Just-world hypothesis
Belief that people will get what they deserve. Or Everything happens for a reason.
Cause
The belief in a just world is crucially important for people to maintain for their own well-being. But people are confronted daily with evidence that the world is not just: people suffer without apparent cause. People use strategies to eliminate threats to their belief in a just world. An irrational strategy is to blame the victim for their suffering.
Consequences
Individuals experience less personal vulnerability because they do not believe they have done anything to deserve or cause negative outcomes.