Attitudes and Beliefs about Rape: Perceptions of Rape Victims

Attitudes and beliefs about rape: perceptions of rape victims.
 

I am currently an MSc Forensic Psychology student from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). As a part of my qualification, I am completing a project to investigate the influence of rape attitudes and how rape, and victims of rape, are perceived. Participating in this study will help to improve understanding about the factors that may contribute to victim blaming.

If you agree to take part in this study you will be asked to read three short scenarios and then complete a short questionnaire after each one. Following this, you will be asked to complete two further short questionnaires. This should take you around 20-30 minutes in total. The questionnaires will explore your beliefs about rape, rape victims, and perpetrators. Sexist beliefs and victim blame will also be measured.

Completing this questionnaire does not require you to provide any identifiable information. Therefore, the answers given are anonymous. Submitting completed questionnaires will indicate your consent to take part.

Participation is voluntary and you can withdraw at any point up until your questionnaires have been submitted. After this, you are unable to withdraw, as the questionnaires are anonymous. Therefore, researchers will be unable to identify your responses. You can withdraw by telling the researcher or closing the online survey browser. Closing the browser will prevent you from receiving debrief information, therefore if you choose to do this, please contact the researcher or supervisor to obtain debriefing information.

Following the completion of the study, your anonymous answers will be kept for use in future research, including presentations and publications. This may include sharing these answers with others doing similar research but only if we approve their request to access it; it will not be given out without this approval. You will not be identified from this; your answers will remain anonymous. Individual responses will not be reported in any write up of the results and only group data will be presented.

If you experience any distress or discomfort by taking part in this study, details of organisations that can offer support are provided on the last page of the questionnaire.

If you require any additional information about the study, please contact me or my supervisor using the contact details below:

 

Researcher:                                                                              Tariro Amanda Paradzai School of Psychology University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 2HE Taparadzai@uclan.ac.uk   Supervisor: Kimberley McNeill School of Psychology University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 2HE   KMcNeill@uclan.ac.uk

If you have any concerns about the research that need to be addressed by someone independent from the research team, please contact the University Officer for Ethics: OfficerForEthics@uclan.ac.uk