Male Perpetrators Research Articles

The association between alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence in young male perpetrators in Mwanza, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background Although alcohol consumption is a well-known risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, few studies have been conducted among young males in low- and middle-income countries. Alcohol consumption and IPV are both complex phenomena, whose association requires more in-depth exploration regarding drinking patterns and the alcohol-related manifestation of five different forms of IPV. Objective In this study, we sought to explore the relationship between alcohol use and IPV in young Tanzanian men and to identify differences in the magnitude of past-year IPV perpetration among alcohol drinkers and abstainers. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the association between various drinking patterns with the perpetration of different forms of IPV. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 1002 young males residing in Mwanza, Tanzania, was conducted in 2021–2022. Data on alcohol consumption were collected using the alcohol use disorder identification test. IPV perpetration was assessed using an index total of 19 items on acts of physical, sexual, economic, emotional abuse, and controlling behaviour. Logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the relationship between alcohol use and the perpetration of each form of IPV. Results Among partnered respondents currently consuming alcohol (n = 189, 18.8%), the most and the least prevalent IPV forms in the past 12 months were controlling behaviour (84.1%) and physical IPV (25.4%), respectively. Those reporting recent alcohol consumption reported higher rates of all forms of past-year IPV perpetration compared to abstainers. While no form of IPV was associated with low-risk consumption versus abstention, all forms of IPV were associated with hazardous drinking. Conclusion Young men who drink alcohol, especially those drinking hazardously, are also more likely to report perpetrating IPV. An understanding of the different drinking patterns and manifestations of forms of IPV can contribute to better-tailored alcohol-related interventions and has the potential to improve young adults’ health and reduce IPV perpetration.

"Domestic Drama," "Love Killing," or "Murder": Does the Framing of Femicides Affect Readers' Emotional and Cognitive Responses to the Crime?

We conducted two framing experiments to test how downplaying femicide frames affect readers' reactions. Results of Study 1 (Germany, N = 158) indicate that emotional reactions were increased when a femicide was labeled as "murder" compared to "domestic drama." This effect was strongest among individuals with high hostile sexism. Study 2 (U.S., N = 207), revealed that male compared to female readers perceived a male perpetrator more as a loving person when the crime was labeled as "love killing" compared to "murder." This tendency was linked to higher victim blaming. We recommend reporting guidelines to overcome the trivialization of femicides.

Engaging Men in Intimate Partner Relationship Programs: Service Provider and Stakeholder Perspectives

Men’s intimate partner relationship services have focused on correcting the behaviors of male perpetrators of intimate partner (IPV) and/or domestic violence (DV). There is a need to advance IPV and DV prevention efforts by better equipping men with relationship skills. This study explores service providers’ and stakeholders’ perspectives about the challenges and strategies for assisting men to build better intimate partner relationships. Interviews were conducted with participants ( n = 30) from Canada and Australia who worked in the men’s intimate partner relationships sector. Three themes were inductively derived: (a) crisis management (barriers to engagement), (b) owning deficits and leveraging strengths (engaging though accountability and action), and (c) me then we (self-work as requisite for relationship success). Using a gender relations lens, we examined the influence of masculinities on men’s intimate partner relationships and engagement with services. Participants described crisis management challenges for men accessing services including shame, threats to masculine identity, and mental health challenges. Owning deficits and leveraging strengths hinged on men’s accountability and action, rather than assigning blame for problematic behaviors in accessing services. Related to this, the me then we theme highlighted men’s strength-based approaches in focussing on self-work to develop tangible skills and awareness needed to build healthy relationships. Overall, the findings indicate men’s healthy relationships hinged on working with masculine identities to inform their perspectives and behaviors. Men’s intimate partner relationship work likely requires labor at multiple levels (e.g., individual, partners, and systems) to secure the strong potential for reframing masculine identities as asset-building for men’s relationships.

