Reaction to Self‐Attributed Victim Responsibility: A Comparative Analysis of Rape Crisis Counselors and Lay Observers¹

Abstract

This research examined observers' reactions to sexual assault victims engaging in different forms of self‐attributed responsibility. Theory and research suggests that behavioral responsibility contributes positively to the coping process of victims, whereas characterological responsibility impedes it. For observers in the present study, the expression of either type of self‐responsibility by a rape victim resulted in a more negative impression of the victim's emotional well‐being and greater attribution of responsibility to the victim in comparison to a victim relying solely on chance explanations. Moreover, this bias was evident among rape crisis counselors as well as lay observers. Discussion considered the implications of such biased perceptions for sexual assault victims and the need for a fuller understanding of the nature of self‐attributions of responsibility by victims.

Understanding Attributions of Victim Blame for Rape: Sex, Violence, and Foreseeability1

“…First, the data were collected only from introductory psychology students, and we do not know whether other groups would respond similarly. For example, one study (Thornton et al, 1988) found that undergraduates attributed more responsibility to victims than rape counselors. Of course, counselors differ in this respect from many groups (e.g., police, adult citizens, see Feild, 1978).…”

Effects of Rape on Men: A Descriptive Analysis

“…Self-blaming also affects how people respond to the victim. For example, those who blame themselves are perceived as less well-adjusted and more responsible for the rape than those who do not (Thornton et al, 1988).…”

The Rape Myth and Blame‐Based Beliefs of Counselors‐in‐Training Toward Male Victims of Rape

“…Their results suggested that although mental health therapists generally tended not to subscribe to rape myths, male therapists did tend to accept rape myths to a larger extent than did female therapists, and those therapists who endorsed a greater acceptance of rape myths were also more likely to implement therapeutic treatments with sexual assault clients that involved more of a blame-based theme and focused more on the victim's role in the assault (e.g., working with a sexual assault client on how to demonstrate more appropriate, less seductive behavior). In an analogue, vignette-based study, Thornton et al (1988) compared the perceptions of laypersons with those of rape crisis counseling volunteers regarding the perceived emotional well-being of a sexually assaulted client and the client's level of responsibility for the rape. Overall, compared with laypersons, rape crisis counselors attributed significantly less responsibility for the attack to victims.…”