From Refugees to Rape Victims: Tackling Victim Blaming | Taylor Glenn

The relentlessly bleak media coverage of recent weeks has shown a depressing theme of victim blaming. What makes people do this?

Like millions of others, I'm sure recent media coverage will be the kind I will never forget. Along with the heartbreaking coverage of the refugee crisis, I also found myself drawn to articles about Chrissie Hynde's rape comments and the now-retracted Loose Women "are women ever at fault for rape" poll. Two different issues which, depending on your news source and perspective, share an unfortunate common theme: victim blaming.

In his 1971 book Blaming the Victim, William Ryan coined a term that would be debated and deconstructed in a variety of contexts for the next 40+ years. That "victim blaming" is as relevant today as it was then (and for centuries before) speaks volumes about our psychological and social tendency to displace responsibility onto victims instead of perpetrators. From sexual assault and rape victims seeking understanding and justice, to refugees and asylum seekers seeking safety and stability, both groups remain vulnerable to our suspicion and blame.