Trauma In Criminal Justice

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Traumatic experiences are determined when an individual feels distress and in turn this impacts the individual’s life. A traumatic experience can impact the way someone thinks, learns and feels about themselves (Sandra Bloom, 2002, p.1). In the criminal justice system both victims and offenders experience trauma. It is important for current criminal justice practices to acknowledge trauma for both victims and offenders. Traumatic events are defined as the “threatened death or serious harm to the physical self with the intense response of intense fear or helplessness” (Elizabeth Elliott, 2011, p.173). Traumatized individuals have been exposed to situation were they felt unsafe and powerless. Traumatic experiences can cause a lifetime of pain …show more content…
It is important to consider the implications of trauma for victims and offenders for the reason that it can provide better insight to why some people feel traumatized. People that are traumatized tend to be more short-tempered and on edge (Bloom, 2002, p.4). This can be the case for many offenders. Many offenders have experienced a traumatized childhood. For example, guest speaker Mark discussed how his childhood was problematic. Hence, many individuals were traumatized at a young age which led to their short temper. Considering that traumatized individuals have short tempers it is not surprising to see that people that are traumatized engage in more violent acts (Bloom, 2002, p.4). Engaging in violent behavior allows the individual to calm down and deal with the traumatic experience. Throughout this semester we have listened to two guest speakers that were previous offenders; Mark and Yve. Both individuals had similarities in their stories which was their childhood. Mark and Yve were both traumatized at a young age which can help explain why they committed criminal acts. Early childhood trauma can help determine if someone is likely to become more criminally negligent. As explained before an example of trauma is guest speaker Mark and his childhood story. For example, in Marks case he grew up being abused by his siblings and his upbringing was traumatic. He was told by his sister to eat dog food and …show more content…
Therefore, punishing and blaming individuals does not have a positive outcome. Understanding one’s past can help explain why someone offended in the first place. Majority of victims feel that the criminal justice system does not help victims with trauma (Gustafson, 2005, p.5). This can be for the reason that the criminal justice system just focuses on punishing in turn leaving the victim traumatized and he/she may lack the skills to cope with this scenario. Therefore, it is important for both victims and offenders having their needs and voices heard. The criminal justice system needs to create a safe environment allows for healing and growth (Bloom, 2002, p.15). An example of this can be restorative justice. Restorative justice provides a safe environment for both parties to share their stories. Most people think it is important to create therapeutic opportunities to help deal with trauma (Gustafson, 2005, p.6). Meaningful trauma approaches can beneficial outcomes (Elliott, 2011, p.169). Sharing in a safe environment can provide coping mechanisms for both offenders and victims. Acknowledging and understanding trauma can help explain what makes individuals tick (Elliott, 2011, p.187). Therefore, it is essential for current criminal justice practices to become aware of trauma and its implications. Understanding trauma can provide a better insight to ones past and insight into
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