Victimization in psychology is what, definition, types, behavior

The definition of “victimization” was originally used by lawyers and criminologists in procedural cases and implied an individual’s predisposition to become a victim of unlawful acts of a violent nature, aggression, and fraud.

Later, psychologists became interested in this phenomenon and began to study it in more detail. As we delved deeper into this topic, it became clear that there is a category of people that causes particular aggression, as if deliberately provoking the rapist.

The behavioral features of such victimized individuals have become the subject of study by psychology specialists.

Definition of victimization in psychology, how it manifests itself

Translated from Latin, victimization literally means “sacrifice” and is defined by psychologists as an individual’s desire to feel like a victim and his constant exposure to situations that ensure this.

Victimization began to be studied closely only at the end of the twentieth century, when, analyzing the actions and psychological characteristics of some crime victims, they came to the conclusion that initially they had a higher potential to end up in this place in comparison with other people.

They were distinguished by certain aspects of behavior, among which were:

• positioning oneself as a victim - an unhappy, unlucky person who always gets into trouble;
• demonstrative despondency and depression;
• deliberately offending criminals with any provoking actions, without committing which the development of the conflict could have been avoided.

These behavioral mechanisms will not necessarily be combined all together in one person.

The victim can be either a quiet and downtrodden child, annoying the rest of the class with his aloofness and asociality, or a rather liberated and active girl, boldly flirting with dubious guys in an unsafe environment.

Psychologists believe that in both cases they are driven by an internal desire to be in a sacrificial, humiliated position, which explains such unsafe behavior for them.

Victimization in psychology is the concept and characteristics of victim behavior.

The reasons why victimized individuals feel like victims are different. These can be both mental disorders of varying degrees, and the consequences of family dysfunction, incorrect educational tactics that were chosen in relation to the child in childhood.

Basic principles of victimization

The tendency to victimize is formed in childhood and consolidated in adolescence. One of the most important factors in the formation of victimization in children is the situation of physical and emotional violence in the family. A significant role is also played by the destructive influence on the psyche of adolescents from significant adults (relatives, teachers), and peers.

Under the influence of these factors, certain personal characteristics appear:

• increased anxiety, uncertainty and low self-esteem;
• emotional instability;
• the tendency to ignore one's own interests in favor of others.

Often, a “victim” with low self-esteem strives to prove his strength, rightness, and test his strength. This results in risky behavior (most often in adolescents).

In some cases, victimization is a concomitant of mental disorders. Problems of social adaptation of a pathological nature can result in a tendency to masochism and sadism, exhibitionism, and nymphomania. Similar manifestations of mental abnormalities can occur among victims of crimes (sometimes repeated with the same victim).

A person can also fall into the position of a victim if he:

• is in a subordinate position, he fulfills the demands of the aggressor, but very slowly, which “angers” the attacker even more;
• behaves provocatively or in his usual way, but the abuser views his behavior as offensive.

The fact that the aggressor in both these cases perceives the actions of the “victim” as offensive and unacceptable is solely his subjective opinion of the attacker. It is connected with the peculiarities of his perception and thinking.

Victim behavior from a psychological point of view

Victimization in psychology is not a completely normal form of behavior, characterized by a person’s desire and desire to arouse the anger and aggression of another individual. Most psychologists cite the desire to attract attention as the root cause of such strange behavior.

In their opinion, the desire to put oneself in danger is not simple stupidity or a whim, but a serious deviation from the norm, indicating the presence of mental trauma or illness that needs correction and therapy.

Among people, it is customary to say about victimized individuals “they asked for it,” meaning that the person himself behaved inappropriately and caused anger. It cannot be said that the rapist’s aggression is justified.

This refers to the level of responsibility of the victim herself, when she understood that she was provoking the rapist, but did not stop doing it.

This can happen in different life situations, for example, when a wife insults her drunken husband, knowing that in such a state he can hit her, or a hostage demonstratively refuses to comply with the demands of terrorists, thereby signing his own death warrant.

