Black History Month: Challenging Victim Blaming in Domestic Abuse

When survivors find the courage to speak out, they deserve compassion, belief, and support. Yet too often, they face doubt, dismissal, and victim blaming.
One survivor shared:

“My husband, respected by many, shows a different face behind closed doors. His rage leaves me black and blue. When I finally spoke up, no one asked how I was coping or how they could help. Instead, I was told: ‘He’s just being a man, you have to be patient.’ ‘Are you sure you’re not provoking him?’ ‘What happens behind closed doors must stay there.’”

These responses don’t just hurt; they cause deeper harm. Victim blaming shifts responsibility away from the abuser and onto the survivor, increasing trauma and isolation.

What Is Victim Blaming?

Victim blaming means holding survivors responsible for the abuse. Whether blatant or subtle, its impact is devastating:

• Survivors internalise shame and guilt, believing they caused the violence.
• Perpetrators feel justified and continue abusing.
• Communities stay silent, stigma grows, and trust in authorities fades.

For Black, Asian, and minority ethnic survivors, victim blaming is intensified by cultural expectations, systemic racism, and institutional bias.

Why Does Victim Blaming Persist?

Key drivers include:

• Cultural norms: Protecting family honour or male authority often trumps survivor safety.
• Denial: Many convince themselves “it wouldn’t happen to me.”
• Institutional failures: Police, courts, and social services sometimes minimise abuse or reinforce harmful myths.

This causes survivors to withdraw, distrust support, and suffer untreated mental health issues, especially in communities where seeking help is stigmatised.

The Impact on Black Survivors

Victim blaming affects Black survivors deeply:

• Cultural pressure to protect reputation and faith discourages disclosure.
• Systemic racism leads to disbelief or dismissal by authorities, 73% of rape survivors report mental health harm from police treatment.
• Courts often use victim-blaming language, resulting in lighter sentences for offenders.

This leaves Black survivors less likely to report abuse and more likely to stay in danger.

Why This Matters for Black History Month

Black History Month celebrates resilience and calls out injustice. Victim blaming is systemic, silencing Black survivors and protecting abusers.
To end it, we need:

• Culturally informed, trauma-informed services.
• Intersectional approaches recognising race, gender, immigration, and class.
• Accountability placed on perpetrators.
• Community campaigns to break stigma and amplify survivor voices.

Moving Forward: Support Survivors, Stop Victim Blaming

When survivors hear, “What did you do to provoke him?” instead of “How can we help you?”, abuse continues unchecked.

This Black History Month, we honour survivors by committing to end victim blaming.

Survivors deserve safety and trust. At Staying Put, we are here to listen, believe, and take action to protect them today and always.