Essay Sample on "Survivor" and "Victim"

Introduction

The words "victim" and "survivor" have different connotations. Being a "victim" depicts pity and helplessness, that might not adequately describe some people's experiences, especially those who experience sexual assault. Most experiences vary from person to person. On the other hand, "survivor" implies that one can take control of their own lives. "Surviving" depicts that a person is still fighting, whether via the judicial system to bring justice to the perpetrator, to gain cause awareness, or learning to live after going through an assault. A "survivor" often thrives in their environment. Additionally, there is a sense of mobility in "survivor."

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Historically, the term "victim" is associated by people with being trapped, maybe referring to the cycle of domestic abuse. Using the word "survivor" depicts progression over stagnancy, and most people prefer it because it serves as an empowerment term. "Victim"-izing a person morphs their identity into being a victim. Moreover, in the eyes of the law, rape and sexual assault are crimes, that would make a person who undergoes it a "victim." One who is employed in the law enforcement and deals with crimes is more prone to use "victim" as it is the nature of their work - periods that change shows that it is more common to use the two words interchangeably, and precise to do so. This is because a person is neither a "victim" nor "survivor" as it is possible to be both, depending on the experience context (Papendick, and Gerd n.p). Nevertheless, if one empowers himself or herself in a life-changing and traumatic experience, it is not as simple as making a linguistic switch. However, making the switch vocabulary can impact the process of healing for some people positively. Also, it is noteworthy to be cognizant on when using "victim" or "survivor" due to the impact of the words people have on the ones they are referring to.

Nonetheless, whenever there is always a crisis, a politician, for instance, will sprout and make a little appearance on the message that is expected - a message that is heard from any head of state. The word "victim" is a general word depicting that a person was a victim, they became victimized by people and events and had no control over anything that happened and the aftermath. In other words, they can neither control their death nor their life. Also, initially, a person who is injured is seen as a "victim"; but according to the public, the word is not dubious. The victims of an event that is horrible are always consoled, loved, aided and nurtured by strangers who are around them. For example, after the bombing of the Oklahoma City, strangers from all over the city swept to the scene and dug through the rubble, burned children and cradled bloodied. These people are referred to as "The Helpers," and the horrendous things, numbing and gut-wrenching things turned quickly to action - a neighbor is helping a neighbor, a community that stopped at nothing to help the "victims" of the senseless, horrible and violent act.

The word "victim" according to the Oxford English dictionary is defined as 'a person who is killed or harmed by another'; one who is harmed by a condition or circumstance." On the other hand, the same dictionary defines the word "survive" as 'continuing to exist; to outlive; to outlast." The event that occurred is now a past tense and is over, and one can interchange the terms. However, the Oxford English dictionary never gives the emotional definition, and it is the people who are supposed to respond and exist by the physical emotions but also, the emotion separates humans from other species. The word "victim" is often used in expressing compassion and empathy towards a person who is being assisted in any traumatic situation. And there are numerous examples of kindness and courage by strangers following the bombing of Boston. Numerous good things were construed in the bombing of the Oklahoma City because the town rallied, treatments were given by hospitals for free, the burned families and victims who were destroyed were taken care of in various caring and loving way, to mention but a few. Thus, the folks in Boston can be termed as "victims," as running a marathon is all that they wanted to do. Their families are also construed as "victims," together with the care providers or helpers who are also termed as "victims."

It took everything the soul of a grown man in Oklahoma City when he encountered bodies of children. The man described pulling out bloodies babies and toddler, some being dead. Five years later, the hero is still traumatized by the events and actions that he saw, and in a sense that is literal, a "survivor" is a person who continues to exist and live. However, a "survivor," after a particular point of grief, recovery or surgery is one who was once a victim, but in their hearts, soul, stubbornness, they outlive or outlast and tend to become mentally stronger as time progresses. They aspire to live every minute and every day. In most cases, for adults specifically, they live differently as their priorities change, and they do not see the sense of wasting any minute.

Heads of states can name the people who are injured as victims, but after some period, if the folks are interviewed, the victims will say that they "survived" and will change the tag that is placed upon them, from being a "victim" to a "survivor." Another example is the case for people running the marathon who are injured, but they will always be focused on their goals; to run the next race. Additionally, the people who lost their lives in the Boston bombing were abused in the worst possible way - their breath, their humanity, existence, emotion, and life were killed and stolen I an instance. However, the "victims" might never die (Papendick, and Gerd n.p). In the Boston community, the faces and names of the adults and children who were lost might make the city even closer, and the strangers who assisted will be the comrades. Therefore, if one lives near the area, he or she can encourage the people who are living to become "survivors" by volunteering to give them hope.

Conclusion

Thus, different people and groups use the words "survivors" or "victims" in different ways. The term "victim" is always used in legal settings while the word "survivors" is used in a group of advocacy. In some cases, "victim" is used in describing the person who has experienced sexual violence recently or experiencing abuse. "survivor" tends to be used in describing one who has begun to heal from the experience that had occurred.

Works cited

Dictionary, Oxford English. "Online Oxford English dictionary." (2016).

Papendick, Michael, and Gerd Bohner. "Passive victim-strong survivor"? Perceived meaning of labels applied to women who were raped." PloS one 12.5 (2017): e0177550.

"Survivor." Defs. 1 and 2. Merriam Webster Online, Merriam Webster, n.d. Web. 14 July. 2016.

"Victim." Ex. 1. Merriam Webster Online, Merriam Webster, n.d. Web. 14 July. 2016.