Effects Of Torture Research Articles

Torture, Livelihoods and Rehabilitation.

The understanding of torture has evolved to encompass a complex interplay of factors including poverty, politics, health and psychosocial factors which increase vulnerability to torture. In response to this evolving understanding, rehabilitation efforts for torture survivors have expanded beyond medical and psychological care to encompass broader socio-economic dimensions, including live-lihoods support. Livelihoods are not only a means of making a living, but also a source of purpose and identity. This article explores the intersect between livelihoods loss and torture, exploring where livelihoods loss co-occurs with torture, is a consequence of torture, or may be an act of torture in itself. The importance of documenting livelihoods losses in torture assessment and the integration of livelihoods into rehabilitation programs is considered. Although research in this area is sparse, existing evidence suggests that combining livelihoods rehabilitation with psychological and physical interventions, alongside long-term support are important components. For livelihood restoration to be effectively integrated, it must be survivor-centred, holistic, evidence-based and focused on safety. While the field is to date underexplored, this article provides a foundational framework for torture treatment centres and stakeholders to consider the role of livelihoods in both conceptualising and treating survivors of torture.

Facilitating and hindering factors in the treatment of persistent somatic symptoms in migrants: A scoping review

ObjectiveTo identify facilitating and hindering factors in the treatment of persistent somatic symptoms (PSS) in migrants in psychiatry and other health care settings in Western countries. MethodsA scoping literature review was conducted by searching PubMed and Embase, using combinations of search terms related to the treatment of PSS in migrants. Studies outside of the scope of current guidelines or limited to specific underlying diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or consequences of torture were excluded. Two independent reviewers verified that the studies met the inclusion criteria, assessed the quality of the studies, and identified and categorized facilitating and hindering treatment factors. ResultsOf the 347 unique citations identified in the initial the search, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies showed a wide variety in study design, interventions used, measurement instruments, and study quality. Common treatment adaptations related to: (a) translation and interpretation, (b) adaptation to lower educational levels, (c) culture-sensitive therapists and materials, (d) gender roles, (e) removal of practical barriers, (f) supportive treatment, and (g) nonverbal therapy forms. The most commonly mentioned influencing factors of treatment success related to: (a) body and experience-oriented treatment elements, (b) translation and communication, (c) cultural sensitivity, (d) group interaction, and (e) caring for one's own health. ConclusionThis review provides an overview of available research on treatment adaptations for PSS in migratory background patients. Potential facilitating and hindering factors for treatment success that may be useful for healthcare providers treating PSS in patients with a migratory background were identified.

Torture victims' perspective on dental treatment: "Every sign you make, every move you take" - A qualitative study.

Torture victims struggling with post-traumatic stress often experience elements in the dental treatment situation that may trigger trauma-related reactions. The aim of the study was to explore intervention strategies that will enable dental health workers to adapt dental treatment to the needs of torture survivors. Exploratory interviews were conducted with 10 torture-exposed resettled refugees with dental treatment experience in Norway. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis, which suggested that to minimize trauma-reactions, dental personnel should focus on creating a safe therapeutic space and strengthening the patient's sense of control. Four main categories of clinical advice were proposed: (i) Acquire knowledge about psychology, consequences of torture, cultural differences, trauma-informed care, and the patients' individual needs; (ii) Recognize the trigger-potential of busyness or delays; (iii) Avoid surprises, such as sudden moves or actions and explore triggers individually, but make sure not to evoke images of interrogation, and; (iv) Provide overview both with respect to visibility in the clinical room, and to predictability regarding the dental treatment. Although undergoing dental treatment may be challenging for torture-exposed individuals, it is possible to reduce the predicaments considerably by making feasible adaptions to the treatment and adopting a trauma-informed approach.

