Survivors deserve an empowering label

Published on newspressnow.com

For years, the word “victim” has been indelibly tied to those who have experienced sexual or domestic violence.

Whether it’s in hushed tones of sadness and sympathy or loud calls for action, the victim badge is pinned to these individuals everywhere they go. But it’s time for a shift in mindset. It’s time to label them appropriately, to recognize them for what they are: survivors.

People are not permanently victims because they were abused or assaulted. Certainly, they’re victims on the police report. It’s not to say the word is inherently incorrect, unusable or even malicious. But living through an incident of sexual or domestic violence merits a different title, one that doesn’t define you as your trauma.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 10 million adults experience domestic violence each year. In addition, nearly 43.6% of women and 24.8% of men experience some type of sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tens of millions of people live through their abuse and fight each day to manage the lasting damage, which often appears as PTSD, depression and thoughts of suicide. Forcing them to wear the victim badge for the rest of their lives is only a hindrance to overcoming that damage.

Instead of recognizing the work and the bravery it takes for survivors to move forward after what happened to them, we push them to become what happened to them. Calling them victims spotlights their past without honoring their present and future.

It’s important, particularly during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, to understand that being a victim isn’t shameful. In fact, the survivor label might not feel right to some. Your best bet is to ask the term a person prefers. Everyone’s experience and recovery process will look different. But the reason many survivors prefer the aforementioned term is because of a stigma tied to the word victim. When you search “victim,” you see related words like “fool” and “dupe.”

Of course, simply understanding that victims aren’t stupid or gullible or responsible would be the ideal societal solution, but as it seems that the negative connotation is stuck to the word like glue, it’s time to empower survivors in any way possible. That begins with a simple change: the language surrounding their abuse.

They are victims in the moment. They are survivors every moment after.