Who is responsible for campus sexual assaults? News media use, attributions of responsibility, and college students’ perceived risk and willingness to engage in preventive behaviours

ABSTRACT Using a survey of college students in the US, this study examines whether the way students attribute responsibility is associated with perceived risk of sexual assaults and willingness to engage in preventive behaviours. We then link news media use to attributions of responsibility to examine whether media use is related with risk perceptions and preventive behaviours through the mediation of attributions of responsibility. Attributing responsibility to victims was correlated with perceiving a lower risk, while finding colleges responsible was related with perceiving a greater risk. Such relationships were moderated by gender, suggesting that attributions of responsibility might have different effects between male and female students. Attributions of responsibility were also associated with helping victims and taking protective measures. Finally, news media use was positively correlated with blaming victims, while negatively associated with finding perpetrators responsible, and these attributions of responsibility mediated the link between media use and the outcome variables. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This article will assist educators and professionals in designing strategies for sexual assault prevention by explaining how attributing responsibility to victims, perpetrators, or colleges is related to college student's perceived risk and willingness to engage in preventive behaviours.