The Power of an Authority to Inflict Trauma

November 28, 2012

| Last Updated on Friday, 17 May, 2013 16:50 Trauma as Defined by Merriam-Webster: a : an injury (as a wound) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent b : a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury c : an emotional upset <the personal trauma of an executive who is not living up to his own expectations Karen W. Arenson> 2 : an agent, force, or mechanism that causes trauma Living With Trauma We all have trauma in our lives, some more than others. Trauma can be many things to many different people. Verbal Abuse, Seeing a car accident, a loved one taking their own life, all of these things are types of trauma. It can be something as simple as a loved one or authority figure shouting at you or saying something nasty or it could take the form of sexual abuse. Just like to people looking at an ink blot can see two different things, what could be traumatic to one person, may not be to another. That is part of what can make trauma difficult to identify. Some forms are easy to recognize, while others may not seem like an issue at the time, can grow and fester in the subconscious. Sometimes a person may not remember the traumatic experience because they have either pushed the memories so far down inside, or it again, just may not have seemed like it was a big deal at the time. But even seemingly small incidents can have major repercussions later on in life. For example, a principle tells a problem student that They will never amount to anything or They will always be nothing. While at the time they may not realize it, things said by authority figures can have a lasting impact, for positive or negative. Traumatic Experiences Incidents involving authority figures can be particularly traumatic. These figures, whether they really have authority or not, have the ability to affect us far more than we may realize. A famous experiment conducted by Stanley Milgram is a great example of the way the words of an Authority Figure can affect people. In 1961 Stanley began what is now known as the Milgram Experiments. They were inspired by the defense used by War Criminal Adolf Eichmann during his trial. His defense was that he was just following orders. Influential Authority Figures The study was done to measure the effect of an Authority Figures instructions on a person. The person was given the role of Teacher and their job was to use a shock generator to deliver electric shocks to a person designated as the Learner when the Learner answered a question incorrectly. The two were separated by a wall and neither could see the other, the Teacher on one side with an Instructor and the Learner on the other. The shocks were delivered by flipping one of many different levers, each labeled with things like Slight Shock or Moderate Shock continuing up to Danger: Severe

Shock. The final two were labeled XXX. Unbeknownst to the Teacher, the Learner was just a person on the other side of the wall acting like they were being shocked. The levers didnt actually deliver shocks to the Learner but the Teacher didnt know that. After a certain point the Learner would begin to bang on the wall and demand to be released or begin complaining about having a heart condition. After this, the Learner would remain silent and not answer any questions. The Instructor would then tell the Teacher to treat the silence as an incorrect answer and deliver the appropriate shock. At this point most of the Teachers would begin to question the Instructor. The Instructor would then respond with one of several scripted responses. Of the 40 Teachers, 26 delivered the maximum shock level. 14 Teachers stopped before delivering the maximum. While many of the Teachers showed various signs of distress at what they were doing, they continued to deliver the shocks as instructed all the way to the end. Influencing Others If an authority figure can influence someone to the point where they are willing to harm another person against their own will, just imagine what kind of an effect this person can have with negative statements and actions. All too often we find ourselves angry and speaking without thinking about what we are really saying. A few words said in anger can alter the course of a persons life. By this same thought though, a few kind words or words of encouragement can have a similar effect. Unfortunately most people tend to remember the negative over the positive, so the effect of positive statements tends to fade faster than the effect of negative statements. Next time you find yourself in a shouting match or wanting to verbally lash out at someone, remember the power your words can have and think about what your are saying. Find Treatment For Substance Abuse And Childhood Trauma before it consumes your life and the life of the ones you hold closest to you!