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What Does Victim Blaming Look Like? 9 Easy Signs to Watch for

What does victim blaming look like? ‘Want to know exactly how to recognize when you’re being blamed for the bullying you suffer. Here are all the signs you need to know about.

what does victim blaming look like

Victim blaming is ugly in that it re-victimizes victims, over and over again.

Therefore, in this post is all the answers to the question, “What does victim blaming look like,” so that you can know how to recognize it when you see it and how to defend yourself against victim blaming behavior it when a bully tries it with you.

Once you learn to see it when it happens, you will better be able to call it out when it happens to you or anyone else.

This post answers the question, “What does victim blaming look like,” so that you can see victim blaming for what it is and tackle it immediately.

What does victim blaming look like?

Many times, when you call out or report bullying, your bullies will blame you for their despicable behavior just to take the guilt off themselves.

So, what is the definition of victim blaming?

According to Welsh Women’s Aid, “Victim blaming is any response that explicitly states or implies that the victim is to blame for the abuse they have experienced.”

In cases of bullying, Targets Never Become Targets Overnight

Victim blaming doesn’t only happen to victims of bullying, it can also happen to victims of crimes, such as rape and domestic assault. Moreover, the blame can come from the perpetrators, other people, or even law enforcement, who is supposed to help victims.

The same happens to victims of bullying as well. Bullies are notorious for blaming their victims for their atrocious abuse. However, blame can also come from peers, teachers, coworkers, supervisors and managers.

This happens especially when the bullying of a certain individual first begins. Therefore, if you’re beginning to see subtle signs of bullying by others, be very careful. Why?

Because, any time bullies select a potential target, they start out subtle and sweet with their bullying. The reason bullies are subtle at first is because they’re testing the waters. In other words, they’re probing you to see how you respond and if you’re an easy target.

If you overlook their behavior, or response too emotionally, your bullies will slowly move on to more obvious verbal abuse. However, if you respond the right way by being assertive and telling them in no uncertain terms to stop the behavior, they will leave you alone. Keep in mind that this only works in the early stages of bullying.

And sadly, most people don’t stand up for themselves in the early stages. Therefore, again, bullies progress to more blatant verbal abuse.

Your bullies may try to blame you. However, continue to stand strong. Don’t back down and refuse to accept blame. Then, eventually, they’ll leave you alone.

What Does Victim Blaming Look Like?

1. Bullies Ridicule You and tell you to “Get Over It.”

Bullies will ridicule you for the way you feel about their abuse. Moreover, they taunt you if you have the guts to call them out on it. But see them for who they are.

  • “Get over it!”
  • “Let it go!”
  • “Forget about it!”

Whatever way they say it, it usually means the same.

Realize that bullies are self-entitled turds who think you should just let them ride roughshod over you. Also, they believe that you’re wrong for even trying to defend against the abuse.

Maybe they know they’re in the wrong but don’t want you to notice it.

How many of you have been told to do either of these? As if you could just wiggle your nose and everything is peachy king. When you’ve been abused, you cannot just let it go. Healing takes time.

The emotions you feel won’t just go away. Even if you paint a smile on your face and pretend that nothing’s wrong, these feelings will still be there.

They’ll only simmer under the surface. Moreover, the more you try to stuff them down and bury them, the more damage it will cause.

Don’t feel guilty for feeling the way that you do.

Understand that the emotions you’re feeling are there for a reason. They warn you that something isn’t right. Realize that the anger and hurt won’t disappear overnight.

 Know that the people who give you that kind of response do so out of ignorance and entitlement. Moreover, they only re-abuse you when they demand that you “get over it.”

In order to heal and get your life back again, you must allow yourself to feel those raw emotions. No, it isn’t comfortable. No one wants to feel pain.

However, you must go through it to come out on the other side of it. And while you’re moving through the pain, practice self-care.

Give yourself some TLC. Have self-compassion. It’s okay to not be okay and it’s okay to baby yourself.

Take a few days off. Lounge around the house in your pajamas if you want to. Eat your favorite treat or give yourself a good, sweaty workout.

