Victim blaming is a devaluing act/attitude that occurs when the victim of a crime or an abuse is held responsible — in whole or in part — for the crime or abuse committed against them.
It is any response that explicitly states or implies that the victim is to blame for the abuse they have experienced.
Victim blaming often revolves around actions that a victim could have taken, or not taken, to avoid experiencing abuse.
In situations of s3xual assault this could sound like questions or accusations regarding the victim’s previous s3xual behaviour, questions about what they were wearing, saying or doing. People will ask these questions before they ask questions about the abuser surprisingly often.
In spiritual environments both subtle and explicit victim blaming are common. These attitudes originate in religious Christian ideas about original sin and suffering (particularly women’s suffering somehow being a choice or a punishment), in religious Hindu ideas around caste, karma and blame. These were then reinforced by law of attraction and the secret and similarly simplistic manifestation mindsets that make people responsible for their suffering or their good fortune.
The thought terminating cliches now prominent in secular wellness culture such as ‘love and light’ ‘good vibes only’ ‘it is what it is’ ‘everything happens for a reason’ perpetuate these victim blaming attitudes in the mainstream.
🗣️ What has your experience of victim blaming been? Are there any particular beliefs or phrases that stuck out for you?🫶
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