Which 'victim', which 'survivor'? Why the difference matters – Audrey Friggieri
As people living our daily lives, we do not conceive of ourselves in terms of labels or categories assigned to us by statisticians or experts. Labels are reductive because they are intended to impose order on that which is never orderly, and being generic, they serve to deflect attention from people’s complex realities. The themes of domestic violence and gender-based violence very often implicate the use of the words ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’. The subsequent arguments and discourses tend to ignore the fact that these anonymous ‘victims’ or ‘survivors’, although sharing experiences that may seem similar at first glance, are always very particular individuals living in different situations and circumstances. The term ‘victim’ evokes the abused person as trapped, whereas ‘survivors’ come across as agents. One of the central advantages of using the victim concept is the quality of innocence, and the fact that ‘real’ victims are completely uninvolved in their victimisation. On the other hand, victimhood implies weakness, vulnerability and lack of agency. These meanings may impact the self-perception of individuals who have experienced domestic violence. For example, for a woman...