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STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF BLAME IN SAME-SEX INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD IPV, GENDER, AND SEXUAL MINORITIES
Thesis

STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF BLAME IN SAME-SEX INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD IPV, GENDER, AND SEXUAL MINORITIES

Samantha Lynn Radcliffe
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2026
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Abstract

intimate partner violence perceptions perpetrator blame same-sex victim blame
Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been experienced by millions of people in the United States, disproportionately affecting women and sexual minorities. Despite the prevalence of same-sex IPV (SSIPV), significant shortcomings have remained in law enforcement responses, particularly regarding victim protection and perpetrator accountability. Prior research has suggested that perceptions of blame shape responses to IPV; however, little is known about how blame is attributed in SSIPV or whether negative attitudes of IPV, gender, and sexual minorities moderate perceptions of blame in SSIPV. To address this gap, the current study examined whether the sexual orientation of intimate partners, and its interaction with IPV myth endorsement, ambivalent sexism, and homonegativity, affected perceptions of victim blame and perpetrator blame in hypothetical IPV vignettes. Data were drawn from a secondary dataset of experimental survey responses collected from 208 undergraduate students enrolled in criminal justice and criminology courses at a mid-sized university in the Southern United States. Findings suggested that sexual orientation alone did not significantly affect perceptions of victim blame and perpetrator blame. However, the interaction between sexual orientation and IPV myth endorsement statistically significantly moderated victim blame. Additionally, the interaction between sexual orientation and ambivalent sexism statistically significantly moderated victim blame.

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