The Psychology of Victim Blaming
When news reports about crimes and trauma occur, people often ask questions like “why did this happen to her?” or “what could she have done differently?” It can be difficult for people to understand that victims do not always cause their own misfortune. However, the tendency to blame a victim can be rooted in psychological attributions and biases that we don’t realize we have. Victim blaming can be especially damaging in situations involving domestic violence and sexual assault. It can discourage survivors from reporting abuse to the police or seeking support, and shifts the focus away from holding perpetrators accountable.
The inclination to victim-blame can also be a form of shaming, which causes victims to feel even more alone and trapped in abusive relationships. This victim-blaming is compounded by the fact that abusers often use these tactics against their victims in order to maintain power and control over them. It can make it difficult for a survivor to share their experience with others, and can contribute to feelings of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
While the exact factors that lead to victim blaming are complex, research suggests a few major contributing factors. One theory is that people who engage in victim blaming may believe that the world is a positive place, and that good things don’t happen to bad people without reason. In addition, people may have a hard time believing that the people they know and love are capable of harmful behavior, which can contribute to a lack of empathy towards those who are hurt.
It’s also important to remember that the language used can influence how much people victim-blame. For example, studies have shown that when people describe a situation as being the fault of a victim (for instance, saying “She should have known better”), they are more likely to subconsciously blame the victim than when they switch the subject from the victim to the perpetrator (“Dan was rude to Lisa”).
Other common reasons for victim-blaming include the belief that a person can choose their own fate, or that they can “provoke” their own abusers. Another theory is that people who engage in victim-blaming may enjoy seeing someone else suffer, a phenomenon called Schadenfreude. Some research has found that even people who say they are not high in this trait can sometimes take pleasure in the suffering of other people, especially when they see it as a way to show their own compassion and understanding of the world.
Victim-blaming is a dangerous and harmful part of our culture that makes it difficult for victims to report their experiences, find the support they need, or seek help for their trauma. It is essential to learn about the factors that can contribute to victim-blaming in order to prevent it from happening, and to be aware of the ways that shaming and victim-blaming can undermine the safety and well-being of survivors of crime and trauma. If we all commit to being more empathetic and aware, we can work together to change these attitudes.