Also, treat yourself to a spa-day, facial, new do, or a beach vacation. Your first priority is self-care, whatever that may be.

Last and most importantly, don’t shut up! Tell your bullies to take a long walk off a short pier.

Also, keep speaking out and standing in your truth. Self-care also means being your own advocate and if people don’t like it, too bad.

Put yourself first!

2. What does victim blaming look like?

Shifting focus from your bullies’ actions to your reactions.

This is a classic bully-move. Anytime you call attention to their disgusting behavior, your bullies try to distract others’ attention to the way you reacted to it.

Your bullies do this for three reasons.

  1. To silence you.
  2. To make you ashamed of defending yourself.
  3. Also, to make you doubt your own judgement.
  4. To discredit you.

Bullying thrives on secrecy. Therefore, bullies point out your reaction, hoping that you’ll shut your mouth. Therefore, keep talking.

3. Questioning the victim’s reactions.

Many times, when you defend yourself against bullying, people will question your reaction. They may ask, “Why didn’t you walk away when the bully hit you? You didn’t have to sink to their level by hitting them back.

However, bullies don’t honor someone who walks away. People may tell you to be the bigger person and walk away from the bully. But how do you know that your bully won’t sucker punch you the moment you turn your back?

Realize that bullies only understand strength. Therefore, strength is what you respond with. Punch their lights out!

You have to let them know that if they lay hands on you, there will be consequences.

4. What does victim blaming look like?

Bringing attention to the victim’s flaws and weaknesses.

Your bullies may say that your weight or your big ears are the reason you get bullied. They may make remarks such as, “Maybe if you weren’t such an oinker, no one would mess with you.”

Be that as it may, no one has the right to bully you. Ever!

Therefore, don’t fall that bullshit. Continue to stand your ground!

5. Trivializing the victim’s pain.

“It’s not that bad.” “Aw! It’s not the end of the world.” How many gave you one of these responses when you reported bullying and abuse or spoke out about it?

Understand that bullies say these things to trivialize your pain.

Therefore, don’t fall for that garbage! Your bullies aren’t the ones on the receiving end of the abuse. You are!

Again, don’t let them gaslight you! Keep standing up for yourself.

6. Removing the bully’s name.

For instance, instead of saying, “Billy beat Kelly up,”  bystanders will say, “Kelly got beat up!”

Many times, the bully’s friends and followers will do this to protect their friend. Therefore, they cover for their buddy while taunting you because Billy beat the crap out of you.

7. What does victim blaming look like?

Suggesting that  you had it coming.

Lots of times, when bullies abuse you, they’ll tell you that you had it coming. They may say that you made them do it.

They’ll make statements, such as,

  • “You ‘made me‘ or ‘make me’ hit you!”
  • “You ‘make‘ people want to hurt you!”
  • “Don’t ‘make me‘ hurt you!”
  • “Don’t ‘make me‘ mad!”

However, you must see all this for what it is. It’s all a way for your bullies to blame you and take the guilt off themselves.

Think about this. If they can make you take the blame for their abuse, then they get off Scot free. Moreover, they can make themselves look like the innocent victims while making you look like the bully.

8. Implying that you must have provoked the bully.

For example, if you’re bullied at school and you report it to the principal. The principal then asks you, “What did you do to make that boy attack you?”

Sadly, school staff tend to take the bully’s side and blame the victim.

9. Asking you what you could’ve done to avoid being bullied.

School staff and workplace managers are also guilty of this. In many cases, they ask you, “What do you think you could’ve done to prevent John from cursing you out?”

If nothing else, understand this right now! When they ask you questions like these, they’re trying to put if off on you. Don’t let them do it!

Call them out on it! Let them know that you see through it and you won’t accept blame for anyone else’s deplorable behavior but your own! And when you say it, mean it!

