Dangers of Equivocation, Minimization, and Reductive Language
How Language Influences Thought and Impacts Recovery
Primary Category: Scam Victims’ Do It Yourself Recovery
Author:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
About This Article
Equivocation, minimization, and reductive language are harmful tools that scam victims often use to downplay or distort their trauma, making the recovery process more difficult. These language patterns may initially offer emotional relief by avoiding the painful reality of the scam, but they ultimately hinder healing.
By minimizing the severity of their experience, victims delay recognizing and processing the emotional and psychological damage they have endured, which can lead to long-term distress, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This type of language also reinforces self-blame, prevents emotional validation, and limits the support victims receive from others.
For scam victims to fully heal, it is essential that they become aware of how they describe their trauma, use honest and clear language, and seek appropriate support.
The Dangers of Equivocation, Minimization, and Reductive Language for Scam Victims: How It Impacts Their Recovery
When scam victims speak about their trauma, emotions, or the crime itself, the words they choose can significantly affect their healing process. Equivocation, minimization, and the use of reductive language—whether intentional or subconscious—can prevent victims from fully acknowledging the seriousness of what they have endured. By downplaying or distorting their experiences, scam victims may delay emotional recovery, exacerbate psychological harm, and hinder their ability to seek appropriate support.
What Is Equivocation, Minimization, and Reductive Language?
Equivocation is the use of ambiguous language that can obscure the real meaning of what happened. It involves shifting between different meanings of a word or phrase to downplay or evade the truth. For example, a scam victim might describe being deceived as “just a misunderstanding,” using language that clouds the fact that they were deliberately and maliciously manipulated.
Minimization occurs when a person downplays the seriousness of an event or its impact. Scam victims may use phrases like “It wasn’t that bad” or “I only lost a little money” to lessen the perceived gravity of their trauma. This can be a defense mechanism to avoid confronting the depth of their pain or feelings of guilt.
Reductive language simplifies complex emotions or situations to a degree that strips them of their seriousness. Scam victims might reduce their experience to phrases like “I just made a bad decision” or “I was naive,” which overlooks the calculated and manipulative nature of the crime that was committed against them.
Why Scam Victims Use These Language Patterns
Scam victims often turn to equivocation, minimization, or reductive language for several reasons:
Denial or Avoidance: Many scam victims feel a deep sense of shame, guilt, or embarrassment about being scammed. By using language that downplays their experience, they can avoid facing these painful emotions. Minimization and reductive language serve as coping mechanisms to help victims distance themselves from the reality of the situation.
Cultural and Social Stigma: In many societies, being scammed is associated with stupidity or carelessness, and victims may fear being judged by others. To avoid perceived judgment or ridicule, they downplay their trauma, often through equivocal or minimizing language. This helps them fit into social norms that suggest they should “get over it” quickly, rather than acknowledging the full impact of the crime.
Fear of Confrontation: Accepting the reality of the scam can be emotionally overwhelming. Admitting to oneself that they were deceived and victimized requires facing difficult emotions and feelings of vulnerability. Equivocation allows scam victims to sidestep that confrontation by keeping the truth vague or less harmful-sounding.
Inaccurate Perception of Trauma: Many scam victims may not understand the depth of their trauma. They may think that because the harm wasn’t physical or because no one directly threatened them, their emotional and psychological distress isn’t significant. This perception leads to using language that minimizes or reduces the seriousness of what they have endured.
How These Language Patterns Impact Recovery
While these language patterns may provide short-term emotional relief, they are detrimental to long-term healing. Here’s why:
Delays in Recognizing and Processing Trauma
Equivocation and minimization prevent scam victims from fully recognizing the extent of their trauma. By not acknowledging the seriousness of the emotional, psychological, and financial damage done, they may delay seeking help or therapy. Unprocessed trauma can linger, leading to long-term emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Facing the reality of the trauma is the first step in processing it, and using vague or downplaying language blocks this vital stage of recovery.
Undermines Emotional Validation
Recovery from trauma requires the victim to validate their own emotional experience. Minimizing or reducing the significance of what happened undermines this process. For example, if a victim repeatedly tells themselves, “It was just a little scam,” they are denying the emotional turmoil they may be experiencing, such as feelings of betrayal, anger, and grief. Without emotional validation, scam victims are unlikely to work through their feelings and move toward healing.
Limits Support from Others
Using equivocation or minimizing language can also limit the level of support a scam victim receives from others. If victims downplay their trauma when sharing their experiences with family or friends, those around them may not fully grasp the extent of their pain or the seriousness of the crime. As a result, loved ones might not offer the support that is truly needed, further isolating the victim.
Reinforces Self-Blame
Scam victims often struggle with feelings of self-blame, and these language patterns can reinforce that tendency. For instance, by reducing the crime to “I made a bad choice,” the victim places undue blame on themselves, ignoring the fact that they were targeted and manipulated by skilled criminals. Accepting the role of a victim is crucial in understanding that the responsibility lies with the scammer, not with the victim.
Hinders Legal or Restorative Action
If victims equivocate or minimize the scam when reporting it to authorities, they may not be taken as seriously. Law enforcement or legal professionals rely on clear, honest accounts to build cases and pursue justice. Victims who use ambiguous or reducing language may unintentionally undermine their own case, making it harder to recover stolen funds or hold scammers accountable.
Recognizing and Avoiding These Language Patterns
Scam victims can take steps to recognize when they are using harmful language patterns and actively work to change them. Here’s how:
Awareness: Victims must first become aware of how they speak about their trauma. Reflecting on whether they are using phrases like “It wasn’t that bad” or “It was just a misunderstanding” is key to identifying when they are minimizing or equivocating.
Honesty: It is important for victims to be honest with themselves about the severity of their experience. Using clear, direct language when talking about the scam helps the victim face their trauma head-on. Phrases like “I was deceived” or “I was a victim of fraud” more accurately describe what happened.
Seeking Support: Victims should not hesitate to seek therapy or support groups that help them process their trauma in healthy ways. These environments provide validation, reducing the tendency to minimize or equivocate about the crime.
Challenging Self-Blame: Victims should challenge the idea that being scammed reflects poorly on their intelligence or judgment. Understanding that they were manipulated by professionals can help alleviate feelings of shame or guilt.
Summary
Equivocation, minimization, and reductive language may seem like protective mechanisms for scam victims, but they ultimately hinder the recovery process. By using these language patterns, victims delay acknowledging the depth of their trauma, which prevents emotional healing, reinforces self-blame, and limits the support they receive. Recognizing the harm these patterns cause and shifting toward honest, clear language is essential for scam victims to process their experiences and move toward healing.
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We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
SCARS Resources:
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Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this and other SCARS articles are intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
Note about Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices have the potential to create psychological distress for some individuals. Please consult a mental health professional or experienced meditation instructor for guidance should you encounter difficulties.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.
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