It is wrong to believe that people prone to victimization are stupid or masochists.

From the outside it seems that the role of the victim is attractive to them, but in fact they only strive to be noticed, to attract attention, while often not realizing that such demonstrative behavior evokes not pity, but aggression and contempt.

This phenomenon was described by ethologist Kondar Lorenz, who studied the behavioral characteristics of higher animals and humans. As a result of his observations, he came to the conclusion that the human environment is comparable in behavior to a pack of animals, where there is no place for the weak and flawed.

At the instinctive level, a weak individual, be it a person or an animal, is perceived as an object that poses a threat to the entire community. That is why aggression and hostility are directed towards such a victim.

What is victimization?

Victim behavior is a definition that is common in criminology and psychology (derives from the Latin victima - a creature that sacrifices). Criminologists define victimization as the illegal, immoral or defiant behavior of the victim, which became the reason for committing a crime . People say this behavior more simply: you asked for it. Victims of this kind absolutely do not want to find themselves in any such unpleasant situations, but still they “get stuck” in them all the time.

Damage to material well-being, health or life cannot necessarily be caused by another person - you can be a victim of wild animals or an armed conflict, an accident, a natural disaster, or various mechanisms or devices.

Victims of accidents and crimes are studied by a separate science called victimology; its idea originated several centuries ago. It has been proven that the prevention of crime in society affects not only the impact on a potential criminal (from family education to punishing the guilty for the edification of others). Victimology has been working invisibly for a long time as one of the means that prevents crimes directly with the help of potential victims.

Victimization is the development in citizens of conscious behavior that prevents material damage, attacks and accidents. Moreover, this includes close interaction with architects who think through urban space in such a way that it contains a minimum of closed places that are well suited for committing illegal actions.

In many developed countries, school courses provide instruction on victimization. Children are taught not to cross the road in unknown places, not to open the door to strangers, not to get into a car with strangers, etc. Following the most basic rules every day saves more than one thousand lives, but a careless attitude towards them ruins them.

The propensity for victimized behavior also largely depends on the family structure. For example, in a family in which adults are responsible for their words and keep all their promises, children are more inclined to listen to their advice and choose the right decisions in different situations. Children know that their parents are doing the right thing, and, accordingly, their advice is also correct. In addition, in families with victimized parents, as a rule, victimized children also grow up. In the psychology of victim behavior, there are three types of people who provoke violence against them:

• unstable;
• pseudo-provoking;
• passive subordinates.

The latter is the most common (40%) and is characterized by the fact that the victim defends himself uncertainly and sluggishly, or does not defend himself at all and fulfills all the demands made by the attacker. The second case includes ¼ of the victims; this situation is characterized by provoking the attacker with active sexual advances and even sometimes drinking alcohol together (when it comes to rape) or in other actions that cause aggression from the other party. The first type of victims includes 35%, and it is characterized by a sharp change in behavior, alternation and inconsistency of other types.

Victim behavior in psychology is considered as a deviation that is based on two factors working separately or simultaneously: the negative influence of society and personal predisposition. Teenagers are more exposed to the psychological complex of victimization.

Taking into account the criminological classification, types of victim behavior are divided into:

• passive;
• intense;
• active.

Active behavior is a provocation of a crime, and often the criminal did not initially intend to attack the victim. Intensive is behavior where the victim correctly made attempts to avoid danger, but this failed to protect him. Passive behavior consists of a complete lack of resistance.

Types of victimization behavior, examples

Victimization in psychology is a special human condition, characterized by a desire to be in the role of a victim and which is not normal. Depending on the psychological characteristics, the behavior of victimized individuals can manifest itself in different ways.

Among such people you can find not only potential victims, but also potential rapists who, when the hunting situation changes, will demonstrate aggressiveness.

