Attributions of Responsibility for Rape: Differences Across Familiarity of Situation, Gender and Acceptance of Rape Myths

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Newcombe, Peter A, van den Eynde, Julie ORCID: 0000-0001-6607-3462, Hafner, Diane and Jolly, Lesley (2008) Attributions of Responsibility for Rape: Differences Across Familiarity of Situation, Gender and Acceptance of Rape Myths. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38 (7). pp. 1736-1754. ISSN 0021-9029

Abstract

In 2004 in Australia, controversy over the alleged involvement of elite footballers in incidents of sexual assault highlighted a tendency to denigrate the victims and excuse the perpetrators. To investigate whether rape myths were prevalent enough to explain this public response, 102 university students were surveyed for their beliefs and determinations of blame in rape situations. Although there was a gender difference in the rates of rape myth acceptance, with males more likely to accept these beliefs, these were not evident in decisions about victim blame or perpetrator blame. However, males and high rape myth acceptors were significantly more likely to minimize the seriousness of the rape situation. These effects increased with familiarity depicted in the situation.

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Item type Article
URI https://vuir.vu.edu.au/id/eprint/3865
DOI 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00367.x
Official URL http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1559-...
Subjects Historical > FOR Classification > 1608 Sociology
Historical > FOR Classification > 1701 Psychology
Historical > Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > School of Social Sciences and Psychology
Keywords ResPubID16800, ResPubID22508. elite footballers, alleged involvement, sexual assault, denigration of victims, excuses for perpetrators, rape myths, university students surveyed, determinations of blame in rape situations, rape myth acceptors
Citations in Scopus 68 - View on Scopus
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