Image source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denim-day-offers-chance-stand-victims-sexual-violence-simply-wearing-n750961
April marks the 20th anniversary of the first annual Denim Day, an awareness event highlighted during Sexual Assault Awareness Month to combat victim blaming. Denim Day began after an Italian supreme court conviction was overturned after the judges decided that a woman who was sexually assaulted must have assisted her perpetrator in removing her jeans (because they were too tight), deeming her partially responsible for her assault. After the ruling, women wore jeans in solidarity with the survivor, thus beginning the historical protest against rape supportive attitudes, (“Why Denim?”, 2019).
While recent movements such as #Metoo and #TimesUp have brought awareness to sexual violence prevention efforts and pushed for increased victim/survivor support, these movements have also exposed the prevalence of victim blaming. Victim- blaming occurs when the individual who experiences the misfortune is held responsible for what happened to them. While most individuals recognize the psychologically damaging effects of victim- blaming, the cognitive processes underlying victim blaming suggest it may serve as a form of emotional regulation. Research indicates that engaging in victim- blaming is a psychological protection mechanism that allows individuals to keep their beliefs in a just world when encountering misfortune that conflicts with their ideas about trust and security, (Harber, Williams, & Desteno, 2015). Victim- blaming contributes to a larger rape- supportive culture that disproportionality impacts women, especially within media and the criminal justice systems (Thacker, 2017). Experience of victim- blaming may also prompt re-traumatization for the victim (Campbell & Raja, 2005).
As we approach the 20th anniversary, it is a time to reflect on how to move forward in the fight towards ending victim- blaming for survivors of sexual and relationship violence. How do we accomplish this? Research indicates that victimology education can help to decrease victim-blaming attitudes in undergraduate populations, (Fox & Cook, 2011). Also, encouraging individuals to confront negative feelings through emotional disclosure can help to reduce emotion-based biases (Harber, Williams, & Desteno, 2015). Overall, as advocates of survivor support, we can do our part by bringing awareness to conscious and subconscious victim- blaming attitudes as well as providing education to communities victim-centered support.
Written by: Mercedes Anderson, M.A.
References:
Campbell, R., & Raja, S. (2005). The sexual assault and secondary victimization of female veterans: Help-seeking experiences with military and civilian social systems. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29, 97– 106.
Harber, K., Podolski, P., Williams, C., & Desteno, David. (2015). Emotional Disclosure and Victim Blaming. Emotion, 15(5), 603-614.
Fox, Kathleen A., & Cook, Carrie L. (2011). Is Knowledge Power? The Effects of a Victimology Course on Victim Blaming. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(17), 3407-3427.
Thacker, L. K. (2017). Rape Culture, Victim Blaming, and the Role of Media in the Criminal Justice System. Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship, 1(1), 8.
Why Denim? (2019). Retrieved from https://www.denimdayinfo.org/why-denim
No comments:
Post a Comment