Victim behavior is divided into 2 types:

• Emotionally unstable – deliberately demonstrative, defiant behavior, manifested in the aggression of the “victim” itself. Characteristic mainly for adolescents and infantile people. Having a penchant for cruelty and domination over weak people, they perceive violent situations as natural and, when they come to the attention of a stronger person, they themselves take the role of the victim. The proverb “A daredevil is among sheep, but in front of a daredevil there is a sheep” most truly characterizes such people. An example is the distribution of power in the army, when ordinary recruits, who themselves suffered from ridicule and commands from senior officers, begin to behave in exactly the same way when they themselves become “old”.

• Comfortable – typical for timid, submissive people who see in the rapist a strong personality capable of actions that are unattainable to the victim. Such people readily accept the role of a victim and violent acts committed against them or other forms of demonstration by the rapist of his dominance (deception, insults) are taken for granted by them. Usually these people have low self-esteem, consider themselves unlucky and worthless, at the same time they have a grudge against the whole world and like to demonstratively complain and lament. Comfortable type victimization is often found among women whose husbands have high positions, have a lot of money and suppress them in every possible way, and they tolerate this in exchange for the benefits they receive - comfort, security, contentment. In such couples, over the years of living together, each party has long accepted the rules of the game and the man usually does not go beyond the limits, even using physical force, and the woman obediently endures, sacrificing herself, and everyone is satisfied with this state of affairs.

In some cases, strong, self-confident people with an overly developed sense of responsibility may also find themselves in the role of victim.

They fall into the status of a victim under the influence of certain life circumstances that can be difficult to resolve, for example, when their principles, the future of the country, civic position, and family interests are defended.

Risk factors and causes of victimization

Over the years, quite a lot of psychological research has been carried out, which were aimed at studying different aspects of “victimization”, taking into account the following risk factors and reasons for the development and occurrence of such a phenomenon as victimization:

The situation of the socio-psychological status of the family:

• very young parents who, due to their age, are not able to fully support their family;
• single-parent family;
• unsettled life, for example, both parents have low salaries or one of the parents does not have a job.

Features of the style and norms of upbringing in the family:

• immoral lifestyle of parents;
• underestimation of children's achievements, negative manifestations relative to those expected regarding his actions and actions.
• conflicts in the family;
• emotional rejection, abandonment and neglect of the child;
• child abuse, use of a child as a means of pressure and manipulation.

Social reasons:

• tense relationships with teachers;
• tense relationships with peers;
• the presence of any defects or injuries;
• experience of violence;
• being in antisocial groups.

The above risk factors and causes activate the process of formation of aggressiveness, anxiety and inadequate self-esteem, which makes a person emotionally unstable, this increases the possibility of turning a person into a victim.

Signs of victimization

Victimization can be expressed in different ways, but one way or another this personality trait can be recognized by various signs identified by psychologists as a result of observations.

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• Excessive anxiety – is expressed in the fact that a person is predominantly in a depressed, depressed state, apathy. He is not happy with his appearance, his life and activities, and is inclined to see an unfavorable outcome in every situation. The anxious state of victims can also be expressed at the physiological level in increased sweating, surges in blood pressure, and increased heart rate.
• The inability to think critically is manifested in belief in various prejudices, the inability to resist different opinions, since difficulties arise in forming one’s own point of view and defending it.
• Emotional “swing” - characterized by an unpredictable expression of emotions, when the mood changes sharply from melancholy-depressive to aggressive, irritated.
• Increased level of conformity – is expressed in the individual’s inability to reflect group pressure, excessive desire to obey, give in and unquestioningly agree with the opinion of the majority of society.

• Constant neuropsychic tension arises due to self-doubt and timidity and is expressed in a decrease in intellectual performance, difficulties in communication, difficulties concentrating and remembering.
• Low self-esteem - focusing on one's own shortcomings and mistakes, a constantly haunting feeling of guilt, the habit of complaining about life, seeing oneself as an unfortunate victim of circumstances.
• Inconsistency and conflict, distorted perception of feelings - when a certain impulse of a person manifests itself in a unique way. For example, when wanting to communicate, he can overly impose himself on people, make inappropriate and rude jokes at them, feeling the need for support - not asking for it directly, but threatening to break off relations.
• The feeling of helplessness that constantly haunts a person, the feeling of hopelessness , manifests itself in the fact that a person lives in constant fear and concentrates on his survival.

