victim-blaming
Accusing the harmed
Victim-blaming is holding people responsible for harm done to them by others.
The term appears most often in discussions of sexual assault, where victims face questions about their clothing, drinking, or judgment: The defense attorney's line of questioning was pure victim-blaming.
It also applies to other contexts—blaming robbery victims for displaying wealth, or sick people for their illness.
The concept names a pattern of deflecting accountability from perpetrators onto those they've harmed.
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- misogynyHostility toward women
- sexismGender-based prejudice
- racismPrejudice based on ethnicity
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
discrimination · judgmental · bigotry · preconception · prejudgment · xenophobia · double-standard · slut-shaming
Loss of dignity
- guilt-trippingInducing remorse deliberately
- gaslightingManipulation causing self-doubt
- mockeryScornful ridicule or travesty
- derisionContemptuous mockery
slander · defamation · denigration · disparagement · discrediting · stigmatizing · ostracism · vilification
Unfairly assigning fault to innocents
- finger-pointingAssigning blame openly
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- minimizationMaking as small as possible
- excusingForgiving a transgression
rationalizing · justification · deflecting · evasion · dismissiveness · second-guessing · redirection · avoidance
Unjust or biased treatment
- inequityUnfair distribution or treatment
- wrongdoingUnethical or illegal action
- mistreatmentCruel or harmful behavior
- abuseCruel or violent treatment
violation · grievance · travesty · oppression · persecution · revictimization · harm · trauma
Erroneous belief or understanding
- fallacyError in reasoning
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- distortionTwisting from original state
bias
Unfair inclination or prejudice
stereotype · discrimination · judgmental · bigotry · preconception · prejudgment · xenophobia · double-standard · slut-shaming · chauvinism
humiliation
Loss of dignity
- guilt-trippingInducing remorse deliberately
- gaslightingManipulation causing self-doubt
- mockeryScornful ridicule or travesty
derision · slander · defamation · denigration · disparagement · discrediting · stigmatizing · ostracism · vilification · disgrace
scapegoating
Unfairly assigning fault to innocents
- finger-pointingAssigning blame openly
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- minimizationMaking as small as possible
excusing · rationalizing · justification · deflecting · evasion · dismissiveness · second-guessing · redirection · avoidance · distraction
unfairness
Unjust or biased treatment
- inequityUnfair distribution or treatment
- wrongdoingUnethical or illegal action
- mistreatmentCruel or harmful behavior
abuse · violation · grievance · travesty · oppression · persecution · revictimization · harm · trauma · disbelief
misconception
Erroneous belief or understanding
- fallacyError in reasoning
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- stereotypeFixed oversimplified notion
- social stigmastigma, stigmatized, shame, shamed, disgrace
- oppressionoppression, tyranny, racism, repression, secret police
blame, victim, blameless, blaming, victimize, victimized, victimizer, victimizing, victimisation