Effects of Torture on the Brain’s Neurophysiology and the Pain System, as well as the Efficiency of Using a Biopsychosocial Approach in Treatment

Torture aims to destroy its victim through the strategic and intentional use of pain to damage the physical, social, and psychological integrity of the individual. A core issue is the resulting multifaceted presentation of somatic, psychological and social problems in the same individual, leading to severe functional limitations and participation restrictions. Chronic pain considers one from the highest symptoms for torture survivors. This literature review of 25 studies will focus on the neurophysiology, and sensitivity of the nervous system after experiencing torture, the changes that happened at the brain level, and the pain system from a neuroscience point of view, and then the study will highlight the evidence-based practice for biopsychosocial intervention for torture survivors in treating chronic pain. The study findings and conclusion show that torture causes noticeable alterations to the brain and nervous system that manifest in the survivors as high PTSD symptoms, chronic pain, feelings of disempowerment, lack of control, personal boundaries being destroyed, or stress, with intermittent or continuous physiological hyperarousal. The classic fight-or-flight response to a perceived threat is a reflexive nervous phenomenon that has obvious survival advantages in evolutionary terms. When a person experiences severe circumstances like torture, which is often accompanied by intense fear, horror, and helplessness, the systems that organize the constellation of reflexive survival behaviors become dysregulated and hypersensitive like critical anatomical and neurophysiological alteration and chronic changes in the pain system, so, it’s mandatory for the rehabilitation team to understand these changes and create a setting that takes into consideration these experiences. Research on chronic pain aims to understand the various risks and protective influences of biological, psychological, and environmental factors that are known to contribute to chronic pain disorders after torture.

From rehabilitation to prevention: The need to move one step further.

In the 30 years in which Torture has been the flagship publication on organised violence and torture the world no longer can be oblivious to the prevalence or consequences of torture. The existence of documented torture pro-vides the hardest indicator of the absence of human rights in any given country, but does this demonstration still evoke the same sense of shock or same as it did thirty years ago? This is an important question to address cur-rently with so much evidence suggesting that democracy worldwide may be in decline and that authoritarianism is on the increase. This article looks briefly at the current situation, the role of the antitorture movement and the Torture journal.

The Consequences of Torture.

The Consequences of Torture.

Efficiency of Determination of Elemental Composition of Metals and their Topography in Objects of Biological Origin Using Spectrometers

Bodily injuries, caused by firearms and special non-lethal means, which are provided for law enforcementagencies and special services and they are available to the civilian population as well (pistols for firingammunition equipped with elastic bullets, stun guns, etc.,) and the consequences of torture using variousmethods and the traumatic factors that caused by them have to get expert objective assessment. Among otherlaboratory studies, it is important to determine the characteristics of the composition of chemical elementsin objects of biological and non-biological origin by performing X-ray fluorescence spectral analysis usingmodern spectrometers. The object: to determine the characteristics of the elemental composition of metalsand their topography in injuries caused by gunshots and stun gun by conducting X-ray fluorescence spectralanalysis using spectrometers “ElvaX CEP-01” and “M4 TORNADO”. Conclusions: the use of spectrometersincreases the accuracy and objectivity of expert examinations of injuries caused by firearms and electricshock device as they have a wide range of chemical elements detection in the composition of the products ofthe shot and the electro tag from sodium to uranium. Using X-ray fluorescence spectral analysis, it is possiblenot only to detect metals in the layers of soot on injuries, but also to conduct a targeted “microscopic” studyof their topography for partial group identification of firearms and the installation of electrode metal, whichacted as a contact body conductor. X-ray fluorescence spectral analysis is a non-destructive research method.

Transitional Law and Democracy: late responsibility for torture and other atrocities that ocurred in brazilian Military Coup

The main purpose of this study is to focus on the consequences of torture and other atrocities occurred during the Brazilian military coup. Through hypothetical-deductive and inductive methods, it aims to expose the decision of the Supreme Court concerning the Amnesty Law, international condemnation of Brazil in Araguaia case and the responsibility of the State for the death and disappearance of the bodies, including lack of transparency, which are significant worries about transitional law rules. It concerns not only the past, but also has prospective effects, as taking the state oppression out of invisibility contributes to the consolidation of democracy.

Two Patient Cases Illustrating the Importance of Addressing Physical and Mental Trauma as a Cause of Pain in Refugee Women

