For example, many people believe rape victims are somewhat to blame for the rape. “If she hadn’t dressed and acted that way, she would not have been sexually assaulted.” In other research, battered wives were viewed by some as being responsible for their abusive husbands’ behavior.
Social psychologists believe this thinking is a form of self-defense that helps us maintain our belief that life is safe, orderly, and predictable. If life were unfair and random, then innocent people like ourselves could also be victimized and injured.