CJ 720 Trauma & Crisis Intervention Blog

The Mortality of Authority

A few days ago, I was sitting in my office when a co-worker came in.  We began a conversation when he noticed a copy of Christopher Browning’s Ordinary Men sitting on my desk.  He looked at the book, picked it up, and asked, “What is this about?”  For a moment, I found myself voiceless.  I recalled every piece of information contained, and yet it was as if I could not formulate a narrative.  After a brief moment or so, I found myself humbled with definition.  With silence I replied, “mortality.”   

Browning’s book is can be summarized by the title.  It questions how ordinary men became such ruthless killers of war.  Throughout this course, we have learned a great deal of information into the depths of behavioral psychology and trauma.  In order to look to studies on behavior and authority, many scholars look to Stanley Milgram and Phillip Zimbardo and the experiments that they conducted.  Milgram and Zimbaro’s experiments have allowed us to see scientific approaches to human behavior and their compliance within authority.  In summary, both these experiments reflect one single word, conformity.

Stanley Milgram’s experiment demonstrated the human desire to conform to authority. In short, he tricked test subjects into pressing a button that they believed was causing another person pain.  Even though they believed the person was suffering at their hands, they proceeded to press the button when told to do so.   Phillip Zimbardo’s experiment at Stanford University demonstrated the human desire for authority.  He placed college students into roles of prisoners and correctional officers.  In a mock prison setting, Zimbardo filmed most of the interactions with the guards and inmates.  

While each experiment was vastly different, they are closely correlated.  Milgram demonstrated that once a person acquires a role or a position, they believe they must carry out what is expected of them.  Even if they are being made to do something that has consequences. The same goes with Zimbardo’s experiment of the prison guards.  This directly relates to Browning’s understanding of the role of Reserve Battalion 101 during the Holocaust.  Within the battalion, these men were trained to believe that they must follow orders at all costs.  As Browning discusses, these men received detailed and clear instructions.  The amount of structure provided a sense of purpose or mission to be achieved.  “Mass killing on such a scale required planning and preparation” (Browning, 1992:137).  It is important to note that the men of Battalion 101 did no go out and randomly commit acts of mass murder.  This was a well thought out and successfully planned mission.   In order to achieve this result, a person must be made to separate themselves from their own person.  They must identify themselves within their role, as an officer in this case.  Forget everything they know about themselves.  Every feeling, everything they have ever learned as a person and immerse themselves within their role.    

Zimbardo’s experiment is one of the most famous behavioral scientific studies.  Although heavily scrutinized, It demonstrated how if you take perfectly normal human beings and provide them with roles, they are going to act within that role.  He explained how a person carries out their mission.  In his book, Browning discusses how the guards were classified within the experiment.  In a sample of eleven guards, about one-third was classified as cruel and tough.  They went above and beyond the mission in order to harass and enjoy their newfound power (Browning, 1992:168). The next group was classified as tough but fair.  They played by the rules and carried out the mission as needed (Browning, 1992:168). The last and least populated category was those described as good guards, or those who chose not to punish the prisoners (Browning, 1992:168).  

Browning goes on to compare Zimbardo’s classifications within the ranks of Reserve Battalion 101.  He describes the enthusiastic killers who went out of their way for murder, the next and larger group of those who simply did as they had to, and then those few who refused and attempted to evade (Browning, 1992:168).  From Browning and Zimbardo’s work, you see that the person identifies within the role and carries out the mission in direct reflection of their personality. 

You have to respect what Zimbardo, Milgram, and Browning have done here.  Within their own ways they have provided a scientific approach for human behavior within atrocity.   It is easy to reflect on actions of those from hundreds or even thousands of miles away, but when a person is indoctrinated with beliefs, or simply provided to perform within a certain role, how can they be judged?  Is it fair to judge the actions of the prison guards any differently than those of Battalion 101?   This area of study directly separates the human factor from argued learned behavior. Is the person acting within their role or as themselves? 

What we see here and what I propose for discussion is why do you believe humans have a desire for authority?  Why as people are we willing to lose ourselves or risk so much just to be able to have control?  If this is the case, if this is fact, then do we really ever have control at all? 

Browning, C. R. (1992). Ordinary Men. New York: Harper Perennial.

