Photo credit: Anh Nguyen
“24”s Jack Bauer saves a victim from repeated beatings by his captor. Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft rappels down a dark cave to save a woman from ongoing electric shocks at the hands of a villain seeking to get a confession. The United Nations’ (U.N.) Convention Against Torture (CAT) defines “torture” as “any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity." Chicago has experience with such instances and, in 2014, was arguably the “torture capitol of the United States,” as stated by then Alderman Proco Joe Moreno. Although for purposes of this post, I focus on psychological or mental torture, a less explored form of torture that has equally as lasting effects, repercussions that are as detrimental to the victim’s mental health as are those of physical torture.
A study of torture survivors from the wars of the former Yugoslavia (the area now made up of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia) found survivors of psychological trauma reported equal levels of anxiety and fear during torture as did those who suffered corporal torture. Further, survivors of both physical and psychological torture had equal levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a form of lasting trauma. Such trends have been replicated elsewhere. The results of this and similar studies are significant. To ignore the power psychological trauma has in causing prolonged agony and suffering is to ignore the various forms trauma may take. Indeed, trauma is more than skin deep.
Psychological torture encompasses a wide range of tactics, from continued exposure to loud music, the use of hoods to create disorientation (think Abu Ghraib), or sleep deprivation, among many other forms. Statesman John McCain, himself held captive during the Vietnam War, attests to the power of such tactics, stating that he would choose physical torture over psychological torture. This carries weight as the late Senator McCain experienced both forms of torture during his time in captivity.
Perhaps the most well-known form of psychological torture is known as “gaslighting.” Seen as a form of emotional abuse intended to manipulate someone into questioning their own beliefs and sanity, gaslighting can have significant effects on one’s mental health, impacting that person’s lived experience. The term itself comes from the movie “Gaslighting,” a 1944 film wherein a woman has her mind played with by her supposedly devoted husband, this as he dims and raises the lights at night to hide his forays into the attic. When his wife expresses worry at these nightly occurrences, her husband dismisses it all and even tells her friends that his wife is falling ill. While Hollywood is known for stretching the truth, for taking leaps of faith, the movie paints an accurate picture of the workings of gaslighting.
Photo credit: PhotosbyAnn
While gaslighting tends to happen between partners who are in a romantic relationship, this mode of manipulation may also occur between friends or in the workplace. There are common signs that may indicate gaslighting is occurring. Among others, this may include feelings of isolation, a nagging feeling you are being too sensitive, and constantly believing you have made a mistake when things don’t go according to plan. Further, people who are gaslighting use certain tactics, this extending to hiding objects but denying any knowledge of where they are and saying things that, upon being questioned, the person doing the gaslighting vehemently denies having said.
Considering the above, my initial thoughts were that psychological torture in the form of gaslighting does not meet the United Nations’ definition of torture. Gaslighting does not necessarily seek to obtain information or punish the victim for an act committed. This maltreatment is also carried out by private citizens, not state agents. Though upon further thought I realized that this psychological form of torture does meet the U.N.’s torture criteria. Indeed, a U.N. note released in mid-2019 explicitly links torture as defined by CAT to gaslighting and other coercive practices. The release notes that “psychological and emotional violence, including coercive control, amounts to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or […] punishment and […] amounts to torture.” Ultimately, torture is not solely limited to physical aggression nor is it always apparent through external bruises, black eyes, or scars. Psychological torture is hidden, both the acts of aggression and the effects of the individual being tortured. It is vital all are attuned to potential indicators of this form of abuse so as to recognize it in friends. Chicago has several organizations that can assist in treating trauma associated with instances of psychological violence. These include:
877-863-6338
800-360-6619
773-489-6619
The drivers of psychological torture in the form of gaslighting are many and the consequences it has on victims damaging. The more familiar people are as to signs of such abuse, the greater the likelihood that such psychological violence can be avoided. Victims of gaslighting suffer in both interpersonal and intrapersonal ways and are subject to treatment that amounts to torture as defined by the United Nations. If this country is to honor its dedication to the Convention Against Torture, the United States must take steps to eliminate this form of violence. Individual knowledge of such circumstances is the first step towards this ideal.