Refugees, and more so women than men, are often seeking medical care for a wide range of health-related problems, among which persistent pain has long been recognized as a defining feature. When treating refugee women for any condition, pain and its consequences need to be addressed in the rehabilitation efforts. It is therefore essential that health professionals engaged in the care of refugee women are familiar with the physiology of pain mechanisms, including the biopsychosocial model of pain, as well as the best evidence-based practice in managing pain, acute as well as chronic. Persistent or chronic pain not only causes disability and restricted functioning but also produces psychological impairments, compounding the impact on overall personal and social functioning. Yet, the research literature on health regarding refugees is predominantly targeted at mental health problems without specific reference to pain and pain as a significant cause of distress and disability due to migration (pre-and post). Pain as a consequence of torture is also an issue that is under-assessed when refugees are seeking medical aid for pain-related problems. When aiming at treating refugee women with disabling pain, one can use the same intervention methods that are being used for other chronic pain states. Professionals need, however, to be able to work with less written information and in close co-operation with interpreters. Reviews of the rehabilitation literature have noted a lack of scientifically rigorous studies of multicomponent interventions for refugees. Only few studies have evaluated outcomes of pain management, and the quality of the evidence they provide is very low. The small number of randomized controlled trials and the resulting paucity of information means that recommendations amounting to good clinical practice for refugee women with persistent pain are lacking. The aim of this article, illustrated by two patient cases, is to point out important areas that need to be addressed within the health care system in order to improve health care for refugee women. Pain is a common reason for refugee women to seek medical aid, is a costly burden for the society, and decreases quality of life for these women.

Wait, There’s Torture in Zootopia? Examining the Prevalence of Torture in Popular Movies

Roughly half of the U.S. public thinks that torture can be acceptable in counterterrorism. According to recent research, dramatic depictions of torture increase public support for the practice. Yet we do not know how frequently—and in what context—torture is depicted across popular media. What messages about the acceptability and effectiveness of torture do Americans receive when they watch popular films? To address this question, we coded each incident of torture in the twenty top-grossing films each year from 2008 to 2017 to analyze how torture is portrayed in terms of its frequency, efficacy, and social acceptability. Results show that the majority of popular films—including films aimed toward children—have at least one torture scene. Across films, the messages sent about torture are fairly consistent. As expected, movies tend to depict torture as effective. Further, how movies portray torture is also a function of who is perpetrating it. Specifically, protagonists are more likely to torture for instrumental reasons or in response to threats and are more likely to do so effectively. In contrast, antagonists are more likely to use torture as punishment and to torture women. The frequency and nature of torture’s depiction in popular films may help explain why many in the public support torture in counterterrorism.

Wait, There's Torture in Zootopia?: Examining the Prevalence of Torture in Popular Movies

Roughly half of the U.S. public thinks that torture can be acceptable in counterterrorism. According to recent research, dramatic depictions of torture increase public support for the practice. Yet, we do not know how frequently—and in what context—torture is depicted across popular media. What messages about the acceptability and effectiveness of torture do Americans receive when they watch popular films? To address this question, we coded each incident of torture in the top 20 grossing films each year from 2008 to 2017 to analyze how torture is portrayed in terms of its frequency, efficacy, and social acceptability. Results show that the majority of popular films—including films aimed toward children—have at least one torture scene. Across films, the messages sent about torture are fairly consistent. As expected, movies tend to depict torture as effective. Further, how movies portray torture is also a function of who is perpetrating it. Specifically, protagonists are more likely to torture for instrumental reasons or in response to threats, and are more likely to do so effectively. In contrast, antagonists are more likely to use torture as punishment and to torture women. The frequency and nature of torture’s depiction in popular films may help explain why many in the public support torture in counterterrorism.

The Subject of Torture: Psychoanalysis & Biopolitics in Television & Film by Hilary Neroni (review)