Impacts of Victim Resistance and Type of Assault on Legal Decision-Making in Child Sexual Assault

ABSTRACT Prior studies have examined the effects of victim resistance and type of assault (attempted or completed) on perceptions of adult rape cases. However, research has not yet tested whether these findings extend to verdicts rendered in child rape cases, nor has research focused on how perceptions of victim and defendant characteristics in child rape cases may contribute to legal decision-making. In the present study, a 2 (attempted or completed sexual assault) x 3 (victim resistance: verbal-only, verbal with outside interruption, or physical) x 2 (participant sex) between-participant design was used to assess legal decision-making involving a hypothetical criminal case of child rape, with a six-year-old female victim and a 30-year-old male perpetrator. Three-hundred and thirty-five participants read a criminal trial summary and answered questions about the trial, the victim, and the defendant. Results revealed that: (a) when a victim physically resisted, compared to verbally resisted, more guilty judgments were rendered, (b) when the victim physically resisted, higher ratings for aggregated factors for Victim Credibility and Negative Perceptions of the Defendant were given, leading to more guilty verdicts, and (c) female participants were more likely than male participants to render a guilty verdict. No differences in verdict rendered between the verbal with interruption (e.g., knocking on door) and verbal-only conditions were found, nor did type of assault lead to differences in verdict rendered. Implications for child sexual assault cases and the courtroom, as well as implications for practitioners, are provided.

Perceptions of intimate partner stalking and cyberstalking: Do perpetrator and victim gender and victims' responses to stalking influence perceptions of criminal behaviour and responsibility?

AbstractPurposeWhile the gender of stalking victims and perpetrators may affect perceptions of stalking, limited research has examined whether victim responses to stalking (i.e. ignoring or confronting the perpetrator) are similarly influential. The present study examined whether perpetrator and victim gender and victim response (ignore vs. asking the perpetrator to stop) were related to perceptions of stalking and cyberstalking.MethodsParticipants (N = 223) from the United States were randomly assigned to one of four vignettes (gender × victim response) that included both in‐person stalking and cyberstalking behaviours. Perceptions assessed included: whether police intervention was necessary, whether the scenario constituted a crime, and how responsible the perpetrator and victim were for the situation. They also rated how distressing they believed the in‐person (vs. cyberstalking) behaviours would be.ResultsMost of the participants believed police intervention was required (57.4%), yet fewer believed a crime occurred (32.7%). Overall, in‐person stalking behaviours were seen as more distressing than were cyberstalking behaviours. Men were perceived as more responsible than women when they were both victims and perpetrators. There was an interaction between gender and victim response to stalking, such that male victims who ignored the perpetrator were considered less in need of police intervention than female victims who ignored the perpetrator (and male and female victims who confronted the perpetrator).ConclusionsBoth male victims and perpetrators may be perceived as more responsible by juries and informal supports. Men may be viewed as less in need of law enforcement support unless they have already confronted their pursuer.

The socio-economic status of adult female perpetrators of criminal offences in the Republic of Serbia

The subject of this paper is the research of socioeconomic status of adult female perpetrators of criminal offences in the Republic of Serbia. For this purpose, the following characteristics of adult women perpetrators have been observed: age, marital status, education, employment status , occupation. Empirical research was conducted in which the structure of female perpetrators by age, by education, by marital status, by employment status and by occupation was calculated. The empirical research used data obtained from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia for 2021. The structure was calculated for criminal offences that have the largest share in total crime, namely, for criminal offences against life and limb, criminal offences against marriage and family, criminal offences against property, criminal offences against the economy, criminal offences against human's health and criminal offences against public peace and order. A comparison was made with the adult male perpetrators of criminal offences and with the total population of the Republic Serbia for each of the observed characteristics. The results of the research showed that female perpetrators have a higher unemployment rate and a lower educational structure than male perpetrators and the total population of the Republic of Serbia. The unemployment rate is very high and amounts to 38.7%, and one third of the female perpetrators do not have more than a primary education. The results reveal poor socioeconomic status of adult female perpetrators, indicating the strong influence of socioeconomic status on crime of female perpetrators in the Republic of Serbia.

Himpathy and status: Attitudes to social hierarchy predict reactions to sexual harassment.

In three studies, we tested whether hierarchical preferences could explain differences in punishment recommendations for sexual harassment. Building on research that suggests punishment is used to regulate social hierarchies, we argue that individuals who are motivated to maintain existing hierarchies will treat male perpetrators of sexual harassment with greater leniency, especially when judging perpetrators of high social status. Conversely, we predict that egalitarians-who are motivated to reduce group-based hierarchies-will judge male perpetrators more harshly, especially those of high social status. Given competing theories in the existing literature, we make no predictions about how perpetrator status will affect punishment recommendations overall. Supporting our hypotheses, we found that individuals high on gender system justification and social dominance orientation recommended more lenient punishments to perpetrators. Moreover, an integrative data analysis uncovered an interaction between social dominance orientation and perpetrator status. This interaction was primarily driven by egalitarians, who provided more lenient punishment recommendations to low status perpetrators when compared to high status perpetrators. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find strong evidence that individuals high on social dominance orientation provided harsher judgements to low status perpetrators. Nor did we find strong evidence for a main effect of perpetrator status on punishment recommendations. Taken together, these findings suggest that people punish sexual harassment to bolster or attenuate power structures. This is particularly true of egalitarians, whose emphasis on social equality leads them to judge high status perpetrators of sexual harassment with particular severity.

