Don't Blame Me

23/01/05

Don't Blame Me

David Derbyshire

The "don't-blame-me" mentality personified by Vicky Pollard - the Little Britain character who refuses to accept responsibility for anything - is becoming more prevalent, according to a new study.

Researchers say that young people increasingly believe that their fate is out of their hands and that parents, schools, government or bad luck are to blame for their misfortunes.

Matt Lucas's depiction of the feckless Vicky, with her "yeah but, no but" catchphrase, appears to encapsulate the trend perfectly.

The growth of the victim mentality has been accompanied by a rise in cynicism, self-centred behaviour and alienation, according to psychologists who analysed thousands of personality tests dating back to 1960.

They believe that the shift in attitudes has had major consequences for society and may be leading to depression, higher crime rates and lower academic standards.

Dr Jean Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University who led the study, said: "From 1960 to 2002, college students increasingly believed that their lives were controlled by outside forces rather than their own efforts." The same "substantial" increase can also be seen in children aged nine to 14, she said.

The impact of self-centred behaviour and the victim mentality can be seen across every part of society - from the reluctance to give up seats on public transport to voter apathy. It can be seen when people in debt blame banks for lending them too much money or when fat people blame fast-food advertising or hormones for obesity.

The shift of attitude also explains society's fascination with therapy and the belief that the root of anyone's problems may well lie in childhood.

Dr Twenge and her colleagues studied personality tests carried out between 1960 and 2002 on 18,310 American college students and 6,554 children aged nine to 14. These tests all used a standard questionnaire to assess how much people take responsibility for their own misfortunes or blame others.

The results of Dr Twenge's study are about to be published in Personality and Social Psychology Review. "In the 1950s, it was fashionable to believe that anyone could make it if they tried hard enough," she said. But social movements of the 1960s and 1970s argued that this was a myth, she added.

As society was increasingly blamed for the misfortunes of the individual, cynicism about government and society increased - as did the therapy culture.

"In recent court cases, defence attorneys sometimes explained that their client was abused as a child, which was why he or she turned to crime. Such arguments were rarely, if ever, used before the 1970s," according to the new study.

"Trend watchers have also noted that it has become more common to attribute children's difficulties in school to external and/or uncontrollable sources -attention deficit disorder or learning difficulties."

Dr Twenge believes that the "don't-blame-me" culture could partly explain record levels of depression and anxiety.

Some academics have also linked the change to drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, crime and falling standards at school.

"Many members of modern society feel alienated and apathetic. Whether we can turn this tide remains to be seen," she said. "For now, young people increasingly feel that their fate is beyond their control."

People are more likely to have a victim mentality if they have suffered negative experiences, such as parental divorce or violent crime, says the study. Increased exposure to disasters, wars and crime through television may also contribute.

Prof Frank Furedi, a sociologist at Kent University who has studied changing attitudes to blame and risk, said the shift could be seen in Britain.

It was reflected in the medicalisation of human behaviour and the growth of the therapy culture, he said.

"If you want to look after your elderly parents, it's called compulsive helping. If you enjoy close passionate relationships, it's called relationship addiction. If you are in a close relationship, it's called co-dependence."

The changes were also reflected in day-to-day interactions, he said. "Nobody will stand up on my commuter train from London to Kent if an old person gets on. If you are under the age of 50, you just look at your shoelaces."