Complainant's physical attractiveness and juristic judgments of blame and punishment in physical, domestic, and sexual assault scenarios. Issue 8 (3rd August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wareham, Jennifer; Blackwell, Brenda Sims; Berry, Bonnie; Boots, Denise Paquette
• Is Part Of: Deviant behavior. Volume 40:Issue 8(2019)
• Page Start: 912
• Page End: 929
• Publication Date: 2019-08-03
• Subjects: Deviant behavior -- Periodicals; 302.54205
• DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2018.1443877
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-9625

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Extralegal factors, including physical attractiveness, may bias juristic opinions. The present study provided 450 university students with hypothetical scenarios of physical, domestic, and sexual assault in which complainant's attractiveness and other legal and extralegal characteristics were independently varied. Results indicate complainant's attractiveness mattered in sexual assault scenarios only for guilt of the defendant, but not for physical or domestic assault. Complainant's attractiveness was not related to perceptions of blameworthiness of complainant or punishment of defendant. Overall, legal factors of injury level, prior offending, and intoxication mattered more than attractiveness or race of the victim. Implications are discussed.