Gender Stereotypes and Perceptions of Stranger Violence: Attributions of Blame and Motivation

Violence is a harmful, complex and gendered act that impacts individuals and communities financially, physically, socially and psychologically. Many studies have investigated how and why gender impacts perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV), but little research has investigated its effect on stranger violence, despite being publicly perceived as causing greater fear and harm. Th is study examines the effects of gender attitudes and stereotypes on perceptions of stranger violence, specifically attributions of blame, affective response, alleged motivations and attitudes regarding the acceptability of violence (in general). Data was collected from 265 United Kingdom (UK) adults using an online survey posted on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results indicate that like IPV, gender affects perceptions of stranger violence. Male and female perpetrators of stranger violence are perceived differently, and gender differences are evident between male and female participants. Practical implications of the findings are discussed.