Understanding Social Judgments of and Proclivities to Commit Upskirting

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Criminology
• Sociology

Background:

• Upskirting, the non-consensual recording of individuals under their clothing, is increasingly recognized as a criminal offense.
• Understanding public perceptions and motivations is crucial for addressing this behavior, especially amidst legislative changes.
• Existing research often overlooks the nuances of victim characteristics and perpetrator psychological profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how victim sex and attractiveness influence judgments of upskirting.
• To examine the predictive role of voyeuristic interest, belief in a just world, and dark personality traits on upskirting judgments and proclivity.
• To identify demographic and psychological factors associated with engaging in upskirting behavior.

Main Methods:

• Survey methodology with 490 participants.
• Manipulation of victim sex (male/female) and attractiveness (attractive/unattractive).
• Assessment of voyeuristic interest, belief in a just world, dark personality traits (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism), and upskirting proclivity.

Main Results:

• Upskirting judgments were more lenient when the victim was perceived as an attractive male.
• Older age predicted more lenient judgments across all conditions.
• Proclivity to upskirt was associated with past voyeuristic behaviors, higher psychopathic personality scores, and being older and male.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest societal biases that may influence perceptions of upskirting victims.
• Understanding the psychological underpinnings, including dark personality traits, is vital for prevention and intervention.
• Implications for legal practitioners and victim support services in addressing disclosure barriers and perpetrator motivations are discussed.