How to Stop Victim Blaming
People often believe that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. This belief is a powerful force that can contribute to victim blaming, when someone’s misfortune is blamed on their own actions. It can be seen in the way that people blame victims of sexual violence, crime or poverty for their own suffering and in how they question whether a child who is abused by a parent may have had anything to do with it.
Victim blaming can also be seen in the way that people talk about those who suffer from mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression or PTSD. Those who have these conditions are often blamed for their experiences, with people asking them what they could have done to avoid them. These questions can leave survivors feeling stigmatized and discourage them from seeking help and support, especially if they feel they will not be believed.
The underlying psychology behind victim blaming can be found in the concept of the “just-world bias.” This is the idea that people believe that the world is a fair place and that good fortune and bad are due to a person’s own choices. It is an adaptive psychological mechanism that helps people preserve their sense of moral self-worth when faced with unjust suffering.
Research has shown that there are a number of factors that can lead to victim blaming, including moral values, age and experience. A study of 994 participants across four different studies found that the most significant predictor of victim blaming behaviors was the individual’s moral values, specifically their propensity to exhibit either binding or individualizing values. Individuals who exhibit binding values are more likely to focus on the group and its interests, while those who exhibit individualizing values tend to prioritize fairness for individuals and are more sympathetic to victims.
People may also be more prone to victim blaming if they are older and have experienced more trauma in their lives, such as war, natural disasters or car accidents. The research also showed that a person’s gender and the level of social pressure to conform contributed to their likelihood of engaging in victim blaming behaviors. While it is important to understand the dynamics of victim blaming, it is equally important to learn how to respond to it effectively.
The first step is to increase empathy and awareness of the issue. People can do this by challenging fault-based language when they hear it, for example, saying to a young person who has been posting nude photos online: “What was wrong with that decision?”
Victims can also work to reduce the prevalence of victim blaming by finding a therapist who can help them heal from the abuse and understand how power dynamics can affect how they are treated. The therapist they choose should have experience working with those who have a variety of symptoms, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.