This article examines transference in the assessment and treatment of trauma resulting from incidents of adulthood, with particular focus on the experience of victims of violent crime. In furtherance of treating the individual rather than a diagnosis, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, it proposes the term violencebased parataxic distortion (V-PD) to differentiate between projections and distortions based on traumatic experiences of the crime as distinct from transference reactions that relate to past object relationships, specifically with significant others from early development, self-organization, and characterological formation. The interplay between transference reactions, V-PDs, and the real relationship is examined, with illustrations. It is noted that distortions may arise regarding organizations, institutions, and governmental entities, as well as individuals.