A group of 64 male and 60 female students read an account of a sexual attack against either an attractive or an unattractive young woman. They then responded to a questionnaire. The results produced evidence of an attractiveness bias among observers, with an unattractive victim being assigned greater responsibility in general for her own victimization, as well as specific behavioral and characterological blame, than an attractive victim. The unattractive victim also elicited the opinion that she contributed to her assault by presenting a more provocative appearance than her more attractive counterpart. These biases were stronger for male observers than for females. Although the attractiveness factor differentially influenced the perceived responsibility of a victim, it did not affect attributions toward the assailant. One table, 5 notes, and 31 references are provided. (Author abstract modified).