Male rape Acquaintance rape victims Blame Clinical Psychology
Although research has found that between 5% to 20% of adult men in non-institutionalized and non-military populations have been the victimes of a sexual assault, these victims are largely ignored by society and mental health professionals. Factos that may account for this lack of attention may be due to the small number of victims (as compared to female victims) and rape myths that promote the denial that male rape can occur. The psychological literature also reflects this neglect as the majority of this literature has focused on female and child victims, largely ignoring adult male victims. The purpose of the present research was to address some of the limitations of the literature regarding the attribution of victim blame towards male victims of sexual assault. The study investigated how the independent variables of 1.) victim gender, 2.) victim sexual orientation, and 3.) participant sexual orientation influence the dependent variables of attribution of blame and participant's perceived similarity to the victim. The results indicated that the participants' sexual orientation, the victims' sexual orientation, and the victims' gender were found to be related to the particpant perceived similarity to the victim. However, participants' perceived similarity to the victim did not influence their attribution of blame towards the victims. The results were not consistent with Defensive Attribution Theory (Shaver, 1970; Walster, 1966).
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Details
Title
Gender, sexual orientation and victim blame regarding male victims of sexual assault
Creators
Anna DeVries Lawler - DU
Contributors
Christine M. Nezu (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
Awarding Institution
Drexel University
Degree Awarded
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Publisher
Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Resource Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Academic Unit
Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
Other Identifier
62; 991014632572204721
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