Photo of a child with Herpes Simplex Virus 

Silence is outright consent. Inaction is an evil in itself. The social psychology of evil deconstructs the evil of inaction to a collective experience that denies individuation and offers an anonymity that creates the potential for inaction. Anonymity becomes an opportunity for diffusion of responsibility and reduces accountability. In our inaction, we sanctioned the murder of Akiel Chambers, Dale Andrews, Sean Luke, and Amy Emily Anamanthodo.

As bystanders to murder, we had a moral responsibility that we negated. When it comes to childhood sexual abuse (CSA) silence is perilous. For mental health practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, clinicians, therapists, doctors, nurses, counselors, social workers, caseworkers, law enforcement, judicial officials, academics, researchers, educators, community activists, neighbours, and even survivors to make no loud public protest against a crime of this magnitude on the innocent is to miss a great opportunity to serve humanity.

Our complicity in the death of these children and the abuse of so many others is an indescribable and an unforgivable evil. Then, there is the CRY Foundation that really wants to make you cry. In keeping with the social psychology thesis of evil, the lethargic response from our fraternity and related fraternities entails a peculiar kind of moral disengagement. When we entered this profession we entered because we wanted to help and to help is to act, not hesitate.

We must be committed to change. It takes courage. For helping professionals, particularly social workers, there must be a commitment to social justice advocacy: social action to achieve social reform and structural change in policies, practices, and laws. You can make a difference and initiate change by simply going to your supervisor and demand training.

It is the skills of the practitioner that determines the quality of a profession. Demand that government, regulatory agencies and lawmakers develop best practices regulations and statutory requirements that define the standards and the quality of services to be provided by various mental health practitioners and the professional qualifications of the practitioners who provide them. Demand that educators, at the University of the West Indies, develop curricula, in keeping with international standards, for students who want to enter the profession and continuing education for practitioners.

Academic learning is not enough. Demand the introduction of a licensing and credentialing process to ensure practitioners are able to offer a recognised minimum in terms of education and work experience based on uniform international standards. A disciplinary process used to address grievances and monitor practitioners must also be implemented.Where is the code of ethics that defines a professional consensus regarding appropriate conduct? Mental health practitioners must be held accountable for their actions and inactions. The profession’s identity and obligation must be made clear to the public. The standards of practice for mental health professionals have grown leaps and bounds in advanced nations. Trinidad & Tobago cannot remain in the dark ages.

For those of us who have studied abroad, we understand “effectiveness indicators for qualified providers” where as qualified providers we have attained a minimum of a master’s degree; achieved the required national credential of that discipline; and have had to acquire state licensure to practice in those jurisdictions. It is time for stakeholders to demand the same at home.

To remain certified and qualified, we must document our ongoing professional development, through relevant continuing education and successfully retaking our national certification exam, at five-year intervals from the date of our original certification, or as stipulated by state legislature or the credentialing authority. We are expected to be members of professional mental health organizations and to contribute, through academic work, research and advocacy, to the advancement of our profession.

Once we touched down on U.S. soil, we moved from an easy-breezy mentality to quickly understand the professional disciplinary process and the devastating effects of a malpractice lawsuit. The clients we serve, their insurance and health care providers, regulatory agencies, professional organization, and even our peers, have a responsibility to bring problems involving practitioner ethics to the attention of the appropriate governing bodies. There is follow through to ensure the effective action is taken when an ethical violation is identified and in many cases certification and license have been revoked. Is there a national code of professional ethics for certified and licensed mental health practitioners, in Trinidad & Tobago?

Added to all of that, the academic standards, professional experience, codes of ethics, credentialing, certification, and licenses, there is a moral imperative. How is such a professional distancing from the question of childhood sexual abuse possible? What mechanism of the brain allows us to suspend conscience and disable morality?

Psychologist Alfred Bandura offers an interesting theory of moral disengagement. He explains that moral disengagement is a cognitive process that alters “perception of reprehensible conduct.” Perception becomes skewed through moral justifications, making parallel comparisons, using euphemistic labeling of conduct, minimizing, ignoring, misconstruing consequences, displacing or diffusing responsibility, and dehumanizing the other by attributing blame for the outcome on the victim.

An important feature of childhood sexual abuse is psychological collusion: that many people know what is going on but refuse to intervene, or intervene only after it is too late. Violence is sanctioned by our silence. Mental health practitioners and other helping professionals have a critical leadership role to play and must seize the opportunity now. Moral disengagement leads to inhumanity. This lack of moral agency, social inaction, and the absence of best practices procedure can no longer go unchecked. As the old adage goes, “evil is knowing better, but doing worse.”

Renee Cummings