Texas A&M University
Ph.D. Candidate in Economics
Gender | Crime | Behavioral and Experimental
Embedded Files
Kennedy Johnston
Kennedy Johnston
Job Market Paper
"The Under-Reporting of Sexual Assault: An Experiment on Victims, Perpetrators, and Social Judgment."
Media Coverage: Fighting Crime Podcast (YouTube; Spotify)
Abstract: Sexual assault imposes substantial economic costs, yet existing data likely understate its prevalence. I investigate how social judgment suppresses disclosure by victims and perpetrators. In an online experiment with 1,600 college students and graduates, respondents answer questions about rape and unwanted sexual contact using direct elicitation or "hard-garbling," which provides plausible deniability. Among women, deniability increases reports of non-rape victimization by 23 percent. Among men, it doubles reports of rape perpetration, with 13.1 percent admitting perpetration under hard-garbling. I also find widespread beliefs that victims may be lying and misperceptions about victim-blaming prevalence, suggesting victims anticipate negative judgment for disclosing.
Other Working Papers
"Shaping Major Choice: The Role of High School Counselors." Joint with Jonathan Meer (Texas A&M University) and Danila Serra (Texas A&M University)
[Pre-Registered on the AEA RCT Registry: AEARCTR-0004320]
Works in Progress
"A Crime with Little Punishment? The Likelihood of Arrest Following a Sexual Assault Report."
Draft available upon request.
"Sexual Assault Reporting Platforms and Social Norms: Insights from Callisto Users and an Online Experiment."
[Pre-Registered on the AEA RCT Registry: AEARCTR-0016107]
"Returns to College Grades." Joint with Jonathan Meer (Texas A&M University)
"Redefining Strength: Martial Arts, Masculinity, and Girls’ Empowerment." Joint with Danila Serra (Texas A&M University) and Olga Shurchkov (Wellesley College)
"The Impacts of Campus Violence: Evidence from College School Shootings." Joint with Nathan Wise (Texas A&M University)
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