Citation

Gómez JM, Smith CP, Gobin RL, Tang SS, Freyd JJ. J. Trauma Dissociation 2016; 17(5): 527-544.

Affiliation

a University of Oregon , Eugene , OR , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15299732.2016.1214436

PMID

27427782

Abstract

The Hoffman Report (Hoffman et al., 2015) documented devastating information about the American Psychological Association (APA) and the profession of psychology in the U.S., prompting a public apology and a formal commitment to right their wrongs (APA, 2015). In the current paper, we utilize betrayal trauma theory (Freyd, 1997), including betrayal blindness (e.g., Freyd, 1996; Tang, 2015) and institutional betrayal (Smith & Freyd, 2014a), to understand and learn from APA's behaviors. We further situate this discussion in the context of inequality, both within APA and amidst American society generally. We detail how the impact of APA's institutional betrayals extended beyond the organization, its members, and the psychology profession, highlighting the potential for disproportionate harm on minorities, including: those who were tortured; Muslims, Middle Easterners, Afghans, and non-Americans who were not tortured; and other minority individuals (Gómez, 2015d). Acknowledging, understanding, and addressing APA's institutional betrayals offers the organization the opportunity to take meaningful corrective and preventive measures. We propose several institutional reparations, including making concrete changes with transparency and conducting self-assessments to inform further needed changes (Freyd & Birrell, 2013). By engaging in institutional courage, APA has the potential to grow into an ethical governing body that fulfills its mission to "… advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives" (APA, 2016).

Language: en