NCJ Number
162805
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1996) Pages: 81-95
Date Published
1996
Length
15 pages
Annotation
A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the tendency to hold female victims of rape partly responsible for the attack and determine the responsibility that third-party observers assign to a female rape victim, as well as the variables that moderate the tendency to blame the victim.
Abstract
The studies examined represented coverage of the experimental rape studies from the year 1973, when experimental approaches to analyzing the variables thought to increase rape victim blame began to appear, through 1995. The studies do not include the research dealing with actual rape victims and their experiences. The analysis focused on how revealing the victim's clothing was (8 studies), the victim's character (20 studies), the victim's physical attractiveness (14 studies), and the victim's acquaintance with her attacker (14 studies). Results revealed that how revealing the victim's clothing was and the victim's character significantly affected the tendency to blame the victim. A rape victim in revealing clothing was held more responsible than a victim dressed otherwise, and a less respectable rape victim was held more responsible than a victim with good character. Results failed to clarify the inconsistencies in the literature regarding the effect of the victim's physical attractiveness and the victim acquaintance. Tables and 92 references (Author abstract modified)