A new paper by DPhil student Zoe Abrams reveals a significant shift in Scottish public opinion on sexual violence following the #MeToo movement.
Published in the journal Sex Roles, the study asked whether the movement – which gained global prominence in 2017 and brought widespread attention to experiences of sexual assault – coincided with measurable changes in public attitudes.
Two key beliefs shaping people’s attitudes toward rape were investigated: whether individuals view the perpetrator as responsible for the sexual violence (perpetrator culpability) or blame the victim for what happened (victim blaming).
The results show a clear shift in public opinion: perceptions of perpetrator culpability increased significantly between 2014 and 2019, while perceptions of victim blaming decreased.
Zoe explained:
Over time, people became less likely to blame victims and more likely to hold perpetrators responsible. These attitude changes stemmed from both the liberalisation of social values and individual engagement with new public discourses on sexual violence, such as those shaped by the #MeToo movement.
However, the extent of these attitude changes varied across social groups.
The study, which is based on Zoe’s MSc thesis, used data from the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (SSAS), a cross-sectional survey of public opinion in Scotland.
To measure perceived perpetrator culpability, the paper averaged scores of two survey questions relating to false rape accusations and male sexuality. Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with two statements: “Women often lie about being raped” and “Rape results from men being unable to control their need for sex”.
Attitudes towards victim blaming were measured by averaging the scores from two questions evaluating the blame attributable to a woman who had engaged in behaviour that violated traditional gender norms. Respondents were asked how much a woman is to blame for being raped if she a) “wears very revealing clothing on a night out”, and b) “is very drunk”.
Over the five-year period from 2014 to 2019, the study found that levels of victim blaming declined by 3.4% and perceptions of perpetrator culpability increased by 9%.
This reduction in victim blaming was associated with a growing liberalisation of gender role attitudes, as declining gender traditionalism challenged assumptions about ‘appropriate’ behaviour for women.
Meanwhile, heightened perceptions of perpetrator culpability were linked to declining levels of authoritarianism.
However, certain groups’ attitudes changed more than others. Women, left-wingers and people who were highly interested in politics changed more than men, people on the hard right, and those who were less politically engaged.
Zoe emphasised the practical implications of the study, noting:
By identifying which groups' attitudes have shifted the most, we can see which sectors of a population may benefit from targeted efforts to improve their understanding of sexual violence.
While many became more critical of harmful narratives about rape, major social movements like #MeToo do not impact everyone equally. Movements seeking to shift social norms may require alternative communication strategies to reach less engaged groups.
The first to use the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey to explore beliefs about sexual violence, the paper demonstrates that attitudes toward rape are shaped by evolving social norms and political discourse, which have uneven effects across society depending on individuals’ social identities and pre-existing beliefs.
Beyond Scotland, further research is needed to assess whether there have been similar changes in perceptions of sexual violence within other contexts, particularly those with more rigid gender roles or weaker feminist activism.
