Click Button for HOT CASE 1: UNETHICAL ETHICS
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COLLEAGUE ABUSE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD
Psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and psychiatric nurses all too frequently fail to treat their colleagues with more than a fraction of the respect they reserve for their patients.
The mental health field is a collection of professions that pride themselves on the high ethical principles of their practitioners.
Mental health professional associations and regulatory bodies from every region and nation have formulated standards and guidelines which are expected to be upheld by licensed practitioners. Some codes include guidelines which are expected to be upheld by academics and teachers who have a duty to care for students or fellow researchers. These bodies police their members or licensed practitioners to varying extents. Some ruthlessly pursue ethical breaches; others do not. Not all mental health professionals are answerable to these bodies. Many psychologists, especially those involved in academic teaching and research, are not answerable to any such body.
The various ethical codes for practicing mental health professionals contain a great deal in common with each other. Unfortunately, one of the commonalities is scant to non-existent guidelines on how these professionals are expected to behave towards each other, especially those over whom they have power by virtue of their office, designation or position in the community.
Codes of ethics for mental health professionals have little to say about how to conduct oneself when one is a willing or unwilling party in a disciplinary action against a colleague. In spite of the seminal work by Milgram, Zimbardo and others, psychologists have only recently come up with a set of guidelines which assist practitioners, teachers and supervisors identify and resist attempts to influence them to engage in unjustifiably punitive action towards a colleague. So far, these do not form part of the standard training package for psychologists. Here is an example of how one might be constructed.
THE MISUSE OF ETHICAL CODES
Ethical codes do not usually specify the parameters and methodology of an ethical investigation into alleged breaches of ethics or professional misconduct. Nor do they prescribe or proscribe behavior during such investigations. The result is that some mental health professionals have engaged in horrific acts of psychological abuse against their colleagues without being required to account to the profession for their actions.
The concepts of “administrative violence” and “legal abuse” are relatively new terms in the literature of human oppression. In many cases, they are the modern day equivalents of the “legal torture” which was an accepted part of the judicial system until half way through the 17th Century. Standard training programs for mental health professionals do not contain any discussion of these phenomena. Even those who are appointed to office on licensing boards or professional ethics committees are not obliged to receive training in this area. This needs to change so that these poorly recognized instances of psychological mistreatment can be prevented or curtailed.
Here are links to descriptions of such cases. (There are no Cold Cases on file yet.)
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THE PURPOSE OF THIS SITE
This site exists to present case studies of instances of psychological violence and abuse by mental health professionals against other mental health professionals. It seeks to educate these professions about the misuse of psychological power and to inoculate clinicians and students against engaging in these practices themselves or being naively manipulated into performing such acts.
It is hoped that featured cases will result in energetic and productive discussions, both here and off-line.
This site also exists to provide an avenue for concerned and ethical members of the mental health professions to influence the outcome of ongoing cases of psychological abuse and to provide the usual missing ingredient: psychological support and comfort for the person being oppressed in this manner.
HOW TO SUBMIT A CASE TO THIS SITE
Readers are invited to submit case studies of past or ongoing abuse to Psybird. Please provide a synopsis of the case but do not provide identifying information unless you are sure that this is legally permissible and advisable. If in doubt, submit your story with identifiers in square brackets. The Psybird editorial staff will substitute this information with non-identifying tags if it believes it is advisable to do so.
Check that you have not contravened the laws pertaining to sub judice statements and libel in your geographical area. Do this even if you intend to submit information anonymously. This site is not here to enable individuals to engage in character assassination or any other instance of the very form of abuse it aims to exterminate.
You may submit your story here.
A REMINDER
Readers are asked to remember that there is a crucial distinction between the profession of law and the mental health professions. The law exists to punish individuals for crimes of the past and continues the punishment for life by permanently branding the wrong-doers. Psychology, psychiatry and social work are rehabilitative professions which aim to help people leave the past behind and make permanent changes for the better. Bear in mind that a reformed abuser may be of more benefit in the provision of justice for others than a person who has never been tempted to abuse others.
