I think there is a difference between being a victim and having victim mentality.

When something happens to people that they have no control over like being hit by a car with no fault of your own, they are victims. That’s legitimately so. You are not to be blamed for being hit by a car by a reckless driver! But if you choose that to define your entire life with no attempts of improvement of anything in your life and your entire identity becomes “person who was hit by a car” then you choose to live by victim mentality

Some people become professional victims allowing it define their life and using that as an excuse for never growing up. That’s victim mentality. Saying that of course horrible things happen to people and people become victim of natural disasters and crimes and assaults etc Thats a sad reality. Victims aren’t to be blamed for what was perpetrated on them against their will

But life is about choices. You can make a choice to seek help and improve or you can live in misery and make victimhood your life long identity. Nothing good comes out of it