In a pivotal study published recently in Sex Roles, researchers found that women classified as the “undeserving poor” are more likely to be blamed for sexual assault — as influenced by deep-rooted stereotypes of over-sexualization, irresponsibility, and perceived lesser value. This research sheds new light on the complex interplay between societal stereotypes and victim blaming.
The study builds upon previous research in the realm of sexual assault, which has long emphasized the significant role of victim stereotypes in shaping public perceptions and blame judgments. Prior studies have delved into how victims’ perceived behaviors and characters — particularly in the context of their sexual availability and responsibility — influence the amount of blame they receive in sexual assault cases.
This new research takes a step further, exploring how societal biases about poverty and race compound these perceptions, especially in the context of the “deserving” versus “undeserving” poor. The “undeserving poor” are often viewed as individuals who do not work hard enough or are responsible for their own plight, while the “deserving poor” are seen as those who are poor despite their efforts and hence worthy of support.
Motivated by a need to understand how these stereotypes impact judgments in sexual assault cases, the researchers embarked on this study to investigate the intersection of social class and race in shaping attitudes towards sexual assault victims. They sought to uncover the ways in which societal biases (particularly towards women perceived as “undeserving poor” and belonging to different races) influence blame attributions in cases of sexual assault.
To test their hypotheses, the researchers conducted survey experiments with three distinct groups of participants, totaling 714 individuals recruited from online psychology websites. Participants, across three studies, were presented with carefully crafted vignettes describing a woman’s experience of sexual assault — each of the three containing variations in the woman’s racial and socio-economic background as either belonging to the “deserving” or “undeserving” poor. This experimental design aimed to systematically manipulate and analyze the influence of these identity factors on victim-blaming attitudes.
The study’s findings were both detailed and nuanced. Across all participant groups, women categorized as “undeserving poor” were consistently stereotyped as more sexualized, less responsible, and of lesser value. This negative stereotyping significantly influenced the amount of blame attributed to them for the sexual assault — with undeserving poor women more likely to be blamed than their deserving poor counterparts.
One of the studies also found that white undeserving poor women were perceived as more irresponsible and of lesser value compared to Black undeserving poor women — leading to higher blame attribution. However, this racial difference in blame attribution was not consistently observed across all studies.
Despite its comprehensive approach, the diverse nature of the sample populations, including college students and community adults, raises questions about the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the use of online surveys and hypothetical scenarios might not fully capture the complexity of real-life perceptions and attitudes.
Regardless, this study provides compelling evidence of the significant role that societal stereotypes based on social class and race play in victim-blaming attitudes in sexual assault cases. The findings aid in resolving the need for a more nuanced understanding of these stereotypes and their impact on public perceptions — which could have profound implications for policy-making, support systems, and societal attitudes towards sexual assault victims.
The study, “‘Their Great Shame is Poverty’”: Women Portrayed as Among the ‘Undeserving Poor’ are Seen as Deserving Sexual Assault”, was authored by Jessica Kiebler and Abigail Stewart at the University of Michigan.