And:

• Suggestibility.
• Gullibility.
• Excessive conscientiousness.
• Provocativeness (in some cases).

Possessing the described qualities to one degree or another, a victimized person attracts various offenders who unmistakably, on an intuitive level, guess what kind of person is in front of them. Even outwardly such people look somewhat strange.

They may have a hunched back, hunched shoulders, and a depressed and lowered head. Their running and confused look signals that they are afraid of the world around them. Such a person is easily distinguished from the crowd by rapists, aggressors, maniacs and hooligans.

A victimized person is not necessarily the victim of direct physical violence or abuse. He may come under moral and psychological pressure at work or school, when he does not find the strength to resist the excessive responsibilities assigned to him, unfair criticism, bullying and ridicule.

How does victimization manifest itself in people’s behavior?

A person with victimized behavior has a specific psychological portrait, a vague understanding of his personality, and is not aware of either his own or others’ boundaries, and this, in turn, leads to destructive thinking and uncertain behavior in society. As a result, he stands out from the crowd not in the direction of strength and confidence - he “magnetizes”, attracts criminals and troubles. This person always sacrifices himself for the benefit of others, endures bullying and hushes up grievances, cannot say no and fight back.

Problems cover all areas of life. At work, they will mock or ridicule, dump all difficult responsibilities, as well as criticize and reproach. In personal life, a person with victimized behavior will be humiliated, abandoned, used and insulted, because no one is interested in an alliance with an intimidated victim. In public and everyday life, victimized people are also easy to identify. They are kicked out of queues or seats on minibuses, hated by neighbors, and used by friends or relatives for their own purposes. They get caught up in all sorts of scams and tricks of scammers, they are attacked by maniacs and robbers. The helplessness of the victim is very noticeable to others, but it is simply striking to the aggressors. Even the body betrays such people, which is no wonder, posture, gait, position of the head, hands - this is a reflection of our inner confidence or, on the contrary, congestion.

From the experiment above, after analyzing the selected victims, psychologists identified and collected the following bodily patterns:

With his entire appearance, a person shows fear of the outside world or looks like “not of this world,” absent-minded and lost. When attacked, the victim “falls into a stupor,” freezes, limbs begin to shake, and instead of fighting back and defending, he completely submits. Of course, the victimized person does not want such an attitude towards himself at all, does not want to suffer and does not understand at all why he regularly becomes a victim of troubles or bullying.

We recommend an interesting article “20 examples of body language”

Factors that give rise to a tendency towards victimization

Victimization in psychology is a special understanding of the world when a person, with all his thoughts and actions, stimulates the attraction of troubles towards him, and he himself acts as a victim.

The development of victimization does not occur on its own, but under the influence of certain factors, which are conventionally divided into 2 groups:

• phenomenological;
• social.

Social factors

Educators and psychologists unanimously believe that a person who grew up in a normal environment does not have a subconscious desire to harm himself and becomes a victim. In addition, the instinct of self-preservation inherent in nature prevents the emergence of victim traits.

Based on these facts, many experts see the reason for the development of victimization in a dysfunctional environment, when a child from childhood has formed distorted ideas about himself, about relationships with other people, and about moral values.

