How to Prevent Revictimization: Understanding Victim Selection & Situational Self-Defence
Revictimisation:
The term revictimisation refers to a pattern wherein the victim of abuse and/or crime has a statistically higher tendency to be victimized again, either shortly thereafter[6] or much later in adulthood in the case of abuse as a child.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-victimization#Revictimisation
Victim Selection:
Victim selection is a term that refers to the process by which an offender intentionally chooses or targets a victim.
http://www.amazon.ca/Criminal-Profiling-Introduction-Behavioral-Evidence/dp/0123741009/
Situational Self-Defence:
One of the first principles in martial arts is awareness of your surroundings, in order to detect and avoid danger. Situational Self-Defence uses your awareness and knowledge of potentially dangerous situations and people to detect, avoid &/or minimize victimization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanshin
Victim Playing:
Self-victimisation (or victim playing) is the fabrication of victimhood for a variety of reasons such as to justify abuse, [or] to manipulate others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-victimization#Self-victimisation
Warning: this is a difficult topic, so please ensure that you are feeling stable and strong enough to grapple with darker concepts before proceeding. However, I consider this one of the most important, and most empowering, concepts for trauma survivors.
Abuse victims, crime victims, and other vulnerable individuals (e.g. the elderly) are rarely told that they are far more vulnerable to further victimization than the average person. Instead they are often told by mental health professionals that they are over-blowing their fear of danger and are told to ignore or discount their fear signals. This leaves many individuals unprepared to understand the difference between perceived and actual danger, which in turn can leave them open to re-victimization. Rather than quelling their fears, their lack of skills and knowledge can leave them more anxious.
Not all re-victimization can be prevented, but a very high percentage can if we know how to recognize dangerous situations and abusive people, and how to avoid putting ourselves in harm’s way. The truth is that this is a phenomenon which is very easy to understand, and to prevent, if we have the courage to look at it the right way.
Historically this has been a very controversial issue – because people often believed that repeat victims “asked for it” &/or “looked for trouble”. There was a high degree of victim-blaming and scapegoating of victims. (Warning: the following article contains disturbing information.) http://web.archive.org/web/20100108101157/http://www.fsu.edu/~trauma/v6i1a4.html
The opposite scenario is true: predators have a heightened ability to spot vulnerable people; many victims have a poor to very poor ability to spot predatory people &/or dangerous situations, most frequently because they’ve been trained, via abuse or neglect or misinformation, to discount their perceptions. The good news is that this is very easily corrected with the right training and information. And this knowledge will reduce, not increase, your fear.
Victimology is a very big topic area: suffice it to say that different types of criminals (e.g. bank robbers, white collar criminals, health care serial killers, pedophiles, burglars, etc...) each use very different criteria for ‘choosing’ an ideal victim &/or crime scene. However, they all have in common the concept of the offender ‘testing’ the victim for physical or emotional vulnerability as a criterion for selecting them. Emotional abuse and scapegoating also work on these same principles. It’s critical for survivors to understand how to recognize and ‘pass’ those tests.
One of the most important concepts for survivors to be aware of is that most predators and abusers initially present themselves in unassuming ways: often as experts; sometimes as ‘friendly’ helpful strangers; but most frequently posing as fellow victims. In this regard, cognitive dissonance is your greatest friend, if you can learn how to pay attention to it.
The articles and examples I’ve chosen here – most dealing with physical assault – give a broad understanding of the general principles. The principles of early detection and avoidance are the same across all types of situations.
For those times you aren’t able to avoid being involved with an emotionally abusive person or environment, the article below: “How to endure a mean-spirited workplace” gives strategies for how to temporarily withstand that environment once you are in it, in order to keep yourself, your career, and your emotional health safe until you are in a position to better protect yourself.
Once you are familiar with these principles these situations are quite easy to spot, which makes it much easier for you to step out of the path of danger.
Short Circuiting the Victim Selection Process:
http://www.protectivestrategies.com/victim-selection.html
The Nuts and Bolts of Awareness: Learning to detect trouble
http://www.protectivestrategies.com/awareness.html
How do bullies select their targets?
http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/bully.htm#Target_selection
How to Endure a Mean-spirited Workplace:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/jobs/28pre.html?_r=1
Social and Asocial Violence (The difference between fighting and hunting):
http://www.conflictcommunications.com/Socialviolence.htm
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Further readings
Quiz: Are you a target? (from www.LoveFraud.com):
http://www.lovefraud.com/05_areYouAtarget/fraud_victim_quiz.html
Sociopaths – Preferred Prey (from www.lovefraud.com):
http://www.lovefraud.com/05_areYouAtarget/con_artist_prey.html
How to Spot a Con: The Pity Play (from www.lovefraud.com):
http://www.lovefraud.com/02_howToSpotAcon/the_pity_play.html
How a Psychopath Spots You (from the documentary “I, Psychopath” – part 7):
WARNING! This clip contains graphic & disturbing images (starting at 8’ 36”) – please consider whether you wish to view this clip before watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDqxM9EYbQ (starting at 5:35 –> 8:36)
Are you a target? Situational Awareness:
http://www.examiner.com/article/are-you-a-target-situational-awareness
How to detect a liar: Duping Delight
http://facesinthenews.wordpress.com/tag/duping-delight/
How to identify liars – the READ System:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtzsnoxxqPY&feature=channel&list=UL
Revictimization – Pandora’s Project:
http://www.pandys.org/articles/revictimization.html
Severity of Child Sexual Abuse and Revictimization: The Mediating Role of Coping and Trauma Symptoms:
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1399&context=psychfacpub
Serial Killer Victim Selection (National Museum of Crime & Punishment):
http://www.crimemuseum.org/library/serialKillers/serialKillerVictim.html
Offender and Victim Characteristics of Registered Female Sexual Offenders in Texas:
http://empower-daphne.psy.unipd.it/userfiles/file/pdf/Vandiver%20D_%20-%202004.pdf
Cognitive Dissonance:
http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/dissonance.htm