A Plague of Our Time: Torture, Human Rights, and Social Work

Abstract

Social work provides services to refugees and immigrants, the groups most likely to have been tortured, and despite this, the professional literature contains little information on torture or torture treatment. In this article, the authors discuss the extent of torture worldwide, review the prevalence of torture survivors in the United States, and discuss populations most at risk and the effects of torture. In the heart of the article, they discuss treatment considerations and resources for social workers involved with torture survivors. Working with survivors requires knowledge about human rights violations; identification of symptoms of torture and survivors reluctant to reveal this part of their past; community context and treatment environments; skills in healing trauma; advocacy; and brokering necessary medical, mental health, legal, and social services.