Predictors of Rape Occurrence and Victim Blame in the William Kennedy Smith Case

Abstract

In an attempt to understand the bases of rape attributions in the well‐publicized accusation of rape against William Kennedy Smith in 1991, background and attitudinal variables were used to predict 277 college students' beliefs that a rape had occurred, and their extent of victim blame prior to his rape trial. Gender differences were found in the belief that a rape had occurred and in victim blame, but were no longer significant when combined with other predictors in a regression equation. Among women, no significant predictors of rape occurrence emerged, whereas for men, political affiliation (Democrats more than Republicans) and ethnicity (people of color more than whites) predicted the belief that a rape had occurred. Belief in victim precipitation of rape strongly predicted victim blame in the Smith case. These findings reinforce the significance of victim‐precipitation beliefs in blaming date‐rape victims and the probable role of these myths in keeping date rape a hidden crime.