Reduced grey matter in orbitofrontal cortex in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women compared to other offenders

Reduced grey matter in orbitofrontal cortex in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women compared to other offenders

Panorama institucional do trabalho grupal com homens autores de violência contra mulher no Brasil

Abstract The Maria da Penha Law assists male perpetrators of violence in rehabilitation centers translated, in practice, into group activities. This study offers a national overview of these actions by conducting a literature review and bibliographical and documental research. Groups were identified by searches on LILACS/VHL, MEDLINE/PUBMED, COCHRANE LIBRARY, EMBASE, the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel’s (CAPES) journal portal, published maps and national listing of initiatives with male perpetrators of violence, and a web search. Of the 309 groups identified, 271 answered an electronically sent questionnaire from April to May 2021. Results draw an overview showing the active institutions; the way men are referred to them; the existence of networking and approximation to social movements; information about facilitating teams; goals; evaluation methodology; and the main results and difficulties highlighted by these groups. This study also confirmed gaps, such as the absence of a national public policy that welcomes and encourages local organizations; facilitators’ lack of ongoing training; the absence or scarcity of financial contribution; and especially the fragile evaluation and monitoring of activities.

Characteristics of Male Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence in South-South Nigeria

Aims: This study was done to identify personal characteristics of men that may be associated with partner abuse in order to provide a basis for offering counseling services, to prevent, as well as appropriately manage cases of existing abuse.
 Study Design: Cross sectional survey.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was done at the General Outpatients Clinic of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria; between August and November 2007.
 Methodology: The examiner administered pre-tested questionnaire on adult females attending the clinic within the duration of the study. Every second patient seen by the investigator on the waiting line of a regular medical consultation visit that consented to the study was recruited until the desired sample size was got. Socio-demographic as well as drug use information of adult subjects’ partners aged between 18 to 59 years was obtained.
 Results: Of the 384 females investigated, age 21 – 67 years with a mean age of 31.31±8.61 years: physical abuse 41.9%, verbal/emotional abuse 49.0%, and a combined (physical/verbal) abuse 29.9%. Partners’ education had statistically significant relationship with physical abuse, P=0.018; partners’ tobacco uses with verbal abuse (P=0.000), and between combined abuse and use of tobacco or cannabis, P=0.003 and 0.048 respectively.
 Linear multiple regression model of physical abuse parameters: throw something at, being pushed, slapped, kicked, hit at, beaten-up, threatened or weapon used, and forced sex; P-value was 0.000, with sum of squares 60.263 and degree of freedom 9. Whereas for verbal abuse: cajoled, derogatory statements made at, name calling, and shout at, as abuse parameters; P-value was 0.000, sum of squares 72.763 and degree of freedom, 4. Both of these were statistically significant.
 Conclusion: This study demonstrates a higher perpetration of verbal/emotional violence than that of physical violence (or both) by males on their partners with lack of formal education, with tobacco and/or cannabis use, as aggravating factors.

Physical Intimate Partner Violence Concordance Rates in Couples: Does CTS2 Item Order Matter?

Intimate partner violence (IPV) concordance rates between partners are low across national, community, and clinical samples. Discordance between partners' IPV reports is problematic given that self-report questionnaires, such as the CTS2, are commonly used to assess IPV. Moreover, most research is based solely on the report of one partner. Some have attributed this discordance to how CTS2 items are presented. The CTS2 presents items inquiring on the frequencies of perpetration by oneself and then one's partner in pairs. The present study examined whether IPV concordance rates improve if couples are administered a version of the CTS2 where all items assessing their partner's behaviors are presented first, followed by items assessing the respondents' behaviors. Additionally, the present study examined whether correlations between self-reported and partner-reported perpetration and victimization differ depending on the order in which CTS2 items are presented. Two samples of heterosexual couples were recruited from a large metropolitan area in the United States. The first sample was administered the CTS2 in its usual format. The second sample was administered a version of the CTS2 that presented items on one's partners' behavior first, followed by self-reported behavior. Results revealed that concordance rates among violent couples were higher in the group administered the CTS2 in its altered format, particularly agreement on male IPV perpetration. However, when agreement on minor and severe IPV was examined separately, concordance rates between groups were relatively similar for severe IPV. These findings suggest that altering the item presentation of the CTS2 may improve the interrater reliability of the Physical Assault Scale of the CTS2. Additional results are discussed.

