experimental studies.
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| 8. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Professionals’ perceptions of handling cases of rape
- 2017
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In: The 13th meeting of the Nordic Network for research on Psychology and Law (NNPL). Katowice, Poland: 22-23 September.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A survey study was conducted with the aim to gain knowledge concerning difficulties and possibilities in handlings of rape victims and rape cases among Swedish professionals. An online survey was taken by 237 police employees, prosecutors and healthcare personnel, who meet victims of rape in their daily work. The survey included questions concerning obstacles for the respondents work performance, trust in the justice system, false reports and further education in victim behaviour and reactions. The respondents were also asked to provide suggestions for improved treatment of rape victims and cases of rape, and police officers’ view on giving information about counsel for an injured party at an early stage of the investigation. Respondents also had to consider statements regarding rape myths. Data was analysed both separate as well as across professions. Trust in the justice system was affected by respondent age and profession. Older respondents had higher trust in the justice system and prosecutors had significantly higher levels of trust in the justice system compared to police employees. Police employees believed there were significantly more false reports of rape compared to both prosecutors and health care personnel. This was also true for younger respondents (compared to older) and respondents with higher levels of rape myth acceptance (compared with lower levels). More results and discussion about implications will be presented at the conference.
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| 9. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Situational variables or beliefs? A multifaceted approach to understanding blame attributions
- 2017
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In: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 23:6, s. 527-552
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Are victim and perpetrator blame attributions affected more by situational-specific variables or observers’ basic motives and personal beliefs? In three experiments, varying the scenario setting, the effects of victim and participant age, participant gender, sympathy for the victim, trust in the justice system, belief in a just world and acceptance of rape myths were investigated. In total, 877 Swedish adolescents and adults read scenarios reflecting common acquaintance rape situations. Victim age (18 or 31) was manipulated, but did not affect attributed blame. Effects of participant age and gender varied markedly across the three experiments. Sympathy for the victim and acceptance of rape myths were stronger predictors than belief in a just world. Consistently, blame attributions were found to be more affected by personal beliefs than situational-specific variables.
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| 10. |
- Adolfsson, Kerstin, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Victim blame in single versus multiple perpetrator rape cases
- 2016
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In: The 26th meeting of the European Association of psychology and Law (EAPL), Toulouse, France, July 5-8, 2016.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Substantial research has been conducted in the field of victim blaming, but still we do not fully understand the complexity of how and why people tend to blame rape victims. Two important aspects that have been more or less neglected in previous research within the field of victim blame are multiple perpetrator rape cases and the level of force used by the perpetrator(s). Since the prevalence of acquaintance rape is higher than of stranger rape, we conducted two experiments using a setting in which rapes may occur but not typically included in previous research. According to Swedish legislation, a rape situation with more than one perpetrator is considered an aggravated crime, irrespective of the level of force used. However, we wanted to examine if the level of force used and/or number of perpetrators had any impact on levels of blame attributed to the victim. To investigate this we conducted an online multi-experimental study with a Swedish community sample. Participants read a scenario describing a rape and thereafter provided ratings of victim blame, Belief in a Just World and Rape Myth Acceptance, as well as their trust in the Swedish justice system and self-experience of sexual victimization. All scenarios described the same four people and the relation between them, colleagues, was held constant. In the first experiment (N = 1704), number of perpetrators (one or three) was manipulated. We used number of perpetrators and participant gender as independent variables and victim blame as the dependent variable. In the second experiment we held number of perpetrators (three) constant but manipulated the level of force used. Level of force and participant gender were the independent variables and victim blame the dependent variable. At the conference in Toulouse we will present the results from our ongoing statistical analyses, in the hope of bringing new, important knowledge of victim blaming attitudes.
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