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Terms: Victim Blaming, Visible Minority
Victim Blaming
Phonetic Pronunciation: VIK-tim BLAY-ming
Definition:
Victim blaming is when responsibility for harm is shifted from the perpetrator to the victim. While often associated with sexual assault, it also occurs in cases of domestic violence, poverty, accidents, and other forms of victimization. It can discourage people from reporting crimes or seeking help, while supportive, non-blaming responses improve recovery and well-being.
History:
Victim blaming was coined in 1971, in the writing of psychologist William Ryan. He described it as shifting responsibility for harm from the perpetrator to the victim.
Current Usage:
Victim blaming occurs when a victim is held partially or fully responsible for the harm done to them, instead of the perpetrator.
Examples:
Situational Example: Assuming people experiencing homelessness are solely responsible for their financial struggles, ignoring and reinforcing systemic issues, inadequate allocation of resources, and underserved communities. E.g.: “They’re not working hard enough, they should just get a job.”
Sentence Example: “What did she expect? She was super drunk that night and wearing a slutty outfit - obviously she was going to get raped. I would never do that so I would never be raped.”
Perspective:
Victim blaming is commonly interpreted as someone treating a person who has experienced sexual violence like it was a result their behaviour, appearance, or choices rather than the actions of the perpetrator.
In reality, victim blaming occurs in more scenarious than just sexual violence. This includes domestic violence, poverty, physical assault, property crimes, accidents, violence against sex workers, and more. E.g.: “What did they expect leaving their car unlocked?” (property crime), “Why didn't you just leave the relationship sooner?” (domestic violence), “Why didn't they fight back?” (assault), “she’s a sex worker, she should’ve expected it”, or blaming a cyclist for being hit because they lacked reflective clothing, while ignoring a driver’s traffic violation (accident).
Did You Know?
Statistics Canada reports that more than 1,200 sexual assaults occur daily in Canada, yet fewer than 10% are reported. When it comes to sexual harassment, catcalls, and stalking, the numbers are even lower. Fear of being victim-blamed, shamed, or disbelieved is a major barrier to reporting and seeking help. In a Canadian government survey on reporting sexual violence, 28% of survivors said police discouraged them from reporting, and 40% felt blamed or shamed during the process. In contrast, supportive responses are linked to lower rates of post-traumatic stress and depression.
Sources:
(1) Victim Blaming
(2) Victim Blaming | Sexual Assault Centre Of Edmonton
(3) Understanding victim blaming and why it’s harmful to survivors : Welsh Women's Aid
(4) Reporting to Police and Investigations - Canada.ca
(5) Stop Victim Blaming | Violence Against Women | Sexual Harassment
(6) Ending victim blaming in the context of violence against women and girls.
Resources:
Ending victim blaming: Shifting the story from guilt to justice | Sarah Williams | TEDxSydney Youth
Avoiding Victim Blaming – Center for Relationship Abuse Awareness & Action
5 Reasons Why People Blame Victims | Psychology Today Canada
Visible Minority
Phonetic Pronunciation: VIZ-uh-buhl muh-NOR-uh-dee
Definition:
“Visible minority” refers to racialized groups visibly perceived as non-white, but the outdated term is increasingly replaced by “racialized.”
History:
The term “visible minority” was invented in 1975 by black activist Kay Livingstone, founder of the Canadian Negro Women’s Association, as the means to unite disparate immigrant groups at a time when Canada was overwhelmingly Caucasian.
Current Usage:
Under the The Employment Equity Act in Canada, visible minorities are "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour". The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: Arab, Black, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, Southeast Asian, South Asian, West Asian.
Examples:
Situational Example: Jane is from Egypt but has blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes and is often perceived as white. While she may not be considered a visible minority, she may be considered an invisible minority because of her non-white background. Although she may not face certain biases associated with being visibly non-white, her culture and identity may be invalidated because people don’t immediately view her as being a part of that group.
Sentence Example: "A person of colour applies for a job but notices that the workplace has very few staff from racialized groups. This person notices this because the staff are visible minorities."
Perspective:
The common understanding of the term is that a visible minority is anyone who is visually recognizable as a part of a non-white racial group
The term “visible minority” is now considered outdated and no longer recommended because the word “visible” suggests being white is the standard, and the word “minority” limits the concept to numbers. The term is increasingly being replaced by “racialized” individuals or groups.
Did You Know?
While visible minorities may be more likely to experience overt racism, microaggressions, or police brutality, invisible minorities can also face bullying or teasing, including from people within their own racial group. However, personal conflicts do not reverse systemic inequalities. Any backlash lighter-skinned people experience for having lighter skin typically reflects frustration with a system that privileges and values lighter skin.
Sources:
(1) Identifying visible minorities or racialized persons on surveys: can we just ask? - PMC
(2) https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Var.pl?Function=DEC&Id=45152%5C
(3) IRCC Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0 (2021-2024) – Glossary - Canada.ca
Resources:
Majority of Toronto residents now visible minorities: Census report
It’s Time to Abolish the Absurd (and Slightly Racist) Concept of “Visible Minorities” | C2C Journal