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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
"But sometimes I think . . . they put themselves in the situation": exploring blame and responsibility in
Suruchi Thapar-Björkert1, Karen J Morgan
1University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UQ, UK. s.thapar-bjorkert@bristol.ac.uk
Abstract:
This article draws on narratives of volunteers working with women who have experienced violence. It explores how institutional discourses nurture a culture of blame and responsibility. Using qualitative data, it examines the ways in which women victims are seen as complicit in their own victimization. An indirect consequence of the blame/responsibility dichotomy is that victims are depicted as deserving their fate. There is, therefore, a culture of resignation in which violence is normalized. It proposes that if institutional practices are embedded in a feminist tradition, they can provide a more sustainable framework for challenging sexual and domestic violence.
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