Victim blaming, shaming and stigma, where domestic violence is concerned, is dangerous. These attitudes make it difficult for victims to report the abuse and reach out for help. They also reinforce the abuser’s philosophy that it is the victim’s fault that the abuse is happening.
RECENT debates linking how women dress to the issue of rape have only reinforced the need for a more scientific conversation around violence against women in our society.
Blaming the victim in cases of sexual violence may be a global phenomenon. But it is particularly endemic in patrilinear cultures where restrictive beliefs about women’s roles and rights in society dominate.
Victim blaming, shaming and stigma, where domestic violence is concerned, is dangerous. Sometimes people blame victims out of lack of knowledge about abuse and so one presumes they are invulnerable. Sadly, this is what is happening in society.
