The Case Of The Greatest Boxer Mike Tyson — Blaming The Victim

“Victim blaming” is the perception of victims by others as somehow responsible, at least in part, for their own victimization. It is not unusual for people to blame victims of sexual assaults for leading on their perpetrators, or to condemn victims for associating with the wrong crowd. People also make judgments about a victim’s actions during a crime. For example, when a man is shot and killed defending his convenience store during a robbery, some may think he should have just slipped out the back door and left the store to the thieves. Ask yourself if you have ever thought less of victims when reading their stories. Did you find yourself becoming judgmental about their decisions? Could you remain objective and supportive of victims who have made bad choices that you would not have made?

Victim blaming is frequently associated with sexual assault or domestic violence; for example, people are more likely to blame the victim when the crime is rape than when the crime is robbery (Bieneck & Krahé, 2011). Victim blaming in the case of rape victims is surprisingly common. A recent study of attitudes among incoming college freshmen found that over 73% of the students agreed with the statement: “If a girl acts like a slut, sooner or later she is going to get into trouble” (McMahon, 2010).

With these thoughts in mind, review the Mike Tyson case. In 1991, boxer Mike Tyson went to trial after Desiree Washington accused him of rape. The media portrayal may have influenced public opinion in the case. Review the articles included among this week’s Learning Resources and think about the arguments put forth by both the prosecution and the defense.