Sexual harassment among employees and students at a large Swedish university: who are exposed, to what, by whom and where – a cross-sectional prevalence study

BackgroundSexual harassment (SH) in the workplace is prevalent and associated with poor health. Universities are large workplaces with complex formal and informal power relations, which may influence the prevalence of SH. Although employees and students share the university context, few studies on SH have included both groups. The overall aim of the study was to investigate SH among employees and students at a large Swedish public university regarding types of harassment, prevalence in different groups, characteristics of the perpetrators, and the circumstances in which it occurs.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was performed, based on a web-based survey with 120 items that was sent out to all staff, including PhD students (N = 8,238) and students (N = 30,244) in November 2019. The response rate was 33% for staff and 32% for students. Exposure to SH was defined as having experienced at least one of ten defined SH behaviors during their work or studies.ResultsAmong women, 24.5% of staff and 26.8% of students reported having been exposed to SH. The corresponding figures were 7.0% and 11.3% for male staff and students and 33.3% and 29.4% for non-binary individuals among staff and students. Unwelcome comments, suggestive looks or gestures, and ‘inadvertent’ brushing or touching were the three most common forms of reported harassment, both among staff and students. Attempted or completed rape had been experienced by 2.1% of female and 0.6% of male students. Male and female perpetrators were reported by about 80% and 15%, respectively, of exposed participants. Among staff most reported events occurred during the everyday operation of the university, while among students the majority of the events took place during social events linked to student life. When exposed to a perpetrator from the same group (staff or students), women reported more often being in a subordinate power position in relation to the perpetrator.ConclusionsThe results indicate that sexual harassment is common in the university context, and interventions and case management routines of events should consider power relations between victim and perpetrator, as well as the various contexts within which sexual harassment takes place.

Vulnerability Factors of Intimate Partner Violence Among Victims of Partner Only and Generally Violent Perpetrators

PurposeThe aim of this study was to examine how victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) differ in terms of vulnerability factors and risk of being re-victimized, by comparing victims of the two most consistently identified IPV male perpetrator subtypes: the Partner Only (PO) violent and the Generally Violent (GV).MethodsThe current study analyzed IPV reported to the Swedish police and consisted of a sample of 1479 cases of male-to-female perpetrated IPV. The material mainly consisted of IPV risk assessments conducted by the police.ResultsThe results showed that vulnerability factors were significantly more common among victims of GV perpetrators, including inconsistent attitudes or behaviors, extreme fear of the perpetrator, inadequate support or resources, an unsafe living situation, and health problems. Moreover, victims of GV perpetrators were generally assessed by the police with a significantly higher risk of being re-victimized by IPV. Finally, in relation to the victim vulnerability factors most strongly associated with an elevated assessed risk for IPV re-victimization, the presence of extreme fear of the perpetrator and having an unsafe living situation were significantly related to such outcomes for both groups of victims.ConclusionIn sum, the results of this study contribute to the scant body of knowledge on IPV victim subtypes and their vulnerability profiles. In addition to facilitating the risk assessment of repeated IPV, such knowledge could also indicate what type of support different victim subtypes require in order to prevent IPV.

A comparison of public perceptions of cisgender male and transgender male stalking perpetrators

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to compare perceptions of male cisgender and male transgender stalking perpetrators. There present study compared participants’ perceptions of whether behaviour constituted stalking, posed a threat, had a risk of violence and required police intervention when the perpetrator was transgender or cisgender. The present study also sought to replicate the prior-relationship misconception in stalking literature and to investigate whether perceptions of transgender perpetrators changed based on the age and gender of the perceiver.Design/methodology/approachParticipants read vignettes outlining the relationship between victim and perpetrator as well as a description of the stalking behaviours. Participants then reported their perceptions of the four dependent variables on Likert-type scales.FindingsThe prior-relationship misconception was replicated. There were no significant differences in perceptions of transgender and cisgender perpetrators across the four dependent variables. There were also no significant differences in perceptions based on the gender of the perceiver. Contrary to expectations, older participants perceived transgender perpetrators as less threatening than younger participants.Research limitations/implicationsThe prior-relationship misconception is robust to gender identity of the perpetrator. The participants in the present study seemed to make judgements based on stalking behaviour and not the gender identity of the perpetrator. Future research should replicate this study with more severe stalking behaviours and with greater variation in gender identity.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to compare perceptions of cisgender and transgender males in the context of stalking perpetration. There is also consideration of how the demographics of the perceiver could impact these perceptions. This study also contributes to research on the prior-relationship misconception by demonstrating that the misconception is robust to gender identification of the perpetrator.

