Yes, it is conveys "victim" in a very literal sense. Even though this quote is about S&M I think it is insightful into the "victim" romance style as I experience it. I am not into S&M but I understand the mindset maybe but in the lightest sense. I would never want humiliation or real pain.
"The submissive obeys only because she chooses to. There is nothing compelling her obedience except her resolve. The submissive is, therefore, empowering the dominant by her decision. We call a consensual empowerment of the dominant by the submissive a power exchange. Just as she gave her consent, she can take it away at any time. Power in SM flows from the bottom up."
- Philip Miller and Molly Devon,
http://bit.ly/ScrewTheRosesSendMeTheThorns