Trauma
By. S. Lee Reid II
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. It further provides that immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives.
Citizens across the nation and locally have experienced trauma introduced by the misconduct actions of the police officers. Just looking at the recent news reports from San Rafael, CA, Chicago, IL, Rock Hill, SC, and the interviews and experiences that citizens have reported over the years to the ACRB, it is clear that there is trauma associated with many actions that could be or are caused from officer misconduct. The trauma is compounded by the fact that efforts to hold officers accountable are usually frustrated by the very systems that are supposed to address, reduce, and eliminate officer misconduct.
Common comments from citizens to us in civilian oversight are “I will never forget what happened to me,” or “I always feel nervous around cops because of what happened to me.” The loss of dignity, respect, security, and lack of comfortableness in one’s own community are often expressed. Replaying the events, sleepless nights, anger, fear, and anxiety are common experiences.
The ACRB is concerned about the community and the individuals who experience trauma caused by officer misconduct or have anxiety caused by the continuous news reports of officer misconduct. We want to provide an avenue for citizens to reclaim their power. The ACRB will be initiating a support group to provide support to citizens who want to share with, learn from, and support other community members with the guidance of a licensed therapist. Opportunities to identify coping skills and move toward empowerment will be examined. You matter!
Look out for more information on the ACRB support group coming soon.
Lee Reid is Executive Director of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board