How to Prevent Victim Blaming

Victim blaming is a common, and harmful, reaction to crimes or traumas that happen to people. It tells the victim that what happened was their fault, and can lead to feelings of shame or guilt that make survivors less likely to report their experiences, or seek the help they need. It is important to understand what victim blaming is, and how it can be prevented.

In a classic experiment from the Psychological Bulletin, Lerner and his colleagues asked participants to watch through a monitor as another participant received a series of “painful” electrical shocks. The participants were told that the other participant was being punished for incorrect answers to a word memorization task. But the person on the screen was actually an actor. The result: the participants were more likely to blame the victim when they saw her receive painful punishment, than when they didn’t. This is called “social norms of blame” and is an example of victim-blaming in action.

Even the most well-intentioned people can contribute to victim blaming, and it isn’t always easy to stop. For instance, therapists and prevention advocates often talk about how women can avoid being victims of rape or assault by being careful, but this can leave victims feeling guilty or as if it was their fault for what happened to them.

Research has also shown that how relevant a situation is to an individual can impact how much they engage in victim-blaming. The more similar a situation is to an individual’s life, the less likely they are to blame the victim (Gray, Palileo & Johnson, 1993). For instance, someone who has experienced a crime may be less likely to victim-blame when a friend of theirs also has been harmed, because they feel like they could have prevented it from happening to them.

The tendency to derogate and blame victims can stem from a lack of empathy, or it could be a fear reaction triggered by our natural human drive for self-preservation. Fortunately, retraining this instinct is possible through empathy training and by being open to seeing the world from other perspectives.

Next time you hear someone blame a victim of a crime, let them know that what they experienced was not their fault and encourage them to seek support. It is vital to let victims know that what happened was not their fault so they can be empowered to take their own steps toward healing and recovery. As the #MeToo movement continues to grow, it’s important that we continue to educate ourselves on victim blaming and work together to eliminate it. By eliminating it, we can prevent crime from continuing, and ensure that all victims are heard.