Domestic violence and the politics of trauma

Abstract

Domestic Violence and the Politics of Trauma Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has had a chequered history in relation to gender-based violence and specifically domestic violence. There is evidence that a significant proportion of women who are abused suffer from PTSD. However, there remains controversy about whether this is a useful and progressive concept on which to base intervention. Mainstream mental health services in the UK have shown little 'take up', while women's services supporting survivors also remain ambivalent, though for different reasons. Clinical psychology has been where the concept has been embraced. This paper highlights aspects of Judith Herman's original intervention framework which have remained undeveloped, specifically the attention to social support and the need for an active social movement. These ideas have been marginalized in the development of professional and individualised approaches to survivors. It is suggested that re-invigorating these ideas would enhance the work with survivors and provide greater resonance with the underpinnings of work with women's services.

Seismologies of emotion: fear and activism during domestic violence

“…While participants were keen to tell their stories, and many were calm, articulate and fluent, most were tearful at times, and there were moments that were especially emotional. High rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exist among people who have experienced domestic violence, and memories can trigger trauma years later (Herman 1992;Humphreys and Joseph, 2004). As interviewers it is important that we recognise this in situ, probing not only carefully but in a way that allows the interviewee to control how far they delve.…”

Institutional betrayal.

“…This shift often required advocacy by outspoken critics of typical psychological practices in order to expand the field's understanding and convince it to look at uncomfortable truths. For example, Judith Herman's seminal work Trauma and Recovery (Herman, 1992) became a touchstone for voicing the pain inflicted by the interpersonal violence typically experienced by women in a society that puts lesser value on their safety and well-being than on that of men (Humphreys & Joseph, 2004). Once these experiences were moved out of the shadows, there followed an explosion of research that documented the high rates of traumatic experiences as well as the impact of these experiences.…”

A person-centred political critique of current discourses in post-traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic growth

“…Not all diagnosis is led by psychiatry. For instance, PTSD first appeared in 1980 with reference to war veterans (Humphreys & Joseph, ), who wanted and welcomed this diagnosis so that they would be entitled to access treatment (Burstow, ). Following feminist lobbying in the 1980s and early 1990s (Humphreys & Joseph, , p. 561), in DSM‐IV (APA, ), PTSD encompassed abuse survivors (Burstow, , p. 432), whose pain also needed to be acknowledged in a public way.…”