This study examined the impact of victim gender and victim sexual orientation on attribution of responsibility in sexual assault scenarios when presented to mental health professionals. Mental health professionals (N=78) from regional mental health conferences, as well as other meetings that mental health professionals attend (e.g. area mental health association meetings) completed an initial questionnaire that assessed the aforementioned variables in relation to attribution of victim blame in sexual assault scenarios.

While not statistically significant, analyses relating to the hypotheses pointed in the direction of one of the expected predictive effects of victim sexual orientation on the attribution of victim responsibility in sexual assault scenarios. In exploratory analyses, the number of years participants had practiced as a mental health professional was significantly associated with the belief that the assault was preventable.

Participant gender and years of experience were not significant when examining the level of attribution of responsibility assigned to victims in all sexual assault scenarios.