Reviewed by: The Subject of Torture: Psychoanalysis & Biopolitics in Television & Film by Hilary Neroni Douglas MacLeod Jr. Neroni, Hilary. The Subject of Torture: Psychoanalysis & Biopolitics in Television & Film. Columbia University Press. 2015. 188 pages. $28.00. (Paperback) Coincidentally, several days before I began Hilary Neroni’s book The Subject of Torture: Psychoanalysis & Biopolitics in Television & Film in January of 2017, President Donald Trump spoke in an ABC interview with journalist David Muir about the controversial matter of waterboarding. Here is what was famously said: DAVID MUIR: Mr. President, you told me during one of the debates that you would bring back waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse. PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would do ... (OVERTALK) PRESIDENT TRUMP: I would do -- I wanna keep our country safe. I wanna keep our country safe. DAVID MUIR: What does that mean? PRESIDENT TRUMP: When they’re shooting -- when they’re chopping off the heads of our people and other people, when they’re chopping off the heads of people because they happen to be a Christian in the Middle East, when ISIS is doing things that nobody has ever heard of since medieval times, would I feel strongly about waterboarding? As far as I’m concerned we have to fight fire with fire. Now, with that being said I’m going with General Mattis. I’m going with my secretary because I think Pompeo’s gonna be phenomenal. I’m gonna go with what they say. But I have spoken as recently as 24 hours ago with people at the highest level of intelligence. And I asked them the question, “Does it work? Does torture [End Page 25] work?” And the answer was, “Yes, absolutely.” These remarks brought about a great deal of commentary from pundits, politicians, and civilians alike in reference to the overall effectiveness of torture and whether or not our nation should go back to executing these violent tactics on prisoners of war. Since I am writing a book review and not an op-ed piece, I will refrain from presenting my thoughts on Trump’s statements. What I will say isthat, although written before the Trump-Muir interview, Neroni’s text is a timely one and, ultimately, adds to the discourse on this topic by addressing the pleasure (sexual, biological, or otherwise) associated with viewing or being a participant in images of torture, whether they are fictional or non-fictional in nature. It is also clear that Neroni, although not explicitly stating as much in her work, is not comfortable with torture, not so much because of the action in and of itself, but because of the enjoyment that can arise from taking part in the act or in being a spectator. Prior to providing a thorough definition of torture, Neronispeaks extensively about the Abu Ghraib photos in which prisoners are seemingly being sexually degraded by their captors. She writes: Commentators suggested that torture was a useful, direct, and fast way to get information needed to win a war…They viewed torture as a necessary and reasonable response to an imminent danger, and they considered it only through this prism. The photographs, however, told another story. They depicted a range of enjoyment on the part of the guards that did not fit the description of torture as a clear and effective military tactic. (3) Neroni continues by pointing out the sexual nature of the photos; that component of the images, she writes, “reveals the shocking and counterintuitive aspect of enjoyment that resides in torture and throws into question its legitimacy as an effective military tool with which to procure information” (3). This discussion continues in an enlightening chapter entitled “The Nonsensical Smile of the Torturer in Post-9/11 Documentary Films,” where she focuses her attention on three documentaries: Errol Morris’s Standard Operating Procedure, Rory Kennedy’s Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and Alex Gibney’s Taxi to the Dark Side. All three of these films, which were released between 2007 and 2008, in a way discourage torture and recognize the underlying issues that emerge when the act takes place. She writes that these films refute the “fantasy” that torture is only meant to extract information from terrorists or...

Group Therapy Model for Torture Survivors: A Case on the Ghosts of 82-IMLU

This article discusses Group Therapy Model in addressing the long term effects of torture as applied in resource poor setting in an emerging democracy in Sub Saharan Africa. The group therapy model was implemented by the Independent Medico Legal Unit (IMLU), working with 56 ex Kenya Air-force soldiers who were subjected to brutal torture following a botched coup attempt in 1982 in Kenya. The model engaged 9 survivors as peer counselors who worked hand -in-hand with trained trauma counsellors to support their counterparts in the Nyanza region of western Kenya. IMLU, - one of the leading centers against torture in Africa, provides psychological rehabilitation, medical treatment and legal support to about 500 survivors and victims of torture and their families annually, through national network of 53 trauma counselors, 70 medical doctors and 100 lawyers across Kenya. Historical torture leaves its mark, and survivors struggle to cope with the impact of torture, up to decades later. The long term psychological and social impact of torture include ongoing PTSD symptoms (flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and depression), substance abuse, suicidal ideation, hopelessness, family breakdown and lack of integration into society (Blanchard et al., 1997) [1]. In addition, torture leaves scars even decades later, affecting families, even communities as was evidenced working with the group of soldiers' spouses. As part of IMLU's support, full medical assessments were conducted to determine the extent of the torture on the 56 ex Kenya Air-force soldiers. By the end of the 10-week group therapy, there was a 42% reduction in symptoms across all categories of physical, behavioral, PTSD, Anxiety and Depression- A clear indication that group therapy, coupled with medical, legal and social assistance played a pivotal role in the healing process for the ex-soldiers.

