THE ROLE OF SOCIAL STEREOTYPES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN THE FORMATION OF VICTIM BEHAVIOR IN WOMEN

This article is dedicated to analyzing one of the pressing issues of modern psychology — the socio-psychological factors behind the formation of victim behavior in women. The study details the influence of the "traditional woman" image, inherent in the national mentality, as a social attitude on a woman's personal development and her level of victimization. The author reveals the destructive functions of psychological defense mechanisms activated during states of cognitive dissonance. In the article, the correlation between a predisposition toward social stereotypes and the determination of personal victimhood is proven based on theoretical and experimental data.