Protect the Woman: Does Chivalry Explain Attributions of Blame in Domestic Violence Cases?

• In Event: Policy Implications of Perceptions of Victims and Offenders

Abstract

Research studies examining public’s perceptions of domestic violence have consistently found violence initiated by a male assailant is considered more serious and are attributed more blame for the incident than female assailants. These discrepancies have been attributed to chivalry/patriarchy theory in which paternalistic and protective attitudes shield women offenders and victims. However empirical research that directly examines how protective/paternalistic aspects of chivalry such as fear of injury or self-defense can explain evaluative differences in attributions of blame is lacking. This study investigates attributions of blame for male and female assailants, male and female victims, and statistically controls for assailant and victim fear of bodily injury and perceptions of self-defense. A series of 2(assailant gender) X 2(victim gender) X 2(participant gender) mixed model ANCOVAs were conducted with two separate samples (302 university students and 374 adults). Results found students blamed the assailant more when the victim was female and adults blamed male assailants who assaulted females. When fear of bodily injury and self-defense were statistically controlled significant effects for blame disappeared in both samples. Effect sizes for covariates fear of injury and self-defense (.06-.16) provided support for chivalry theory as an explanation for discrepancies of evaluations of partner abuse.

Authors

• Brenda L. Russell, Pennsylvania State University, Berks

• Shane W. Kraus, VISN1 MIRECC / Yale School of Medicine