Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between the victim’s group membership and secondary victimization she suffers, moderated by Moral Values and Belief in a Just World (BJW). The victim of the ingroup was blamed more for the sexual violence she suffered (Study 1, N = 250). In turn, that relationship was moderated by binding values (Study 2, N = 117) and by BJW (Study 3, N = 258). Together, the results suggest that the victim blaming is greater when she belongs to the ingroup; and that this relationship is predicted by high adherence to binding values and low adherence to BJW. This research contributes to the extent that it demonstrates that the relationship between adherence to binding values and victim derogation does not occur exclusively at the cognitive level, as information processing in which high adherence to these values would produce greater secondary victimization regardless of group membership of the victim. Additionally, it highlights the importance of considering the psychosocial processes underlying violence against women in order to promote more effective discussions and actions.
Keywords:
Secondary victimization; moral values; Belief in a Just World
