A factor that is often overlooked: Blaming the victim (or self-blame) is often a defense against fear.

"It's her own fault for going into that park" translates to "As long as I stay out of that park, I will be safe"—which is a comforting thought, however fallacious.

Whereas "It's not her fault, no matter what she did" translates to "Rape can happen to anybody, anywhere, any time"—which is a scary thought, but much closer to the truth.

Therefore, it should be no surprise that many women indulge in this kind of thinking.

Anger probably isn't the best response.