JOURNAL ARTICLE

Perception of the Presumption of Innocence in the Context of Media Depictions of Violence: The Role of Participant's Gender, Type of Crime, and Defendant's Socioeconomic Status.

  • Published In: Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2023, v. 38, n. 11/12. P. 7824 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Łyś, Agnieszka E.; Bargiel-Matusiewicz, Kamilla; Studzińska, Anna 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines how the perception of the presumption of innocence is influenced by media depictions of violence, focusing on the roles of the participant's gender, the type of crime (sexual vs. nonsexual assault), and the defendant's socioeconomic status (high-status famous writer vs. low-status maintenance worker). Conducted with a Polish sample (N = 158) using vignette-based scenarios, the study found no significant effect of crime type on presumption of innocence endorsement. However, women showed greater endorsement of the presumption of innocence when the defendant had a high socioeconomic status, a bias not observed among men. These findings highlight a socioeconomic status bias in public perceptions outside legal contexts and suggest the need for public education and careful media reporting to avoid reinforcing such biases.

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2023/06, Vol. 38, Issue 11/12, p7824
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Law
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0886-2605
  • DOI:10.1177/08862605221150461
  • Accession Number:164170787
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of Interpersonal Violence is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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