Blaming the Victim, the Bystander, the Perpetrator, or the Institution: Student Allocation of Responsibility for Sexual Assault when Programming Hypothetically Varies

ABSTRACT

Guided by theories of socialization and just policy theory, we explore how students allocate blame when sexual assault prevention programming hypothetically varies, net of the effects of evaluators’ traits. Using a survey instrument containing a series of vignettes, we ask whether university students’ (N = 254) perceptions of responsibility attributed to victims, perpetrators, bystanders, and university administrators varies by hypothetical program trainee and also by the hypothetical implementation of any program versus no program. Findings indicate that students allocate more blame to bystanders and perpetrators when hypothetical programming includes bystander training but that programs that train victims are not associated with increased victim blaming. Administrators are blamed less when bystander intervention is included in programming. However, compared to when no training is hypothetically implemented, students allocate more blame to victims and bystanders when any programming is present and less to administrators. Among respondent-level controls, victim blaming is consistently predicted by evaluators’ rape myth acceptance. Implications for future work, theoretical development, and policy are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Intervention
• just policy theory
• prevention
• sexual assault
• victim blaming

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Mellisa Holtzman, Dr. Ellen Whitehead, Meagan Brant, Tom Henry, and Olivia Anderson for their assistance with this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chadwick L. Menning

Chadwick L. Menning is professor and chair of the Department of Sociology at Ball State University. His research focuses on risk reduction among youths and young adults, including sexual assault and its consequences. He is interested in the application of empirical findings to the development of programming and social policies.

Erica Dee Estoya

Erica Dee Estoya is a graduate of the Department of Sociology at Ball State University. She works as an adjunct instructor and academic advisor at Ivy Tech Community College in Muncie, Indiana, and a research assistant at Portland State University. Her research interests include disability studies, sexual assault prevention, and regional studies.

Lex K. Nunn

Lex. K. Nunn is a graduate of the Department of Psychology at Ball State University. His research focuses on death and dying, pet ownership, and gender and sexual minority diversity issues.