“She was willing to send me there”: Intrafamilial child sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking of boys

BackgroundBoys subject to intrafamilial child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) - in particular, cases which begin as incest and later evolve into child trafficking for sexual exploitation - face many barriers in disclosing their exploitation, often leaving victims and survivors feeling isolated from society and dismissed or mishandled by service providers such as law enforcement officers, child protection specialists, medical staff and mental health professionals. ObjectiveThis study explores the unique characteristics of intrafamilial CSEA through the sex trafficking of boys, and the barriers to disclosure and recovery experienced by male victims and survivors. Participants and settingTen adult male survivors of intrafamilial child trafficking for sexual exploitation were interviewed multiple times to gain a deeper understanding of intrafamilial CSEA and how it compares and contrasts with non-familial CSEA. Participants in this study primarily came from North America. MethodologyMultiple semi-structured online interviews were conducted with these 10 adult male survivors because they experienced 1) intrafamilial CSEA and 2) being trafficked by their families to be sexually exploited by non-familial perpetrators. The participants were then asked to compare and contrast intrafamilial and non-familial CSEA. The research team employed a descriptive phenomenological approach and interview transcripts were coded, analyzed, and compared to identify patterns of non-verbal CSEA indicators and thematic narratives. The study also explored the internal and external barriers to disclosure reported by participants. Trauma-informed, person-centered practices were used throughout the entirety of the study to minimize harm to participants. The research team employed a co-productive approach using participants' initial interviews and feedback to formulate new questions for later rounds of interviews and by having the participants confirm the accuracy of their respective quotes and case summaries. Results and discussionThis study highlights several CSEA modalities, such as “boy-swap” events and local/national/transnational trafficking rings engaged in CSEA of boys. It also discusses how survivors' experiences differed between intrafamilial and non-familial CSEA and trafficking, and how familial settings may facilitate concealment of CSEA. Participants described various modus operandi used by abusers, traffickers, and buyers of all genders. While all 10 intrafamilial CSEA cases included male perpetrators, female perpetrators were also present in nine of them. In addition, participants identified various psychological and physiological CSEA and trafficking indicators that evidenced their victimization during their childhood years. All 10 survivors reported long-term health consequences into adulthood and scored highly on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaires. Recommendations and conclusionFindings underscore the importance of trauma-informed practices for identifying, liberating, and rehabilitating victims and survivors. Participants reported receiving more effective assistance from service providers that exhibited trauma-informed practices. Traditional gender stereotypes may hinder the ability of service providers to recognize and provide support to boys victimized and trafficked by their families for CSEA. Consequently, service providers may stand to benefit from training on 1) trauma-informed, person-centered practices and 2) conscious and unconscious biases, particularly those related to gender. Survivors in recovery require expanded support services, such as the provision of safe housing, online/in-person support communities, and professional/life skill training. Co-productive research methods that integrate the views and experiences of CSEA and trafficking survivors are also recommended.

Is Homicide a Turning Point in the Life of Perpetrators? A Narrative Analysis of the Life Stories of Marginalized and Middle-Class Male Homicide Offenders in Metropolitan Buenos Aires, Argentina

This paper aims to analyze the relevance given to violent deaths and imprisonment by male homicide perpetrators in their biographical reconstructions. Drawing on narrative criminology, this study examines the offenders’ emic terms, rationalities, and stories. The analysis is based on seventy-three purposefully selected narrative-biographical interviews and field observations in prisons and homes of former convicts (2016-2020) in Metropolitan Buenos Aires, Argentina. The corpus was analyzed following an inductive thematic coding strategy using ATLAS.ti. Three central narratives about homicide and incarceration emerged: “opportunity,” “rock bottom,” and “disruptive.” For most, homicide was described as a biographical opportunity to rethink their lives, pursue new pathways, and “stabilize” a previously uncontrolled lifestyle. However, homicides perpetrated by respondents with higher socioeconomic status were disruptive events. Participants used stoic rationality—the positive appraisal of painful experiences—to structure their sense-making and stories of violence. This rationality permeated perpetrators’ presentations of themselves, their turning points and lived experiences, and the violence performed and suffered. This paper grapples with the widespread assumption that homicide is a radical change in the lives of offenders and questions the universal meaning of violent death. Performing violence is not only neutralized but is also seen as an expected and inaugural event in life stories, dependent on the worldviews of the social actors.

