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Abstract

This study examined whether the attitudinal responses towards child sexual abuse (CSA) differ due to the person’s relationship with the victim (intrafamilial vs. extrafamilial) and/or proximity to the victim (close vs. distant). An online sample of 292 participants completed a measure assessing pre-existing attitudes towards people who commit sexual offenses, before being randomly presented with a vignette describing a CSA case committed by either a biological father, biological uncle, babysitter, stranger, or stepfather. Participants then rated the perpetrator’s level of dangerousness and pedophilic interest, their own feelings of disgust, and their punitive judgments. Controlling for pre-existing attitudes, the extrafamilial cases (stranger and babysitter) were perceived to be more dangerous (large effects; ds > .50) and more pedophilic than the stepfather (large effects; ds > .60). Also, participants reported greater levels of disgust towards the stranger than both the babysitter and uncle (medium effects; ds > .30). The findings demonstrate the need to account for the established heterogeneity of men who commit CSA when studying the public’s attitudinal responses. Methodological limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Available Versions of this Item

• Public Perception of Men Who have Committed Intrafamilial and Extrafamilial Sexual Offences against Children. (deposited 15 Nov 2021 15:09)
  • Public Perception of Men Who have Committed Intrafamilial and Extrafamilial Sexual Offences against Children. (deposited 21 Mar 2022 14:29) [Currently Displayed]