Victim Blaming and Cultural Influences on it

Neil Jadhav
Feb 3
3 min read

Victim blaming is a devaluing act that occurs when the victim(s) of a crime or an accident is held responsible in whole or in part for the crimes that have been committed against them. Simply put, it’s like shifting the blame from the person doing the bad thing to the person who got hurt. This blame not only transpires from legal, medical, and mental health professionals but even from those trusted few in one’s life such as immediate family members and friends. Usually, this occurs due to misunderstandings among others about the victims, perpetrators, and the nature of violent acts. Tragically, victims are wrongfully portrayed as someone who willingly sought out and submitted to the violence they endured, creating an illusion where offenders are shown to be simple individuals who are compelled to act violently due to the negative influences present in our society.

Theories behind this phenomenon

Just World Hypothesis

Essentially, this hypothesis is simply based on the belief that the world is an ‘unbiased’ place where the social system affects all individuals fairly. This naturally leads to doubts when individuals end up becoming victims of misfortunes such as accidents, illnesses, or even violent crimes. However, according to the hypothesis, these victims ‘deserved’ any adversities they were forced to face. Hence, leading to ‘victim blaming’ just to maintain the ‘just world’ ideology.

Cultural Normativity

Certain norms are shown to have cultural significance, and those who adhere to them are generally seen positively. This has been observed to be a worldwide phenomenon. For instance, a study by Gary Stern and Beverly Manifold demonstrated how US undergraduate students had a bias in more positively viewing those with an internal locus of control(believing that individuals have control over the outcomes of their own lives. Similarly, in Portugal, students deliberately inclined towards the idea of a ‘just world’ when trying to be regarded positively by others. Overall, these studies show the tendency in Western cultures to judge those with personal responsibility more positively, strengthening the norm of victim-blaming in the process.

Cultural Influences on Victim Blaming

Gender Norms and Patriarchy Several cultures possess a patriarchal structure to dictate gender roles and expectations for women such as dressing in a certain way or being out late at night. Those who stray from these norms usually end up being blamed for their victimization.
Honor and Shame Cultures In some societies, an honor-based framework is present, such as maintaining family or community honor. Tragically, this is prioritized over individual well-being, which then leads to victims, primarily of sexual crimes, being blamed in order to protect communal reputation
Socioeconomic Biases Even a global issue such as income inequality can coincide and lead to victim blaming. For example, those who face poverty or homelessness end up being blamed for their circumstances even though the cause may be dependent on factors such as discrimination or inadequate social safety nets(policies or programs to help those in poverty)
Media Representation The media is a powerful tool that shapes victim-blaming narratives considerably. For example, they may focus on the victim’s flaws to make it seem as if they deserved what happened, rather than questioning the perpetrators

Consequences of Victim Blaming

Victim Blaming can have numerous negative impacts on the victims’ mental states. For example, it can lead to feelings of shame, self-doubt, and isolation while exacerbating their trauma. This can further lead to depression and PTSD. Another issue is that it discourages victims from seeking help or reporting crimes as they are forced to feel wrongly judged by others, with no one to believe them. Additionally, this phenomenon hinders progress toward equity as it reinforces societal inequalities and wrongly diverts our attention from issues such as gender inequality or racial discrimination.

Notable Cases

In Steubenville, Ohio, a sixteen-year-old girl was raped by two male football players after being unable to consent due to alcohol. However, society’s responses along with media coverage portrayed a bias towards the men’s innocence, blaming the victim even without any clear evidence. Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, India, a Swiss woman was gang raped while camping. After the incident, the local police suggested that the victims were to blame for not notifying authorities of their location.

These cases clearly show society’s tendency to blame victims rather than hold the perpetrators liable, showing a lack of empathy toward the victims

Empowering Change

There are various approaches to addressing this global issue. For example, we can promote awareness through education programs that teach empathy, consent, and critical media literacy. Additionally, we can implement policies to protect victims, such as trauma-informed legal practices and protections against retaliation. These can aid in mitigating the effects of victim blaming. Furthermore, by enforcing ethical reporting standards for media outlets, we can avoid the perpetuation of stereotypes or blaming narratives. Lastly, community engagement. By establishing grassroots(community-driven projects), advocacy campaigns, and survivor-led movements, we can one and for all change the culture of victim blaming.

By Writer Neil Jadhav and Researcher Arya Karvir