The main reasons contributing to the disruption of socialization and influencing the tendency to take the role of a victim are:

• ugly socialization - if a child sees asocial forms of behavior from an early age - drunkenness, drug addiction, cruelty;
• Excessive guardianship of a child can also harm his emotional development no less than dislike and antisocial behavior of parents. By protecting them from troubles and the influence of the outside world, parents actually do a “disservice” to the child, since already in adolescence (and even more so as an adult), a person who is accustomed to others deciding everything for him and, fearing this terrible world, very often begins to believe that it is more profitable and easier to be a victim;
• problems with the environment of the child and adolescent - during a normal life in the family, the child may receive negative experiences at school or another social group to which he belongs. Sometimes such traumas hit the fragile child’s psyche so hard that children who become victims of such situations transmit victimized behavior into adulthood;
• dislike for the child - when in the family the child felt superfluous, unnecessary, and perhaps one of the parents tried to make him feel guilty because of his personal dissatisfaction. All this negatively affects the psyche of a little person and triggers the formation of a victimized behavior pattern;

• observation of scenes of a violent nature - scenes of cruelty seen have a very strong impact on the psychological state of children and lay the preconditions for victimized behavior;
• development of an inferiority complex - can develop both due to physical disabilities and psychological problems and entail the development of a constant stay in a sacrificial position.

Phenomenological factors

Under the influence of an unfavorable social environment, qualities of the individual are formed in the developing personality, which over time turn him into a dependent and weak-willed victim.

Some researchers believe that a prerequisite for the development of victimization in a child is his early cruel attitude towards other children and animals.

Having become accustomed to demonstrating strength, growing up, a person believes that aggression is the norm and is ready for the fact that violence can be used against him, he can take the role of a victim.

Sometimes cruelty becomes natural and habitual for teenagers under the influence of the bad influence of aggressive peers, frequent viewing of cruel scenes in the virtual world and films.

However, phenomenological factors have a more indirect influence on an individual’s victimization than the social environment, upbringing and living conditions, since adolescents may well distinguish virtual reality from real reality.

The causes of victimization are not always related to childhood trauma. Adults can demonstrate similar behavior due to various mental disorders - depression, psychosis, neuroses, which they developed in adulthood due to current life circumstances.

Causes of victimization

Victimization of the victim is manifested in the commission of actions leading to dangerous or negative consequences. Self-preservation instincts, intended for the reverse function, do not work at the moment or appear conditionally, for example, only at the verbal level, and are absent at the behavioral level. Several main reasons lead to such deformations.

Initially, this is a personality type that outlines a passive-subordinate position. These are the majority of victims, and their behavior looks like fulfilling the demands of the aggressor. Perhaps they will not be fulfilled completely or slowly, but, nevertheless, the person obeys.

The second personality type is the provocative one. Such people unconsciously seek to attract attention to themselves or are not aware of the consequences of their actions. Vivid examples of provocative behavior are counting large sums of money in an unfavorable public place (at a train station or in a crime-prone area in the evening), sexualized behavior that goes beyond the boundaries of flirting, etc.

Upbringing and experiences of childhood psychotrauma contribute to the appearance of a victim complex. The highest risk of developing victimized behavior is in victims of violence who received no help and support, who did not receive psychotherapy, or who were all close to them who took the side of the rapist and blamed the victim for what happened.

Children of victimized or dysfunctional parents (various types of addiction, low level of social culture, high level of aggressiveness, etc.) do not form an adequate assessment of the situation, and they build relationships with the world like their parents’ family. Such a child may be extremely surprised that in other families no one is ever beaten; in addition, the concept of punishment becomes so necessary that, having matured, a person begins to provoke violence from those who were not inclined to do so, due to his own increased level of anxiety.

Involvement in various antisocial groups, oddly enough, also shapes the behavior of the victim. It is worth noting that not only bright groups that violate the general order influence the formation of the victim’s position, but also any society. Teachers with emotional burnout do not teach children to resist aggression, but pour out negativity on children; the peer group may be of a low social level and bully those who are different. The more acts of violence are perceived by the immediate environment as the norm, the greater tolerance is formed in the individual.

How to get rid of victimization

Victimization in psychology is a certain predisposition of a person to find himself in situations in which he is a victim.

In order to completely get rid of victimization, it is necessary to eliminate the root causes of its occurrence, and if they originate from early childhood, which is most often the case, then you should work through all the negative emerging issues with a psychologist and deal with the consequences.

