A Qualitative Exploration of Young Australian Adults' Understanding of and Explanations for Alcohol-Involved Rape

Louise Charlotte Starfelt; Ross Young; Gavan Palk; Katherine M White

doi:10.1080/13218719.2014.945639

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A Qualitative Exploration of Young Australian Adults' Understanding of and Explanations for Alcohol-Involved Rape

Journal article

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A Qualitative Exploration of Young Australian Adults' Understanding of and Explanations for Alcohol-Involved Rape

Louise Charlotte Starfelt, Ross Young, Gavan Palk and Katherine M White

Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, Vol.22(3), pp.337-354

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2014.945639

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Abstract

alcohol

rape

responsibility

young adults

attribution

blame

consensual qualitative research

perception

Little is known about the beliefs that underlie the biased attributions that typically characterise people's perceptions of intoxicated sexual perpetrators and their victims. Guided by consensual qualitative research, we explored young Australian adults' (18-25 years; N = 15) attributions for an alcohol-involved rape based on focus groups and interviews. Prominent themes indicated that participants rarely labelled the assault as rape and, instead, adhered to miscommunication explanations. Participants emphasised the developmental value of the victimisation experience although recognising its harmful consequences. Both perpetrator and victim were held strongly responsible based on perceived opportunities to prevent the assault but implicit justifications were, nevertheless, evident. As such, explicit and implicit attributions were contradictory, with the latter reflecting the attributional double standard previously observed in quantitative rape-perception research. Findings underscore the need to challenge pervasive rape myths and equip young adults with knowledge on how to respond supportively to the commonly stigmatised victims of rape.

Details

Title: A Qualitative Exploration of Young Australian Adults' Understanding of and Explanations for Alcohol-Involved Rape
Authors: Louise Charlotte Starfelt (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Ross Young (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Gavan Palk (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Katherine M White (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, Vol.22(3), pp.337-354
Publisher: Routledge
Date published: 2015
DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2014.945639
ISSN: 1934-1687; 1321-8719
Copyright note: Copyright (c) 2015. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Psychiatry, Psychology and Law on 2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13218719.2014.945639
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99551705602621
Output Type: Journal article

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