NCJ Number
221047
Journal
Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: 2007 Pages: 113-129
Date Published
2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study examined attitudes toward sexual aggression in India in the context of the low societal status of Indian women.
Abstract
The study found that Indian men, compared with Indian women, were less sympathetic toward female victims of rape and sexual harassment. This male bias against female victims of male sexual aggression in Indian society is much stronger than in Western societies. Indian male participants on the whole attributed greater fault to the rape victim than did female participants, with this difference being primarily confined to the virgin victim. Male participants attributed more blame to the victim of sexual harassment than did female participants. The divorced victim was attributed less blame compared with both unmarried and married victims, with the latter two not differing significantly from one another. Victims who did not take any action against male sexual harassment were more likely to be blamed for their predicament. Other issues examined in the study were the rape victim's causal versus moral responsibility, the rapist-victim relationship, the gender-adversarial perspective, and the ambiguity about victim's consent. The author concludes that the Indian male's negative bias and attribution of blame toward female victims of rape and sexual harassment is due to the relatively low status of women in Indian society, which stems from the patriarchal dominance of men. This research was conducted in Bombay, India, with undergraduate or graduate student participants reporting on their attitudes toward vignettes that involved male sexual aggression toward women. 43 references