Exploring Psychological Impact of Legal Procedure and Victim Blaming on Women Domestic Violence Victims

Domestic violence includes pattern of abusive or coercive behaviours that occur over time and typically escalate in severity. These patterns of behaviour are directed to assert power, dominance, control and/or coercion over women in line with patriarchal notions of marriage. Prior literature had profoundly addressed the multi-factor implications of encounters with domestic violence, but the gap persists in the areas of societal victim-blaming and re-victimisation that occur during legal procedures.

This research aimed at exploring the psychological impact of societal victim blaming and re-victimisation through legal procedures among domestic violence victims.

The current study adopted quantitative approach to address the research question. Ex-Post Facto research design was used. A representative sample of 100 women victims was selected through a purposive sampling technique. The dataset was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to arrive at a meaningful conclusion.

Findings of the study reported that significant differences were observed in the victim-blaming attitudes, psychological distress and legal re-victimisation assessed across the age groups and type of abuse endured. Findings also suggested that victim-blaming attitudes legal re-victimisation significantly predicted psychological distress among participants with R ² = 0.117, suggesting a 11.7% variability.

Findings of the study highlighted the catastrophic impact of victim-blaming attitudes and re-victimisation through legal procedures on various mental and psychological outcomes. Hence, this study presses on the importance of addressing the hurdles and psychological repercussions of legal procedures that victim had to encounter.