The Use of Torture in the Fight against Terrorism

Summary The argument that torture could be permissible in exceptional cases, such as the fight against terrorism, has been increasingly present in the rhetoric of politicians. President Trump’s belief in the effectiveness of torture has renewed the debate about how far interrogators may go to extract information as part of counter-terrorism measures. Added to this his nomination of Ms Gina Haspel for the position of director of the Central Intelligence Agency, where Ms Haspel has been accused of being involved in the torture of terrorist suspects, and the debate over what constitutes torture and what is permissible in the fight against terrorism is reignited. This article firstly considers whether there has been any evolution with regards to the understanding of which acts constitute torture, and in particular whether severe pain and suffering remains a requirement for an act to constitute torture. Secondly, it enquires whether any limitation of the prohibition of torture is permissible in the fight against terrorism, in light of the universal condemnation of terrorism and the threat it poses to global peace and security.

Tattered Textures of Kinship: The Effects of Torture Among Iraqi Families in Denmark

ABSTRACTDrawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Denmark, primarily among Iraqi women and secondarily among Iraqi men who are either direct or indirect victims of torture, I explore how the memories of torture are distributed in the everyday lives of Danish families originating from Iraq. I argue that torture is folded into kin histories and the everyday work of bearing and resisting painful memories. Consequently, torture affects not only the mental and physical health of the singular survivor, but also the entire texture of kin relatedness around him or her, to the extent that kinship normativity may be disrupted. Leaning on the metaphor of a rugged cloth, I conclude by arguing that the way in which torture makes and unmakes kin relatedness congeals in what I term tattered textures of kinship.

Clinical Examination and Reporting of a Victim of Torture.

Torture is the most inhuman form of punishment. Forensic practitioners should be aware of the common forms of torture, their presentation, and the after effects. Forensic practitioners should examine victims and issue an impartial report to serve mankind in accordance with the United Nations organization. Clinical forensic medicine is the application of medical knowledge for the assessment of injuries in living persons for the purposes of administering justice. Unfortunately, the forensic examination of living individuals is a comparatively neglected field of forensic practice in some countries. In this article, common presentations of torture in the clinical forensic medicine setting are discussed, with special attention to physical forms of torture, common presentations, after effects of torture, and recognizing the difficulties encountered by refugee claims of torture victims. We also describe how to examine and report a victim of torture in clinical forensic medicine. It is a known fact that some of the refugee claimants who come before the refugee claim board have been subjected to torture. They are walking reminders of the worst ways people can treat to fellow human beings. It is sad to see some doctors still participate or collaborate with perpetrators and at the same time there are some reported cases of physicians being imprisoned due to reporting of torture victims in certain countries.

Unofficial Perspectives on Torture in Ming and Qing China

This article compares unofficial perspectives on torture during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) Dynasties, as expressed in ledgers of merit and demerit, operas, ballads, proverbs, and popular customs. Because of the diversity of these unofficial sources — both in terms of their form and content and in terms of their audience and distribution — the perspectives they reveal are more varied and less reflective of state orthodoxies than are the views typically expressed in the codified law, administrative writings, and other official sources. Unlike official writings, which focused on administrative and legal “best practice” concerning how torture was supposed to be applied, unofficial sources focused greater attention on how torture was actually applied, highlighting the potential for abuse and the deleterious effects of torture on its victims.

Book Review: The Consequences of Torture For America: A Critique: Rebecca Gordon, Mainstreaming Torture: Ethical Approaches in the Post-9/11 United States

Book Review: The Consequences of Torture For America: A Critique: Rebecca Gordon, Mainstreaming Torture: Ethical Approaches in the Post-9/11 United States

History taking after torture: the experiences of doctors who document the impact of torture

Abi Rimmer hears from doctors who document the effects of torture about the new skills they have learnt during the course of their work

What is a "sense of foreshortened future?" A phenomenological study of trauma, trust, and time.

One of the symptoms of trauma is said to be a “sense of foreshortened future.” Without further qualification, it is not clear how to interpret this. In this paper, we offer a phenomenological account of what the experience consists of. To do so, we focus on the effects of torture. We describe how traumatic events, especially those that are deliberately inflicted by other people, can lead to a loss of “trust” or “confidence” in the world. This undermines the intelligibility of one’s projects, cares, and commitments, in a way that amounts to a change in the structure of temporal experience. The paper concludes by briefly addressing the implications of this for how we respond to trauma, as well as offering some remarks on the relationship between trauma and psychosis.