What Does It Mean to Be a Victim?
There are three kinds of victims: people, animals and living systems. Living systems are things like estuaries, deserts, jungles, rain forests, river valleys or someone’s back yard.
The fact is you can blow something up, burn something down or even negligently destroy it, but as long as no one is i
njured or killed, no animals are injured or killed, and no one’s living system is harmed, the situation may be bad news, but it is not a crisis. Instead, it could be a disaster or simply a bad day for someone’s schedule, budget, reputation or career.
No matter how damaging an event, only a small number of individuals will actually feel victimized. This is true even in mass casualty situations. While many may be injured, disadvantaged or require extraordinary assistance, very few blame others for their feelings of helplessness, demoralization, frustration or betrayal. Most injured or wounded just suck it up, deal with it and move on with their lives.
Still, there are some who are more affected by a crisis. Whether there are wounds, bullet holes, or any other visible or invisible damage, human beings have the capacity to feel victimized. They can also feel victimized on behalf of others, like animals or other living systems.
Even when many are injured at the same time, each person suffers alone. Every person suffers differently, experiences pain and fear differently, and needs to be treated as an individual. Too often, the victimization, the sense of frustration, the sense of helplessness and being misunderstood persists because campus officials, society and even the media lump individual circumstances together too quickly. This is very frustrating to victims.
Victimhood ends when the victims, by themselves, let go of what is affecting them and get on with their lives.
Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes When Dealing With Victims
Experience shows that many schools, universities and hospitals actually make a crisis worse by engaging in a pattern of victim-creating behaviors, which end up causing most litigation. These behaviors are identifiable and preventable. Engage in any of the following, and your organization could be considered by victims to be a perpetrator.
1. Deny there is a problem: Some organizations refuse to accept that something bad has happened; or that there may be victims or others directly affected who require prompt public acknowledgement. There is denial that the crisis is serious; denial that the media or public have any real stake or interest in whatever the problem happens to be. “Let’s not over-react.” “Let’s keep it to ourselves.” “We don’t need to tell the people in public affairs and public relations just yet. They’ll just blab it all over.” “If we don’t talk, no one will know.”
2. Count yourself or your institution as a victim: Even if an organization or its personnel have been injured during a crisis, the public does not perceive them to be victims. When campus administrators identify themselves as victims, they often forgive themselves for their mistakes and issue time-wasting explanations, such as “We don’t deserve to be treated this badly.” “Mistakes can happen, even to the best of schools.” “We’re only human.” “We have done so much for so many. Why doesn’t that count for something?”
3. Engage in “Testosterosis:” Often, campus administrators, sometimes encouraged by their attorneys, look for ways to hit back, to “slap some sense” into victims or try to discredit them, rather than deal with problems and emotional circumstances. Officials might refuse to give in; refuse to respect those who may have a difference of opinion or a legitimate issue. They react with irritation to reporters, employees, angry neighbors, whistle-blowers and victims’ families when they call asking for help, information, an explanation or an apology.
There is powerful negative energy inside the executive circle. That’s what testosterosis really is: It’s an attack of abusive adrenaline. This command and control mentality sets the stage for predictable errors, omissions and resistance to what is truly needed. The victims in these circumstances often view the institution as much a perpetrator as the individual or circumstance that caused the crisis in the first place.
4. Behave arrogantly: Institution officials are often reluctant to apologize, express concern or empathy, or to take empathetic responsibility because, “If we do that, we’ll be liable,” or, “We’ll look like sissies,” or, “We’ll set bad precedents,” or, “There’ll be copycats,” or, “We’ll legitimize bad actions or people,” or “We can’t give them what they don’t deserve.” Arrogance is contempt for adversaries, sometimes even for victims, and almost always for the news media. It is the opposite of empathy.
5. Be self centered: When the decision is made to finally make some accommodation and move toward settlement, the organization talks only about its own pain, expense and inconvenience. Or it talks about its previous good works, job creation or how much damage could be caused if the victims continue their behavior. This implies that the victims are responsible for their own situations from the beginning. This makes victims, employees, survivors and neighbors even more angry, and the media more aggressively negative, creating additional plaintiffs and accusations. Whining is never an effective tool or strategy.
James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA is chairman and CEO of the Lukaszewski Group Inc., a global crisis management firm and he can be reached at [email protected]. For additional information, visit www.e911.com.
