Gender Bias in Public Perceptions of Sex Offender Sentencing

Abstract

This research project sought to uncover gender biases in public perceptions of sex offender sentencing in the context of student-teacher sexual relationships. This study was conducted by administering a survey with a short vignette describing a student-teacher sexual relationship while randomizing the gender of the teacher. Respondents were then asked a series of questions about their opinions of the encounter. The sample (N=322) showed pronounced differences between the answers of the male respondents (N=171) and female respondents (N=151), especially in the areas of sentencing, whether the teacher committed a crime, and whether the teacher should be made to register as a sex offender. Overall, female respondents were much more punitive toward both the male and female offenders than the male respondents. Meanwhile, male respondents were especially lenient toward the female offender. These results suggest that gender roles shape how we perceive deviant behavior and the sex offender role.