Published 2026-06-26
Keywords
- Trauma moralization, Shame, Self-blame, Victim blaming, Secondary victimization, Victimization processes, Phenomenological-Gestalt approach.
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2026 Rosaria Romano
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Shame, self-blame, and victim blaming are central dynamics in victimization processes, especially in contexts of interpersonal violence and coercive relationships. This mini review explores these experiences not as isolated individual reactions, but as processes shaped within relational, social, and institutional contexts that influence recognition, credibility, and meaning after trauma. Drawing on victimology, psychotraumatology, and phenomenological-Gestalt theory, the paper introduces the concept of “trauma moralization” to describe how traumatic suffering may progressively become interpreted in moral terms, shifting attention from violence and relational asymmetry to the victim’s perceived responsibility, adequacy, or credibility. The paper examines victim blaming, self-blame, and secondary victimization as interconnected field processes operating across subjective, relational, institutional, and socio-cultural dimensions. Particular attention is given to embodied and relational aspects of shame and self-blame, including bodily contraction, hypervigilance, interruptions in contact, and restriction of agency. Finally, the paper discusses the clinical and ethical implications of a non-moralizing and dialogical approach aimed at supporting recognition, restoring contact, and reopening possibilities for agency and meaning after trauma.
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