NCJ Number
231466
Journal
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment &Trauma Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 357-371
Date Published
June 2010
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study explored the degree to which assertiveness influenced women's assignment of blame towards victims of sexual assault.
Abstract
This study investigated the influence of assertiveness on women's attributions of blame toward a victim of sexual assault. Women (N = 211) completed questionnaires assessing general and sexual assertiveness, viewed a video vignette of an acquaintance rape, and were asked to rate the degree of the woman's responsibility for the assault at three points during the video. Results indicated that the rater's level of assertiveness predicted the amount of blame she assigned to the victim of a sexual assault when the victim engaged in unassertive nonverbal resistance and assertive verbal resistance. Implications for prevention programming and forensic psychology (e.g., jury selection) are discussed. Table and references (Published Abstract)