Consecuencias Psicológicas más reportadas sobre la victimización secundaria en personas que atravesaron procesos judiciales en América y Europa

Abstract

Introduction: This article analyzes the most frequently reported psychological consequences in individuals who have gone through judicial processes in the Americas and Europe. Objective: To systematically examine the available scientific evidence on the most frequently reported psychological consequences in individuals who have undergone judicial processes in the Americas and Europe. Method: Systematic review based on the PRISMA methodology, with database searches using terms such as “secondary victimization,” “psychological consequences,” “judicial processes,” “America,” and “Europe,” combined with Boolean operators. Methodology: Out of a total of 792 studies initially identified in four databases (Scielo = 30, Scopus = 600, PubMed = 115, and Redalyc = 47), 236 records were removed prior to screening. The remaining 556 studies underwent title and abstract review, with 496 excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria, such as being systematic reviews or being conducted outside of America and Europe. Of these, 60 proceeded to full-text eligibility assessment, of which 25 were excluded for not providing relevant information and 15 for being duplicates. Finally, 10 studies that met all inclusion criteria were included in this systematic review. Conclusions: Secondary victimization has a significant psychological impact, with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder standing out, along with feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and loss of trust in the judicial system. Among family members and co-victims, retraumatization, social isolation, and family conflicts were found. These practices are carried out by judges, prosecutors, police officers, and technical teams, who foster stereotypes and perceptions of false credibility in victims. Revictimizing actions include unempathetic responses from officials, delays, and bureaucratic obstacles in legal processes. Specific contextual factors were also identified: in the Americas, realities such as machismo, gender inequality, and structural violence prevail, while in Europe, the persistence of myths around sexual crimes such as rape and a lack of sensitivity among officials are predominant. Therefore, the findings highlight the need to train justice system operators and adopt institutional practices that prevent secondary victimization.