Victim focused approaches and combating victim blaming for professionals

Dr Jessica Taylor explores her work on 'VictimFocus' which is designed to support professionals to deconstruct victim blaming narratives in their line of work.

The VictimFocus Charter is the first set of standards for professionals, organisations and individuals to combat victim blaming in abuse and trauma. This event will work to develop professionals and students towards anti-victim blaming, anti-stigma, trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches.

Dr Taylor is the founder of VictimFocus, an international research, teaching and consultancy organisation with the sole aim of challenging the victim blaming and pathologisation of women and girls subjected to violence and abuse.

Dr Taylor, a feminist and Psychologist with a PhD in Forensic Psychology is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic and Criminal Psychology. She has written five books and several chapters, articles and resources on the topics of CSE, rape, victim blaming, pathologisation of women, women bringing up babies from rape and global misogyny.

The publications are free-to-access and affordable professional resources, e-learning, flash cards and books which encourage radical feminist, critical thinking, trauma-informed and strengths based approaches to VAWG.

Dr Taylor has developed a free online course for survivors of sexual violence which, accessed by over 10,000 people in the first 6 months. Her VictimFocus blog takes a critical look at the way we blame women and girls for sexual violence and misogyny and has over one million readers per year. 

The seminar will present discussion, debate and findings from Dr Taylor’s work.  Resources and services are available at Victim Focus.