Risk and Protective Factors for Violence Against Women and Girls Living in Conflict and Natural Disaster-Affected Settings: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review provides an overview of existing research on risk and protective factors associated with violence against women and girls (VAWG) in conflict and natural disaster settings. PubMed (Medline); PsycINFO; Scopus; and Cochrane Center trials registrar were searched as well as relevant internet repositories for VAWG research. The inclusion criteria covered studies that were published between January 1995 and December 2020, documented risk and/or protective factors for VAWG in conflict or natural disaster-affected settings and included primary or secondary data analysis. A total of 1,413 records were initially identified and 86 articles (covering 77 studies) were included in the final analysis. The findings show that many preexisting risk factors for VAWG are exacerbated in armed conflict and natural disaster-affected settings. Poverty and economic stress, men's substance abuse, exposure to violence, changing gender roles in contexts of inequitable gender norms, and a lack of social support are some of the risk factors associated with male perpetration or female experience of violence. In addition, risk factors specific to experiences during armed conflict or in a natural disaster (e.g., displacement, insecurity or congestion in and around displacement camps, militarization of society, killing of family, destruction of property, etc.) are associated with higher prevalence of VAWG in these contexts.

Intimate Partner Violence: Perceptions and Attributions of Male Perpetrators

ABSTRACT There are many reasons to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV). This study analyzes the attributions and perceptions of Portuguese men who perpetrate IPV to understand their justifications for violence against their female partners. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven male perpetrators. Through thematic analysis, three main categories emerged: self, partner, and situational factors. Perpetrators identified self attributes as justifications to abuse, such as individual characteristics, emotional disturbances, and jealousy; partner attributes, such as partners’ characteristics and the use of violence against them; and situational factors, such as alcohol abuse and relational stressors. Perpetrators’ narratives evidenced a tendency to conceive violence as an unintentional and unplanned action, attributing violence to uncontrollable factors, and an attitude of non-accountability for their behaviors/actions. A deeper understanding of perpetrators’ perceptions and attributions for IPV will help to develop more effective intervention programs with offenders or to improve the existent ones, for example, in terms of dropout prevention, to reduce violence against women.

Gender Stereotypes and Perceptions of Stranger Violence: Attributions of Blame and Motivation.

Violence is a harmful, complex and gendered act that impacts individuals and communities financially, physically, socially and psychologically. Many studies have investigated how and why gender impacts perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV), but little research has investigated its effect on stranger violence, despite being publicly perceived as causing greater fear and harm. Th is study examines the effects of gender attitudes and stereotypes on perceptions of stranger violence, specifically attributions of blame, affective response, alleged motivations and attitudes regarding the acceptability of violence (in general). Data was collected from 265 United Kingdom (UK) adults using an online survey posted on Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results indicate that like IPV, gender affects perceptions of stranger violence. Male and female perpetrators of stranger violence are perceived differently, and gender differences are evident between male and female participants. Practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Challenging gendered power: How sexual harassment perpetrators respond to victim confrontation

AbstractSexual harassment is a problem that continues to plague mostly women in the American workforce today. One tool that victims can use in these situations is confrontation, either through verbal or physical means. Yet, understudied to this point is how perpetrators respond to confrontation, which is highly salient as to whether this is an effective tool for victims. This study uses grounded theory methods to analyze 31 accounts of sexual harassment from within the fashion industry that recorded perpetrators' responses to victim confrontation to clearly unwanted, abusive behavior. I argue that specific features of the fashion industry, or a “display work culture,” embolden perpetrators to effectively thwart any type of confrontation. Indeed, this study finds that these predominantly male perpetrators of sexual harassment moved to reassert their dominant position over their female victims in the moment of confrontation, immediately after being confronted, and even later, well beyond confrontation, as they aimed to reestablish normal business practices as usual. This research thus dispels a significant sexual harassment myth that victims working within this culture are able to stop perpetrators simply by speaking up and/or fighting back and points to the need for the development of sexual harassment theory to incorporate work culture‐related risk factors and remedies.