Who Bought the Drinks? Juror Perceptions of Intoxication in a Rape Trial

Kellie Rose Lynch, Nesa E. Wasarhaley, Jonathan M. Golding, Theresa Simcic

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, the perceptions of victim intoxication and the drinking context (i.e., who purchased the drinks) were investigated. Men and women mock jurors (N = 158) read a rape trial summary in which the victim was intoxicated or sober, and either the victim or the perpetrator purchased the drinks. Overall, participants who perceived a victim as intoxicated were less likely to render guilty verdicts and made lower ratings of victim credibility. In addition, when the perpetrator purchased the drinks, participants were more likely to render guilty verdicts and made more negative judgments about the defendant than when the victim bought the drinks. Mediation analyses explained the relationship between the independent variables and verdict. The results are discussed in terms of the factors that influence juror perceptions of rape cases in court.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3205-3222
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Interpersonal Violence
Volume28
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2013

Keywords

  • alcohol and drugs
  • date rape
  • sexual assault
  • situational factors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Applied Psychology

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