Effects of defendant sexual orientation on jurors' perceptions of child sexual assault.
We examined mock jurors' reactions to a sexual abuse case involving a male teacher and a 10-year-old child. Because gay men are sometimes stereotyped as child molesters, we portrayed defendant sexual orientation as either gay or straight and the victim as either a boy or girl. Jurors made more pro-prosecution decisions in cases involving a gay versus straight defendant, particularly when the victim was a boy. In boy-victim cases, jurors' emotional feelings of moral outrage toward the defendant mediated these effects. On average, women jurors were more pro-prosecution than were men. Results have implications for understanding social perceptions of cross- and same-gender child sexual abuse and juror decision making in child sexual assault cases perpetrated by homosexual and heterosexual men.
Wiley
Tisha R A
TR
Department of Psychology, University of Illinios at Chicago, 1007 West Harrison St. (MC 285), Chicago, IL 60607-7137, USA.
Bottoms
Bette L
BL
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D011287:Prejudice; D013240:Stereotyping