Self- care

Self care is very important. Without it we can not take of others nor ourselves. Taking that extra time to de-stress and do something for yourself whether it be exercise, a walk, reading a favorite book, talking with a good friend, crocheting, karaoke, or just going for a joy ride can help us to regather our thoughts and feelings. We can breathe and close our eyes for a minute and let the normal everyday stress we experience, just float away.

If we do not take care of ourselves when we should then we are taking a big risk that can ruin so much. By not paying attention to minds and bodies we are more apt to make mistakes; ones like saying things we don't mean, messing up our responsibilities at our job, increasing the likelihood that we will get sick, increasing our chances of depression or aanxiety, having more aches and pains, subjecting ourselves to feeling like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

I know from personal experience that when I do not take care of myself I feel terrible. I often will become very aggravated, exhausted feeling, I find myself being snappy to anyone that talks to me. I get aches and pains, it becomes a chore to do anything, because I need a break and I failed at taking one, so now my body and mind are letting me know that I'm boiling over. I try to use my ride to work as time I can "escape" from all my duties and I just turn up the radio and sing and have fun. I put everything else to the side for 30 mins each morning and I do the same every evening on my drive home. That is my "me time". I'm sure once my kids get older I'll have more "me time" but for now I have an hour a day, Monday through Friday. I consider myself to be lucky since a lot of stay at home mom and dads do not get that. I know this because I was a stay at home for 9 years.The sad part is, this world is so busy all the time and everyone is rushing around like they are late for everything. No one is getting proper amounts of sleep so we feel tired all the time. Some people take medicine to sleep and then take medicine to stay awake. We rush to get ready to go to work every morning, then rush home, rush to make dinner, rush to eat, rush to run errands, rush to get kids in bed, and then we are so exhausted and we still have more to do before bedtime. It is like a neverending cycle. I also have a tendency to feel bad for taking time for myself if I do. I think about well... "I should be doing something with the kids or my husband, I should be washng clothes and dishes, the house really needs cleaned up...". I will talk myself out of any downtime I may have had planned. I think a lot of us do this. Our daily schedules are so packed with things to do and there just aren't enough hours in the day.

Things we can do in order to regroup and charge ourselves back to 100% are:

• Meditation
• Yoga
• Walking
• Running
• Reading
• Visiting with a friend
• Going on a weekend getaway
• Go on a long drive
• Listen to your favorite music
• Go out for karaoke
• Eat healthy balanced meals and snacks
• Drink plenty of water
• Take the scenic route to work
• Focus on your breathing
• Take a longer hot shower or bath

Listening to our bodies is the key to staying healthy and energized. Energy shots or drinks will not help, they only make it worse by overloading your body with sugar and caffiene and then dropping us into exhaustion like a star faling from the sky. The right way to achieve energy and balance is to eat right and get the right amount of sleep. Getting between 7 and 9 hours can do a body good. Try to at least do some stretches in the morning to get your body unstiffened and ready for the day, make a balanced meal for lunch, a lite dinner and try 20 mins of exercise like yoga. Take that last hour before bed to relax your mind and body. Read a book, watch a show, write in your journal. Those are all great ways to keep yourself from drowning in the pool of stress. Even though for some of us this sounds much easier to read then actually do, we could at least give it a shot and do our best because it is important. It really makes a difference to ourselves and those around us. We all have people who count on us whether it is a spouse, our kids, our family, our patients or clients, and most of all we need ourselves.

Do You Care Enough About Yourself? Do You Practice Self-Care?

Trauma does not discriminate. Anyone can experience a traumatic event regardless of who they are and where they come from, and we have to be aware that this trauma affects people differently. Society today has to acknowledge that these traumatic experiences can take an emotional and psychological toll on anyone, especially for those who work within the criminal justice system. For this very reason, people within the criminal justice field (whether that is a survivor, advocate, law enforcement officer, etc) need to get involved with trauma-informed care programs that encourage healing and empowerment. The Department of Justice refers to these as “programs [that] identify and limit potential triggers to reduce their retraumatization and protect mental and emotional health” (2014) – I honestly cannot think of anything more important than protecting our health, regardless of if you work within the criminal justice field or not.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, there is a very strong pre-disposition against admitting the fact that people in the criminal justice field need help. We are the ones that are supposed to be strong and the ones that should be able to handle anything and everything that comes our way, but often times, we forget about taking care of ourselves. Unfortunately, there is a common stigma that says that if we are willing to publicly admit that we need help due to the stress imposed by our jobs, then we are not able to perform them in the way we are expected to and we are simply deemed “weak”, “pathetic”, or “disappointing”. This very thought imposes reluctance in us to seek assistance and therefore makes it impossible to encourage other people to take care of themselves too.