This post addressed the question, “what does victim blaming look like,” So you’ll recognize it when it happens and defend yourself against it.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Stop Victim Blaming: 8 Reasons People Blame Targets for Bullying

2. Signs Someone is Gaslighting You: The 13 Must-Know Symptoms

3. Gaslighting Phrases: 7 Most Common Statements to Be Aware of

4. Phrases to Shut Down a Gaslighter: 9 Powerful Statements to Use

bullying and double standards at work

Bullying and Double Standards: 3 Things Bullies and Others Get Away with that Targets Don’t

‘Want to know about bullying and double-standards bullies and others hold you to? Here are 7 things bullies get away with that others don’t.

bullying and double standards

Unfortunately, people holding you to double standards is a huge part of being a target of bullying. However, knowledge is power and it can be a tool you can use to overcome it.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn all about bullying and double standards so that you can call it out and use it to defend yourself.

Once you learn all about these game-changing information, you will be able to call it all out for what it is and use it to fight back.

This post is all about bullying and double standards so that you’ll have the knowledge to arm yourself with.

Bullying and Double Standards

Bullies are the biggest hypocrites! Moreover, another unfortunate reality of bullying is that they almost always hold you to their double standards.

The bullies, especially those in authority, will often condemn you for statements and actions they allow others to get away with. Ever heard the term, “selective outrage?”

Selective outrage is when people get angry at you for things they’d never get angry at others for. In other words, bullies select who to inflict their outrage on and who they should grant a free pass.

Here’s another thing bullies do. They demonize you for things that are harmless or innocent.

Merit goes out the window

Here’s another thing to be aware of. Bullies and their followers personalize ideas and creations, which are independent things that should stand on their own merit.

In other words, bullies and others will undermine or dismiss any idea or creation if they find out that it originated from you. On the other hand, if the exact ideas or creations come from anyone other than you, people will accept them. In fact, they may even praise them.

In short, it’s not about the idea or creation itself. It’s about who it comes from.

Sadly, the reality is that nothing- no action, statement, idea or creation ever stands on its own merit. Nothing is ever independent of the person who conceived it.

Bullying and Double Standards:

So, why Do people Set double standards?

1. To Assign different roles to different people in different positions in the social hierarchy.

In other words, they put them in place to assign good roles and more freedom to the people society approves of. On the other hand, people also set them to assign lower and more restrictive roles to those they hate or dislike.

No, it isn’t always fair. Therefore, should you continue to wonder why bullies defame and demonize you to others?

They do it to turn others against you, yes. However, they also do it because they know that once everyone is against you, you won’t have the freedom and mobility you once had.

Therefore, a bad reputation, whether you deserve it or not, keeps you down and locked in place. There’s no chance for advancement or mobility unless you leave the environment.

2. Bullying and Double Standards:

To elevate, angelize and benefit the people we approve of and to degrade, demonize and harm the people we disapprove of.

Understand that people hold a target of bullying to double standards for one reason only. And that sole reason is to stress, oppress and invalidate the person.

Again, it doesn’t matter whether or not you deserve it. What matters is how people feel about you.

Remember that emotions and personal feelings always- always take priority over logic. It always has and always will. And the sooner you accept it, the quicker and more effectively you will be able to find your way around it.

Here are a couple of ways you can get around a double-standard:

1. Go incognito if possible.

If you write a paper or invent something, don’t use your real name in the beginning. Use a pen name or pseudonym before submitting it.

If you have bullies around, they won’t know it was you who created it. Therefore, they will likely approve of it.

Then, once people approve and recognize the work for its brilliance, everyone will want to know who the mystery person is. Once an award has been prepared and everything’s all said and done, you can reveal who you are. Think of the movie, “The Cinderella Pact.”

I’ve also heard of people doing similar things in real life. However, this only works in certain situations.

2. Meet strangers who don’t know and haven’t heard of you.

Find and befriend strangers who don’t know of your damaged reputation. Then keep company with them.

These people are least likely to judge you because there will be no history or biases. With them, you start with a clean slate. Therefore, you can put your best foot forward and be your best you!

Reputations are hard to change, but with careful thought, inventiveness, and creativity, you can intelligently work your way around your circumstances.

