by Claire Bernstein, JCADA Intern
In our culture, there is a tendency to blame victims of
sexual assault and domestic abuse for the violence they incur. Victim-blaming
is when someone thinks that a victim is at fault for being assaulted or abused
or did something to provoke or deserve the violence. Victim-blaming can take on many forms and the media
often perpetuates common victim-blaming statements. Some people blame the
victim because of the
clothes they were wearing or the amount of alcohol they were drinking.
Others assume that if violence occurs, then the victim must have done something
to anger or upset the abuser.
In the recent Steubenville
rape case, numerous reporters and other individuals blamed a high school girl
for her assault instead of holding the football players who committed the rape
accountable. On
CNN, reporters empathized with the rapists and downplayed the fact that
what they did was wrong and their fault. On
Twitter and Facebook, thousands of people claimed that the victim was
asking to be raped and blamed the assault on her decision to drink alcohol-not
on the actions of the two high school boys.
So
why do we victim-blame? Oftentimes, we want to blame the victim in order to
convince ourselves that we could never be a victim of sexual assault or
domestic violence. When we accuse the victim, we are able to point out ways in
which we are different from the victim, and therefore feel more reassured that
the same thing could not happen to us. Furthermore, we victim-blame in order to
distance ourselves from the violence. It can be really hard to hear stories
about sexual assault, so we place the fault on the victim to further separate
ourselves from it and avoid confronting the reality of the issue.
The reality is that victim-blaming
can have many detrimental effects on victims. Negative attitudes and
language towards victims marginalizes them and makes victims feel like they
cannot come forward about the assault or abuse. A victim may be scared that if
s/he tells about the violence, then people will begin to blame him/her or not
believe what is happening. In addition, when victims hear victim-blaming
statements, they begin to internalize these ideas and believe them. Victims may
convince themselves that it is really their fault and that they need to take
responsibility for the violence. Believing that it is their fault makes the healing
process much more difficult for victims because it is hard for them to accept
that they are not to blame for the sexual assault or domestic abuse. In
addition, it is harder for victims to regain control over their lives when they
are constantly hearing victim-blaming statements.
More importantly, when people victim-blame, they are also
failing to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. If our society
continues to condone victim-blaming, then we will fail to send the message that
violence is unacceptable
and inexcusable. Perpetrators will continue to feel entitled to gain power
and control over others.
In order to change
the culture of victim-blaming in our society, it is important that we all
show our support for victims of violence and challenge those who continue to blame
people for their victimization. When we hear victim-blaming statements, we
should question the people who say them and explain why it is never the
victim’s fault for experiencing violence and abuse. By avoiding victim-blaming,
we can create a community where victims feel more supported and comfortable
coming forward about their stories.
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