Empathy Toward Victims of Sexual Violence: Does Gender Make a Difference?

Individuals base their perceptions about victims and perpetrators of sexual violence on multiple factors and characteristics relating to the victims, the perpetrators, and themselves. This study investigates how the use of gender influences perceptions toward victims and perpetrators and whether exposure to scenarios in which the genders of victims and perpetrators are varied influences responses toward the victims and perpetrators. This research utilizes three surveys that portray different combinations of a victim’s gender in different scenarios. The surveys are being administered to students through their classes during the Summer 2015 term at Boise State University. Different survey links are sent to different instructors to prevent students from having access to more than one survey. This study is continuing through the Fall 2015 term at Boise State. By the end of the research, the results should provide insight into whether the presentation of gender influences individuals’ perceptions toward victims and perpetrators of sexual violence