Originally Posted by mojodragon

Now, a couple of different things happen when the strangers get this bit of news. If someone hears about the story on the radio, they don’t have any pictures of any of the participants. So, most people picture themselves in one of the roles. This isn’t intentional, it’s just what pops into people’s heads. These people suffer mental and spiritual damage from the attack, no matter which role they play in the little visualization.

If someone reads about the story in the paper or sees it on the news, they get pictures of the victim and the “alleged” attacker. Now, in their visualization, they don’t have to picture themselves. They can picture the attack itself. And thanks to the accuracy of most news reports, they can form a pretty accurate recreation.

In a way, the victim is being victimized over and over again, in the minds of every person that reads or sees the story. Also, the crime is discussed at people’s workplaces, where details of the crimes are recalled. “Did you hear that he did this…?”