Reaction to Self‐Attributed Victim Responsibility: A Comparative Analysis of Rape Crisis Counselors and Lay Observers1

Abstract

This research examined observers' reactions to sexual assault victims engaging in different forms of self‐attributed responsibility. Theory and research suggests that behavioral responsibility contributes positively to the coping process of victims, whereas characterological responsibility impedes it. For observers in the present study, the expression of either type of self‐responsibility by a rape victim resulted in a more negative impression of the victim's emotional well‐being and greater attribution of responsibility to the victim in comparison to a victim relying solely on chance explanations. Moreover, this bias was evident among rape crisis counselors as well as lay observers. Discussion considered the implications of such biased perceptions for sexual assault victims and the need for a fuller understanding of the nature of self‐attributions of responsibility by victims.