(Dis)abling Blame: the Influence of Disability Status on Attributions of Blame Toward Victims of Sexual Assault

The current study examined perceptions of blame toward a female sexual assault victim to determine whether disability status as either disabled or able-bodied would impact the level of attributed blame. Given misconceptions of women living with physical disabilities as asexual and not possessing the same sexual needs and desires as their able-bodied counterparts, we hypothesized that less blame for a sexual assault would be attributed to a victim with a physical disability than to one without a physical disability. Results did not support this hypothesis. In fact, levels of victim blame appear to be stable; both vignette characters were identified as equally culpable for their sexual assault. Interestingly, the vignette character living with a physical disability was identified as having a higher need for intimacy than their non-disabled counterpart. As predicted, male participants held more blaming attitudes than female participants across both conditions. Males also perceived the victim in both conditions to have more sexual need than females did. The findings are discussed with reference to gender role adherence, perceptions of vulnerability, and belief in a just world. Theoretical and practical implications are considered.