It is not always possible to completely overcome victimization, but you can reduce the manifestations of this phenomenon by following these recommendations:

• find a pleasant social circle – stop contacting toxic people, after communicating with whom victimized feelings only intensify;

• reconsider your past and change your attitude towards it - in most cases this is difficult to do, but vital in order to move on. If difficulties arise, it is better to work through difficult moments from childhood not on your own, but with a psychotherapist;
• strengthen control over your thoughts - monitor the adequacy of emerging ideas;
• form a positive attitude towards others and yourself - stop being afraid of the outside world, and consider yourself an inferior person.

In some cases, a person can cope with his victimization on his own, but often such people still have to turn to psychologists and even psychotherapists.

If victimization is associated with certain mental illnesses, then in addition to classes and trainings, drug therapy may be prescribed:

Types of victimization

Victimization is a large complex of features that are considered as the cause of aggression and illegal actions. Researchers have identified several types of victimization.

Behavioral - manifests itself in the position “I am guilty” and “I am innocent.” A person who takes the position of an innocent person often provokes aggression towards himself and deliberately chooses dangerous situations. Being in the position of the innocent, he falls into it by accident, he does not provoke the aggressor in any way.

Based on the number of victims, mass and individual victimization are distinguished. With mass victimization, a large group of people (often of a certain nationality, with physical characteristics) suffers. In the case of individual victimization, there is only one victim.

How to stop being a victim?

Some victimized people like to feel like a victim: by arousing pity, they get rid of the need to decide something and bear responsibility even for themselves.

In this situation, the person must first of all be influenced by the environment, which needs to stop feeling sorry for him, especially if there are no serious reasons for this. This action will push the victimized person to leave his comfort zone if he is interested in getting out of his condition.

In the absence of a desire to change anything, a victimized person may become offended by his environment, which has ceased to perceive him as a victim, which will indicate that this role was simply convenient for him and he has no need to leave it. In this case, it will be quite difficult to help from the outside.

For those who are aware and understand their problem, the following advice from a psychologist can help:

• you need to learn not to worry about trifles;
• do not be afraid to express your opinion, learn to defend your interests;

• Don’t get too hung up on problems and beat yourself up;
• you should get used to taking responsibility, not giving in to difficulties, but trying to overcome them;
• you need to stop shifting the blame for your failures onto others;
• Get used to making decisions in your own life on your own.

Reasons for appearance

Hypochondria, lack of attention

I probably won’t surprise you, but victim behavior originates from childhood. Namely, when parents or other adults who “raise” a child pay attention to him only when he feels bad. That is, they “turn on” emotionally and begin to show concern.

He masters this mechanism well and subsequently unconsciously transmits it to others. When everything is good and calm, he is no longer particularly happy with it, because he feels a lack of interest in himself, warmth, sympathy, and so on.

Trespassing

Or, if the child had to endure something, endure it, being afraid to say what he doesn’t like. For example, so as not to be rejected. Yes, even parents. Or they weren’t punished if they refused to eat something. There are many ways that violate another person's boundaries.

We, sometimes without noticing, harm loved ones, committing violence as if with the best intentions.

For example, if you force a child to eat what is put on the plate. Even if you don’t like the food, ignoring the body’s own signals that it is no longer suitable and disgust has already appeared. And this needs to be done, because my mother tried, she prepared. And my grandmother actually survived the war, saw hunger and death from it.

This is already violence. Because over time, he will forget how to listen to his desires and feelings, which means he will live as he is told.

It is very important to teach children to stand up for themselves, to say “no” if they don’t want to do something, to respect and value themselves.

Reducing Anxiety

Instability and the unknown cause anxiety and fear. Therefore, some people have to use control to get rid of this intolerable condition. Then everything is predictable, understandable and known.

In childhood, such people did not just play dirty tricks to get attention, some used this way to control their parents and their reactions. That is, it was easier for them to receive punishment and calm down than to constantly be in anxiety. After all, what if this happens at a moment when they don’t expect it?

