Exploring the Role of Aggressor’s Social Class in Rape and Its Relation to Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze whether the social class of the aggressor and the degree of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance influence the blaming of the victim in a case of rape suffered by a woman. Participating in the study was a sample of 216 university students (82 men and 136 women). The participants read a rape scenario in which the aggressor’s social class was manipulated (high social class vs. low social class) and responded to a questionnaire about the blame of the victim, a questionnaire about right-wing authoritarianism, and a questionnaire about social dominance. The results show that the victim was blamed more when the aggressor was from a low social class and when the participants had high scores in right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance. They also reflect an interaction between the social class of the aggressor and social dominance: Participants who scored high in social dominance blamed the victim more when the aggressor was from a low social class.