Domestic violence: Attributions, recommended punishments and reporting behaviour related to provocation by the victim

Abstract

This study examined the influence of victim provocation on attributions in a domestic violence scenario. It was hypothesised that provocation by a wife (victim) towards a husband (perpetrator) would lead to greater attributions of responsibility to the wife than to the husband and less sympathy for the wife. It was also hypothesised that respondents with more conservative attitudes towards women would attribute more responsibility towards the wife and less responsibility to the husband. Recommended punishments for the offender and whether the incident should be reported to the police were also investigated. The sample comprised 134 community members, 68 males and 66 females. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four scenarios that varied in the level of provocation by the victim from no provocation to most provocation (verbal aggression and jealousy). Results indicated general support for the hypotheses. There was no consensus on what was an appropriate punishment or on whether the incident should be reported to the police.