How Victim Blaming Affects Victims

When someone you know is a victim of a crime, it’s hard to imagine how anyone could blame them for the experience. However, it’s a common reaction to crime—and one that can be extremely harmful for victims. Victim blaming is not only demoralizing to survivors, but it can also make them less likely to report their experiences to police or seek services that can help them recover.

People who engage in victim blaming may not even realize they are doing it. In its most subtle forms, it can be something as simple as thinking that you would be more careful if you were in the victim’s position. Or, more seriously, it can be a societal mindset that minimizes the seriousness of a crime and makes the victim seem like they brought it on themselves.

This kind of victim blaming is so widespread that it can be hard to avoid, especially if you have friends or family who are survivors. If you’ve ever heard a relative or friend say things like, “You should have been more careful” or, “If only you’d have known better, you wouldn’t have gotten raped,” then you’ve experienced some form of victim blaming. The problem is that the vast majority of these kinds of comments come from well-intentioned people who simply don’t understand the impact of victim blaming on victims.

If you’re close to a survivor, then you can help counter this mentality by making sure that you don’t blame them. For example, if you know a survivor who is struggling with suicidal thoughts, then it’s vital to let them know that you believe them and that this was not their fault. It can also be helpful to allow them to share their trauma narrative and to encourage them to seek the treatment that they need.

For a broader understanding of what victim blaming is, you can look at the research. For instance, a study conducted by psychology professor Liane Young and postdoctoral researcher Laura Niemi found that two major factors influence whether or not a person is prone to victim blaming. Specifically, people who hold stronger individual values are more likely to be sympathetic toward victims, while those with stronger binding values are more inclined to see victims as blameworthy.

This is a problem that we need to tackle together. As more and more victims are silenced by these kinds of attitudes, it’s important that we all recognize the harm it can do to survivors and work towards a society where no one victimizes another. It’s time to end victim blaming once and for all.