NCJ Number
166925
Journal
Psychology, Crime & Law Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (1996) Pages: 211-229
Date Published
1996
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Attributions of fault (cause, blame, and responsibility) to rape victims were investigated, and causal explanations for rape as a function of belief in a just world were examined.
Abstract
Subjects included 50 males and 71 females who completed questionnaires on rape situations, attitudes toward rape, and rape causes. It was predicted that males would attribute more fault to rape victims than females and that victim race, dress, and resistance would affect attributions of fault. In general, men and women differed significantly in the way they viewed the victim's role in rape. Males tended to believe the victim was to blame for the rape, while females placed more responsibility for the rape on the attacker. Respondent sex and victim dress were strong determinants of attributions about rape. Just world beliefs were related to 20 theories about rape causes. Partial support was observed for the prediction that belief in a just world would affect explanations for rape. Results are discussed in terms of attributional studies of perceived causes of injustice. 71 references and 3 tables