Survivors as Agents: How Linguistic Agency Impacts Support for Survivors and Perpetrators of Sexual Assault

Key Points

• This research examines how the linguistic framing of survivors and perpetrators influences perceptions of blame.
• Participants (N=1,238) read sentences where either survivors or perpetrators were portrayed as agentic.
• Responses were measured to assess perceptions of blame towards perpetrators based on the language used.
• Men who read sentences framing survivors as agentic blamed perpetrators less than those who read agentic sentences about perpetrators.
• The use of supportive language led to unintended reinforcement of victim-blame, challenging traditional perspectives.