Victim Blaming, Posttraumatic Cognitions, and Posttraumatic Stress: A Longitudinal Examination.

Victim blaming, posttraumatic cognitions, and PTSD severity were examined in a community sample of women who had recently been raped. Individuals who reported higher levels of victim blaming at baseline had significantly higher PTSD scores three months later. This relationship was partially mediated by self-blame and negative cognitions about self.