Medijska konstrukcija mentaliteta žrtve u svjetlu teorije kultivacije
Media Construction of Victim Mentality in light of the Cultivation Theory

Summary/Abstract: The study examines the relationship between media content about war violence victims and the cultivation of victim mentality within the framework of cultivation theory. Cultivation theory presupposes the individuals who watch a great deal of television, i. e., who are exposed to media violence for a long period of time, believe the world to be violent. Victim mentality is a psychological condition of persons who see themselves as victims of others or of the environment in which they live. Such persons feel and behave as victims even when they have not directly experienced physical or mental violence. Victim mentality can be acquired in the family or in the social or media environment. Frequent consequences of the victim mentality are defensiveness, blaming others for personal maladies and a negative stance towards others and their social environment. The main assumption of this study – that the individuals who watch a great deal of television in RS, which contains a significant amount of content about the remembrance of violence victims from previous wars, demonstrate victim traits – has been partially confirmed. The study reports the results of content analysis of the news shows for RTRS and RTVBN as well as of the survey research of RS adults on the population of greater city of Banja Luka, conducted May through July 2015. The study also considers the circumstances and consequences of this vicarious victimization of sorts.

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