Let’s be real – our jobs are tough. Our jobs are difficult on us and the people around us. Our jobs, as rewarding as they are, are exhausting and strenuous. We need to realize that coping strategies are key in our lives, or we could ultimately turn to negative coping methods, such as self-medication and thrill-seeking behaviors, that could lead us into an even more negative path (like depression, PTSD, suicide, alcoholism, bankruptcy, divorce...).

Every workplace is a different environment, so we also need to realize that the coping skills and self-care methods that work for one workplace may not work in another. However, these are some self-care ideas that I have witnessed from experience that I believe will encourage positivity and help in most work places within the criminal justice system:

1. Take a break – Do not spend 24 hours a day 7 days a week at work, or you will lose perspective of your life and the real world. Being in the field and forgetting that you are an actual person who needs to do other things will cause you to forget about the fact that you matter just as much as the people that you are helping and protecting. If you do not help yourself, who will?!
2. Read – Reading can provide us with an alternative world that is not as traumatic as the one we work in every day. It gives us the opportunity to learn and to enjoy other topics that we may not get a chance to explore otherwise. It also encourages us to ignore social media for a bit, which also tends to be very negative. Social media networks are quick to make us believe that we are not doing our jobs well, and we may even end up believing this if we do not put them to the side more often.
3. Exercise and a proper diet – This applies to everyone! Fitness is crucial, not only so that we can keep up with the physical requirements in our jobs, but it also helps us be aware of our bodies and our strength. It allows us to release stress and fuel ourselves with the right things that will spark a higher energy in us. We have to keep our bodies healthy, as well as our minds. Exercise and a good diet allow for both.
4. Sleep – As much as we would love to some times, we are not robots and we need to rest and recharge, or we will not be able to do our jobs successfully. Actually, there are many studies that show how sleeping improves memory, attention spans, and your overall mood (this link talks more about the benefits of sleep for law enforcement officers: http://www.copsalive.com/the-importance-of-sleep-to-police-officers).
5. Counseling – Find a safe space for you to be able to decompress, vent, and express your true feelings within the job. Many times, we are afraid to do this with our co-workers or family members because of the fear that they will look down on us for admitting we need help dealing with our stress or simply want to talk about the negative aspects of our jobs. Counseling, regardless of if you have a mental health issue or not, is a healthy way to release those emotions and gather yourself and receive feedback. I believe this should be mandatory in all workplaces, especially in the criminal justice field.
6. Look out for our peers – be proactive and ask your co-workers about any of their concerns. Be willing to not only notice any negative attitudes or behaviors, but also be willing to point them out so they can address them. Those negative attitudes and behaviors may very well be the result of a situation they were not ready to admit or get help for. Be the friend and co-worker you would want to have.

Do not forget how important balance is and recognize that the trauma we are exposed to is not the norm. These traumatic experiences we go through can affect all of us negatively if we are not careful. It is OKAY for this field to take a toll on us and it is OKAY to seek help to deal with how this trauma affects us. If we cannot take care of ourselves, we cannot take care of anyone else!

Reference:

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/blog/importance-understanding-trauma-informed-care-and-self-care-victim-service-providers

Taking care of yourself …

Fact Sheet 9 - Vicarious Trauma

Hello All,

Throughout our course and throughout the discussions around trauma we have to remind ourselves of wellness and self care.

With the Personalized Approaches to Self Care I wanted to also add a very good 'fact sheet' on  vicarious trauma   ( also called compassion fatigue).

Best,

Lynn

Dr. Stephanie Covington and Dr. Barbara Bloom

Pre-Conference_Drs Bloom & Covington_Rethinking Evidence-Based Practice for Women and Girls_101109

Hello Everyone,

I am quite passionate about working with at risk girls.    During my career as an administrator I was fortunate to attend many conferences specific to justice for women and girls.   Two pioneers in the field ( Covington and Bloom) presented many workshops.   I was honored at one of the conferences to spend a long break and over tea talk with these amazing women.

I will add more to this blog regarding the work being done with trauma through the lens of women and girls.

Attached is  a powerpoint from one of the conferences I just mentioned.

Lynn