Exploring the Effects of Perpetrator, Victim, and Participant Gender on Perceptions Related to Sexual Assault

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigated male and female undergraduate college students’ perceptions of sexual assault. Participants included 280 students (115 males, 165 females; Mage = 20.30) randomly assigned to one of two vignettes: male-to-female sexual assault and female-to-male sexual assault. After reading the vignette, participants’ perceptions of negative emotional impact on the victim and perpetrator’s guilt were assessed. We hypothesized that: (a) regardless of their gender, participants would have greater perceptions of negative emotional impact on the female victim and perpetrator guilt for the male perpetrator, (b) regardless of the gender of the perpetrator or victim, male participants would have lower perceptions of negative emotional impact on the victim and perpetrator guilt compared to female participants, and (c) perceptions of emotional impact on the victim and perpetrator guilt would vary significantly depending on vignette perpetrator gender and gender of the participant. ANOVA results for guilt perceptions indicated a significant main effect for vignette perpetrator gender (p = .000) and significant interaction (p = .020). ANOVA results for emotional impact perceptions indicated significant main effects for both participant gender (p = .000) and perpetrator gender (p = .002), and the interaction was marginally significant (p = .077). Implications of these findings are discussed.