Victim Blaming
Victim blaming happens when people use their position of power to blame a victim of an injustice, such as sexual violence or home invasion. They might question why the victims weren’t more careful or observant, suggest that they somehow invited the perpetrators by their clothing or behavior, or make other excuses for the harm they’ve suffered.
It’s important to recognize victim blaming, because it undermines the value of a person and can have a very negative impact on them. It can be especially difficult for women who have experienced sexual assault or rape to deal with the lingering effects of it, and it often makes them feel like they’re not believed by those around them. It can also contribute to the sense of helplessness that survivors often experience, and it can lead them to seek out abusive behaviors as a way of controlling their situation.
In many cases, victim blaming is rooted in a deep-seated lack of empathy. This is because the people who engage in it usually don’t care about or understand other people’s situations or experiences, and they tend to view them as being either good or bad rather than a mixture of both. This can create a very one-dimensional understanding of the world and people, making it easier for these individuals to judge others harshly and blame them for their own misfortunes.
Another cause of victim blaming is a general belief that the world is fair, and that the good should be rewarded while the bad deserve punishment. Often, this belief is used to justify victim blaming because it gives the perpetrators of an injustice a veneer of legitimacy by suggesting that they must have done something to deserve what they got. For example, when the murder of backpacker Grace Millane was reported in the media, many wondered if she had ‘provoked’ her attacker by wearing provocative clothes or being out so late at night.
The most serious effect of victim blaming is the psychological harm it causes to the victims. This is because it can cause a victim to lose their self-respect and sense of worth, even after they’ve fought for justice. It can also make them feel guilty and shameful, which can be quite a drain on their mental health, especially in the long-term.
There are a few ways that we can stop victim blaming. We can challenge people’s victim-blaming perspectives by pointing out how they’re wrong and why, and we can support victims by publicly challenging their abusers’ perspective. It’s also important to realize that when a victim shares their story, it’s an act of trust and should be treated with the same respect that you would treat any other person who came to you with their trauma. Ultimately, we can work to change our attitudes and beliefs, hold our abusers accountable, and encourage survivors to be courageous enough to speak out for themselves. This will help to break the cycle of victim blaming that is so damaging to those who have been assaulted or abused.