Chapter 1: The Torture Rehabilitation Movement

Healing the Hurt: A Guide for Developing Services for Torture Survivors was developed by The National Capacity Building Project at The Center for Victims of Torture for practitioners who may or may not have worked previously with torture survivors. It is a multidisciplinary guide that addresses some basic considerations when working with this population. This handbook is a primer, and it should not take the place of more in-depth training in torture treatment. We hope you find this resource helpful in your work with torture survivors. Various chapters are referred to under Providers Resources at HealTorture.org. Access to all handbook chapters is available by downloading the PDF files.

You can view and download the full book here or scroll down to view and download Chapter One.

Chapter One

Rehabilitation specialists commonly define torture as the calculated, systematic infliction of suffering by at least one person upon another. A key component is the complete physical control of the victim by the perpetrator (Nightingale, 1990). Once seen as a product of foreign totalitarianism and repressive regimes, torture is a weapon of terror used also in war, prison, and chaotic political situations. Examples may include: beatings and mutilations, asphyxiation and submersion, mock execution, electric shock, over/under-sensory stimulation, rape, humiliation and threats, witnessing the torture of others, and denial of food and medical treatment, to name a few. The numbers of victims of torture is difficult to pinpoint, but the estimate of torture survivors living in the United States is 400,000-500,000. Beginning in the 1970’s, numerous groups have developed to into networks that share support, knowledge, research, and political impact to meet the needs of survivors worldwide. While this movement to provide specialized treatment to survivors is new, it is growing as professionals become aware of the nature of torture, and its impact on the well-being of clients.