Rape Culture Strong in Online Comments, USC Study Finds

LOS ANGELES, CA - One in four people who comment online about rape cases blame the alleged victim, according to a study released last week by USC.

The survey, published this month in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, investigated online attitudes about rape, rapists and gender-based violence by examining more than 4,000 comments made in rape-related online articles published by major newspapers over a four-month period.

Comments were posted either on the periodical's website or Facebook pages.

The most common theme among online comments examined was "victim blaming," where the commenter assigned at least some responsibility for the alleged crime on the victim, said Kristen Zaleski, associate professor at USC's School of Social Work and lead investigator on the study.

Victim blaming occurred in one out of four -- 25.8 percent -- of online comments reviewed.

The study also revealed that the celebrity status of the accused perpetrators impacted the nature of the associated comments. More victim blaming and support for the accused perpetrator was found when the accused perpetrator was a celebrity or public figure.

The study also found that victims of sexual assault received the most support and sympathy online when the accused perpetrator was not an American citizen or the assault occurred outside of the United States.

"For the first time, we have definitive data showing that a strong rape culture exists in online comment forums," Zaleski said.

"Clearly, further studies are needed to better understand the impact of rape culture online and implications of that culture outside social media."

City News Service; Photo by Chase Carter via flickr.