Analysis

The Rape Empathy Scale (RES) is a psychometric tool designed to assess the level of empathy individuals feel toward rape victims. The scale examines aspects such as emotional response, understanding of the victim’s experience, and attitudes toward rape victims. It is useful for understanding social attitudes toward rape victims and for developing programs that promote support and understanding.

Purpose

The purpose of the scale is:
Empathy Assessment: To measure the level of empathy individuals feel toward rape victims.
Understanding Social Attitudes: To explore the attitudes and perceptions that shape empathy toward rape victims.
Support for Educational Interventions: To contribute to the development of educational programs that enhance understanding and support for victims.
Promotion of Research on Social Attitudes: To strengthen the understanding of the factors that influence empathy and support for rape victims through research.

Scoring

The scale includes various statements that participants evaluate using a Likert scale, ranging from 1 (no empathy at all) to 5 (very high empathy). The statements cover different aspects of empathy, such as understanding the victim’s experience and supporting victims, and the overall scores provide an estimate of the level of empathy.

References

Smith, R. E., & Frieze, I. H. (2003). Examining Rape Empathy From the Perspective of the Victim and the Assailant. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33(3), 476–498.
Osman, S. L. (2004). Predicting Rape Empathy Based on Victim, Perpetrator, and Participant Gender, and Prior Sexual Victimization. Sex Roles, 50(7–8), 569–575.
Pavlou, M., & Knowles, A. (2001). Domestic Violence: Attributions, Perceptions, and Attitudes of Laypersons. Sex Roles, 44(11–12), 719–736.
Viki, G. T., & Abrams, D. (2002). But She Was Unfaithful: Benevolent Sexism and Reactions to Rape Victims Who Violate Traditional Gender Role Expectations. Sex Roles, 47(5–6), 289–293.
Yamawaki, N., Ostenson, J., & Brown, C. R. (2009). The Functions of Gender Role Traditionality, Ambivalent Sexism, Injury, and Frequency of Assault on Domestic Violence Perception: A Study Between Japanese and American College Students. Violence Against Women, 15(9), 1126–1142.