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Two Sides of the Same Coin: The Relationship Between Modern Racism and Rape Blaming Attitudes among Swedish Students
Mattias Sjöberg1,2, Farhan Sarwar2
1Department of Psychology, 4396Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
Psychological Reports
|December 14, 2020
Summary
Modern racism is linked to increased victim blame and decreased perpetrator blame in rape cases. This study explores the connection between racial bias and perceptions of sexual assault.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Racial biases can influence perceptions of sexual violence.
- Understanding the impact of modern racism on rape judgments is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between modern racism and blame attributed to rape victims and perpetrators.
- To investigate how modern racism affects the perception of an event as rape.
Main Methods:
- Participants (N=421) from community and student populations read a rape vignette.
- Judgments of victim blame, perpetrator blame, and rape perception were recorded.
- The modern racism scale was administered to assess racial bias.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between modern racism and rape victim blame (r=.35).
- Modern racism showed a significant negative relationship with perpetrator blame (r=-.27).
- A significant negative association was observed between modern racism and rape perception (r=-.29).
Conclusions:
- Modern racism significantly influences victim-blaming dynamics in sexual assault cases.
- Findings suggest racial bias impacts how individuals perceive perpetrators and the severity of rape.
- Implications for the criminal justice system and future research directions are discussed.
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