What Is Victim Identity?

Victim identity is the concept of someone -- who may or may not actually be a victim -- seeing himself as a victim. In most cases, a person with this identity uses self-pity and narcissism as an excuse to remain trapped in the role of victim. Victim identity is a complicated idea with many negative repercussions.

Emotional Abuse

• In situations of emotional abuse, a person being victimized may actually come to identify with the abuse that has been heaped upon her. This feeling of helplessness and agreement can cause the abused person to feel the abuse is justified, and to fail to try to escape from the situation. The victim focuses on the accusations of the abuser and not on her own strengths and value that might give her the strength to emerge from the abusive relationship.

False Victimization

• It is possible for a person not actually in an abusive situation to develop victim identity. This often occurs when extreme narcissism causes someone to believe he is a victim by focusing on perceived harm. This leads to the mentality that "everyone is against me" or "no one cares about me." This mindset can be extremely dangerous, as it can lead the person to justify abusing people around him due to the fact that he himself feels mistreated.

Victim-Abuser

• When the victim becomes abuser, due to aggravated victim identity, it is often spurred by a feeling of self-pity or revenge. This can occur both in perceived victim identity and when a person is actually being victimized by another person. The victim justifies abuse and harm of another person because he himself was victimized. This type of person often avoids taking responsibility and instead blames anything negative in his life on people who caused him actual or perceived harm.

Extreme Negativity

• People with a victim identity typically exhibit extreme negativity. They are often fatalistic, believing that they are trapped in circumstances caused by other people's wrongdoing, and do not value themselves and their strengths enough to push their way out of their negative circumstances. Instead, they often channel that negativity into affirming their abuser or taking revenge on other people. Victim identity can be a cause or effect of chronic depression.