SEXUAL AGGRESSION AND ATTRIBUTION OF RESP ONSIBILITY - INFLUENCE OF THE EMOTIONAL STYLE OF THE VICTIM, AND OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL AND SEX OF THE OBSERVER

This study examined the impact of the victim's emotional reaction to s exual aggression, as well as the observer's gender and socioeconomic l evel on the attribution of responsability of the rape victim of and th e aggressor. A written case acount of rape was given to 200 adult subj ects randomly selected. The victim's emotional style significantly aff ected the fault attributed to the aggressor and to the victim, The exp ressive victim was perceived as less responsible for the rape than the controlled victim. In addition, women attributed more responsability to the aggressor, and men more to the victim. Finally, high socio-econ omic level subjects attributed more fault to the victim than low socio -economic subjects.