The interviewer should _______ any victim self blame or responsibility from the victim to the perpetrator.

The interviewer should _______ any victim self blame or responsibility from the victim to the perpetrator.

• A. Confront
• B. Ignore
• C. Empathize
• D. Redirect

Answer: (D)

When you’re interviewing a victim, keep the focus on what the perpetrator did rather than letting the victim absorb blame. Redirecting any self-blame away from the victim and toward the perpetrator helps steer the conversation toward the facts of the incident, the timeline, and the evidence. This approach protects the victim from feeling accused, supports their emotional safety, and keeps the interview productive for the investigation by clarifying accountability. Confronting the victim directly could feel accusatory and may shut down disclosure or worsen trauma. Ignoring the self-blame leaves the harmful mindset unaddressed, which can color the information you gather. Empathizing is valuable for support, but without redirecting, it can still circulate the focus back to the victim’s feelings rather than the perpetrator’s actions. Redirecting achieves a careful balance: acknowledge the victim’s emotions, then guide the conversation to the perpetrator’s responsibility and the objective details of what happened.

When you’re interviewing a victim, keep the focus on what the perpetrator did rather than letting the victim absorb blame. Redirecting any self-blame away from the victim and toward the perpetrator helps steer the conversation toward the facts of the incident, the timeline, and the evidence. This approach protects the victim from feeling accused, supports their emotional safety, and keeps the interview productive for the investigation by clarifying accountability.

Confronting the victim directly could feel accusatory and may shut down disclosure or worsen trauma. Ignoring the self-blame leaves the harmful mindset unaddressed, which can color the information you gather. Empathizing is valuable for support, but without redirecting, it can still circulate the focus back to the victim’s feelings rather than the perpetrator’s actions. Redirecting achieves a careful balance: acknowledge the victim’s emotions, then guide the conversation to the perpetrator’s responsibility and the objective details of what happened.