http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/opinion/sunday/who-blames-the-victim.html?_r=0
In my work in psychotherapy, I have found that the feelings that are most associated with mental health barriers are guilt and shame. Learning to accept oneself completely is an ongoing practice that can take a lot of introspection, reflection, and hard work. More reflection on this topic can be seen in an earlier post for relinquishing shame. I think what makes the work of self acceptance doubly hard, is that we can be quick to blame ourselves in our attempt to make sense of what has occurred
Earlier this week I came across the article (see link above), which discusses different studies that found evidence for which beliefs/values lead to victim-blaming. "Loyalty, obedience, and purity" are beliefs that are termed "binding values", as they promote group cohesion. The studies found that those that identify with these beliefs are more apt to blame a victim, and to see them as "contaminated" following a crime.
For me, I also felt that these findings were applicable to why victims can also blame themselves. For instance, when a child is abused or neglected by their parent, they often blame themselves on some level for the abuse. This occurs because children are naturally self centered (as they should be in their developmental stage), but also as a means to continue to attach to and bond with their caregivers. They identify with the role ("you're bad") that has been given to them by their parents and see themselves as to blame. At the same time, I think our individual selves (the part that is wholly our own) can feel that this mistreatment is deeply hurtful and confusing. This conflict between feeling like you are to blame while simultaneously rejecting that blame, leads to great internal strife in a child, and into adulthood.
In addition to it's pertinence in Attachment Theory, I also feel the article is relevant for the current issue of violence toward people of color from police all over the United States. I feel that the creation of a threat (which I see as blaming the victim), can propagate violence toward a particular group of individuals. This was seen in WWII from the Nazi party toward Jewish people, and I feel that in our country there is an unjust fear and mistrust toward persons of color. The "purity and loyalty" values that I am sure members of the police feel toward one another may allow for a continued justification of their actions.
Whichever level of you look at it, the article is a thought provoking and quick read. It helps to show that by valuing the individual, care and happiness can promote more understanding of one another. I hope that you find this article as helpful as I did!