The Role of Honor in Perceptions of Sextortion Victims: Evidence from Italy and the U.K.

Abstract The present study examines the role of cultural factors in the perceptions of victims of sextortion (the abuse of power to obtain sexual benefits) by comparing participants from a culture of honor (Italy) and a culture of dignity (the U.K.) and by measuring individual-level honor endorsement. A sample of 452 participants were asked to read a fictitious scenario describing a woman target of sextortion. The research employed a 2 × 2 between-participants design: The victim was described either as caving into sextortion for familial reasons (i.e., for her sick child) versus for personal reasons and as exhibiting high versus low levels of sexual modesty. The results revealed that overall Italian participants felt stronger moral outrage towards the victim, perceived her as less moral, and attributed more blame to her than did British participants. Additionally, when the victim was described as caving into sextortion for personal reasons, both groups rated her as less moral compared to when she was described as doing so for familial reasons. Furthermore, participants found the victim marginally more blameworthy when she was described as adhering closely to feminine honor values. An exploratory moderation analysis indicated that stronger endorsement of feminine and family honor values was associated with increased blame towards the victim; these associations were more pronounced in the Italian than in the British sample. These findings underscore the potential role of cultural factors in the perception of sextortion victims and highlight the importance of developing culturally tailored awareness strategies to address victim blaming, especially in honor-oriented societies.