Differences in Social Reactions by Gender of Victime & Recipient Conceptions in Sexual Assault from a Disclosure Recipient's View
Loading...
Description
Research into the role of the gender of the victim and of the individuals’ responses to sexual assault disclosures has been widely explored from the victim’s perspective. This study explores how social reactions about sexual assault (SA) or intimate partner violence (IPV) differ based on the genders of the victim and disclosure recipient. Outcomes include: negative and positive social reactions, perceptions of victim responsibility, confusion with the victim post-disclosure, and the recipient’s feelings of effectiveness as a listener. In the baseline data from a larger intervention trial, participants responded to whether someone had disclosed to them about SA or IPV in the last six months. Participants (N=742) who indicated they were a disclosure recipient were included in the analysis. Participants reported on the gender of the victim and how they responded. Most disclosures (71%) were both female, whereas 12.4% of disclosures were a woman disclosing to a man or a both male. Results generally indicated that male disclosure recipients had the most negative responses to disclosure, especially when the victims were male. Female disclosure recipients had the least negative response to SA disclosures, especially when the victims were female. Male disclosure recipients’ blaming responses were greater overall; they were highest in response to disclosures by male victims. Victim empathy was marginally significant with a significant difference between both being male versus both being female. The negative attributions against male victims and by male disclosers suggests a need for male-focused interventions to challenge negative attitudes concerning SA and IPV.
Differences in Social Reactions by Gender of Victime & Recipient Conceptions in Sexual Assault from a Disclosure Recipient's View
Research into the role of the gender of the victim and of the individuals’ responses to sexual assault disclosures has been widely explored from the victim’s perspective. This study explores how social reactions about sexual assault (SA) or intimate partner violence (IPV) differ based on the genders of the victim and disclosure recipient. Outcomes include: negative and positive social reactions, perceptions of victim responsibility, confusion with the victim post-disclosure, and the recipient’s feelings of effectiveness as a listener. In the baseline data from a larger intervention trial, participants responded to whether someone had disclosed to them about SA or IPV in the last six months. Participants (N=742) who indicated they were a disclosure recipient were included in the analysis. Participants reported on the gender of the victim and how they responded. Most disclosures (71%) were both female, whereas 12.4% of disclosures were a woman disclosing to a man or a both male. Results generally indicated that male disclosure recipients had the most negative responses to disclosure, especially when the victims were male. Female disclosure recipients had the least negative response to SA disclosures, especially when the victims were female. Male disclosure recipients’ blaming responses were greater overall; they were highest in response to disclosures by male victims. Victim empathy was marginally significant with a significant difference between both being male versus both being female. The negative attributions against male victims and by male disclosers suggests a need for male-focused interventions to challenge negative attitudes concerning SA and IPV.
Please contact usfsp-usfspstudentresearch@usf.edu to report comments
