Victim-blaming tendency toward people with AIDS among college students.
The victim-blaming tendency toward people with AIDS was examined in relation to gender, fraternity-sorority affiliation, classification (freshmen vs. others), religion (Catholic vs. others), and academic major (business college vs. others) in a survey of 818 students at a midwestern state university in the United States. Desired social distance from gay men and lesbians, the intervening variable in these relations, significantly mediated the indirect effect of fraternity-sorority affiliation, classification, and gender on the victim-blaming tendency. Gender and desired social distance were found to be significant direct determinants of the victim-blaming tendency toward people with AIDS. The study suggests that attitudes toward gay men and lesbians must change if attitudes toward people with AIDS are to change.
Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-1070, USA.
M Y
MY
Lee
A R
AR
Campbell
C L
CL
Mulford
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000328:Adult; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities