Victim Rupture: What Is It And How To Avoid It?

When a person has fallen victim to some kind of crime and society intervenes to protect him or her, something called reviction can happen. Victimization means that the victim has to go through the traumatic experience they are experiencing again through the research process.  This may include, for example, extensive interrogations about the trauma.

Some of the best known consequences of this double victimization are stress and anxiety. In this sense, he may develop double post-traumatic stress: firstly towards the initial trauma and secondly towards the trials to which he has been subjected.

People are naturally vulnerable to memories of negative experiences. However, some individuals find it easier to overcome trauma than others. This reduces the likelihood of double victimization.

When does reviction occur?

This situation can occur in many circumstances, but litigation is the most common. For example, when a victim of a crime has to prove himself in court and is asked empathic questions in which he has to retry unpleasant events.

From the example above, we can understand that victimization occurs when officials of a public or private judiciary subject a trauma victim to public ridicule or pressure him or her to re-experience critical moments of the traumatic experience during some interrogations.

The victim’s own family members or friends may also be the ones making the offensive comments. Ultimately, a lack of empathy when talking about traumatic events causes a person to feel overwhelmed.

Social networks are platforms that have the potential to expose people quickly to these types of negative situations. This happens when the crime is widely reported; when the news of rape or murder begins to spread on social networks, the victim or the victim’s family members suffer severely.

Possible psychological consequences of restriction

The psychological consequences of being a double victim increase the level of vulnerability. In other words, the intensity of the initial symptoms increases, and new patterns of behavior may emerge.

In most cases, people who have experienced some form of abuse or traumatic experience develop a traumatic stress disorder; irrational fears of trauma-related situations.

Traumatic stress disorder is associated with the judiciary in many victims. For example, a person has a fear of litigation because he or she was subjected to an empathic interrogation where he or she had to experience a new trauma.

In addition to traumatic stress disorder, reviction makes people think that help is impossible. The person experiences hopelessness and frustration with legal institutions; people don’t go to the courts again because they don’t find it useful.

Measures to avoid restriction

Judiciaries can take a more humane approach when dealing with victims of traumatic events. That is why we are raising awareness among officials in charge of interviewing vulnerable people. Other measures to consider are:

• Provide psychological help. Victims should have the opportunity to meet with a mental health professional before discussing their traumatic experiences with others.
• Avoid entering into dialogue on issues related to trauma. It is never a good idea to approach a person directly on unpleasant topics; you must first build a certain trust.
• Practice active listening. An essential part of empathy is the ability to listen as the other person speaks. Ideally, give the person the freedom to tell about their situation without pressure, at their own pace, and by taking breaks.
• Put yourself in another person’s shoes. The starting point for empathy is the ability to put oneself in another person’s situation to understand his or her pain; avoid value decisions and not underestimate the importance of his feelings.

Are some people immune to restriction?

Some individuals have certain personality traits that make them less susceptible to the effects of reviction. Above all, resilience plays a crucial role in how much others ’comments can affect a person.

When a person has a high level of tolerance, he or she has the ability to overcome adversity and learn from his or her experiences. In other words, in the future, he will be able to face all the unfavorable situations in a less traumatic way. In this sense, it is usually not difficult for people with high tolerance to talk about vulnerable topics.

This does not mean that individuals with higher tolerance are immune to traumatic memories and their effects. However, they are able to cope quite well with the traumatic situation they are experiencing.