RAPE CULTURE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY – WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE CITIZENS OPINIONS TOWARD RAPE VICTIMS?

Abstract

In the United States, sexual assault is an often discussed aspect of life on college campuses, particularly with the presentation of the Safe Campus Act of 2015, which prohibits university investigation of reported sexual assaults unless the victim also files a report with police. Scholars have done extensive research in this field, but a majority of studies are done in the context of university culture. Additionally, the link between political ideology, party identification, political participation, and frequency of victim-blaming has been understudied. While research has linked increased liberal ideology to support for women’s rights in general (Holbert et al. 2003), and the rejection of the larger notion of “rape myths,” (Kahlor and Morrison 2007), there has not been a direct examination of ideology and victim blaming. This study is intended as an analysis of public opinion. The purpose of this study is to examine victim blaming inside and outside of the university culture and draw comparisons between victim blaming among young college students and the rest of America while also focusing on the significance of political ideology on their opinions.