Research Reveals Urgent Need To Change The Script On Victim Blaming

New research from Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support exposes a culture of victim blaming in New Zealand – and it is our own family and friends who are most likely to do it.

Victim blaming is when someone suggests that the person who was harmed by a crime is somehow responsible for what happened. These victims feel like they are being treated as if they are guilty.

• “Why didn’t you leave? If you stayed, it can’t have been that bad.”
• “Anyone could see that link was a scam.”
• “If you’d been more careful, you could’ve avoided it.”

Dr Petrina Hargrave, who led the research for Victim Support, sheds light on why people blame the victim: “As humans, we’re wired to protect ourselves. By believing that bad things don’t happen to good people and that people must be responsible for their own misfortunes, we can protect our belief that bad things would never happen to us.”

The findings reveal that victims are most commonly blamed by their friends and family. “It is deeply hurtful for victims when those closest to them, who they expect will support them during their most difficult times, blame them instead,” Dr Hargrave shares.

Victim blaming perpetuates a cycle of silence and suffering. It can cause victims to lose trust in their support networks and the justice system. 52% of people in the research said that victim blaming would deter them from reporting future crimes. Dr Hargrave suggests “Addressing victim blaming may be vital in understanding New Zealand’s low crime reporting rate (28%) and the public’s lack of trust in the justice system.”

Victim blaming does not discriminate. The research shows it cuts across all genders, communities, and crime types. Whether after a burglary, an online scam, an assault - How people respond to victims can make or break their recovery. The first person a victim confides in can determine whether they feel safe to report crime and seek help, or whether they suffer in silence for fear of being blamed again.

The victims involved in the research called for change. Victim Support has heard them and is launching a public awareness campaign asking New Zealand to change the script on victim blaming.

James McCulloch, CE for Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support, urges everyone to consider their first response to victims of crime: “Crime happens because of criminals, not the victim. If someone confides in you after they’ve been victimised, listen without judgement and tell them it’s not their fault.”

“Your words have power,” McCulloch says. “It could be the crucial step in their recovery and give them the confidence to seek support and justice.”

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