Survivor or Victim?

Anti-feminist movements have coined the label of victim as appealing, or a cry for attention (Harding, 2020). Think of terminology like “playing the victim,” “victim mentality,” or “victimhood culture.” In reality, anyone who identifies with the term likely did not want to be put in the position to do so.

Victim is a term often used by people who have recently experienced sexual or domestic violence. One may choose to identify with victim, not as an assumption of weakness, but as a way to not minimize the severity and criminality of what they have experienced. They feel violated.

In a sense, the term victim refers to what happened to a person. It almost feels more about the perpetrator—how their actions hurt this person.

Some may not identify with the term survivor, yet or at all. Maybe they have only started their healing journey, and they haven’t quite yet processed everything. Or, perhaps, they just feel as if they endured sexual violence, not survived it.

On the other hand, survivor is a term often used by people who have already started their healing process. Maybe they don’t identify as a victim, because they have gained strength or processed what had happened to them. Or perhaps, the term survivor simply leaves the door open for the possibility of healing. Regardless, this term illustrates empowerment as a survivor reclaims their power, agency, and control.

A person may resonate more with victim or survivor. In fact, they may resonate with both or neither. Nonetheless, to support victims and survivors, it’s important we’re respectful of how they choose to identify with their experiences. 

For more information, check out @thesurvivoradvocate on Instagram.

Source:

Harding, K. (2020, February 27). Should We Use "Survivor" or "Victim" After Sexual Assault? | Time. TIME.