This is when the “victim complex” begins to form.

Help from a psychologist. What techniques are used and how is the treatment performed?

In difficult situations, when victimization has developed as a result of an acquired experience that is seriously traumatic for the psyche, it may be impossible to do without the help of a psychologist and psychotherapist.

To work through the problem, you may need to visit a specialist multiple times, who will help you accept the reasons for the deviation that has arisen and understand how to move on, live and deal with the manifestation of victimization.

Such psychotherapeutic treatment includes the following areas:

• rational-emotional therapy – aimed at changing the patient’s approach to life, helping him form a new behavioral line;
• cognitive therapy – correction of formed thoughts and attitudes leading to victim behavior;
• behavioral therapy - includes practical exercises to develop adequate skills to respond to situations. Helps the patient understand which behaviors are acceptable and which are maladaptive;
• art therapy - helps to express all your fears on paper and improve your psychological state in general;
• music therapy – helps to equalize the emotional background, relaxation and harmonization of soul and body.

In psychology, victimization is a specific feature of a person to behave in such a way as to make a potential aggressor want to offend him and cause him harm. Victimized people are more likely than others to become targets of ridicule, bullying and violence.

Victimization prevents a person from developing and growing normally, since this feature often hides unhappy, insecure people who consider themselves rare losers.

However, such people are not to blame for this, since they transmit such behavior unconsciously, and the task of their immediate environment is to help them overcome all fears and become full-fledged and self-confident members of society.

Who is responsible?

There is an opinion that the victims themselves are to blame for what happened. This is partly true. For example, when walking alone in the park late, it is naive to think about safety. Especially if you are wearing a short skirt or talking on the phone, which is not cheap at all.

But no one is responsible for the actions of another person. Not for how he perceives you. Not for what decisions he makes regarding actions and tactics of behavior towards you.

There are many examples of rape when the girls were completely inappropriately dressed. But for some reason society tries to find an excuse for the criminal by blaming the victims. Like, it’s my own fault, I shouldn’t have...

Do you know why this happens? This is human psychology. If we know that we are in danger at any moment, we risk acquiring paranoia. And so, when there is at least some insignificant detail, so to speak, instructions, then a feeling of imaginary security appears.

Let’s say I call a taxi so as not to return home along an unlit street when night falls - then nothing bad will happen to me. It becomes calmer. But the possibilities of an accident, the inadequacy of the driver himself, etc. are excluded.

Therefore, in order to protect those who find themselves in an unpleasant situation through no fault of their own, but receive condemnation from society, they try to use the term “victimization” in Europe as little as possible.

How to prevent it?

Attentiveness

To avoid getting into unpleasant situations, try to be attentive to what is happening in the surrounding reality. Because immersing yourself in your inner world while you are in a public place is not very safe.

Very often attacks are committed under the influence of the situation. It's harder to rob a person who keeps an eye on his valuables by holding them with his hand than someone whose wallet or phone is sticking out of his trousers while riding the subway during rush hour. And even more so if he is immersed in his thoughts or listening to music on headphones.

Personal space

Nobody has the right to hurt you. And you don’t have to endure something just because someone else wants it. Be sensitive to yourself and your desires.

If you allow them to treat you as they please with complete impunity, then do not expect that the people around you will “wake up” their conscience or kindness and they themselves will come to the conclusion that they are doing wrong.

Helplessness provokes violence. It’s as if a person is trying to discover boundaries beyond which it is no longer possible to go.

For example, when a man begins to pester a woman, and she hides her eyes, showing with all her appearance that she is ready to submit meekly, the chances are high that she will not be well. And if she initially declares that she is not a timid person, simply saying loudly: “Man, what are you doing?” - there is a high probability that the rapist will retreat

Most of them do not like to attract attention, otherwise their impunity will be at risk

After all, people who are weak, not particularly developed and conscious usually have a tendency to violence. Therefore, they enjoy power over defenseless people, the thought that someone will submit to their will. Think for yourself, a successful person who has realized his desires, created happy and healthy relationships - should he attack others in order to profit or feel superior?

