The Role of Victim Age in Perceptions of Sexual Assault: A Scenario Study

Purpose: Various factors related to the victim and perpetrator in sexual assault have been shown to affect people’s perceptions of the sexual assault. The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature and analyze how age of the victim might influence perceptions of a sexual assault. Method: University students over the age of 18 (n=400) completed a paper and pencil survey to examine rape myth acceptance, ageism, and sexual assault classification after reading a hypothetical scenario in which the victim was either 21 or 65 years old. Results: Most participants classified the scenario as sexual assault regardless of condition, however, participants had higher odds of sexual assault classification when the victim was 65 compared to when she was 21, regardless of ageism scores. Conclusions: These findings can have implications within the legal system where incorrect decisions may be made due to bias.