For the many survivors of sexual violence in America, victim blaming is often a consideration to whether or how they disclose their experience. Victim blaming or shaming is a term often heard in our vernacular. The California adult sexual abuse lawyer with the Senators Firm is well aware of victim blaming as a cultural practice and the devastating results it can have in cases of sexual abuse. If you have experienced sexual assault or abuse, it is never your fault. There is never anything you should have done to avoid the assault, and there is no amount of responsibility that is yours. The abuser is the only person to blame for sexual abuse.
What is Victim Blaming?
The concept of victim blaming is when we turn the focus of the attack on the victim. There are many ways that our culture somewhat passively instills feelings of guilt and shame in sexual abuse survivors, leading them to believe they should have done something differently to evade or stop the attack. Some active forms of victim blaming generally revolve around the way we may question victims:
- Why were you out at night alone?
- What were you wearing?
- Why did you leave your drink?
- Were you flirting with him?
One example of some of the more insidious forms of victim blaming is the use of passive language that focuses on the survivor as the subject that puts the focus on the survivor instead of the actions of the perpetrator. An example of this action may be something such as ‘the victim was assaulted’ instead of ‘the defendant assaulted the victim.’ This shift to active language moves the focus from the survivor to centering the perpetrator’s despicable behavior and can help survivors feel more encouraged to come forward.
What are the Effects of Victim Blaming?
Many survivors of sexual violence may have confusing internal feelings about what they were subjected to. They often face feelings of guilt and shame for not stopping the assault or feeling responsible for leaving themselves vulnerable to it. When survivors are concerned about others’ judgment of them, they are often less likely to report the attack. When this relevant fear prevents reporting, not only does it often keep the survivor isolated and alone in their assault, but it also stops the criminal justice system from prosecuting the abuser.
When survivors are faced with investigators and officials who are unsupportive or even critical of the survivor’s experience, it can discourage them from pursuing charges, even if they want to. The criminal process can be incredibly challenging for someone victimized by sexual violence, and compassion and understanding are vital to their well-being. In many cases, victim blaming can even retraumatize the survivor, inducing additional feelings of guilt, shame, or fear.
In addition to choosing not to report the crime, survivors of sexual assault may have increased feelings of isolation and more intense experiences of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression and are likely to seek treatment for those symptoms. The longer-term effects of these kinds of symptoms can be lifelong, impacting professional performance, relationships, and overall quality of life.
How to Cope with Victim Blaming
Victim blaming and rape culture are huge factors in the rates of underreporting of sexual violence. To counteract this, it is vital for law enforcement, court workers, and medical staff to be trauma-informed in their approaches and compassionate in their engagement.