How Victim Blaming Affects Rape and Sexual Assault Survivors

Sexual assault and rape survivors often find themselves subjected to the practice of victim blaming. In a culture where rape and sexual assault are normalized, victims are often asked to “shut up” and “play nice” about the violence they endured. This pervasive behavior impedes survivors from receiving the support they need and deserve. While it is difficult to identify in any situation, victim blaming is a common pattern among survivors.

The use of victim blaming is not only counterproductive, it may actually have the opposite effect of helping the victims. Victim blaming undermines the healing process by discouraging survivors from reporting the crimes against them. It reinforces predatory attitudes and allows the perpetrator to escape accountability for their actions. Victims who believe they are at fault often feel unnecessarily distressed, adding unhelpful feelings to their distress and causing an increased likelihood of self-blame.

Victim blaming can also affect the outcome of a court case. When a victim is praised for being an athlete or an academically successful person, the perpetrator is less likely to blame the victim. Victims who feel they could have been in the same situation are less likely to blame their perpetrator. A victim’s gender may play a role in victim blaming, so it’s important to understand how this affects victim blaming.

Another form of victim blaming involves the accusation that the victim brought their misfortune upon themselves. This accusation is a subtle way to blame a victim for her own shortcomings. It is often accompanied by a subtle accusation of being submissive. In addition, the accusation may include the victim’s own sexual orientation or gender expression. If the accused is transgender, it is unlikely that they would have been openly assertive about their sexuality.

Online abuse may also be caused by victim blaming. A common example of victim blaming is when a character shares a nude picture online with a trusted friend. If the person sharing the image was pressured, forced, or tricked into doing so, the victim may blame themselves. But if the behaviour was prompted by a friend, it’s likely that the character sharing the image did so under the influence of a peer pressure.

The practice of victim blaming has become an unfortunate part of the criminal justice system. People who commit crimes and experience sexual assault are frequently accused of attracting abuse. Many times, the perpetrators of sexual assault and rape also blame the victim for the crime. Victim blaming is an unhealthy way to treat victims. It is not helpful and can have serious consequences. So, how do we address it? Here are some ways.

Research by Niemi and Young revealed that moral values play a role in victim blaming. They found that those who hold more individualizing values tended to see victims as blameworthy. People who held stronger binding values were more likely to blame the victim if they perceived that the perpetrator had done less to help them. The other option is to blame the victim, which can lead to a distorted perception of the perpetrator.