Using the theory of planned behaviour to predict intentions to report sexual assault

• Main Author: Low, Rebecca Wan Ying
• Other Authors: Olivia Choy
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/159160
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Sexual assault is a pressing public health concern with extensive and severe physical and psychological impacts on its victims. However, most cases of sexual assault remain unreported due to various structural and social barriers of reporting to the police. To better understand how to improve the reporting of sexual assault, the present study investigated whether the three pre-intentional factors (i.e. attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control) of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) were associated with the intention to report sexual assault. Participants (n = 87) completed a 20-30 minute online survey regarding crime reporting over Zoom, in which they were asked to imagine being a victim of sexual assault. Their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control were then measured alongside their intentions to report sexual assault. Three logistic regression models were then conducted on the pre-intentional TPB factors against the intention to report sexual assault. Results indicated that both positive attitudes and subjective norms of reporting sexual assault significantly predicted one’s sexual assault reporting intentions, whereas perceived behavioural control did not. In addition, subjective norms were the most strongly associated TPB factor with the intention to report sexual assault. To foster the intention to report sexual assault, positive attitudes and the approval of important others towards reporting can be encouraged through sexuality education, public education, as well as police training. Future research can consider assessing the TPB factors against both pre-assault and post-assault intentions to report sexual assault, as well as actual sexual assault reporting behaviours.