When there’s a culture of bullying at school or in the company, everything is all about appearances. Therefore, it isn’t about what’s being done; it’s about who’s doing it.

Sadly, people often hold victims of bullying to a double-standard. Again, if someone makes a statement, it’s never about the comment itself.

It’s about who it came from. Unfortunately, politics, whether it be on a national, local, school, or office level, is rife with double-standards.

Bullying and Double Standards:

So, What do bullies get away with that others don’t?

1. Romantic relationships, whether it’s an affair or a Genuine Love Relationship.

For example, the student body and people in the community find out that a particular girl is in a monogamous romantic relationship. She and her boyfriend aren’t only dating; they have sex every weekend.

If she’s a target of bullying, she’s a “whore.” Moreover, her boyfriend must be with her for the sole purpose of getting in her pants.

It’s only a matter of time until he gets tired of her and dumps her for something better. Therefore, everyone uses her lack of celibacy as an opportunity to persecute her.

On the other hand, what if she’s one of the bullies? Also, what if she’s not a target of bullying? She doesn’t necessarily have to be one of the popular crowd. All it takes is not to be a target of bullying.

Therefore, she can be just an average Jane who blends in.

As long as she’s any girl who isn’t a target of bullies, she’s only a girl in love. She and her boyfriend are only experimenting and exploring the sexual terrain. This is just a normal part of being a young couple in love.

Therefore, everyone cuts her some slack. They don’t say anything about it. Or, they congratulate her for reaching the milestone of finding love and losing her virginity.

2. Bullying and Double Standards:

Partying, Drinking and Doing Drugs.

A boy in the school goes out, drinks and does drugs on the weekends.

If he’s a target of bullying, people will label him a worthless drunk or druggie. Moreover, they won’t let him live it down.

However, if he’s any boy who isn’t a target of bullying, people only say that he’s a hell-raiser! He’s only doing what most teenage boys will try at some point during their adolescent years. Therefore, others dismiss it as his being one of those rowdy kids from high school.

3. Getting Pregnant.

Students and school staff discover that a certain girl at school is pregnant.

If she’s a bullied girl, they’ll only label her a cheap little slut. Moreover, they won’t be surprised she’s “knocked up.” People shun her like Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.”

Moreover, everyone judges her harshly. They take on the attitudes that she and her baby will only live on welfare and leach from society. And they’ll do it while the non-bullied kids will move on to successful careers.

Others will make predictions. They’ll predict that they and everyone else will support this sorry excuse for a human being and her little spawn with their tax dollars.

But if she’s any girl who isn’t a target of bullying, she’s just a good girl who made a bad mistake. Therefore, everyone reaches out to her and extends compassion.

They may throw her a baby shower and celebrate the occasion. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Therefore, you must learn school, office, any kind of politics. Double-standards are firmly put in place to keep a select few down and oppressed.

Bullying and Double Standards:

In Conclusion

If you aren’t a target of bully, there’s margin for error.  So, others allow you to explore many worlds. You’re allowed to make mistakes and you’re allowed to be a human being.

However, if you’re a target of bullying, you’re not afforded any of it. You’re not allowed to be yourself. You’re not allowed to be human because in the minds of others, you aren’t human at all.

Therefore, in the minds of the student body, you aren’t even allowed to be- to exist.

But no matter how they judge you, do it anyway.

  • Allow yourself to make mistakes because that’s how you learn.
  • Be yourself because that’s how you weed out the people who aren’t supposed to be in your life and attract into your world the people who belong there.
  • Be human because being human is what exposes the people who are wrong for you and shows you the people who are right for you.

Don’t only exist, but live! Be alive! Live life to the fullest! Most importantly, know that happiness is a choice! And that you do have the power to choose.

This post is all about bullying and double standards so that you can recognize it, ignore it, and keep living your life the way you choose.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Inside the Mind of a Bully

2. Speaking Out Against Bullying: 5 Ways Bullies React When You Speak Up

3. Bullying and Power: 2 Categories of Power

4. Social Contagion Effect: Bullying and Social Contagion