Individual Factor of Blame Attribution in Situations of Violence Against Women

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective.</strong> Analysis of the relationship between the individual psychological and sociodemographic characteristics of bystanders and their tendency to blame the victim. <br><strong>Background. </strong>Despite the fact that the responsibility for violence always on the agressor, blaming the victim is still a common phenomenon. Currently, the factors of victim blaming are widely studied abroad, but there are contradictions in the obtained data. There is an insufficient amount of research in Russia, and existing research mainly concerns global factors, such as the role of the media. <br><strong>Study design. </strong>The study examined individual psychological and social-demographic characteristics of the groups of bystanders who choose different strategies of blame attribution in a situation of violence. According to the results of the author's questionnaire, respondents were divided into three groups: blaming the aggressor, blaming the victim and inconsistent in blaming. The groups were compared by self-attitude, empathy, basic beliefs, sociodemographic characteristics and awareness of various aspects of the problem of violence. The differences between the groups were verified through the comparative analysis. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>Russian sample, 91 people (38,5% of men, 61,5% of women) from 19 to 68 years old (<em>M</em> = 32,3; <em>SD</em> = 13,6). <br><strong>Measurements. </strong>Vignettes containing descriptions of violent situations and options for attributing blame to participants in the situations. Author's questionnaire for sociodemographic data and data about awareness of violence, personal experience related to this topic. Multidimensional questionnaire of self-attitude research by S.R. Panteleev, “Diagnostics of empathy level” by V.V. Boyko, Russian version of World assumptions scale by M.A. Padun, A.V. Kotelnikova. <br><strong>Results. </strong>We found significant differences between the groups according to the characteristics of self-attitude: the level of self-attachment in the group blaming the aggressor is significantly different from the level of self-attachment in other groups, the level of self-control in the group blaming the aggressor is significantly different from the level of self-control in the group blaming the victim. Significant differences in the level of believes in a just world between the group blaming the aggressor and other groups have been revealed. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of empathy. The groups considered differ significantly in assessing the significance of the problem of violence, awareness of the phenomenon of victim-blaming, the presence of the professional, volunteer or studying experience of interacting with a victim of violence, age and place of residence. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>Identify the Individual factors of victim blaming in the Russian sample. The more the respondent believes in the just world, the higher the level of self-attachment and self-control, the more likely he is to blame the victim. The following individual factors are associated with a lower probability of victim-blaming: assessment of the problem of violence as more significant, awareness of the existence of such a phenomenon as “victim-blaming”, the professional, volunteer or studying experience of interacting with a victim of violence, young age and living in a megalopolis.</p>