The Revictimization Effect: What It Is And Why To Avoid It
When a person has been the victim of a certain type of abuse and society intervenes for its protection, the revictimization effect may occur. This means that the victim is subjected to trials through which he relives the suffering he previously had to endure. For example, this may include extensive interrogations of trauma.
Some of the most notorious consequences of this double victimization are stress and anxiety. In this sense, people can develop double post-traumatic stress: firstly because of the initial trauma and secondly because of the legal proceedings they have been subjected to.
Vulnerability to the memories of negative experiences is a natural response to all human beings. However, some subjects overcome trauma more easily than others, which decreases the likelihood of double victimization.
When does the revictimization effect occur?
This situation can occur in a variety of cases, with legal proceedings being one of the most common. For example, when a victim of abuse has to testify in court and is asked questions that make him or her relive unpleasant events, the effect of revictimization occurs.
Based on the example above, we can understand that double victimization occurs when representatives of a public or private institution subject a person who has been a victim of trauma to public contempt or press them to relive critical moments of the traumatic experience during interrogations.
Family members or friends of the victim may also be the ones making painful comments. The lack of empathy that occurs when talking about traumatic events causes a person to be the victim of a negative situation twice.
Social networks are platforms that have the ability to quickly expose people to these types of negative situations. This is the case with viral news; when the news that a person has been raped or killed starts circulating on social networks, the victim or family members of the victim suffer intensely.
The revictimization effect: possible psychological consequences
Psychological sequelae generate a higher level of vulnerability. In other words, there is an increase in the intensity of the initial symptoms and new maladaptive behaviors may occur.
In most cases, people who have suffered a certain type of abuse or traumatic experience develop post-traumatic stress behaviors; there are irrational fears about trauma.
Post-traumatic stress in subjects who have been exposed to double victimization is often linked to institutions. For example, the person in question develops a fear of legal proceedings because he was the victim of an empathetic interrogation in which he had to relive the original trauma.
In addition to post-traumatic stress, revictimization makes people believe that it is impossible to get help. Then there is the hopelessness of legal or judicial proceedings; people do not go to institutions again because they do not consider it beneficial.
Measures to avoid revictimisation
Are some people immune to revictimization?
Some individuals possess certain personality traits that make them less prone to the effect of revictimization. Above all, resilience plays a key role in whether or not someone is affected by other people’s comments.
When a person is resilient, he has the ability to overcome adversity and learn things. In other words, in the future, he will be able to deal with any adverse situation in a less traumatic way. In this sense, the most resilient people do not have problems when they have to talk about vulnerable topics.
This does not mean that subjects with a higher resistance index are immune to traumatic memories that cause negative effects. However, they are able to cope with adverse situations.
