Peercite Journal of Mental Health

This article addresses often-overlooked forms of client-centered criminal victimization, focusing on the victim's experience of lost power and liberty and the enduring consequences of these traumas. It examines how perpetrators rationalize inflicting psychological, emotional, physical, and sometimes sexual harm, which leaves victims with severe, debilitating symptoms. For many, life after victimization feels intangible and unfamiliar. Effectively supporting victims requires a deep understanding of the roots of their suffering, including the collective cognitive dissonance and victim-blaming that can obstruct trauma-informed recovery. The analysis includes under-researched categories of crime victims, such as those affected by coercive control, gaslighting, stalking, institutional abuse, gang violence, crimes against whistleblowers, and healthcare safety violations. This content highlights the need for psychologists, clinicians, and multidisciplinary teams to understand the unique psychological impacts linked to victimization, including Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD, Complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, and other associated conditions like anxiety, OCD, substance use disorders, and prolonged grief.