An Examination of the American Response to Terrorism: Handling the Aftermath Through Crisis Intervention

Abstract

The United States has never seen terrorist attacks such as those experienced on September 11, 2001. Following the attacks, many individuals have struggled with how to best address the vulnerabilities of American society relating to terrorist activity. This article identifies several issues that can affect the previously open nature of the American lifestyle with impending threats of biological warfare. This turbulent environmental context has caused the American people to experience a level of stress never before experienced. The purpose of this article is to present a brief overview of America's policy on terrorism stressing the application of Roberts' seven-stage model of crisis intervention as one means to address the growing fears of the American public. All helping professionals, whether or not they're working directly with a crisis survivor, need to be aware of basic crisis intervention techniques. Application of this model is stressed as one way to provide education in this area while highlighting how to best help individuals cope when faced with the continual threat of a new and different type of war. Recommendations for therapeutic content are made within the current time-limited practice setting.