Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
Native American people are often overlooked, considered extinct, romanticized, forgotten, ignored and bear the burden of negative stereotypes. Belonging to a socially invisible community has consequences beyond being misunderstood and stereotyped. It can lead to much more dire outcomes – specifically, the public disregard of the epidemic of violence against Native American women and girls reflects passive cultural genocide.
In this blog post, two psychologists draw insights from a peer mentor on the real world experiences of survivors of sex trafficking and discuss ways in which psychologists and peer mentors can partner in the fight against human trafficking.
As a healer are you grounded to be present with pain? Can you be comfortable being on the outside of a group and still maintain your self-confidence? What is the preferred terminology when addressing the original people of this land? Is it OK to say “Indian”? Do you know the history of the people you serve?
You don’t need to be a psychologist or even a parent to understand that the Trump Administration’s practice of separating immigrant parents from children causes substantial short- and long-term harm to children, parents, and families.
From 2001 to 2015, the suicide risk for Black boys between the ages of 5 and 11 was two to three times higher than that of White boys, according to a new research letter in JAMA Pediatrics (Bridge, 2018). This concerning trend continues through adolescence as reported by the Nationwide Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Kann et al., 2017). The rates of attempted suicide, including attempts that resulted in an injury, poisoning, or overdose, are 1.2x higher among Black males compared to White males.
The Poor People’s Campaign (May 12, 1968 – June 24, 1968) was a national multiethnic movement that sought to gain economic justice for poor people in the United States. The campaign was in response to the shortcomings of the War on Poverty. Its impact drew attention to the crisis of poverty in America. Fifty years later, the Poor People’s Campaign is still a much-needed force for shedding light on the lives of 43 million Americans living in poverty. Psychological science has extensively documented the mental and physical health impacts of poverty over the lifespan.
Where exactly do human rights begin? Sunday, December 10th, 2017 is International Human Rights Day. We cannot protect the rights of all people if we do not respect the rights of the youngest and most vulnerable.
Since the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, psychologists have been essential in the response to HIV. They offered mental health support for people living with, or at risk for, HIV—as well as for their families and communities, and those who provide HIV medical care and social services. Psychologists developed programs to educate people about HIV and motivate behavior change to reduce risk.
Every day now in the news, we learn of various actions taken by those facing allegations of sexual assault and harassment. One set of actions has to do with their reported sexual harassment and/or assaults. Another set of actions has to do with how they respond when accused. Both types of action are crucially important. A good response can at least do some good (sincere apologies can be healing). But a bad response not only exacerbates the harm of the first injury, it also inflicts new injury, and does so in ways that are usually public and ongoing (well past the media moving on).
Over the last year, we have witnessed regular news media headlines coming out of Washington, D.C. with a state of shock, horror, and anger. Specifically, we have been alarmed by the rollback of protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth and students.
Psychology Benefits Society 