Control

If you are a fairly aggressive person, learn to cope with feelings and stop yourself before you provoke a conflict. Energy can be released in safer conditions. Do sports and meditation

Focus on self-development to develop new, healthier ways of responding to stress. No matter how difficult it may seem, if desired, a person is capable of much.

So why shouldn't it work for you too?

Self-defense

Learn not only to defend your personality verbally, but also take self-defense courses and engage in some types of martial arts. Your goal is to feel confident that you are able to fight back against the offender.

So that you know how to dodge a blow and what to do if you are pushed, grabbed, etc. Such skills never hurt, and sometimes can even save lives.

Caution

A direct gaze on a subconscious level is read as aggression, an invitation to fight. Therefore, the best prevention of adverse consequences would be to avoid making eye contact with the aggressor.

Even if someone behaves provocatively in a public place, try to refrain from staring at them

Otherwise, he will notice it and will pay attention to you, making you the so-called “scapegoat”

It is better, of course, to leave this place, but if this is not possible, remain calm and confident. To make it easier, you can enlist the support of those around you, looking around for those you could rely on, ask for help, if something happens, etc.

Psychological features of the victim’s testimony

When analyzing the testimony of the victim, it is necessary to take into account the fact that emotional stress has a long-term effect on hormonal balance, the cardiovascular system, the digestive and excretory systems and other visceral functions.

Changes at the physiological level also have a significant impact on the mental state of the victim, which undoubtedly affects his testimony in the case. The investigator should know that the biased judgment of the victim, as identified in rational-emotive psychology, causes the following typical mental errors:

1. Arbitrary inference (for example, a hypochondriac may think like this: “I have a tingling sensation in my side, which means I am very sick”).

2. Selective abstraction - emphasizing some elements of the situation and ignoring others (for example, the victim believes that his boss did not like him and specially arranged situations that would compromise him in the eyes of his colleagues).

3. Overgeneralization - spreading the experience of a single failure to a wide range of situations (for example, a person who breaks his leg believes that the situation that has arisen means the collapse of his family life and career).

4. Polarized (simplified or “black and white”) thinking (for example, hypochondriacs adhere to an undifferentiated view of health: either completely healthy or terminally ill).

5. Personification - the tendency to attribute neutral events to oneself in the absence or lack of supporting facts (for example, depressed or anxious people may perceive the neutral statements of others as offensive or dismissive).

6. Maximization-minimization - exaggeration or downplaying of the significance of events (for example, the victim says that the suspect hit him with an iron rod, and he claims that he hit him with a wooden rod).

Psychological features of the victim’s testimony:

• in addition to the desire to promote the establishment of the truth, there may be indifference or direct opposition to the investigation;

• repeated reference to affectogenic circumstances (during a confrontation, visiting a crime scene) can cause a tense mental state and lead to hasty conformist testimony;

• the transition of the victim from truthful testimony to false evidence, as a rule, indicates his mental tension, isolation, and formality of speech structures;

• oversaturation with evaluative elements (the investigation is only interested in facts);

• when suffering - a tendency to interpret the comments of others as cynical;

• in case of severe fright, the effect of “narrowed vision” occurs;

• with anger - the appearance of only “angry thoughts”. Defects in the testimony of victims:

1) the traumatic impact of events can lead to the victim exaggerating time intervals (sometimes by 2-3 times);

2) gross physical influences, being a super-strong irritant, can cause a disturbance in mental activity, which is expressed in better memory of actions committed before the crime or in its preparatory part;

3) victims of sexual violence, experiencing depression and apathy, may deliberately distort the events of the crime in order to conceal their traumatic situations;

4) generality, especially in the initial explanations and testimony about the actions of the perpetrators;

5) misconceptions regarding the sequence of development of an event - confusion, rearrangement when reproducing its individual details and the actions of specific participants in the crime.